On Smashwords, you are given the intriguing option of interviewing yourself. A "behind the scenes" look if you will, about what makes the entity that is you such a fascinating and well rounded author. I always thought this was a very unique way of getting to know the author, and they made it ridiculously easy for the author to participate, as they gave you the questions and all you needed to do was supply the answers.
So I thought I would take my interview from there and re-post it here. Please enjoy this medium deep dive into G.B. Miller, writer/blogger. Note: #2 will change whenever a new book comes out.
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1} What motivated you to become an indie author?: I'm not much for writing novel length stories, as my preferred story length is the novella {40-60k words}, so after accomplishing a personal goal of having a book traditional published {Line 21 is now listed as The Inner Sibling on Amazon}, I reverted back to my normal slow pace of writing; 1+ years from seed to fully grown plant. This slower pace combined with my chosen story length led me to the decision of becoming an indie writer.
2} What's the story behind your latest book?: This one is a toughie. Back in 2014/15, I wrote a novella about a soul collector who was delivering a backpack to a client and had to overcome the usual tropes in order to deliver it. Suffice to say it wasn't very good and I shelved it for the better part of nine years. Long story short, in the winter of 2021, I revisited the novella and applied the writing knowledge I had acquired in the preceding seven years. I then spent the next three years rewriting the novella that you now see.
3} What do you read for pleasure?: I read both non-fiction and fiction, but for pleasure I lean more towards non-fiction than anything else. Growing up my favorite non-fiction was, and still is, true crime. But nowadays I'll read almost any topic that happens to strike my fancy at a given moment. For fiction, I'm open to reading any genre at least once, but I'm partial to historical fiction, mysteries and urban.
4} Why write in the paranormal/fantasy genre?: It took me quite some time to find a genre that would let me be me with my increasingly R-rated+ style of writing. This particular genre works quite well for me, since the themes that I like to play with {religion, the darker side of sex, interracial and inter-species relationships} seem to be better suited for that genre than any other type.
5} What are you working on next?: My one current long term project {two years and counting} is a four volume series of low fantasy that revolves around the tried and true plot classic of kidnapping and retrieval/rescue, but is completely turned upside down and sideways in the process. In the short time, I have one other novella that is very much in the late stages of the publishing pipeline.
6} Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?: Yes. I wrote a story for a high school English lit class, a turn on Macbeth that riffed on the song "Another One Bites The Dust." I think I got a C or something like that.
7} What type of scene/plot/action do you feel the most comfortable writing in?: I have done an almost 360 degree pivot on what I like to write. I'm still very strong with my descriptive narrative and I've gotten better with my background dumps so as to flesh out my characters and scenes more fully. My bread and butter are still sex, violence and religion, but the past decade I have reworked on how I write all three.
For sex, it's more of a weaponized process for my {mostly} female characters. In other words, it's a means to an end, no matter where on the soft-to-hardcore scale. Violence isn't as gratuitous as it used to be, as it's now more specific to a given scene, and religion has now embraced new themes and concepts from other areas of the world.
8} What is your writing process?: My writing routine has dramatically changed over the years and it's been a mostly successful changeover. My current genetic malady has gotten progressively worse, so now I used ye olden pen and paper to write out my story, and after each section or chapter, I transcribe to the computer.
The one essential upside to this, is that I can now flesh out my characters and plots more fully than I ever could if I just stuck strictly to the computer. I often felt rushed using the computer, as hand fatigue would quickly set in and using speech-to-text was not a comfortable option. But pen and paper allows me to slow down and concentrate with no digital distractions, thus increasing my output to about 1k words per day, thus being able to complete a typical chapter in about one week.
9} Where did you grow up and how did this influence your writing?: I grew up in suburban Connecticut, or to be more precise, a slice of semi-country/rural in a suburban town in central Connecticut. I was and still am, surrounded by pockets of suburban rural and this particular mix has greatly influenced my writing, as it has become the perfect cathartic medicine that has periodically cleansed my soul and nourished my spirit, which in turn makes for some very interesting storytelling.
10} When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?: I exercise by doing a phenomenal amount of daily walking. I pursue this year round, with podcasts, music and baseball to keep me company during my walks. In the warmer months, I add weekly hikes in the mountain to the mix. And I have the added benefit of observing my surroundings, clearing my head an mentally working on my stories.
11} Describe your desk.: This is going to be fun, as my office/writing area is located in my basement. Because I now write the old fashioned using pen and paper, with the computer providing transcription help, my "desk" is very non-traditional.
I have two wooden t.v. trays that act as my writing desk(s), along with a clipboard full of notebook paper. One tray is used for writing, while the other will have whatever the current three ring binder thatr holds the latest batch of manuscripts {I print out each chapter for editing}. My computer sits on an adjustable table, with a large ceramic cup that contains my pens. Printer sits on yet a third wooden tray directly next to the computer. Oh and, because my desk is so small {the blue-plate special from Staples}, I use my lap to hold my keyboard.
