Questions readers have asked. If you’ve got a question about SPASMS, writing or me, leave it in a comment and I’ll do my best to answer. xo, Amy
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Q: Why do you write every day?
A: Practice. If I was a piano player and I wanted to get really good, I’d play every day. Same if I wanted to be a ballet dancer or a mathematician. But SPASMS are more than practice, in that other people are (hopefully) reading them, so my standard’s a little higher than if I were doing it solely for myself.
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Q: Where do you get your ideas?
A: Where don’t I? Life is full of ideas, if you exercise a little imagination. I’ve gotten ideas from newspaper articles, things I’ve misheard, real-life experiences…all sorts of things. Never be afraid to use your imagination, to ponder “what if,” to think things through to a new conclusion.
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Q: What other writers influenced you? What authors inspire you?
A: Mark Twain and John Kennedy Toole are huge, huge influences. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was four years old, but it was after reading their work at age twelve that I started making the effort to be good at it. Donald E. Westlake, Carol Lay, Lawrence Block and Fredric Brown are all big influences in terms of writing style. Maya Angelou, Carl Sagan, Stephen Jay Gould, Elizabeth Peters, P.G. Wodehouse, Douglas Adams, Armistead Maupin… Well, that’s a start, anyway.
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Q: Is it all right if I friend you on LiveJournal?
A: I don’t see why not, although don’t take it personally if I don’t friend you back. My friends list has hit critical mass in terms of keeping up with other people’s posts and still getting my work done.
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Q: Do you have a list of ideas and just pick one to write about? Or just wing it with whatever feels right at the moment?
A: I have a notebook where I’ll jot down ideas, and a page or so of phrases I consult occasionally, but basically I wing it. Spontaneity helps keep it fresh.
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Q: What other writing projects are you working on?
A: Depends what you call “working.” I have several ideas developing in my head that I haven’t committed to paper yet. I’m also finishing the final edit of my novella, Mr. Nims Versus the Frauditor, which will be self-published in a collection with the other Nims stories later this year, and preparing submissions for several projects. Stay tuned.
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Q: What are your favorite books/movies/musicians?
A: Books: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole, and The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, by Carl Sagan. I have lots more, but these I make a point of reading every year. Movies: Jaws, Babe (with the pig), Wait Until Dark, The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, and Carnival of Souls. And either Young Frankenstein or The Producers. Musicians: The Who, They Might Be Giants, Cibo Matto, Metallica, Aimee Mann, Raymond Scott, Jandek, Lou Reed/Velvet Underground, Type O Negative, and way too many more to list.
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Q: Do you ever feel pressure to be funny, rather than just persistent?
A: I had to think about it, but no. Humor is a nice fallback for me, because it comes naturally, but I’d guess my stories are about a 50-50 mix of humor and not-humor. One thing I’ve learned over the years is never to write something to please someone else. Not that I never write something for a specific someone to appreciate, mind you. I’m just saying that ultimately, I’m the one who has to live with whatever I’ve written, so I have to be true to myself. Especially with SPASMS. I may share it and welcome comments, but I write for me.
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Q: What have you noticed has changed about your writing style over time?
A: It’s tightened up a lot, thanks to SPASMS. Dialogue has improved. I think I’ve also found my footing in terms of pacing, although that has yet to be determined for longer pieces.
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Q: What types and genres of fiction do you like to read?
A: It really depends on my mood and the author. Mysteries, crime caper novels, old-school science fiction (think Fredric Brown or C.M. Kornbluth), and funny stuff. I love Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Kyle Baker and Evan Dorkin, too.
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Q: Weren’t you in the movie “Jandek on Corwood?”
A: Yes. It’s a documentary about the outsider musician Jandek, and I was lucky enough to be interviewed for it. I’m only in it for about thirty seconds, though.
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Q: You did some mini-comics once, didn’t you…?
A: Yes, I wrote, drew and self-published comics from 1989-2000. A couple examples appear elsewhere on this site.
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