- Day: What literary pilgrimages have you gone on? For Example, Hemingway’s house.
R.T.: None yet, and I don’t plan to. Mostly because I think author worship is weird. Wait, I would totally go to a convention to see Lou Diamond Phillips and get his autograph of my copy of The Tinderbox.
- Day: If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?
R.T.: I’m going to assume this means I’m getting paid to be there? If so, I would choose my house as I could use a good staycation.
- Day: Picture this: You feel uninspired while you have sat at the computer for an hour without conquering any words. How do you get your creativity flowing?
R.T.: The P/C answer would be to read.
- Day: Are you a plotter or a Pantser?
R.T.: Pantser.
- Day: What is your most unusual writing quirk?
R.T.: Aside from drafting on Twitter, my fascination with Furbies and harassment of celebrities? I like to do it on my phone.
- Day: What is your favorite genre to read, and why?
R.T.: I used to have a favorite, but I don’t anymore. Over time I’ve developed a unique taste for accessible authors. I like to ask the writer questions, send them reactions and memes. To me, it’s a way to honor the time they spent to tell me a story.
- Day: Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
R.T.: It’s about balance. You can only subvert expectations to a point before people lose the ability to relate to the narrative. At some point, you need to give them a win.
- Day: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
R.T.: Start now, ask questions later.
- Day: What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
R.T.: Food. Hard to write when you’re hungry.
- Day: As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
R.T.: I would pick Stephen King in the middle of writing Cujo.
- Day: How many published and finished books/Vellas do you have?
R.T.: Two, The Genius’ Guide to Writing Bad that I Co-Wrote, and The Ballad of Bonaduke.
- Day: What does literary success look like to you?
R.T.: To crush other writers, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their fans.
- Day: What’s the best way to market your books?
R.T.: There are two ways to sell anything. Either the buyer likes the product, or they like you. I prefer to sell the latter.
- Day: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
R.T.: Approximately 0 before and a Google search during if I don’t think what I wrote sounds believable.
- Day: How many hours a day do you write?
R.T.: 1-4
- Day: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
R.T.: About every chapter has something that is special to me. Either a reference to something that will happen or an inside joke. I think it’s what makes writing fun.
- Day: What was your most harrowing scene to write?
R.T.: Any scene that involves over 3 people talking or more than 15 lines of dialog.
- Day: What is your favorite time to write, and why?
R.T.: Mostly wherever I’m not supposed to, I like the adrenaline of doing it at work or during a conversation.
- Day: Do you feel like it’s most important to have A) Strong characters B) Mind-blowing Plot twists, or C) Epic settings?
R.T.: None of the above. The most important thing is conflict. Nothing above matters if the readers aren’t engaged with the stakes.
- Day: Can you give a shout-out to a fellow author?
R.T.: K. Thomas, author of Time To Wake. Without her encouragement, I would have never published The Ballad of Bonaduke onto Kindle vella, it would have never made #200th favorite in August, and it probably never would have left Twitter.
R.T. Slaywood’s Kindle Vella
Originally drafted as Twitterature, The Ballad of Bonaduke is about an ex-con turned family man who has been homeless for years. Haunted by memories he fears to face, he’s now ready to throw his life away. However, a simple purchase leads to a violent discovery about the truth of his ‘grifts’. All on the back of a 5$ bill.
R.T. Slaywood’s book is
The Genius’ Guide to Bad Writing
Are you plagued by success? Need a break from fame? Or perhaps you’ve grown tired of your gigantic intellect and want to trade in for a smaller, used, or economic one. Well, have we got the guide for you! And unlike future you, we wrote it well.
Day Parker 