Cold Flesh: Ask Tim Johnson, Oct. 10 – 15

[hugonian]

Session: Tim Johnson, Oct. 10 – 15

Instructions: Post a question for the author and wait for a reply. From Monday to Saturday, the author will peek in periodically to answer questions. If the author cannot answer your question before time expires, feel free to PM the author with your question.

This week’s author: Tim Johnson “Bits and Pieces” is a member of the Horror Writers Association, and the coauthor of Two Die Four. His fiction has appeared in dozens of magazines and anthologies. He lives in Massachusetts, where he spends his time reading, writing, and rooting for the Red Sox. Visit him online at www.CrimsonSlime.com. He loves to hear from his readers.

Q&A Schedule: See when other authors will be available--schedule of authors

Cold Flesh info: For more info regarding Cold Flesh, such as reviews and updates, please visit the official thread or the official website.

[hugonian]

Hey, Tim.

Tell us about your writing: your style, your usual subjects, etc. Also, which authors do you enjoy, and what about their writing enthralls you?

I thought the story was a hoot.

Sorry to see Rusty go though. I like most dogs better than most people.

jmeg

Hello to all,

My writing? Well, I mostly stick to writing horror. I have a tight writing schedule. As I like to say, writing is usually my desert, and you have to finish your dinner before you get to desert - I usually have a lot on my plate most days. But I try to write at least 500 words a day. I'm currently working on my second novel - and working to get my first novel published.

Authors I enjoy, within the genre, are Richard Laymon, Jack Ketchum, and Stephen King. The usual suspects atop many readers favorite author lists. Laymon is able to pack so much suspense in such economical prose. Fiction truly doesn't get much better than the work Ketchum produces, I think. And King's characterization is second to none.

Thanks for reading my story, jmeg. Glad you liked it. I was sorry to see Rusty go too. Funny you should mention that, because I was at the Rock and Shock convention this past weekend, and Jack Ketchum said something like, you can do what you want to people, but mess with a dog and you're ****ed.

Speaking of the convention, it was great fun. In relation to zombies, I got to meet some members of the cast of Land of the Dead, and had a few beers with some. Good time.

Gotta run now. Fire some questions at me!

-Tim

[UndeadAnthology]

Originally Posted by timjohnson

I'm currently working on my second novel - and working to get my first novel published.

Care to share what your first and second novels are about? How long did it take you to complete your first novel?

Jacob

My first novel, MIND MATTER, deals with the high concept of the power of imagination. Basically the story throws the it’s-only-my-imagination assurance out the window, because the imagination can manifest horrors far worse than reality. The mind can create matter. Matter can hurt you; it can kill you. I don’t want to give much away, but I’ll throw a few words out there: brain tumor, hallucinations, love triangle, dangerous secrets, darkest desires, and—yes, of course—zombie. It took me about five months to write the rough draft. Then I reread it, and rewrote it from page one—using the rough draft simply as a reference. I completed the final draft about four months later. So, overall, with editing time thrown into the equation, the novel took close to a year to complete. It’s about 80,000 words.

Believe it or not, I’m currently working on two novels simultaneously. Well, actually I’m about 20,000 words into one novel entitled SOUR BLOOD. I’m putting that one on hold for a while to work on one that has been clawing at my brain, just begging to be written for a long time now. That one is titled NIGHT CREW. The story is about a group of employees who work what is referred to as “night crew” at a local supermarket. They are locked in the store overnight to clean the floors, stock the shelves—basically do the things that can’t be done during the day when the store is filled with customers. Anyway, one night a serial killing cannibal wanders into the store before it closes, and is accidentally locked in with the night crew. His wicked actions unleash an even more dangerous presence in the store overnight. There’s no stopping it. And there’s absolutely no way out.

So far, writing it has been a blast. I’m keeping at it. In fact, I think I’ll go write right now.

Did you write "Bits and Pieces" specifically for Cold Flesh?

Is it a story that you would consider expanding or writing a follow-up for?

What inspires you?

How do you handle writer's block?

[HOO-HAA]

You mentioned writing to a tight schedule, Tim. I think many of us budding writers, like you, have many other committments (work, family, partner etc.) before we have time to write... Have you any tips on how to discipline yourself, even when there's little time available to write?

[hugonian]

Could you tell us how you came up with the idea for your Cold Flesh story, “Bits and Pieces”? What spurred the premise?

