What's your
favorite thing about writing, what is your most challenging?
Creating
SOMETHING from NOTHING is an exhilarating feeling. Those
that have spewed imps from their tenderloins will understand. And because I
feel like being graphic, let me explain… If a writer gets “lucky” he/she is
impregnated with an idea. (Just go with it dudes. Pretend you’re some alien
with a womb and a weenie.) Sometime
that idea takes, and other times…well have fun trying again. But when it does
latch on, like an adorable little parasite, it gestates and grows inside the
writer. And eventually, after days, weeks, months or years (Damn elephant
babies), our water breaks and we poop ourselves a little but our beautiful
story baby is finally born. And afterwards... we eat the placenta- which tastes
nothing like chicken.
My most
challenging thing about writing. That’s easy. Writing. My story pregnancies are
pretty damn rough. Don’t even get me started with the strange cravings and
hemorrhoids.
Why do you
think readers enjoy reading Horror or the darker side of fiction?
We all have dark thoughts. Weird, awful,
bloody thoughts. Reading horror gives us permission to explore our darker side
without the criminal aftermath; washing arterial spray and bits of squishy
flesh out of our hair and underwear gets a little tedious.
Dark humor
plays a role in some of your stories, why is that is?
I don’t take
things as seriously as I should and that includes horror. Maybe it’s a coping
mechanism. I’m kind of an ass. But in a good way. Many of my characters have
adopted my shi**y attitude. And because of that, many of my characters have met
nasty fates. And honestly, we can all find something funny in the horrific. We
feel bad about it but we laugh so we cry or run screaming. For example, the
Four Horseman of the Apocalypse from my fourth story in Arithmophobia are
terrifying dudes! They want to murder the world and bathe in a sea of our
blood. I think they’re into the trendy Elizabeth of Bathory Spa treatment. I
hate to tell them it’s too expensive and it doesn’t work. But the modern world
doesn’t respect the End Of Days and Hell and hilarity ensues! Does that answer
the question or did I just dance naked around it?
Many writers
say they have something that inspires them. What inspires you?
I wish I
were one of those writers. Inspiration doesn’t always come easy for me. I wish
it did. I’m quite envious of those lucky bastards who have a live-in Muse
whispering sweet somethings in their ears. I hear a few also do their laundry!
DAMMIT!!! My muse is in rehab. REHAB! I
do hear from her but the bitch just
wants money for smokes.
At the
beginning of each story in Arithmophobia, you give a little blurb, almost a
pre-cursor to what is to come; the feel of it is almost like a Twilight Zone
episode, was that your intention?
The Twilight
Zone definitely was an inspiration for Arithmophobia. As a little girl, I grew
up watching reruns of the Twilight Zone, along with many other strange and
creepy television programs; Tales From the Crypt, Night Gallery, The Outer
Limits, Tales From the Darkside etc. To
this day I’m a sucker for a twist ending. However, to answer your question, the
beginning was definitely an homage to the original smoking man himself, Mr. Rod
Serling.
In many of
your stories in Arithmophobia, the characters' interactions are what drive the
stories. How important was it for you to get the dialogue between the
characters just right?
I love writing dialog. When I craft
conversations they need to be natural and organic to be believable. I often
simply listen to the way people speak. Their words aren’t stilted. There’s a
flow to it. Take a fifteen year old’s conversation with their friend; they’re
not going to say, “Hello Carl. Where were you today? We missed you in Home
Room. The teacher was looking for you.” That’s not real. If you go out and
listen to some of todays youths, they’re going to say something along the lines
of, “Yo, Carl where the f*ck you been? Mrs. Big Tits in home room was looking
for you. When she finds you, she’s gonna smother you with those big ass titties
of hers.” Yeah, this is over simplified
and it doesn’t represent all teenagers. But when writing dialog, if you want
the reader to believe the character (and apparently, this one has a saucy
mouth) they have to feel and read real.
What is the
one thing you would like readers to get out of reading Arithmophobia?
Be wary of
plastic surgery. Peeps will understand when they read the book.
And they will agree.
Can you tell
our readers what you are currently working on?
I am
finishing up a novella. It’s a story of a family living on a cursed plot of
land battling an ancient evil. There’s a few twists ala my Twilight Zone
inspiration. So hopefully, I’ll have it ready early this coming year.
I have been
in interview mode with a few brave men and women gifted with psychic abilities
so their unique and often misunderstood stories can be heard. So my next book
will be a collection of real-life events that have shaped the lives of those
with abilities. I’m looking forward to telling their amazing stories.
Let’s
see…oh, I’m preparing child and adult workshops this winter on the art of
crafting flash fiction as well as a six-week course for adults interested in
writing short stories. But as I stated earlier, I think my muse went out on a
bender and may be in rehab so I’m waiting for her to dry out and get her ass
back to doing what she’s supposed to do and find me a good anthology or three
to tear into.
I do
entertain on the Face Book. Okay, I attempt to entertain. Some people actually
dig me. And not just my mom!
Where can
readers follow or find out more about you?
Follow her
on Twitter @RuschelleDillon
