The 7Q Interview: Israel Finn
AUTHOR BIO
Israel Finn is the pen name of the author of Dreaming At the Top of My Lungs. He’s a writer of horror and suspense and a winner of the 80th Annual Writer's Digest Short Story Competition.
QUESTIONS
#1. Looking back, what’s one fiction book that you feel truly made an impact on your writing? Do you still gravitate towards that author?
#1. There really are too many to mention. So many books have affected me in profound and different ways. I love The Stand by Stephen King and I still return to his books again and again. But I also love Jack Finney, who wrote the time-travel masterpiece Time and Again, though he’s probably more popularly known for his book, The Body Snatchers. I love so much of what Richard Matheson wrote, especially The Incredible Shrinking Man. And I also enjoy Dickens and Twain, simply because their work cleanses my palette, so to speak, and because of their ability to convey the feelings of their characters in such wonderful and relatable ways.
#2. How do you feel about the use of sub-genres in the industry? How do you describe your work overall?
#2. I’m all for it. If it helps a reader to find exactly what they’re looking for I’d say that’s a good thing. I don’t think writers should be pigeonholed, however. I mean, take Stephen King’s The Dark Tower Saga, for example. I guess the closest you could come to labeling it would be to call it dark fantasy, but it’s so much more than that. It’s got werewolves and robots and gunfighters, inter-dimensional travel and psychic mind control. How the hell do you accurately label something like that? I believe writers should be able to take their story in whatever direction it leads.
As for my own work, I’d say it’s dark, often psychological, always character driven (at least that’s what I shoot for), and usually includes a weird element.
#3. What about your writing process do you think is unique or quirky? What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever received?
#3. I’m pretty boring. I don’t have a traditional office. I like to write on my laptop because it keeps me in the habit of being comfortable working anywhere.
When it comes to writing advice, there are no absolutes. No rules. I prefer the word principles. It depends on who you are as a writer and a person, and what your life is like at the time. That last one can determine a hell of a lot. When it comes to writing advice, it’s whatever works for you. A particular piece of advice might be workable for one person and unrealistic for the next. I remember attacking every writing book I could get my hands on when I started and at first I took everything I read as gospel and it drove me crazy. I realized I was finally learning something when I started disagreeing with some of what I was reading or seeing contradictions pop up.
#4. How does music and media factor into your writing? Do you feel it plays as much an inspirational role as literature?
#4. Sometimes I listen to music to set a mood but it needs to be simple and repetitive. If I’m not writing, I’m usually either reading or listening to music, and sometimes a song can give me an idea for a story, even if it’s just an inkling. That also happens with movies or TV shows. Something I see onscreen might send my mind in a whole different direction.
I feel music, media, and literature all play equally inspirational roles. One can always inspire the other. Can you imagine movies, for instance, without musical scores to enhance the mood?
#5. As an author, how much do you engage in social media? Do you feel it is more for your own entertainment, or for marketing and networking?
#5. I’m on Twitter a lot. Mostly for entertainment and keeping up with books and friends. I do market my writing, though I mainly boost other people’s work. I’m not on Facebook these days, but I am on Instagram where I generally share art. I try not to bombard my friends on Twitter with political tweets, but in this current climate it’s hard to keep quiet sometimes. I just feel awareness is too important when there’s so much at stake. Besides, I think writers have an obligation to use their voices for social and political change. Something I once read comes to mind: “If you’ve ever wondered what you’d have done during slavery, the Holocaust, or the civil rights movement, you’re doing it right now.”
#6. Where do you see the future of horror fiction heading? In turn, what changes would you love to see, either socially or technologically?
#6. I think horror fiction has a bright future, especially given all the terrific small presses out there. Horror seems to be experiencing its next boom, not only with books but also with film and TV networks like Netflix and Hulu. Maybe it’s due to the times we live in, maybe it’s just a case of “what comes around goes around.” Or maybe horror is starting to be seen as more relevant than it was in the past. I really don’t know, but I’m loving every minute of it.
I’d like to see an end to women authors feeling like they have to use their initials to hide the fact that they’re female in order to be taken more seriously. I think that’s a shame. There are some fantastic women writers out there and they should be able to own it and not have to bow down to some bullshit patriarchy. I can’t imagine Shirley Jackson going by the name S.H. Jackson. It just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
#7. What can you tell us about any forthcoming projects? What titles would you like to promote now?
#7. I’m working on a horror/sci-fi novel (working title, Destroyer) about inter-dimensional travel, evil, and loss. I’ve also recently had a story accepted by a terrific publisher for a soon-to-be-released horror anthology. I’m told there will be some great authors in it, so I’m extremely excited about it. I’m not at liberty to say anything more just yet, but it should be all over the place in a month or so, maybe sooner. And I’ll be marketing it on social media and my website (israelfinn.com), of course, so watch for it there.
AUTHOR PIC
