13 Questions with...Peter J. Wacks

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?
The menu would depend on the guests, and I would absolutely cook it myself, unless a guest asked to cook (my circle of friends do take turns, mine is just the usual gathering spot.)
2. What is your beverage of choice?
Coffee, then water.  I rarely drink anything else.  When I was in my 20s I realized that my love of white russians could quickly lead me down a Bukowski-like path, and opted against it.)
3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
Physical Book, all the way.  A hard copy absorbs the warmth of the hand, the scent of the reader during the various moods provoked by the reading...  The sensory experience of the reading is more than the views in the minds eye.
4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?
With over 6,000 books in my condo, there are few genres I do not have.
5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?
At age 6, I decided to tell my Mom the bedtime story instead, and never looked back.
6. What is your writing routine?
That is another odd one.  it really differs on a day to day basis.  Sometimes I need noise and activity around me, sometimes quiet.  I do not have a set routine other than taking the time to write SOMETHING each day.
7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?
Write.  Even if it is trash, the only thing that beats it is to write.
8. Do you have a hidden talent?
Many.

9. What was your best subject in school?
My grades were actually fairly consistent across the board.  I have always enjoyed learning about anything and everything I can.
10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?
I do try to avoid current trends.  As a small press writer I am able to avoid trending, though I have no doubt that as I grow in readership I will encounter publishers wanting specific things from me in terms of writing to trends.
11. Mac or PC?
Both.
12. Where do your ideas come from?
Hmm.  I’m not sure I really know.  I do know they start small and incomplete, then evolve as I put thought into them.
13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?
1) Finish the project.  Go back and revise later, just finish it first. 2)You know if you are good.  3) If you aren't good, keep writing.  No one starts great, you have to practice to get good.  4) Research the heck out of HOW you want to get published.  The more time you put into that research, the less likely you are to have regrets about the path you take.