Infrequently Asked Questions with Scott Simmons

 

INFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here at S.A.V.A. Press, not only do we like and respect writers, but we like and respect other publishers, too. This time around, we thought we’d like to feature another editor and another publishing site, because, hey, we’re all in this together. Hopefully, you’ll find the following questions and answers interesting enough to check out The Dope Fiend Daily, which publishes both poetry and short fiction.

And now, without further ado, S.A.V.A. Press is proud to present: Scott Simmons, Editor-In-Chief of The Dope Fiend Daily!

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 The Dope Fiend Daily…”

Scott Simmons: “Before you ask, yes, as a Texan I have an oil well in my backyard, a fat-ass horse named Elvis, and a shit-ton of guns, obviously. Now maybe one of those things is true and maybe it isn’t, but I’ll probably fuck with you because I either don’t know you or just because I feel like it. This is the attitude I take with the Dope Fiend Daily as well. It never has any kind of plan and it does whatever it wants at any time.”

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?”

Scott Simmons: “To me, good writing is ultimately being able to capture an emotion that people can actually connect with whether you make them laugh, piss them off, or make them cry. If the work causes a reaction, then it’s a success in my mind. However, great writing comes from a constant state of learning, both in whatever medium you're working in, the world around you, but most importantly, yourself. The element of great writing that is hardest to capture is putting a piece of your own soul into the work and letting yourself really explore as much as you can.

“I’m very far from a great writer, but I've really enjoyed learning more about how to craft my words better and finding other ways to really express myself.”

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…”

Scott Simmons: “I like absolutely anything from movies, to music, various artwork, poetry, fiction, and just random ass moments in my life that I can exploit in my writing. Some of my early influences were Ralph Steadman because I enjoyed how he could draw his own strange distortion of reality that paired brilliantly with Hunter S Thompson’s writing style. I also really enjoyed reading A Modest Proposal because it was so damn absurd and biting to society back then.

“However, on the other side of the coin, I also really dug Jack Kerouac because he had a very unique voice that felt so honest and at times spiritual, while somehow still being able to keep my attention.”

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

Scott Simmons: “I think it’s a lot more limiting because it's hard to really establish a sense of mystery with how accessible everything is, and it’s a lot harder to be more controversial because this scene is somewhat small, so not everyone is exactly willing to rock the boat. It’s also very easy to feel somewhat stuck in place as not many outsiders seem to get into the independent scene, and a lot of modern mainstream authors don’t really seem to capture my attention very often.

“However, I also don’t really give a shit about the literary scene as, honestly, I only care about trying to make or help others make the best art I possibly can and always try to learn anytime I see something that makes me think, Wow, holy shit, that’s amazing.”

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

Scott Simmons: “I would say off the top of my head, Slaughterhouse Five. I really enjoyed how batshit insane that book was. But I’m always a fan of quirky, weird humor that fucks with the reader.”

Scott Simmons is a poet, humorist and “artist” from Houston, Texas. He is also the editor of The Dope Fiend Daily that runs very occasionally. His work has been featured at The Rye Whiskey Review, HST, The Anti Heroin Chic It Takes All Kinds, Duane’s Poetree, The Black Shamrock, and Off The Coast Magazine.

His "art" can be found here:

https://www.instagram.com/deranged_texan/