Friday Feature: Journeys Toward Publication and Beyond: Matthew MacNish

Welcome to another round of Friday interviews! I've been off my game for a while--life got busy, and it was all I could manage to keep writing. But these interviews are my favorite type of blogging.

So, I'm back, and here with a fantastic writer. I can't remember when I first came across Matthew, but I do remember my first impression. I was encouraged by how honest he was, and how willing he was to share his past mistakes to help other writers. And I find that still to be the case. 

He has an amazing community over at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment, and if you haven't been over yet, then GO. :) Join in. Follow. It's fun! Among other things, Matthew helps dissect query letters on his blog. For example--here's the post where he and Elana (queen of queries) focus on Elana's POSSESSION query.

Matthew--Thanks so much for being here today! I appreciate you kicking off another round of interviews. Why don't you start by telling us a little about yourself.   

Thanks for having me, Heather. I'm the father of two beautiful young ladies, three lazy cats and one adorable German Shepard. Together we live in the mountains of north Georgia amidst my endless collection of vinyl records, Star Wars memorabilia, and special edition Lord of the Rings maps, DVDs, and books.

Cats and dogs. I hope they all get along. What has your writing journey been like? What made you start writing seriously? What kind of supports keep you going?

Well in many ways it has been hard. I used to write a lot when I was young, but I stopped for over a decade in my twenties when … life got in the way. Then I started up again a few years ago when I decided to write a novel. I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t know a single person in my life who was a writer. That’s what made it hard. I wrote a first draft that was about 4 times to long (word count) then barely revised it and started trying to query. I obviously had very little luck, though did get few words of encouragement, and eventually nearly gave up.

Then I discovered Nathan Bransford’s blog, and forums, saw the movie Julie and Julia, and decided to start a blog. The rest is history.

I love Nathan's community. And that you are willing to share your early mistakes with others. In your writing life, what has surprised you so far?

The biggest surprise for me has been how helpful other writers are. I am especially amazed by all the support I get from published authors. I can’t imagine how they find the time.

I agree--I have found the kidlit world to be amazing. Matthew--what has been your most important writing resource?

Well as I already mentioned, Nathan’s blog and the people I met in the forums were the catalyst, especially my mentor Bryan Russell, but I think the biggest thing that has made a difference in my own writing has been critiquing other people’s work. Mostly I do queries, but I have helped with some novels and short fiction too, and nothing improves your writing more than giving a critical eye to someone else’s. 

Honestly, I feel the same way. I've learned the most from being a critter. So, how do you do social media? Blog? Twitter? Facebook? Tumblr? Something else? What has been your purpose, and how have you driven toward that purpose?

Well my blog is obviously the biggest outlet I have for connecting with people, especially writers. I do use Facebook a lot, Twitter somewhat less, and I don’t do Tumblr. I’m still figuring out how to rock Twitter, so I don’t have time for another time-suck yet.

What kind of writing schedule do you keep? What does a balanced life look like for you?

None. I know this is bad but I don’t have the time to write every single day. I usually manage to write every weekday, or at least revise/re-write, but I don’t often write on weekends unless the inspiration really strikes. I’m a dad of two daughters, and mom works nights and weekends, so my S days are often rather filled.

I hope writing every day is overrated. LOL. What advice do you have for other writers out there?

Just write, and read everything you can get your hands on.

Awesome. What are your biggest distractions?

Besides my family? And blogging? And reading? And my day job? After those I guess it would be video games and movies.

Do you prefer coffee or tea? Or something else…?

I only drink one cup of coffee a day, first thing when I get to work. I only drink tea if I’m sick, and then with lemon and locally produced honey. My preference for writing (when I do it at home) or just relaxing is a medium beer like Yuengling Lager, or Hot Sake.

Hot Sake, hmm. I'd like to see the writing that produces! Thank you so much, for the awesome interview.

Everyone, please leave a question or comment for Matthew, and he'll be by to answer. 

And don't forget to head over to his blog, join in his community, and follow him on twitter (@MatthewMacNish).