Michael is a thirty-something somebody living in the bowels of Pennsylvania. He lives with his small (but growing) army of chihuahuas who are trained in the arts of world domination, and he enjoys writing about bad things that happen to good people.
How long have you been writing and what got you started?
Been writing stories since somewhere in my early years, maybe 7 or 8 years old. Got started writing fanfics, mostly Star Wars stuff around that time. The interest in the horror genre spiked in my teens, and I’ve been writing short fiction for the past several years trying to strengthen my craft.
What is the best piece of advice you have for new writers?
Don’t worry so much about “writing what you know” – I used to be intimidated by this idea, and it eased me off of a few story ideas at the risk of being foolish; just write whatever you want, and if you don’t know it, learn it!
Are there any writing resources, such as books or websites, you’d like to recommend?
There are two main things I do every year that I recommend to other budding writers.
- Buy the yearly Writer’s Market Digest
- Check out The Write Life’s 100 Best Writing Sites of (insert Year)
The Writer’s Market is a publishing guide filled with all the information you could ever need to know and will help you on your submission journeys. The Write Life every year compiles the best writing sites from around the internet, and I find numerous sites each year that are worth adding to my bookmarks and following.
What tips do you have for finding time to write?
A lot of my writing is done in short increments. I like to write a lot in the “dead times” between one event and another. A page here, a paragraph there, sometimes just a littering of ideas for future words. Once I started paying attention to how much of this time I actually had, I was able to combine it all for a generally satisfying writing session, albeit one that lasts all day.
Are you an outlier or discovery writer? Or somewhere in between?
Definitely a bit of both. I try to have at least some sense of where I’m going, but I usually do keep it pretty vague. I’ve always had a much better sense of how the story is gonna play out once I get past the introduction portion.
How do you deal with rejections?
As most submissions are electronic these days, I have a folder titled “Rejections” where I keep them all stacked in a nice, neat little pile. I put the rejection in that folder, have a brief moment of silence, and carry on about the day.
Do you participate in any online or in-person critique or writing groups?
I have a critique group online that’s been pretty helpful, but this is something I’m admittedly behind on and should be more proactive about. I would like to join an in-person group, just haven’t really found one to suit me yet.
What are your writing goals for the next twelve months?
While I have an abundance of short fiction I will keep searching to find a home for, ultimately I’d really like to finish my full-length manuscript. It was started several months ago, progress has been a little slow but the story is coming, and I’d like to at least be diving into the second draft sometime in a year from now.
What book(s) are you reading right now?
I am currently reading The Troop by Nick Cutter which I’ve heard wonderful things about. I’m also going back into the history of comic books and reading some of the old-school events, and I’m about halfway through the DC crossover event from 1988 titled Millennium.
Is there anything you’d like to plug? Feel free to share a link.
If you enjoy the horror genre, dogs, sports, and the occasional tweet about bad wrestling, check out my twitter! https://twitter.com/entertainmulk
