Interview: Richard Zwicker

Author’s Name:

Richard Zwicker

Publishing Credits:

“The Sum of Its Parts, “Walden Planet and other stories,” and “The Reopened Cask and other stories,” are three book collections of my short fiction. To date, I’ve sold 90 short stories to various ezines and magazines, including “Fission,” “Dragon Gems, and “On the Premises.”

What genres do you write?

I am most comfortable writing science fiction and fantasy, often with mystery mixed in. I also write horror, though my style is more atmospheric than graphic. I’ve sold some literary short stories, but there are more opportunities in speculative fiction.

Why should anybody read your books when there are so many others written by famous authors?

I’ve written serious stories and zany stories, but in most of my work, humor and seriousness fight to a draw, which I think is more representative of life. I often start with a trope and go on a quirky tangent. I try to make most of my fiction fun and inspiring.

Most authors believe they have original ideas that no one else has used. Can you give us an example of one of your original ideas?

In my story “Riddle Me,” I took the old “What did the chicken cross the road?” question and turned it into a commentary on the absurdity of life. Narrated by the chicken, it’s a good example of my mix of humor and seriousness. It is available at https://stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2023/09/riddle-me-by-richard-zwicker.html. In “The Trials and Tribulations of Childhood,” I started with the childhood saying, “Last one is a rotten egg” and wrote a story about a world where that was literally true.

Why did you become a writer?

I can’t remember when I wasn’t besotted with the idea of being a writer. I’ve always loved to read, and I’m grateful that I am able to add something. When I was in eleventh grade, we had class play competitions. Our class was the only one who did an original play, which I wrote, and it won. Life is fleeting. I like the idea of creating something that lasts a little longer. The truth is writing is hard, in most cases you’re not paid much, and often only a few people read it, but I get great satisfaction from creating something from a blank screen that’s good enough for an editor to publish and pay me.

What kind of writer are you, a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a mix. After I get an idea for a story, I need some kind of a map, so I plot it out. However, in the act of writing the story, I almost always change the plot, sometimes significantly.

How many senses do you use when you write?

It depends on the story. I’m mostly a visual writer, but sound, touch and smell can certainly be a factor. I’m not a gourmand, so taste appears less often.

If you could have anyone co-write a book with you, who would you choose?

I admire people, such as the members of Monty Python or rock groups, for whom artistic creation is a joint effort. While getting feedback on my writing is essential, I work almost exclusively alone. I wouldn’t mind working with Herman Melville because he would ensure that I be as ambitious as possible in my writing, but I can’t imagine him working with anyone, either. His writing showed me that you should aim for the sky, even if it’s likely you’ll come up short.

What events have made you into the person you are today?

In 1991 I accepted a job teaching English at the American School of Brasilia in Brazil. I met my wife there and ended up living in Brazil for eight years. I’ve always been a lover of travel. When I was 25, I did a 1400-mile solo bicycle trip around England, Scotland, and Wales. I’m a person who likes his routines (that’s how I get things done), but traveling and encountering people who are different from you is essential.

What jobs have you held?

I taught mostly high school English for forty years, in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Brazil (Brasilia, Salvador, and Belo Horizonte).

What are your areas of expertise?

I taught Mythology for many years and have used myths as a launching pad for a number of my stories. I also taught Creative Writing, American Lit, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Comedy in Lit, and Children’s Lit. There’s nothing like teaching something to reinforce and invigorate your own learning.

Did you have any childhood heroes?

Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics was a hero to me. He revolutionized basketball and personified the idea of a “team player.” He also was principled and a fighter for equality. Another childhood hero of mine was Rod Serling, who was also principled and wrote so many “Twilight Zone” episodes. On a small budget, he took me on many significant flights of fantasy.

If I could only read one thing that you’d written, what would you suggest?

My “Frankenstein-detective” stories is probably my best-known series, collected in the book “The Sum of Its Parts.” In them, I do what I often do, which is borrow from literary sources and make something of my own from it. Because of the Universal movies, the monster of Frankenstein is known as an inarticulate brute. In the Shelley novel, however, he is articulate and well-educated. I have him survive his climactic Arctic encounter with Victor Frankenstein. He returns to Geneva and reinvents himself as a consulting detective, specializing in monsters (“No case too monstrous”). I also borrow from the Universal movies, however, as he encounters Dracula, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, and the Wolf-man.

What advice do you have for people who want to become professional authors?

First, get feedback on your work. It can be painful, but it’s unavoidable. Join an online writer’s group, such as Critters.org. I’ve been writing most of my life, but whenever one of my stories is critiqued, a reader will point out something that I missed. Second, submit your stories to ezines and magazines. You’ll receive lots of rejections, but that’s OK. It will give you time to improve the story. The competition is fierce, but acceptance often depends on finding the right market and editor. “The Submission Grinder” can help with that. Third: develop a regular routine of writing, even if it’s only a couple of hours each weekend morning. If you want to be good at anything, be it a sport, music, art, a foreign language, or writing, you have to consistently put in the time. Fourth: read widely. Occasionally in my Creative Writing class I’d get a student who’d tell me they liked to write but they didn’t like to read. Good luck with that.

Richard Zwicker is a retired English teacher living in Vermont with his wife and beagle. Besides reading and writing, he likes to play the piano, jog, and fight the good fight against what he used to call middle age. His website can be found at https://rzwicker56.wixsite.com/my-site-1