Friday, January 20, 2012

Mustard, Lasagna, and Apostles: Interview with author Richard Godwin



Jill: “Apostle Rising.” Love the title!  Give me the one sentence pitch for the novel. 

Richard:  You have just met the darkest hybrid imaginable and your world will never be the same again.

Jill:  More on titles.  Some of your story titles include: “I’m a Lasagna Hog,””Go Hang a Salami,” “Kentucky Ketchup,” “Okie Onion,” and “Fresh Bacon.”  Do you write when you’re hungry?  I’m suddenly craving a hoagie.

Richard:  No I think food is essential to narratives, we are all part of the feast, the question is who is the host?

Jill: In addition to writing short stories and a novel, you’ve also written a play. “The Cure-All” was staged in London.  Is it hard to switch between forms/styles/genres of writing?

Richard:  I love doing it. The truth be told if I had to write one genre all the time I would get bored.  I like my writing to stay fresh, vital, like freshly baked bread.

Jill:  You’ve published a number of works in online periodicals.  What is the most satisfying thing about publishing on the internet versus in good old dead-tree print?

Richard:  I think it’s the feedback. There is an army of fine readers out there who are immensely supportive.

Jill: You’re a member of “International Thriller Writers.” What have your learned about your craft from this organization?

Richard:  It’s not so much a matter of learning from them. It’s more a useful vehicle for getting your name out there, as is the CWA, which I am also a member of.

Jill:  What has been the most surprising thing to you about the business side of publishing?

Richard:  Learning that the distributor is key.

Jill:  Somewhere in a desk drawer or at the back of a closet, you probably have an early, unfinished draft of something from when you were just starting out.  What unfinished project would you like to finish someday?

Richard:  There is a novel about a retired Detective who moves to the English countryside. Say no more but a nod is as good as a wink to a blind bat.

Jill:  What authors have influenced you the most?

Richard:  Dostoyevsky and Leonard.

Jill: What part(s) of writing (i.e. plot, dialogue, character, etc.) are most fun for you to work on? 

Richard:  When the novel comes alive and takes on its own route.  You have to listen to what the characters are telling you.

Jill:  You’ve got a lot of stories out there, and it’s almost unfair to put you on the spot, but I’m going to anyway:  Name two of your favourite works.

Richard:  In terms of online publications The Mustard Man and Pony Trip.

Jill: The last question is kind of a freebie: What question do you wish I had asked you? Now go ahead and ask & answer that question.

Richard:  What do I see as the future of publishing?
The breakdown of the economically driven search and sell mechanism that has reduced sales to celebrity books that are not fit to read, eventually this will change. And I say this as someone who has been traditionally published and continues to be.  The big houses got greedy and fat and lazy and stupid. Apostle Rising sold foreign rights as a debut, so it has been successful as a first novel.  I think the E Book will shake things up. It will make the industry re-evaluate what publishing is really about. Economics dictates certain lines of reasoning. And decisions based on it are not in favour of Art.

For more on Richard Godwin, check out his website or follow him on Twitter @stanzazone 

Richard's books are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and many other sources.


15 comments:

  1. Richard Godwin is one of THE finest noir/ horror writers alive. Even his answers in this interview are electrifying. His works seem chilling, soulless, but his characters' pain is genuine.

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    1. Cindy much appreciated coming from you.

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  2. Apostle set the . . . table . . . (sorry for the pause my table remark threw the fabulous Mustard man right to the front of my brain)for me. I've said before and will say again, Apostle is one of the most remarkabe first novels I've read. And I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Richard's next book. Sounds like he's not letting up a whit and that's a very good thing.

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  3. I know this book will make a big splash, and is still being discovered by many. I anticipate it will continue to proliferate into the ranks of its respective genre(s), and will be widely received. Richard Godwin is full of surprises.

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  4. Bill thank you my friend. Your depth of observation and wealth of appreciation are widely appreciated.

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  5. Mark it's good to see you here. Thank you for your support and awareness of my slip stream styles.

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  6. Richard, she didn't mention your recent... ahem... barbeque short story. One of your most graphically hilarious (my sense of humor is wonky, to be sure). And I can't believe I didn't see the food theme before. Should you ever write something in any way related to grilled cheese sandwiches, please let me know.

    Great questions, great answers. And I look forward to seeing how your vision of the publishing future will play out. I'm one of the multitudes who are sick of the celebrity books.

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  7. A delightful interview that shows several of the myriad sides to Richard Godwin, a favorite author of mine and of many.

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  8. Becky thank you if you like grilled cheese sandwiches you must try HP sauce. And has anyone noticed anything about the two titles I'm A Lasagna Hog and Go Hang A Salami?

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  9. Sal thank you for your comment and all your support. Many sides, many dishes.

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  10. I adore Richard's writing skills, his personality, and his fierce support of the writing community. It's always cool to read him in the hot seat. :D

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  11. Carrie good to see you here. Thank you for all your support.

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  12. Jill you are an anagram adept hostess who I am sure is adept at spice. Thank you for allowing me to be your guest.

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