Infrequently Asked Questions with Author Roy Dorman

INFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here at S.A.V.A. Press, not only do we like and respect writers, but we find them profoundly interesting. As such, whenever we publish and promote authors, we also try to get to know them a little bit. Hopefully, you’ll find the following questions and answers both engaging and enticing enough to delve into more of the author’s available content…

And now, without further ado, S.A.V.A. Press is proud to present: Roy Dorman!

S.A.V.A. Press: “Author bios, by their very nature, are meant to be short and sweet. Is there anything outside of your author bio that you’d like your readers to know about you, or that you think your readers might find interesting and/or surprising about you? If not, feel free to use this space to speak directly to your readers about anything related to your published work…”

Roy Dorman: “Though for the last couple of years I’ve done a lot of Crime Fiction, when I first started writing for publication about nine years ago, I mainly turned out Speculative Fiction; Science Fiction with more Horror than spaceships and black holes. I still like to crank out one of those and send it to one of my regular sites that specialize in this genre. A couple afternoons a week, I tell my wife, ‘I’m going down to Mickey’s Tavern to do some research for my writing.’ She’s a good sport. Just rolls her eyes and says, ‘Bye.’ Actually, in addition to a couple of craft beers, I do pick up some inspiration from the folks at Mickey’s during the 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM time period. Folks in bars at that time have their own stories. So, a lot of my stories are Bar/Crime stories.”

S.A.V.A. Press: “Here at S.A.V.A. Press, we feel that all writers can contribute something to the conversation about the art of writing. Can you share your thoughts on what, in your opinion, are the elements of great writing?”

Roy Dorman: “Mark Twain said, ‘Write what you know.’ I suppose that’s still good advice. However, with Google and Wikipedia, you can, with a little research, write what you didn’t know. And if you’re writing fiction, you have the advantage of the concept of making things up being acceptable. It’s like a license to lie. Having said that, it will be the writing that counts. Putting the words together. I’ve always read a lot. I like it when the words flow. When I don't have to go back to read a paragraph again because something wasn’t clear. Good dialog flows too. It shouldn’t sound stilted or stuffy. It should sound like people talking. I do the research for what I need to write my story. It may have a Glock going against a .38 Special. But I hardly ever shoot anybody. I’ve never owned a gun in my life.”

S.A.V.A. Press: “Writing is an art, and all artists derive inspiration from their mentors and idols along the way. Can you elaborate on the people who’ve inspired and influenced you, and helped mold your writing thus far? And please don’t feel as if your answer has to be limited to writers. Inspiration can come from all kinds of sources…”

Roy Dorman: “In my current bio, I say that an old high school friend encouraged me to write for publication. Jerry McGinley, a retired high school English teacher, is a writer himself with a half-dozen published novels to his credit, as well as many pieces of short fiction and poetry. He got me started and continues in the role of mentor. My bio also says I’ve been a voracious reader for over 65 years. I love to read good fiction. It would be impossible to list all of the authors who have influenced me. I like H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King for their incredible imaginations and their ability to put together believable/unbelievable stories. I like Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Mickey Spillane for their fast-moving plots and snappy dialog. I’ve read the six Dune books by Frank Herbert three or four times. Every five or ten years, I just sit down and read them again. Dune is an incredible storyline.”

S.A.V.A. Press: “Please share your thoughts, both positive and/or negative, on the literary landscape of today…”

Roy Dorman: “As to today’s literary landscape, I have mostly positive feelings. Online literary sites allow a writer to send stories to a number of quality sites at little or no cost. Response times may vary, but usually one hears back in less than a month. The work on most sites is usually of a high quality. Even though there are a lot of sites out there, and a lot of writers sending to those sites, there is still an element of competition. Getting your work accepted is not a given.”

S.A.V.A. Press: “If you could suggest one fiction book that everyone should read, what would it be, and why?”

Roy Dorman: “Just one, huh? I’ve read Stephen King’s ’Salem’s Lot a number of times. There are parts in that book that are seriously scary. It’s one of those that even though you’ve read it and know the ending, it still grabs your attention.”

Roy Dorman is retired from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Benefits Office and has been a voracious reader for over 65 years. At the prompting of an old high school friend, himself a retired English teacher, Roy is now a voracious writer. He has had flash fiction and poetry published in Black Petals, Bewildering Stories, One Sentence Poems, Yellow Mama, Drunk Monkeys, Literally Stories, Dark Dossier, The Rye Whiskey Review, Near To The Knuckle, Theme of Absence, Shotgun Honey, 50 Give or Take, and a number of other online and print journals. Unweaving a Tangled Web, recently published by Hekate Publishing, is his first novel.

Unweaving A Tangled Web is available in both paperback and The Kindle Store on Amazon.com @ https://www.amazon.com/UNWEAVING-TANGLED-WEB-PRIVATE-INVESTIGATOR/dp/1912017091