Really fun 3Q’s today – and in a way – it’s a double bonus 3Q’s! You see, today’s guest is none other than Michael Kelly. Michael is not only a talented and revered writer, but he’s also one of the driving forces behind Undertow Publications! So, as a thanks to Undertow always being kind to me – I’ll also be sharing some of the Undertow books YOU MUST READ HERE!

Michael has always been kind, supportive and encouraging and I’m very excited to have him join me today! Please, welcome Michael!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Michael: Ah, alas, my writing has been mostly on the back-burner since I took Undertow Publications full-time in 2018. I have penned some stories in the interval, and this year I managed 5 new stories that all sold fairly quickly, and have already appeared, or soon will, this year. Even when I was writing more frequently I was always a slow writer. So, 5 stories in a year is a win for me.

When I’m writing, I have no set time each day. It’s mostly when I can fit it in between other daily activities, chores, and my publishing endeavours. 10 minutes here, 5 minutes there.

I do have a word count I try to achieve. And it’s a simple one – just 100 words. And I set it at 100 words because I can achieve that. More often than not, I can then do another 100 words, and so on. That’s the method that works for me. I’m also a huge proponent of Scott Meredith’s ‘make the first draft as good as you can’ method. So I edit as I go along. That is, before I start my next writing session I will read the whole draft and then edit and tweak. Then I do my words for the day. The next day I read the whole thing again and edit and then write. Generally, this produces a near-to-final draft, for me.

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?

Michael: Well, of course, being a publisher I’d definitely share it – assuming that was the author’s intent. That’s why we all start, isn’t it? To share our creative endeavours. “Hey, I made this thing.” Or “Hey, I published this thing. Please have a look.” Readers complete the circle. You write the thing. You publish the thing. People read the thing. It never feels fully finished til it’s out there.

 

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Michael: Two things! That’s cheeky of me, I know. I just had two short stories published within a week of each other – “Swim the Darkness” at The Dark, and “Something Borrowed” at Three-Lobed Burning Eye. Why read them? Oh, that’s a tough one. I’m never good at plugging my own work. If you like your horror stories smaller, and quieter perhaps give one (or both) of them a read. I’ve had several lovely e-mails from readers about both stories.

Swim the Darkness

https://www.3lobedmag.com/issue36/3lbe36_story4.html

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?

Michael: Gah! What to choose? This is rather boring, perhaps, but I’d be “The Freeze,” with the ability to stop the flow of time. That way I’d be able to catch up on all the things I’m behind on.

Excellent choice, and its interesting to see how many people have chosen something to do with slowing down time! Thank you once again, Michael!

To find more of his work and the Undertow releases, check the links!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UndertowPubs

Website: https://undertowpublications.com/