Last year I interviewed the President of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, John Scalzi. For 2013 I have the distinct privilege of interviewing the President of the Horror Writer’s Association, Rocky Wood.
Nominated for multiple Bram Stoker awards (for ‘Stephen King: Uncollected, Unpublished‘, ‘Stephen King: The Non-Fiction‘ and ‘Stephen King: A Literary Companion‘, the latter of which won the Award), Rocky was gracious enough to answer some questions for me.
PAS: What did you want to be when you grew up? Are you there yet?
RW: Actually, I wanted to be a writer! And I am. I was a freelance journalist at university and for the early years of my corporate career but gave writing up for 20 years before coming back to it. I guess the lesson for anyone who thinks they can write is – you probably can and if you don’t try you’ll never know.
PAS: If you could talk to the 15-year-old Rocky for five minutes, what would you tell yourself?
RW: That’s a tricky one. I think I’d say be even more brave and be even more cautious, lol! Like anyone I guess there are things you wish you’d taken ‘risks’ on, and other things you wish you’d been more careful about. The problem, of course, is you only learn by experience.
PAS: What is your favorite word?
RW: Passion. People often describe me using this word, and I almost always respect it when I see it in others. It is an important attribute to have if you want to be successful at anything.
PAS: Is there a voice inside your head? Can it sing?
RW: There is a voice in my head, always has been. It is always very clear and consistent – and it is ME! That voice can sing better than I can – which is not saying much.
Special thanks to Rocky for taking the time (all the way from Australia) to drop by. For more on Rocky, you can find his books listed on Amazon (and other online retailers) and Goodreads.
For more on the Horror Writers Association, visit their website or their Facebook page or Twitter.