We have talked to Michael Aronovitz as he releases his new book, The Witch of the Wood.
First of all can you tell us a bit about your new novel, ‘The Witch of the Wood?’
‘Witch’ is my experimental, apocalyptic, erotic thriller that questions religiosity as we know it and social relations between men and women. In other words, there’s a hell of a lot of sex and violence, hopefully in a framework that will engage the reader emotionally.
Can you give us some insight into your main characters?
Yes, Rudy Barnes is a 40-something adjunct professor of English, a bit nerdy, intelligent, and lonely. His love interest is April Orr, this super hot administrator at the college who falls for him. Later there is the appearance of Wolfie, a warlock who loves women so much that it manifests itself in a violent hatred for men, and of course there is Rudy’s ex – Patricia, who is always sticking her nose into everything and causing all kinds of mayhem.
What goals might you have set for yourself when writing ‘The Witch of the Wood,’ and how do you feel about the end result?
My initial goal was to write an engaging tale everyone could relate to that dealt with unlocking the unspoken reality that men (and women) are fickle, and lose attraction for each other over time, at least in the heart-stopping, poem-writing, jumping each other’s bones every night – kind of a way. I had the idea that maybe it might be cool if “witch’ was the name of individuals that made up an ancient race of shape-shifting women who changed according to their given partner’s desires. What I got was a cavalcade of beautiful disasters, like sex out of its mind, conservatives against it, new religions, riots, trees coming down all at once (all 400 billion of them), witch burnings, rat armies, canine soldiers, and ghouls. I like the result because there’s never ever a dull moment.
What is it with the supernatural that you find fascinating?
When the dead come alive the timelines are more fun to toy with. The idea of the supernatural also brings up an eerie sort of linear existence where you can’t escape the past.
How did you start writing? Was there a particular book or moment in your life that spurned you on?
Stephen King’s early books made me know that writing was interesting. I hated classics and boring things. Ironically, I teach the classics now and have a masters in literature, but it was King’s uncanny knack for finding the center of a character that hooked me. At some point, I said to myself, “I want to do that.”
Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?
The above mentioned author and degree were great influences. Of late, my mentor is Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi, and he has been an ultimate influence, as he looks at all of my work and makes comments before I show anyone else. Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross have given me awesome specific advice at times. The latest influence is indie film maker Ursula Dabrowsky. I saw her teaser trailer for her sophomore effort ‘Inner Demon’ a couple of years ago, and as a result of the influence of the visual grit and beauty of her work, I wrote ‘Phantom Effect,’ coming out February 2016 through Night Shade Books. I just talked to Cory over there actually, and it wasn’t too late to add the dedication to her. Good stuff!
Have you ever struggled between what you would like to happen to a character and what you considered more sensible to occur? Can you tell us when and what did you do at last?
Another excellent question. I cannot say that this particular thing happens too often to me because I don’t draft outlines. I realize some authors find writing this way is like jumping off a cliff and hoping for a hang glider, but I like the characters to grow into the story around them. Since I pre-plan so few ideas, except some big plot twists and cornerstones if any, I don’t have to force characters into sensible actions or rather out of pre-planned nonsensical ones. I never held them to those things to begin with.
How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?
I don’t use a formula, because the novel would look too much like the last one. I write for the sake of loving writing, so formulas are the opposite of what I would be looking to accomplish personally. I usually start with a horrific image that has to have a sense of poetry to it. I build the story around that.
What is your favorite and least favorite part of the writing process and why?
My least favorite part of the writing process isn’t really a least favorite. I would word it more…what am I most scared of? Drafting is the answer. It is frightening to make new copy. I always feel it will fail. Then I begin and four hours later I have something. My favorite part is tailoring it up and making it look like professional writing on the second go-through.
How do you go about the marketing aspect and especially related to your online presence? Anything you’ve seen work better than other things?
I am not a professional marketer, so that part fascinates me. It seems there is so much noise out there, especially with all the recent self-publishing platforms, it is difficult to get noticed, even if you are publishing through legitimate traditional presses. I have found that having a publicist helps, and a nice website and blog designer.
What are your thoughts on good / bad reviews?
I love good reviews and I take them personally. I hate bad reviews and I take them personally. I especially despise no reviews, because there’s nothing to take personally.
How do you define success as an author?
Tell a good story the best you can. If you know it is good, you have won the game. If you can get even one reader you don’t know to have a good experience with your book, you have become self-actualized. Be happy!
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I like the traditional type. I can’t explain why. Maybe the Kindle has pages that are too short and I am always looking at the percent thing even if I am engaged.
What kind of books do you read? Any favorite authors?
King. Hemingway. Tolkien.
What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies?
Listening to metal, watching baseball, playing the banjo (newest endeavor)
What’s next? What are you working on now?
I have a young adult novel coming out through Vinspire Press under my pen name Nicholas Fisher, titled ‘Becky’s Kiss’ this November. My third hard core adult novel ‘Phantom Effect’ comes out in February 2016, and currently I am writing a novel titled ‘Dead Red’ about the devil, alive and here, walking among us. Problem is he doesn’t want to be who he is. I am at about 31,000 words with that one.
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Interview by Dag Rambraut – SFFWorld.com © 2015
