Inside The Author’s Head: Andrew Reid

July 31, 2013

Q1. What is your favorite word?

Tea, as a question. My favourite Swedish word is juridiken, because I like to imagine lawyers in Stockholm yelling it as they throw fireballs at one another.

Q2. What is your least favorite word?

Quickly. For some reason everyone in my first drafts do things quickly. Global cull required. Also (and I’m cheating here) I hate it when I’m reading something and characters keep stepping forward. I understand the urge to do it – it physically inserts a character into the scene – but I can’t help imagining a cluster of people, still arguing, all chest to chest.

Q3. How has social media helped your career?

To some degree it is my career, thus far. When I started back in late 2008 I had no idea what I was doing in terms of reading, finding betas, critique, who to submit to, etc. Social media is to me a rolling conversation about the business. Who’s reading what, who’s looking for subs, competitions, beta requests.

I heard someone complain once at the bar in a convention that there is a secret “in crowd” where you get all the answers to success in genre publishing. When I stopped laughing to myself (because some paranoia you should just keep in your inside voice) I realised that Twitter is about as close as you’ll get.*

Also, social media has helped me stave off cabin fever. I don’t live close to London, so miss the majority of events. I see some of my writerly friends maybe 2/3 times a year, if that. It’s great to have someone to talk to.

*Caveat – some of the answers will just be the word, “butts”. But then that’s what happens if you ask Chuck Wendig.

Q4. What would you say are the downsides to social media in your career? 

It’s a bit of a timesink. I have caught myself feeling left out because I’m not following a conversation on Twitter, but I’m grown up enough to shake that feeling off and go get some fresh air.*

Social media can also get very heavy. While I think it’s important to recognise and discuss serious issues, it can easily drift one of two ways – everyone sitting at their PCs agreeing that something needs to be done, or a shit-slinging session of epic proportions. Being able to walk away is a necessary skill. I’ve found myself deliberately avoiding Twitter or FB because I know if I don’t I’ll be *so annoyed* that I won’t be able to speak, much less write.

*go sit in the living room.

Q5. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

I’d like to run a little bookshop, with comfy seats and a machine that makes splendid coffee in tiny cups. There would be cake. Either that or a winery. A winery in Italy. That also makes olive oil. Basically I’d like to own the villa vignamaggio

Q6. What profession would you not like to do?

Sexing chicks. Sounds like a frat boy thing, but it really is a job. Trays of newborn chicks are delivered to a worker’s table. A chick is picked up, squeezed until it poops, then flipped over to check for boy or girl bits. If it’s a girl it goes in an “OUT” tray. If it’s a boy it gets tossed into a tube that leads straight to the incinerator. I would not like to do this job.

Q7. What is your favorite curse word? 

Shitting dicknipples.

Q8. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Tea?

Thanks Andrew! I knew he was going to be trouble 🙂 Check out Andrew’s website here. 

Next time – Cat Connor

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