The Cliffs of Insanity

The band have posted an hour-long interview, answering fans' questions. Take a gander, and don't forget to pick up a copy of Without Real String or Fish.

I have a stick.

The lovely and talented Ruth Davis Hays gave me an assignment last Monday, and I feel very honoured to be in her company, and that of all the other writers involved in this round robin interview. The task is simple in theory, but not so much so, when I began it: answer four questions about your writing, then pass the baton to other writers. That said, here's what I eventually concocted. And away we go!

4 Questions before the baton can be passed on:

1) What am I working on?
What is currently only a stand-alone book documenting what transpires after the events in The Vampire Relics trilogy conclude.  The working title is the name of an actual thing in our world, a kind of musical instrument that is anything but, in the new story.  I’m also still immersed in character development of a Vampire that was only supposed to show up in a short story, wherein he would be murdered, but the little bastard had other ideas.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I would like to think there are moments of humour dotting the landscape, especially with the second book of the trilogy, The Blood Crown, which I have often called the Hope & Crosby Road Pictures, if Hope & Crosby had been Vampires and the film was a book instead.  I’m hoping to bring that humour back in with the current book.  Also, I think the combination of Pagan and Christian myths, science fiction and theory (specifically the idea that our teachers came from another world – yeah, cue Giorgio A. Tsoukalos ha!), conspiracy theories, and playing fast and very loose with etymological notions might be a first.  I could be wrong about that, though.  You tell me.

3) Why do I write what I do?
I started out wanting to write a kind of fable, or long-form metaphor, for my soulmate’s and my story, based on a dream he and I both shared that indicated a shared past life, probably one of many.  This started in 1987.  But I could never capture a good stride for the tale, because I had no villain.  All that changed in 1990, and the story became less of an attempt to hold on to who we were and are, and more of a way to purge a demon.  Over the years, that demon, my Child of Night, just kept getting larger and grander until he overtook the story and made it his. 

4) How does your writing process work?
Almost always, it begins with music.  I’m a child of the 80s, so I think in music video.  Not music videos already made and out there, but ones I see.  The clearer the video, the more solid the writing prompt.  What became my main character was seen glancing at a person who defied instead of deified him, saying under his breath, “bleed.”  The unfortunate rebel died as if she instantly fell victim to a hemorrhagic fever.  I recreated that pivotal moment in the first book, The Chalice.  Each character is assigned or takes a theme song.  For instance, Cadmus Pariah’s theme song is ‘Clubbed to Death’ by Rob Dougan.  Also, I have the bad/honest habit of anchoring characters to people, or people to characters, then I inhabit the story and feel everything they feel in order to get a better idea of what they’re going through.  A friend and editor made the observation that I was a “method writer,” after the story of Faust almost drove me crazy.  I tend to have "conversations" with many of my more-developed characters, so my plots start out rather loosely, and they help fill in what I can't early on.  And, sometimes, it feels like I'm just taking dictation from Cadmus, which can be disturbing at times, but it seems to usually work.  As the cliché goes - "if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it."

Now, onward and upward to some rare talents whose mission, should they choose to accept it, is to answer these questions and pass the baton on to others with stories to share.  And, if they don’t accept the mission, you still get to hear about them.

First is the lovely and insightful Heidi Bowles Ellis, whose one of many online presences can be enjoyed here: http://musingraven.wordpress.com.  She is quite at home with both original and fan-fiction, and truly has her finger on the pulse of what makes us all dream, often darkly.

Then we have Jay Smith, our resident scriptwriter and producer of the podcast equivalent of The Walking Dead, except HG World predates the eponymous AMC series.  You can find all manner of goodies here: http://zebrapix.wix.com/hg-world-entry.  Be prepared for brilliance!

And lastly, there’s the lethally wry Bruce McRae, who is a poet, songwriter, musician, videographer, and all-around Public Enemy #1.  If you’re unsure about him, you need only read just a little here: http://www.bpmcrae.com, to see how fabulicious you are.  After reading some of his body of work, if you’re still curious, you need only click this to see what you’re up against: http://www.bpmcrae.com/photo_gallery/photo_gallery1/img15.html. Abandon All Hope.   

Hopefully we’ll be hearing from all three of them a week from today. Anyone can participate, though.  Don't be shy.  You need only answer the four questions and post them next Monday, with links to some writers you admire.  The rest will take care of itself.

circumspectly

• What *do* you have in your pocketses? Some migraine medicine and the One Ring to Rule Them ALLLLL!


• What's your favorite tv show for mind-numbing? Oh WIPE-OUT, hands down. One full hour of constant cackling. Good for the soul, it is.


• Whoooooooooooo do you love? hehehe In real life, my Tribe (friends and certain family members). Romantically? Nobody. In the realm o'Fandom, too many to count, as the list has been growing for 33 years.

purplefog

• What's your guilty pleasure? I don't believe in guilt. Hedonism is what it's all about, baybee!


• Do you have/have you ever had one you would term a Significant Other? I did have one, but I shed myself of that significance last Summer, thank the Mighties! I do have a Soul Mate, but it's not possible for us to be together in that way in this life. Life can be a real bitch sometime


• What's the worst thing you've ever cooked? Taffy. I tried to make taffy once. It was a sticky, horrific mess.


• Necrophilia, Coprophilia or Bestiality? As a preference for myself? None of them; however, if I had to make a choice, I've always been a big fan of zombies.


• Pad, tampon or cup? Anything that'll serve its purpose most effectively.


