From Ken Goldman ("What I Said To Richie
Was..." for Expiration Date)
1.When
did you start writing horror?
It happened by accident. I was
taking a creative writing course back in the early '90's and wrote a horror
tale called "PANDEMIC" for a homework assignment. The instructor asked me if I copied the
story! It was a non-credit adult course,
so I told her I would have had no sane reason to copy the story. She told me
that with a little polishing I could probably get it published, but at the time I had no idea how to do
that. I got a copy of The Writers Guide
and found a contest, The Rod Serling 2nd
Annual Memorial Writing Contest, soI sent the story in. Months later I got a phone call that I had
come in second place. I was floored, but
I figured, hell I can do this. Turned
out I could. That was 750 published stories ago! Thank you, Rod.
2. Have you written in any other genre?
I've written some Fantasy tales, a little sci-fi, some humor pieces too, and I've managed to sell them. But horror for some reason comes easy to
me. I've tried writing Romance tales but
they
always wind up drifting into horror --- much like my own love life.
3.
What makes you uncomfortable?
I hate (hate!) getting needles,
whether flu shots or when I'm giving blood. Back when I was a high school teacher there
was a blood drive at our school. The deal was that the first advisory that got
100% of its students to donate blood would get a pizza party. I told the kids I would be the first in line
if we got the 100%, and sure enough we did.
So there I was, number one in line
in front of
dozens of kids, and I'm rolling
up my sleeve like a big shot hero. Well,
not quite. The needle went in,
and I fainted dead out on the floor. But
we got the pizza!
4.
Does your family read your work?
My family and friends hate horror,
so I have to practically tie them in a chair to read my stuff. My brother is a professional writer
himself, and he reads some of my stories
if I ask nicely. He actually
arranged a book signing for my first novel, OF A FEATHER.
5.
Does your writing make you uneasy?
Not for the reason that you may think.
I get uneasy when I put a lot of work into a story, because I worry that
it won't sell. I've been very lucky
because almost everything I've written has been accepted
somewhere. I'm hoping I can stay on that roll because I'm currently
working on a new novel, and I'm putting a lot of time and energy into it. I'm
hoping to have it done by the summer. Then comes the
fun task of getting the damned thing published. Until it happens, THAT
makes me uneasy!
6. Who
would you say you write like?
I'm told I have a very visual style, almost like you're watching a
movie. Maybe that's the Stephen King
influence, but I don't like being compared to him because there already IS a
Stephen King,
and he's pretty good. My
biography profiles sometimes mention that I look forward to the day when King
and I are called to the dais for some horror award, and someone in the audience
asks "Who is that
guy standing next to Ken Goldman?"
Just a little fantasy of mine!
7. Who
are your favourite authors?
Okay, Stephen King, of
course. That's required by law for a
horror writer. But I like a lot of the
small/independent press writers too; in my opinion, some of them are as good as
the pros. I also read
a lot of biographies and autobiographies, and I'm a sucker for the humor of Dave
Barry, Woody Allen, and George Carlin. I've read almost everything they've
written. As a former English teacher I like the
classic American writers too, especially Poe, Hawthorne, Steinbeck, and Fitzgerald. I don't think I ever had a class in
which I didn't teach Ray Bradbury's
stories. The man's imagination was limitless.
8. Who
influences you as a writer?
As a film buff I'm probably as influenced by movies or t.v. as I am from
books. I loved Rod Serling's TWILIGHT ZONE and the way he hid socially
significant messages in his stories.
Alfred Hitchcock's
films were masterpieces, and
PSYCHO probably was the film that influenced
my writing the most. (I love
going for the twist you don't see coming.)
The old EC comics like Tales From The Crypt were an
enormous influence on me. There's this ghoulish sense of macabre humor
in those old comics I try to create in my own tales. It's like the roller coaster that scares hell
out of you, but you love it!
9. Do you remember what your first horror
book was that you read?
It wasn't really horror, but I
remember William Golding's LORD OF THE
FLIES. I was really moved by the theme
of man's potential to revert to his violent nature when the law
isn't around to curb that impulse.
It's still a scary concept to me because it's so real and so accurate.
(So, of course, that book went on my reading list when I became a teacher.)
10.
How old were you?
I was a pimply fifteen year old, and I still remember Piggy's head being
smashed by the rock, his head splitting open, and him falling into the
ocean. Sorry for the spoiler.
11. Is
there any subject you will not touch as an author?
Nope. It's the politically
incorrect subjects that make you squirm the most, right?
12.
What was the best advice you were given as a writer?
Writing is really rewriting. Your
first draft is just the beginning. Be
your own worst critic, because your mom and your friends won't be honest with
you if your writing stinks.
13. If
you had to start all over again, what would you do different?
I would have started writing (with the purpose to publish) a lot
earlier. Until the early '90's most of
the writing I did, I did for myself with no intent whatsoever for anyone else
to read it.
14.
How many books do you read a year?
I do most of my reading during the summer months. I hit the beach with my trusty Kindle and
read all day. During the winter months I
focus mostly on my writing, although I'll read a book or two every few
weeks.
15. Do
you write every day?
Most days, yes. I reread whatever new story I've written, then rewrite what I've written, then I write
something new.
Please provide Amazon, Twitter, Linked In,
Facebook, Blog Links
Facebook Page :
http://www.facebook.com/kenneth.goldman1
Linkedin Page :
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=tab_pro
Amazon.com Page :
http://www.amazon.com/Kenneth-C.-Goldman/e/B004QVWTTE
Goodreads Page :
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6154308.Ken_Goldman
OF A FEATHER
Amazon.com Page :
http://www.amazon.com/Of-A-Feather-Ken-Goldman/dp/0957010362
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