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3Q’s Special – Matthew M. Bartlett doesn’t want to test his luck!

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It really blows my mind the number of legendary, lauded and revered authors I’ve managed to convince to come and do a 3Q’s. I love how they’ve embraced it, just as much as the readers have. The reality is, I ask two writing questions and two ‘silly’ questions. To people who often tackle very serious and sensitive topics and subjects. And so far (fingers crossed) people have all had fun with it! Today’s guest is no exception. Matthew M. Bartlett is a legendary author who continues to devastate his readers with each new release, while also boasting a back catalog that will make even the most decorated writer long for.

I am so happy and excited that Matthew was able to do one of these!

Welcome Matthew!

matthew bartlett

Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?

MB: I’m one of those writers who edits as I go. Every time I open a document to work on it, I go back through what I have so far and revise. Sometimes I do so much revising that I don’t end up writing the story further that day. Once the story is “done,” I go back through one final time to try to catch repeated words, inconsistencies, etc. So, I guess there technically is no “first draft.” One reason I work this way is that I rarely know exactly where a story is going, and at some point, I get stuck and pause to work on a different story. On the very rare occasions I have an idea for a story beginning to end, I will produce an entire first draft. Then I’ll take some time away and come back to it fresh. I don’t remember the last time I’ve done that, though.

Steve: What’s the one thing you’d change now if you’d have known it when you started writing?

MB: I started to answer that I wish I’d known there’d be an audience, because I’d have worked faster and tried to get published earlier. But the way things went, I did pretty well, so I’m hesitant to consider messing with the past. One thing of which I was truly ignorant: the contempt some people have for self-publishing. I don’t think I would have benefited from knowing that, though. So, I don’t think there’s anything I’d change.

Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?

MB: I’m torn. It’s either my debut Gateways to Abomination, written originally as Livejournal posts, when I had an audience of about 10 people and wrote without thinking of publication. Or else it’s The Stay-Awake Men and Other Unstable Entities, which has, I think, some of my best writing. Or it’s my new collection Where Night Cowers, which has work that spans my career so far. Do you like how I’m not answering any of these questions straightforwardly?

Steve: Bonus Fun Question! Would you rather be lost at sea or in the mountains?

MB: A tough choice, but I’ll go with the mountains, because I never get mountain-sick. Plus, there are a lot more resources in the woods. Unless you’re on a fully stocked boat…but once you’ve eaten everything on the boat, you’re kind of out of luck.

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