It’s hard to think of interesting and insightful questions to ask writers, artists, and musicians. You can take my word for it too, I’ve been botching this job for years. Instead of asking an AI bot “What interview questions should I ask a book author?” (like a typical lazy interviewer would), I searched for “What interview questions authors hate?” Yeah, just to be a dick.
So, thanks and apologies are due to Rise of the Haugenberrys author Zach Boddicker for answering 11 questions authors hate! — Chris Auman
1. Where do you get your ideas?
I usually turn this one around immediately, depending on the perceived emotional fragility of the inquisitor. I’ll ask him or her if they’ve ever had an idea, and where they got it. This is usually enough to skip the needle elsewhere.
2. How much of this book is autobiographical?
This one is a real stinker. Though, it does tend to reveal whether the inquisitor has actually read the book. I had to field this question often with my first novel, due mostly to its first-person, male narrator. That probably had something to do with my decision to go with a female narrator in Haugenberrys. On the other hand, it probably had nothing to do with that decision. My stock answer: all of it.
3. How long did it take you to write this?
There are disgruntled-tradesman memes out there that assert something to this effect: You’re paying your plumber/electrician/handyman X dollars an hour for his decades of training and experience. Writing books isn’t that much different, except no one’s complaining about my hourly rate, which currently sits at zero dollars. I write when I get the chance – an inconsistent schedule at best. The first draft of Haugenberrys took roughly twenty-four Saturday mornings to type up. But it took a lifetime of failure, disappointment, and missed opportunities for me to be able to crank it out in that short amount of time.
4. What’s your book about?
This one is especially offensive and I’m going to skip it.
5. Did you always want to be a writer?
My dad wrote instructional books about fur trapping, wildlife management, among many other things. I probably got it in my head early on that one day I would also write books. My wanting to become a writer wasn’t something I would’ve mentioned to a high school guidance counselor. I don’t remember ever attending such a meeting. If I did, I’m sure he would’ve stubbed out his cigarette on my forehead. It mostly just happened. I came to a fork in the road and I picked it up.
6. How do you balance writing with [insert life obligation]?
Being honest and accountable with myself and others is part of my self-care routine. I’ve “done the work” as they say. I’m not a balancer. Period.
7. Are you going to write a sequel?
Or a prequel? These aren’t the worst questions. They usually come from a sincere, interested, enthusiastic reader. The question sits there, meek, vulnerable, in want of affirmation and completion. A tender moment, almost. Until I squash it with a hard no.
8. Who’s your favorite character in your book?
I refuse to answer this one, as I don’t wish to hurt any of the other character’s feelings. All of the main characters in the Haugenberrys are invited to the party. And they all show up in various states of disrepair.
9. What’s it like to be a [genre]-writer?
Am I a genre writer? If I am, I don’t feel as though I’ve arrived there yet.
10. Do you think your book will be turned into a movie?
Not a chance – said with great confidence and a sunny disposition.
11. What’s your book about?
Ok. I’ll answer this one. My artist/musician/everything-that-is-good-in-the-world friend Maureen Hearty summed it up best: It’s a love letter to a music scene that no longer exists. I will go with that.
Thank you Zach for answering these questions authors hate!
Learn More
Read an interview with author Zach Boddicker from the Reglar Wiglar Archives.
Listen to Zach’s bands 4H Royalty and Gristle Memory.
