This week, we're talking with Matthew Keville about his new books, Hometown, The Truth of Rock and Roll, and Dreams of the Boardwalk.
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
I'm the guy who really does like long walks on the beach. One of my favorite things to do to is to go to Coney Island, put on my headphones, and walk a circuit of the boardwalk and the shoreline. Really recharges my batteries.
Why do you write?
Because I have so many stories in my head, and I want them to exist out in the world.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
Walking the beach at Coney Island. I was marveling at how much it had improved over the last few years, and I mused that it seemed like Coney Island was growing toward some platonic ideal of what Coney Island should be. That led me to the idea: what if there was some alternate world, right beside our own, where that platonic ideal existed: The Dream of Coney Island. And of course, a place that dreams will have nightmares, where everything is worse. And of course the Dream and the Nightmare are in constant conflict, trying to bring the real place closer to themselves. Thus was the idea for a whole series born.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
The monsters. I've always loved monsters, and horror and fantasy have all the best monsters.
How would you describe your writing process?
Fairly straightforward. I sit down at my desk with inspirational music playing – I mostly favor Epic Rock and Celtic music – and try not to get distracted too much. I also like writing on my laptop when I'm by train somewhere. Fewer distractions, get more done.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
Meeting each other and meeting readers. It's good to live in an age when an author can network and market without leaving their writing desk.
What advice would you have for other writers?
Write what you love and write what you know. If you write what you love, it will help you to get past the times when writing is a tedious chore. If you write what you know, it will be more true. The authenticity will come out in all the details that you've absorbed without even knowing it.
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
The titles take a lot of time and consideration to figure out what fits the story best. It's like choosing a name for a baby. For the covers, I sought out an artist on Deviantart whose work I liked and commissioned them to do it for me (my current favorite is a fellow named Ruben de Vela). My short story covers were taken from Shutterstock.
What's your next step?
Trying to learn marketing. My great weakness as an indie author is that I have trouble marketing myself.
What book do you wish you had written?
Stephen King's “It”. It captures the dark truths of small town life and growing up better than any other book I've ever read.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
With squealing glee. I'm still at the point where I've received few enough reviews that each one – assuming that it's even 50.1% positive – is a joyous event.
