An interview with author M. R. Cosby
I haven't done any author interviews for a while, have I? I've kind of missed it. I'm planning a few in the coming weeks.
Today, I have author M.R. Cosby (Martin Cosby) as my guest. I met him online over a year ago and at that time he was working on his first collection of short stories having had a couple of stories published in an anthology. He's very friendly and very supportive of fellow authors. His debut collection of short stories has just been published.
I love short stories and am always trying to convince people to read more of them. People usually choose novels and the poor short story collections get left behind, but there are so many gems out there. I know that Martin is a big fan of short stories both reading and writing them, so that made me even more keen to invite him here for a chat.
I had the pleasure of reading Dying Embers recently. It's a book that you savour because it's so full of description that makes the stories vivid and come alive in your mind. Martin describes his fiction as 'strange', and I can see why, there is never a predictable ending to any of his stories and many of them involve different dimensions and paranormal elements. If you're a literary fiction fan you should definitely grab a copy of this collection.
Now, without further ado, here's the interview:
INTERVIEW with M.R. Cosby
How long have you been writing, and was there a defining moment when you knew you wanted to be a writer?
I still don’t think of myself as “a writer”. I do write, of course, but I feel that my L-plates are still firmly attached. All my life, I’ve wanted to write, but it took the passing of many years before I could convince myself I had anything of worth to say.
Hmm... I think that's perfectly normal, most of the best writers I know are not very confident about their writing ability. As Ernest Hemingway said, “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” :)
Up to now you've only written short stories. What is it about the short story form that appeals to you, and do you have any favourite short story writers?
Short stories appeal to me because not one word is wasted. I love poetry too for the same reason. There are so many short story writers I admire. Robert Aickman is top of the list, followed by the likes of M.R. James, L.T.C. Rolt, John Metcalfe and Eleanor Scott. There’s also a lot going on right now, and my favourite contemporary writers include Kaaron Warren, James Everington, Rebecca Lloyd, Mark Fuller-Dillon and John Gaskin. There are far too many to list here!
I love James Everington's writing, too. I'll have to check out the others!
You've said that your stories are loosely based on your own life. Was that intentional or did your own life find its way into the fiction?
I could not have started to write about anything other than my own life. I began by attempting my memoirs, which gave me the confidence to at least put pen to paper. As I listed anecdotes, it occurred to me that within my experience there lurked some strange occurrences…
Mine is the other way around. I never intentionally put any of my own life experiences into my books, but when I read over them I realise many of them could almost be memoirs!!
Which of the stories in Dying Embers do you think contains the most fact?
All the tales contain a fair bit of my life, as I find it very difficult to “make anything up”. Perhaps the two that spring to mind would be The Next Terrace and Unit 6. In fact the latter is almost all true apart from the precise climax.
You lean more towards 'strange' or 'weird' fiction in your own writing. Do you set out to write those types of tales or is it something that just happens in the writing process?
I confess; at the moment I set out to create ‘strange adventures’. I think it’s been useful for me to be able to place what I’ve been doing into some kind of a compartment. I’m not yet confident enough about my own writing for it to stand completely on its own merits (or otherwise). So to be able to place what I do into a ‘genre’, much as I hate that word, has taken the pressure off.
Do you ever plan your stories or just start writing and see what happens?
I never plan. I like to think of an opening paragraph, which might lead me more or less in the direction I want; then I see what happens. I try to intrigue myself as I write.
Yes, I like doing that too. It's always fun when the story is a mystery to me even as I write it :)
If I remember rightly I think you were intending to self-publish your short story collection, but were then approached by your publisher. How did that come about, and what made you decide to use a publishing company rather than publish on your own?
I was all ready to self-publish, but, as I put some effort into social media, I was ‘followed’ on Twitter by Satalyte Publishing, which was looking for Australian writers. I thought nothing would come of it, but nonetheless I popped all of Dying Embers into a Word document and sent it off to Stephen Ormsby at Satalyte. To my delight he said it would fit in with his schedule for this year. The attraction to me of being published was that I was so new to the scene; so that I felt it would be invaluable to find out how everything worked within the industry. So far, my experience has been very positive, thanks to all at Satalyte.
That's great! I'm glad it's working out well for you.
You've been getting some great reviews for Dying Embers. What is the best thing that someone has said about your stories so far?
Thanks Maria. Yes, I’m very happy with the reviews, and I’m humbled that so many readers have taken the time and effort to write them. To have been mentioned in the same sentence as M.R. James (however undeserved) makes me very happy!
How long did it take you to write the stories that appear in Dying Embers?
A few of the stories had been on the back-burner for six or seven years (Abraham’s Bosom and Necessary Procedure). However, from the time I began The Next Terrace until publication of the collection was around three years. Writing, for me, is very much a secondary activity, as I look after our two children most of the time.
Do you have a favourite story that you've written? If so, why is it your favourite?
Perhaps the story that came together in the most satisfying way was The Source of the Lea. Again, it’s an intensely personal tale, and it took a long time to get the sequence of events working in the best way.
