13 Questions with...Steven Lloyd

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?

Cook it myself, of course. Menu on the grill: Fried taters, grilled mushrooms marinated in Italian dressing; boneless chicken breasts (marinated in Italian dressing) and whatever else my mind can conceive.

2. What is your beverage of choice?

Mountain Dew. But I enjoy some Jack Daniels Down Home Punch, too. Sweet tea is right up there with Mountain Dew.

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?

In previous interviews I’ve bashed E-Books with a baseball bat. My thoughts have since changed. Not long ago I picked up my wife’s Nook. I ordered Joe Lansdale’s “The Ape Man’s Brother”, and “Hyenas” and James Newman’s “Olden”. Needless to say I fell in love with the Nook. Sorry, guys, I still love print books, but I like that I can download books and read them immediately.

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?

Everything from Charles Bukowski to Steinbeck to Golding. My range is pretty vast. Then there’s King, Barker, Rice, Harlan Ellison, Lansdale, Matheson, Bradbury etc.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?

I was fifteen or sixteen when the writing bug hit me. It hit me hard. I was writing a horror story for an English assignment—thank God it was Halloween, and I had to read it in front of the class. The writing assignments kept coming because I think she saw my capability as a writer. I’ve never stopped. From that day on, students paid me a dollar or two to write their stories for class. It was good money while it lasted.

6. What is your writing routine?

Mornings. I work the graveyard shift. I like to write between 10:30 AM to about noon. Later if my mind is running.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?

Writer’s block is just another word for excuse. Hell, write any old thing until the words start flowing. You can always go back and throw out the trash. I try to end on an exciting scene in the story. The next morning I’m all geared up to jump back in. This doesn’t happen all the time. This may not work for all writers.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?

Yes, but my wife would kill me if I shared. (Laughs)

9. What was your best subject in school?

History and English. In other classes teachers told me I was un-teachable.

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?

Trends come and go. I take it with a grain of salt and do the best I can.

11. Mac or PC?

PC

12. Where do your ideas come from?

Life. I’m slowly moving away from monsters and ghouls. I like to write about things that can actually happen to us in our every day lives. It makes for a better story and people can relate to it more.

13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?

Never give up. If you’re writing for the money, just close the laptop now and walk away. Do it because you love it. Money will come later. I do it because I have to. It’s in my blood. I can’t think of doing anything else. Only when you know that you’ll probably never walk the same plane as Stephen King will you be able to grow as a writer. Put all that I’m—going—to—be—a—famous—writer—one--day—bullshit aside and write the damn thing. And keep writing. Read everything you can get your hands on. Reading is a part of the learning process. You’ll be better for it.