Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a longtime writer, but my new novel Just A Typo is my first published humor work. I was always writing funny stuff as a child, but that passion for writing migrated into covering sports in high school, and then writing films in college and beyond. I received a Master’s Degree from The American Film Institute as a screenwriter and worked in Hollywood for a while. I recently shifted back to prose and crafted this new satire novel which is very funny and I am extremely proud of.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of the book is “Just A Typo: The Cancellation of Celebrity Mo Riverlake”. It is my satirical take on cancel culture and the way we as a society can form opinions on people and situations without facts. The protagonist has a typo in a well-meaning tweet that turns it into something offensive, and things go bad from there. It was a topic I wanted to explore, and the germination of the idea came from my near-typo in a tweet a while back.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I do like rewriting as I go, as it’s hard to move forward knowing what came before isn’t perfect. That slows me down some but I always get to the end somehow.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a humorist, I am inspired by Dave Barry, David Sedaris and others like them. I had a childhood influence in Judy Blume, whose early novels were wonderful to read when I was young.
What are you working on now?
I am writing more short-form pieces for Slackjaw, the humor offshoot from Medium.com. But I am also working on another novel.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Still searching for that magic formula! Hopefully this website drives some traffic to the book, but building up a following with more short-form humor is one approach I am taking that is building a following.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Don’t be discouraged. Follow your gut with the story and don’t tailor your writing to what others want – write what YOU think works.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Hmmmm… nothing jumps out at me, but I have always heard a variety of great advice. “Be yourself” is a good one. I don’t try to be anyone else when I write; I just be me and write what makes me laugh.
What are you reading now?
I hold a full time job and try to write when I’m not working, so finding the time to read has been difficult. When I do sit and read, I usually read some old columns from a Dave Barry collection. It makes me laugh and also puts me in a funny mood so I can start writing.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully continue to build a following so I can put out new work and have it be well-received. Of course, that means continuing to put out new material too, so that’s part of it.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Can I get magazine subscriptions instead so I’d have fresh material every month??
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