Why did you pursue writing?
Over
the decades of pursuing a writing career, submitting, coming close, being
rejected more than I care to remember, and after several stops and starts, I
decided to create a writing blog, just for myself in 2011 to keep the fiction
engines revved. I posted one story each month and these weren’t read by many
readers, even a year later, but enough attention came and a small publisher
came calling about putting a book together. These stories became Sandcastle and
Other Stories, which was named Best Suspense Anthology 2013 by Suspense
Magazine. Also on the blog I wrote one holiday story each year, 2011, 2012, and
2013. These formed half of the new book out titled Hark---A Christmas
Collection.
What inspired your book?
I’ve
always held a high regard for Charles Dickens. He wrote many stories set at
Christmastime, and I wanted to follow his directions. Loved his Scrooge tale.
He also wrote in serial form, and this has inspired me to write a weekly horror
story on my writing blog. I’m up to Chapter 24 now, and this story is free for
anyone to read at justinbog.com --- it’s titled A Play Demonic (The Queen’s
Idle Fancy). I hope this becomes my first published novel down the line, but
it’s not anywhere near finished at almost 35,000 words.
How long have you been publishing your work?
I
won a few short fiction awards over the decades, but never seriously thought
about publishing until 2012. I self-published my first collection of stories,
and then a small publisher took this book on. They also published my next psychological
thriller, The Conversationalist. I split from this publisher only this past
fall and Booktrope now is publishing my writing projects. Hark---A Christmas
Collection is the very first with this new bright and shiny publisher. Love
their enthusiasm and guidance. I also have written more than a few novels. They
sit in a drawer, and I believe these books added to my writing education. Are
these books publishable? Perhaps. They need a lot of editorial guidance.
What’s your writing environment like?
I
write at a messy roll-top desk on an iMac. Stacks of books and papers rise up
on either side of the computer, but I know where everything is.
What projects are you currently working on?
With
Booktrope and my book/project manager, we’ve set a schedule of releases for
next year. First, Sandcastle and Other Stories and The Conversatioanlist will
be released once more in Complete Editions with extra stories added. Next
spring I’ll release a long novella titled A Great Distance. This is a
psychological family drama. I hope to release A Play Demonic as a novel in time
for Halloween.
Follow Justin Online:
Justin Bog A Writer's Life Blog: www.justinbog.com
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JustinBog1
Twitter: @JustinBog