• If you could lick one person, who would it be? A real person? That's easy. Vin Diesel, if he'd let me. I'd just be happy to rub his bald head for luck. If it were a fictional person, definitely Darth Maul (thought I was gonna say The Joker didn'tcha? Jokes on you!)

deuceloosely

• How do you manage to have SO MUCH to post about?I think at least half of my friend pages are you. :P My brain never stops, even when I'm fortunate enough to grab a half a wink. And this is what I do, write. If I'm not writing on my book, or a fanfiction, I'm writing here. Use it or lose it, sweetcheeks!

• Would you mind giving me a link to the dream you had about me? 'tis here, dear.


• you have one free trip in a time machine: do you change something personal or tackle a broader subject I don't know that I'd change anything because, being a sci-fi geek, I've seen and read too many stories about changing one tiny thing in time only to find that pesky little butterfly effect thing totally dicking around with life as we know it. I'd be tempted, yes, both on a personal level and with broader themes. That Holocaust that some of the White Supremacists say never happen. I'd like to make it so it never did happen. I'd take Hitler out with extreme prejudice because, as Eddie says, "he was a mass-murdering fuckhead." A lot of good would come of that, but I wonder what bad things would come of such a move? You just never know.....so, I'd prefer not to have that ability, despite my belief that we already do. Just do research on the Philadelphia and Montauk experiments. I've been fairly alarmed ever since I did. But I digress, kinda sorta.

1. can I have a dollar? Yes. Do you want that in American, Canadian, or Australian?


2. Where were you born? I was born in Asheville, North Carolina, at Memorial Mission Hospital. There was a total eclipse of the sun at that time, and many nuns perished across the street at St. Joseph's hospital. There was also the appropriately accompanying Omen chorale music.


3. Why can something you know deep down is right be so difficult? Because Loki has control over the Earth right now, and he thinks it's bloody amusing to see us all scampering about in worry and confusion.


4. Is that your natural skin color, or do you dye? Uncomfortably pale is indeed my natural hue.


5. Do you prefer to wear shoes or go barefoot. Or are you one of those SOCK people. =D I usually wear my old Birks because that's the next best thing to being barefooted without any stone bruises. I do tend to wear socks in the Winter time, though. Many pairs of socks. Toe socks even.


6. Uhh... ummm.. are you a native North Carolinian? Do you like the South? What are you growing in your yard, if anything? I am a native Tarheel, yes. Born and raised for the most part in Asheville. There are quite a few things I like about the South. Compared to Southern California, I can't imagine living anywhere else, despite my displeasure with a lot of what goes on here. Asheville has all the open mindedness of San Diego, combined with the friendliness and laid back attitude of the Upstate of SC, so I hope to someday get back there. Aunt Tudi planted a couple of althea bushes in the front yard. They're descendants of the big althea bush that grew on my great-grandmother's mountain property aeons ago. I occasionally plant roses and I have a contorted filbert of which I'm quite proud. When its leaves are gone, I'll take pictures for the journal.


7. Who exactly is Llew? How long have you guys been... involved? And is he really Welsh? Llew's name is actually Lewis, but he's of Scottish/Welsh descent and originally from New Jersey. His grandfather was Llewellyn Morrison. I just got in the habit of doubling his L's. I've been with him since August of 2001. We've had our ups and our downs, but we're still very tight and, if we ever end our romantic relationship, I have no doubt that we'll remain fast friends.


8. Do you ever want to pull someone over, shake the shit out of them and give them the best advice they've ever received - and all because you hate them and want to twist their empty head off? I used to feel like this every single day, whilst I was still enslaved in The Pit. Now that I'm home most of the time, the urge to behave in this manner has waned somewhat. I'm sure that will change once I'm back in school, though. Exposure to other human beings never fails to inspire much rage and misanthropy in me.


9. When next will you be in Florida? I do not know, honestly, but I hope it's within the next few months. Mind if I come see you?


10. Will you ever seriously consider making a CD of songs you sing? Nah. Who the hell would want to hear it?


11. What is the deal with the Alpaca Lips? I must have missed an expository post. *grin* I've never actually explained the Alpaca Lips in my journal. Basically, I was just playing around with words and came up with Alpaca Lips for Apocalypse and posted the picture of an alpaca with the tagline "Alpaca Lips Now!" From there it just ballooned into a catchphrase of sorts for my journal. But I will post something about the full meaning of the Alpaca Lips as it has grown very soon. Stay tuned and be sure to wear your tinfoil hat!


12. What's your favorite position? I'm assuming you're referring to sexual position. When I was heavier, it was doggie-style, because the penetration was much deeper and felt exquisite; however, that's not the case now. Now, the penetration is a little too deep and painful. So I guess I prefer missionary now, because I like the feeling being pinned under someone, wrapped completely in his arms, and unable to move very much. There's a special intimacy that comes with that and I very much enjoy it.


13. If you were to start a 'religion', what would it be derived from and what would it entail? It'd have all the relaxed and groovy portions of Christianity that most contemporary fundamentalists refuse to acknowledge even exist, as well as all the deep mystical aspects of a variety of Pagan religions (not so much Wicca, mind). It would basically require adherents to express love and respect not only for each other, but also for animals, plants, and the workings of our weather. It would also be Alpaca Liptic in that believers would pretty much come to grips that we humans are either going to experience a large shift in our spiritual evolution, essentially ending society as we know it, or we're going to eradicate ourselves and society as we know it.


14. What is your past, to you? My past defines me up to a certain point. It has created the person I am today, but it doesn't dictate who I may be tomorrow. There's a lot of sorrow and joy there and a lot I'd care never to remember.


15. Do you like Mediterranean food? (Greek, Lebanese, hell, even Italian) Yes, very much! I don't think I've ever tried Lebanese food, but I'm all over Greek and Italian. There's a restaurant in Asheville called The Mediterranean. It's run by a Greek family and has been in business for aeons. They serve a Greek and Italian cuisine that would make you want to slap your momma.