I've heard it said often that readers prefer novels, and short stories are not as popular. What would you say to someone to convince them that they should read short stories?
I believe short stories are becoming more popular. Certainly, a lot of writers are producing a lot of excellent collections and anthologies – I’m finding it extremely difficult to keep up with the reviews these days. I would say this to the reluctant short story reader; by reading short stories, you are experiencing the very essence of storytelling. No one ever wrote a collection of short stories to make any money. For sure, it’s been written for the sheer love of it, and it’s not often that happens these days, is it?
What are you working on now?
I have a number of short stories on the go, which may be linked so as to read as a kind of “novel”. They are similarly dark, but I’m trying to give myself a little more leeway when it comes plot structure. I suppose I’m experimenting a little bit.
Always good to experiment!
When you read, do you prefer paperbacks or eBooks?
I love both. I collect old books (particularly Robert Aickman first-editions) and our house is indeed full of thousands of all kinds of books. However, I also love my kindle. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it’s changed my life. I have hundreds of books on the thing, and to have them all available to me wherever I am is just wonderful, especially on my frequent overseas trips. The truth is, it hasn’t stopped me from buying physical books as well. I’m willing to risk all sorts of cheaper and more convenient electronic purchases, and that has opened my eyes to many writers new to me.
If you met your favourite author and asked him/her a question about writing, what would it be?
I would ask Robert Aickman about his editing process. Legend has it that he would dictate his stories directly to his secretary, and it would go on to the publisher to be printed without change, not even to punctuation. I would like to know the truth behind this, as my own experience with publication has been, quite rightly, rather different!
Wow! If it is true, he must have been a rare genius!
Do you have any other news for your readers?
I’d just like to say a big thank you to all my readers – and to tell them, if they are so inclined, to keep an eye out for something new from me later in the year.
Wonderful! I'll be looking out for that!
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!
You can keep up with Martin's news on his social media sites:
Website: http://www.martincosby.com/
Blog: http://strangerdesigns.blogspot.com.au
Twitter: https://twitter.com/M_RCosby
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrcosbyauthor
You can buy the book on Amazon:
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dying-Embers-...
US: http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Embers-M-...
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Dying-Embers...
Or on Satalyte Publishing's website:
http://satalyte.com.au/product/dying-...
Happy Reading!
Today, I have author M.R. Cosby (Martin Cosby) as my guest. I met him online over a year ago and at that time he was working on his first collection of short stories having had a couple of stories published in an anthology. He's very friendly and very supportive of fellow authors. His debut collection of short stories has just been published.
I love short stories and am always trying to convince people to read more of them. People usually choose novels and the poor short story collections get left behind, but there are so many gems out there. I know that Martin is a big fan of short stories both reading and writing them, so that made me even more keen to invite him here for a chat.
I had the pleasure of reading Dying Embers recently. It's a book that you savour because it's so full of description that makes the stories vivid and come alive in your mind. Martin describes his fiction as 'strange', and I can see why, there is never a predictable ending to any of his stories and many of them involve different dimensions and paranormal elements. If you're a literary fiction fan you should definitely grab a copy of this collection.
Now, without further ado, here's the interview:
INTERVIEW with M.R. Cosby
How long have you been writing, and was there a defining moment when you knew you wanted to be a writer?
I still don’t think of myself as “a writer”. I do write, of course, but I feel that my L-plates are still firmly attached. All my life, I’ve wanted to write, but it took the passing of many years before I could convince myself I had anything of worth to say.
Hmm... I think that's perfectly normal, most of the best writers I know are not very confident about their writing ability. As Ernest Hemingway said, “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” :)
Up to now you've only written short stories. What is it about the short story form that appeals to you, and do you have any favourite short story writers?
Short stories appeal to me because not one word is wasted. I love poetry too for the same reason. There are so many short story writers I admire. Robert Aickman is top of the list, followed by the likes of M.R. James, L.T.C. Rolt, John Metcalfe and Eleanor Scott. There’s also a lot going on right now, and my favourite contemporary writers include Kaaron Warren, James Everington, Rebecca Lloyd, Mark Fuller-Dillon and John Gaskin. There are far too many to list here!
I love James Everington's writing, too. I'll have to check out the others!
You've said that your stories are loosely based on your own life. Was that intentional or did your own life find its way into the fiction?
I could not have started to write about anything other than my own life. I began by attempting my memoirs, which gave me the confidence to at least put pen to paper. As I listed anecdotes, it occurred to me that within my experience there lurked some strange occurrences…
Mine is the other way around. I never intentionally put any of my own life experiences into my books, but when I read over them I realise many of them could almost be memoirs!!
Which of the stories in Dying Embers do you think contains the most fact?
All the tales contain a fair bit of my life, as I find it very difficult to “make anything up”. Perhaps the two that spring to mind would be The Next Terrace and Unit 6. In fact the latter is almost all true apart from the precise climax.
