Name:
Joe Maldonado
The Title of Your Work or Group:
Subterranean Summer
Where are you from?
Long Island, NY
In what genre do you write?
Though my first book is all poetry, I enjoy writing in many different forms. I don't really stick to just one genre.
In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it?
Subterranean Summer is a collection of poems about a man's struggle to find purpose and hope in a universe that is all too often filled with chaos and cruelty.
What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens.
Usually the ideas come out of the blue at first. It could happen anywhere: driving to work, brushing my teeth, etc. I might scribble it on a scrap of paper or make a note on my phone. Sitting at the computer comes later...sometimes the writing might take a typical form (like a haiku), sometimes it doesn't.
Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ?
I usually have the opposite reaction initially..."I better not show this to anyone or they'll think I'm crazy". Then eventually I do let someone see it, and so far it's actually worked out ok.
Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself?
I do it myself, though I get my wife's seal of approval before releasing the final product.
Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read allot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy.
Mick Foley was a big inspiration for me. A fellow Long Islander who started as a wrestler famous for taking chair shots to the head, then became a NY Times bestselling author. Also, Walt Whitman. He's the only poet I know of that has a mall named for him.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I find the hardest part to be reaching that point when you can say to yourself, ok, this is good, it's finally done. I'm always revising, but at some point too much revision can actually make a piece worse.
Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?
I don't really ever go looking for a poem or story to write, they come to me. Often at the most inconvenient times.
Do you ever write yourself into the characters?
Definitely, I'm not sure it's possible to write a character that doesn't have at least a little bit of myself in them.
Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.
I'm happy to say that my "day job" as a counselor at a psychiatric center fulfills me in ways that my writing cannot.
If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?
Andy Kaufman...though according to some people there's still a chance of that happening.
There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?
I've been told that I have unique way of mixing humor and seriousness...like Whitman said, "I am large, I contain multitudes".
In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from?
The blog Writers Kaboodle does some great author interviews via twitter, they've actually been a trending topic many times. You can sign up at writerskaboodle.blogspot.com
Links to fins and follow Joe's work:
Facebook Page: fb.com/subterraneansummer
Twitter:@justjoe81
Website:JoeMaldonado.weebly.com
Amazon: tinyurl.com/subterraneansummer
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