Also, some readers found it hard to digest your dialogue on first read: see Collin's review, message #46. Give us insight into what you were doing with the dialogue, as far as craft goes.

Hi Tim,

Man, it takes some discipline to rewrite an entire novel using the first draft only as reference. NIGHT CREW sounds like a fun read -- have any excerpts posted online? And does your day job ever interfere with your creativity?

I did write “Bits and Pieces” specifically for COLD FLESH. I heard about the anthology through the grapevine, read the guidelines, and started thinking up a violent, gory zombie tale. “Bits and Pieces” is what I produced. This was a while back, nearly two years ago actually. If you want the truth, I wrote this tale while in college—at home on Christmas break. It’s fun to reread a story I wrote a while ago. I get a good look at how my writing has matured and improved over time. I certainly think it has. “Bits and Pieces” is a good tale, but it has its shortcomings, no doubt. I don’t think that the ending is all that predictable. The high concept might be apparent early on, but the ending? I’m not sure about that. In fact, I just read the Collin’s review, and—though I was a little nervous for a while there—I absolutely understand what the review says about the dialogue. See, dialogue is the primary tool to develop characterization. It’s almost as if I was working with a blunted tool at times. I’ve learned that to write well, you need to focus on sharpening your tools, as well as sharpening the product.

I don’t think I’ll write a follow-up to this story. I may write another zombie tale in the future—in fact, I’m sure I will.

What inspires me? The voice in my head that whispers ideas to me, I guess. I’m also inspired by other writers, meeting great authors who make a living telling yarns. It’s not that I’m inspired by what they write exactly, but that I admire what they have achieved. It keeps the fires burning, keeps me trying.

Like I said, I have a full plate of commitments, and writing is my desert. The best way for a writer to discipline him- or herself is to make writing a set part of the daily schedule. We all have free time at some point during the day I’d like to think. Maybe we spend that time reading, watching television, surfing the web, or maybe even checking in on message boards. I’m not saying cut those things out of your routine—not at all. Just shave off a bit of the time spent on these time-consuming activities, and put it into the writing block of your day. Set aside, say, an hour—from 8 to 9, maybe, a time you might otherwise spend watching a TV show you don’t really like—and sit at your desk and write. Make a habit of it.

NIGHT CREW is in its early stages now. I don’t have any excerpts or anything posted online, and odds are I probably won’t post anything online until it’s complete—maybe not until I sell it. For updates, you can always check out my website: http://crimsonslime.com.

I'm sorry I made you nervous there. It was an odd thing and it cemented within me the need to go back and re-read each story before reviewing them.

Best of luck getting your book published. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for it.

I've tried to set time aside for writing. What tends to happen is the same thing that happens when I set time aside for drawing. Nothing comes to me. I sit there and stare at the screen. Is there anything that you do to successfully combat writer's block?

Writer’s block, eh? Well…

At the convention this past weekend, a bunch of us went out for dinner after. I was talking to Don D’Ammassa at the bar about—though we never used the term—writer’s block. Basically what Don passed on to me was this: There comes a point where every writer stops and thinks what he or she has written isn’t good, then feels the need to stop; or you simply can’t think of anything to write. The thing to do is write anything. Really, if you’re staring at a blank screen with no ideas, if you’re just plain stuck, write, keep writing. Make up stuff. You can always go back and edit later, make changes as you think of them. Sometimes all it takes is a push start. If you turn the key and nothing happens, you’re not gonna pop the clutch and fire the engine to life if you’re just sitting there. Give the car a push. Write anything. Once you get going, keep going, and you’ll plow “write” through that damn writer’s block. No problem.

[hugonian]

In what ways are you promoting TWO DIE FOUR? What campaigns are proving most successful? Have you done anything unusual that really paid off?

Actually, this past weekend was in part to promote TWO DIE FOUR. I signed copies of the book at the Rock and Shock convention. It was a successful signing, I think, and I had some fun, but overall the crowd there was more interested in music and meeting film celebrities—not really a crowd in the market for books.

Oh, pretty soon I’ll be offering signed copies of TWO DIE FOUR for only $10, including S&H. I can personally inscribe the book too. I’m going to be posting this on my website later in the week, but I thought I’d drop the word here first. Anyone who’s interested, drop me an email at crimsonslime@aol.com.

For more info you can always check out my website.