You lean more towards 'strange' or 'weird' fiction in your own writing. Do you set out to write those types of tales or is it something that just happens in the writing process?
I confess; at the moment I set out to create ‘strange adventures’. I think it’s been useful for me to be able to place what I’ve been doing into some kind of a compartment. I’m not yet confident enough about my own writing for it to stand completely on its own merits (or otherwise). So to be able to place what I do into a ‘genre’, much as I hate that word, has taken the pressure off.
Do you ever plan your stories or just start writing and see what happens?
I never plan. I like to think of an opening paragraph, which might lead me more or less in the direction I want; then I see what happens. I try to intrigue myself as I write.
Yes, I like doing that too. It's always fun when the story is a mystery to me even as I write it :)
If I remember rightly I think you were intending to self-publish your short story collection, but were then approached by your publisher. How did that come about, and what made you decide to use a publishing company rather than publish on your own?
I was all ready to self-publish, but, as I put some effort into social media, I was ‘followed’ on Twitter by Satalyte Publishing, which was looking for Australian writers. I thought nothing would come of it, but nonetheless I popped all of Dying Embers into a Word document and sent it off to Stephen Ormsby at Satalyte. To my delight he said it would fit in with his schedule for this year. The attraction to me of being published was that I was so new to the scene; so that I felt it would be invaluable to find out how everything worked within the industry. So far, my experience has been very positive, thanks to all at Satalyte.
That's great! I'm glad it's working out well for you.
You've been getting some great reviews for Dying Embers. What is the best thing that someone has said about your stories so far?
Thanks Maria. Yes, I’m very happy with the reviews, and I’m humbled that so many readers have taken the time and effort to write them. To have been mentioned in the same sentence as M.R. James (however undeserved) makes me very happy!
How long did it take you to write the stories that appear in Dying Embers?
A few of the stories had been on the back-burner for six or seven years (Abraham’s Bosom and Necessary Procedure). However, from the time I began The Next Terrace until publication of the collection was around three years. Writing, for me, is very much a secondary activity, as I look after our two children most of the time.
Do you have a favourite story that you've written? If so, why is it your favourite?
Perhaps the story that came together in the most satisfying way was The Source of the Lea. Again, it’s an intensely personal tale, and it took a long time to get the sequence of events working in the best way.
I've heard it said often that readers prefer novels, and short stories are not as popular. What would you say to someone to convince them that they should read short stories?
I believe short stories are becoming more popular. Certainly, a lot of writers are producing a lot of excellent collections and anthologies – I’m finding it extremely difficult to keep up with the reviews these days. I would say this to the reluctant short story reader; by reading short stories, you are experiencing the very essence of storytelling. No one ever wrote a collection of short stories to make any money. For sure, it’s been written for the sheer love of it, and it’s not often that happens these days, is it?
What are you working on now?
I have a number of short stories on the go, which may be linked so as to read as a kind of “novel”. They are similarly dark, but I’m trying to give myself a little more leeway when it comes plot structure. I suppose I’m experimenting a little bit.
Always good to experiment!
When you read, do you prefer paperbacks or eBooks?
I love both. I collect old books (particularly Robert Aickman first-editions) and our house is indeed full of thousands of all kinds of books. However, I also love my kindle. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it’s changed my life. I have hundreds of books on the thing, and to have them all available to me wherever I am is just wonderful, especially on my frequent overseas trips. The truth is, it hasn’t stopped me from buying physical books as well. I’m willing to risk all sorts of cheaper and more convenient electronic purchases, and that has opened my eyes to many writers new to me.
If you met your favourite author and asked him/her a question about writing, what would it be?
I would ask Robert Aickman about his editing process. Legend has it that he would dictate his stories directly to his secretary, and it would go on to the publisher to be printed without change, not even to punctuation. I would like to know the truth behind this, as my own experience with publication has been, quite rightly, rather different!
Wow! If it is true, he must have been a rare genius!
Do you have any other news for your readers?
I’d just like to say a big thank you to all my readers – and to tell them, if they are so inclined, to keep an eye out for something new from me later in the year.
Wonderful! I'll be looking out for that!
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!
You can keep up with Martin's news on his social media sites:
Website: http://www.martincosby.com/
Blog: http://strangerdesigns.blogspot.com.au
Twitter: https://twitter.com/M_RCosby
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrcosbyauthor
You can buy the book on Amazon:
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dying-Embers-...
US: http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Embers-M-...
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Dying-Embers...
Or on Satalyte Publishing's website:
http://satalyte.com.au/product/dying-...
Happy Reading!
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Martin
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Jul 24, 2014 06:48PM
Thanks for the interesting questions, Maria.
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Martin wrote: "Thanks for the interesting questions, Maria."It was a fun interview. I enjoyed reading your replies. I love finding out what inspires different writers :)
I like the idea of 'strange adventures' Martin. Also, I think it is wonderful that you didn't go down the self-publishing route after all, I just can't see where the kudos is in doing that. Interesting interview Maria. Thank you both.
Glad you enjoyed the interview, Rebecca :)
