Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a young man from New York City who enjoys to write when I’m not wasting time on YouTube.
I have one novel published, Buried Vapors, and several more in the pipeline.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is Buried Vapors. The seed of the story was planted when I saw an abandoned mattress on someone’s front lawn in the heat of the summer. It glowed white-hot under the sun. I said to my friend, “I wonder what dreams were dreamed on that mattress.” And like that the story had been conceived.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Several. One is “Word Debt” where I punish myself for not reaching daily word goals by accumulating “word debt,” debt I need to make up for later.
Another is my editing process, where, when I’m reaching toward the end of the process, I’ll scramble up every scene and edit them in a random order. The idea is to forget about the structure of the story and instead concentrate on each individual sentence. After that, I’ll have the robot computer read every sentence for around ten hours, and I’ll listen to see if anything sounds broken.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I try to read widely, so I’m unsure. I’d say music and my experiences have influenced me more than other authors. What I get from books is more of micro level insights (‘this is a clever turn of phrase,’ or, ‘I like this sentence’). My macro interests/story ideas come from somewhere else.
What are you working on now?
I am working on my next novel, Finding Bryan. It’s an extremely fun read, kind of a coming of age story for a thirty-three year old and a family adventure, packed into one. I suspect people will enjoy it a lot.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
YouTube is the best platform to follow me. https://www.youtube.com/user/Matt100020
I have a lot of fun there, and I’m always excited to create interesting and useful content for my audience.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just keep writing.
What are you reading now?
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
What’s next for you as a writer?
Who knows? It depends on if people like my initial novel, Buried Vapors. I like writing, but somehow I need to find people to read my books. However if I fail, I know I won’t be able to stop. I’ll write some more. It’s too addicting.
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?
The Catcher in the Rye, then probably 3 empty notebooks so I can keep writing.
Author Websites and Profiles
Matthew Kesselman Website
Matthew Kesselman Amazon Profile
Matthew Kesselman’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account