It’s ME
It’s HIM
It’s T-I-M…
Hi Readers, continuing on with my SPOTLIGHT SERIES today I’m featuring my good buddy and fellow writer of all things BOOGIDY BOOGIDY: Eric J Guignard. He is a multi-time award winner and a really great guy to know.
Here’s his BIO:
ERIC J. GUIGNARD is a writer and editor of dark and speculative fiction, operating from the shadowy outskirts of Los Angeles, where he also runs the small press, Dark Moon Books. He’s won the Bram Stoker Award, been a finalist for the International Thriller Writers Award, and a multi-nominee of the Pushcart Prize.
He has over 100 stories and non-fiction works appearing in publications such as Nightmare Magazine, Gamut, Black Static, Shock Totem, and Dark Discoveries Magazine. As editor, Eric’s published six anthologies, such as Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations, After Death…, and A World of Horror, a showcase of international horror short fiction.
Additionally, he’s created an ongoing series of primers exploring modern masters of literary dark short fiction, titled: Exploring Dark Short Fiction (Vol. 1: Steve Rasnic Tem; Vol. II: Kaaron Warren; Vol. III: Nisi Shawl; Vol. IV: Jeffrey Ford).
Read his short story collection That Which Grows Wild: 16 Tales of Dark Fiction (Cemetery Dance), standalone novella Baggage of Eternal Night (JournalStone), and watch for forthcoming books, including the novel Crossbuck ’Bo.
Outside the glamorous and jet-setting world of indie fiction, Eric’s a technical writer and college professor, and he stumbles home each day to a wife, children, cats, and a terrarium filled with mischievous beetles. Visit Eric at: www.ericjguignard.com, his blog: ericjguignard.blogspot.com, or Twitter: @ericjguignard
On a personal note, he is one of the most supportive writers I know and in some ways I owe my lit career to him for putting in a good word. Writers helping Writers is something I dig and respect, he’s a great guy. I was lucky enough to catch up with this writing madman for a few questions peeking into his psyche, enjoy the journey you may not make it back.
HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A WRITER?
No, but I’ve always wanted to be a creative professional, whether that was involved in creating art, design, or writing.
WHAT WORKS INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE THIS CAREER?
My earliest media influences are Twilight Zone, Stephen King, and comic books, and because of that, I tend to write with the same sort of audience in mind.
Authors I currently adore and consider inspirations include Cormac McCarthy, George Orwell, Stephen Graham Jones, John Steinbeck, Bentley Little, Lisa Morton, Poppy Z. Brite, Mira Grant/ Seanan McGuire, Joe R. Lansdale, Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac, Neil Gaiman, Robert McCammon, Mark Bowden, O. Henry, James Ellroy, Steve Rasnic Tem, Helen Marshall, Weston Ochse, John Langan, and many others…
DO YOU HAVE AN IDEAL READER IN MIND? WHO DO YOU THINK WOULD BEST RELATE TO YOUR STORIES?
I have “target audiences,” that differ with each project, but really my ideal reader is anyone who has an interest in dark and creative literature… and who is willing to write me a 5-star review on Amazon!
WHY DO YOU CHOOSE THE WORDS YOU DO? WHAT’S THE PROCESS LIKE?
They’re the combination that at the moment seems most meaningful in my head. Tomorrow those combinations of words could be different.
WHO WOULD PLAY YOUR CHARACTERS IN A MOVIE?
John Malkovich or Steve Buscemi. Or Raúl Juliá… yes, he’s deceased, which makes my preference even greater, that he portrays one of my characters!
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MISTAKES NEW WRITERS MAKE?
False expectations of rapid success and profitability. For 99% of writers, there is neither… but that is offset by intrinsic satisfaction and the joy of releasing a finalized creative product that you have devised.
HAVE YOU BEEN TO A COMIC-CON YET?
Yes… It’s fun, an amazing and energizing experience. Great to see glimpses of all the latest shows and comics and books.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN TO YOU? A MILLION READERS? AN AWARD? BEING PRAISED BY PEERS?
Walking down a street—any street, anywhere—and seeing a stranger reading my book.
HOW DOES FEAR FACTOR INTO YOUR NARRATIVE?
Fear is so subjective… it’s more of an emotional response to make the story resonant, the same as joy or humor.
ADVICE FOR WANNABE WRITERS THAT HAVEN’T COMMITTED YET?
I don’t have any advice that’s incredibly luminous or outrageous. What I tell others, and what I repeat to myself like a mantra, is simply: “Keep writing, and remember that every rejection is an opportunity for improvement!”
To follow Eric, check out his website:
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