Where have you spent most of your childhood?
I grew up in New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch. It's a flat, expansive city. True early 90s suburbia (plus I enjoyed a few years in the 80s).
That's why I write urban horror - because who deserves to be horrified by supernatural forces more than innocent sweet middle-class suburbanites?!
What was your childhood dream and what are you doing now? Are you satisfied?
I wanted to be a cartoonist. I was obsessed with Gary Larson, Matt Groening and Jim Davis.
Early in my 20s, I learned the hard way that there is no money in cartooning - plus illustrators are quiet and boring.
I took a few risks with creative writing, sending stories off to literary magazines, and managed to start getting a little money from time to time for short stories. Novels came next.
And yes, I'm deeply satisfied. Creative writing is like a very mild, slow-release drug.
Do you remember the first story you ever read and the impact it had on you?
Some of Roald Dahl's short stories had very harrowing things happening to good people. It left a strong impression. Wasn't there one about somebody's finger being cut off?
Which was the first fantasy novel you read?
My dad was generous and loving enough to take the time to read 'The Hobbit' to me and my little brother each night til it was finished.
Then he read us 'The Lord of the Rings.' He also read us John Wyndham's excellent novels, bless him.
When did you win your first award for short fiction?
F*nk magazine, 2005. Dunedin coffee shop zine. I got second-place for a crazy piece of flash microfiction called The Eurosceptic Epic about a bunch of wacky superheroes. It was terrible - but I felt proud of my silver medal.
Which story took the longest to write in Hell of a Thing?
'This Generation Needs a War' which is came in at a first draft of 10,000 words. It's an epic about a young man based on me getting into trouble in Europe, far from the comforts of his Kiwi family.
Not only was it hard to draft, it was hard to cut out surplus words, and even harder to get accurate in terms of European geography, language and culture.
What challenges did you face while writing the novel, Crimechurch?
The most challenging thing was that Crimechurch was my masterwork. It was the hardest-ever novel I'd written. I poured my heart and soul into a FICTIONAL book about Christchurch violence.
Then a racist massacre happened in real life in Christchurch in early 2019, in my birthday month. I pushed Crimechurch away, for a while, not knowing how to respond.
All I could conclude was 'I would like potentially violent boys to read this book, confront themselves, and change their ways.'
In what ways do you think holding a Masters Degree in Creative Writing has helped you in your writing career?
I brushed up against better writers. I was the worst writer in the class, initially - but I was the youngest and most ambitious with the most to prove. So I worked my way up and overtook them all. Everyone in my class apart from Fiona Sussman gave up after writing either one book or half a book. Now, 14 years later, I've written 13 books.
What's the single best bit of advice you've been given as an author?
"Every sentence must tell us something about the character or advance the plot."
When writing novels, is it better to have daily time-spent-writing goals or words-written goals?
Either is fine. Just listen to your conscience. If your conscience is saying 'You haven't worked hard enough today,' then get the fuck back in the ring and write some more.
What is your writing process like?
I write whenever I feel the inspiration - but at the same time, I force myself to write when I don't feel like writing.
Who are some of the lesser known authors you would recommend people to read?
Michael Wehunt, Colin Barrett, Tobias Wolff. All astonishingly good short story writers.
Which is the next book that you are writing? When is it due for release?
The second book in the Lockdownland trilogy, is coming out as soon as we're done promoting Moneyland. So the trilogy goes 1) Moneyland, 2) Payback, 3) Title to be announced.
How has your experience of being associated with AllAuthor been?
I like feeling empowered, supported and honoured by AllAuthor.
