Bláithín O’Reilly Murphy interviews Matthew Arnold Stern

Author to Author Interview between Bláithín O’Reilly Murphy [@whatbladidnext] and Matthew Arnold Stern [@maswriter]

 

1. We’re meeting for this chat in your favourite cafe/ bar/ pub/ restaurant/ hotel lobby. Where are we and why is this your favourite? And what have you ordered for us?

 

My favorite place for enjoying coffee and chatting is, oddly enough, a combination bank/café. It’s called the Capital One Café in the Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine, California. The coffee is good, they have plenty of tables, and it has a relaxed atmosphere. University students do their studying there. I would order for you whatever coffee drink and pastries you like. (Not sure how the coffee compares to what you have in Ireland, but I think the quality is a better than Starbucks.) I usually have hibiscus iced tea or cold brew coffee with low-fat milk.

 

2. What name[s] do you write under?

 

Matthew Arnold Stern is my actual name. You would think my parents chose it with the expectation of me becoming a writer, but I wasn’t named after the Victorian Era poet. My first name came from my paternal grandfather. My middle name came from my dad’s business partner. I hated the name as a child. It wasn’t until high school when I wanted to be a writer and started studying literature (including “Dover Beach”) that I realized Matthew Arnold Stern is a great name for an author. Today, I consider it part of my branding. There are plenty of people named Matthew Stern, but Matthew Arnold Stern is an identity I can claim for myself.

 

3. When was the last time you wrote?

 

I write every day. When I’m not writing a book, I’m working at my day job as a technical writer. Or I’m updating my website. Or responding to email, updating social media, or writing a book review for another author. There isn’t a day when I’m not writing something.

 

4. What is your most recently published book or current work in progress? Who is most likely to read it?

 

My latest novel is The Remainders. It’s about a homeless son and his troubled father who are separated in Southern California. They must find each other before their inner demons destroy them. The book is a family drama that covers several contemporary issues including homelessness, physical and psychological abuse, suicide, political and religious hypocrisy, and teen pregnancy. It shows characters struggling with their pasts while seeking redemption. Readers who want to dive into a character-driven story based on the struggles of today’s world will enjoy it.

 

5. What is your writing Kryptonite?

 

The word that. I use it all the time. My editors show me it’s often unnecessary, but it took me a while to get used to sentences without it. Now, if I can do something about typos.

 

6. What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

 

I’ve been writing with computers since my first Commodore 64 in the 1980s. Having a good computer and writing software is important. I use Scrivener for books, Microsoft Word for everyday correspondence, and ProWritingAid to help with proofreading. I switched from Windows to Mac in 2012. My current computer is a 16-inch MacBook Pro I bought in 2020. Having a quality keyboard and a larger screen makes a difference.

 

7. As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal and why?

 

I earned my Eagle Scout in 1977, so eagles have been my mascot ever since. In the United States, we associate eagles with independence and the ability to soar on your own two wings. But I also think about a story I heard called “The Eagle in the Chicken Coop.” Even when you have the potential to succeed, it’s easy to get trapped by being complacent. Eagles aren’t just inspirations for me. They’re also reminders to keep working.

 

8. What did you [or would you do] with your first advance or payout from your first book?

 

I just put it in the bank. I enjoy getting royalty checks, but they’re reminders to go on to the next project.

 

9. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have? Care to share the [working] titles with us?

 

My half-finished books go into what I call my boneyard. When I’m stuck on a current project or looking for something new to write, I visit my boneyard to find material. My novel Amiga is based on unfinished ideas that had been sitting around for years. I finally found the right characters and plot points to bring the book to completion. Another novel that has been sitting in the boneyard is my work-in-progress Christina’s Portrait. It’s inspired by a murder that happened when I was in high school. I’ve been trying to write about it for over 45 years.

 

10. Describe your perfect writing location/set-up?

 

My laptop, a desk, a comfortable chair, and hours of uninterrupted quiet.

 

11. What is your actual writing location/set-up like?

 

Same, except for no uninterrupted quiet. There are times I must move to another room where I can work on my laptop.

 

12. How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?

 

First drafts typically take six weeks. I judge this by the times I’ve written for NaNoWriMo. I can complete the first 50,000 words in 30 days and the remaining 20,000–30,000 words in two weeks. What takes time is editing. It may take a month to have a draft ready for beta readers. Sometimes, I sit on a first draft for a while before I’m ready to edit it. My estimate is nine months from when I start a book to when it’s ready for submission.

 

13. How do you select the names of your characters? Would you ever let someone else, say a reader name one?

 

My characters name themselves. I think about the type of person the character is and what name best fits them. The name must also sound right and reflect the tone of the story. If a beta reader or editor tells me a different name works better, I’ll consider it. But a “name that character” contest isn’t something I would do.

 

14. What’s your favourite underappreciated book?

 

I binge read Kurt Vonnegut in college. While I love his classics like Slaughterhouse-Five, I enjoyed his 1974 collection of essays Wampeters, Foma, and Granfalloons. Vonnegut wrote in a biting, insightful, and heartfelt style that has remained an inspiration to me.

 

15. Do you ever Google yourself or your books? If so, what's the most surprising thing you’ve found?

They say the Internet never forgets. I found an old joke I entered for a contest in 2013.

 

How many writers does it take to screw in a light bulb? It depends on the writer:

●       Non-fiction writers would research Edison’s original patents to see how he intended light bulbs to be screwed in.

●       Biographers would study Edison’s childhood to see what influences caused him to design light bulbs to be screwed in that way.

●       Romance writers use candles.

●       Fantasy writers use torches.

●       Alternate history writers would describe how light bulbs would be different if Nikola Tesla invented them and lit them with free wireless electricity.

●       Science fiction writers would create a humanoid being capable of seeing in low light and not requiring light bulbs.

●       Erotica writers know the fun stuff happens when the lights are off.

 

16. What or who are you currently reading yourself?

 

I’m reading the ARC of The Awakening of Jim Bishop: This Changes Things by Ben Sharpton. The novel is coming out in January.

 

17. What other books are in your ‘to be read’ pile?

 

Brian Fitzpatrick is a local author I met at an event a few years ago. I have a couple books from his Mechcraft series I’ve been meaning to read.

 

18. Where and how can we all stalk you and your great work from now on? Leave us all the links below!

 

You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and TikTok with the tag maswriter. To see my posts on a variety of topics and learn more about my books, visit matthewarnoldstern.com.  

 

Please do follow both Bláithín O’Reilly Murphy @WhatBladidnext and Matthew Arnold Stern @maswriter