MEET THE AUTHOR

John P. Matsis

 INTERVIEW WITH JOHN P. MATSIS
author of Cadavar

Tell us a bit about you, your family, and what a 'typical' day would be for you. Your reading public would like to know "you."

Nothing terribly exciting. I work part time at a local hospital as a diagnostic Radiologist and live in Wisconsin with my wife, Frances Ann (who is really the artistic person in the family) and our Maltese, "Boy." I have four grown daughters, all living away.

I am strictly a morning person--up by five--and by mid-evening I start to wilt. I try to spend an hour or so each morning at the neighborhood coffee shop writing on my laptop and perhaps reading a short story, time permitting.

What interests, hobbies, etc. do you enjoy besides writing? Please tell us about them.

I'm a movie and theater fan. Mysteries, musicals, and comedies, etc. I've always had a high opinion of actors and musicians, envied their talent. I took piano lessons for a couple of years and couldn't make the grade. Tried to understand Shakespeare, but that didn't work out either.

Wisconsin weather permitting, I enjoy driving my vintage Mustang convertible to a nearby lake and walking on the beach, stopping at an ice cream shop for a dip of chocolate and a diet Coke.

A few weeks out of the year I spend in the blue grass of Kentucky on my daughter's saddle-bred horse farm. If lucky, I help deliver a few foals.

Do you recall what sparked your interest in writing?

It was the mental challenge. I've always found science and math to be easy, but English and Lit were a different matter. A few years ago (for the fun of it) I wrote a number of poems (which weren't very good) and to my surprise they were accepted by some obscure publication. From there, I expanded to short stories and surprise . . . accepted for publication. I was hooked. Writing was now on the front burner.

What things did you study to learn the Craft of Writing? Did you take classes in fiction writing?

I never took any formal classes. I did have a mentor who coached me along the way. I started to read books differently . . . studying the author's style and paying less attention to the plot. The pages became smudged with my remarks detailing character building, vocabulary, and writing style.

What factors have been the greatest influences on your writing?

That's difficult to answer. I find writing a tranquilizer of sorts, a private, quiet time to think.

Who are your favorite authors and why do you find their work memorable?

I'm a Stephen King fan. What an imagination! I prefer his shorter novels and short stories. In general, long (overly wordy) novels I find difficult to stay focused on so I do enjoy reading shorter novels and short stories.

What area of the writing craft do you find particularly challenging?

Character development. Since I began writing, I take note of people and things differently. A sunset is no long a sunset, but an amalgam of colors. People are no longer just people, but rather a collection of idiosyncrasies . . . stories needing to be told.

What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most?

The beginning and end. The middle part is the most difficult.

How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you make notes or outlines before you begin to write, or do you develop your ideas as you write?

Initially I tried outlines, but that didn't work. Currently I develop ideas as I write, but that is only sometimes successful. I've found writing a short story (which cries out to be expanded) to be helpful. Some stories are meant to be short stories, others, expanded into novels.

When did you first consider yourself a writer? You know what I mean--the time when you realized that you had crossed the line from "want to be a writer" to "I am a writer."

Although I've had other manuscripts published, Pathogen, I think was the turning point in my confidence level. Since then, I have written two more novels, Cadaver, which will also be published by ePress-Online and the just finished Steel Town, which I believe Is my best.

How do your friends and family feel about your writing in general?

Neutral. Some don't care for the dark mystery, preferring I write a romantic novel instead. But that's not me. Some are somewhat taken back by my plots . . . that just doesn't seem like you, they remark.

Pathogen is a high drama, medical thriller. How were you able to infuse the authentic detailing that makes this story so real?

I'm a medical person, so that was the easy part.

Where did your idea come from to write Pathogen?

It came from one of my daughters. She had emailed me that she was interested in buying dart frogs as pets for her kids, but came across some info that detailed that some were very poisonous. She told me to check it out . . . and before I knew it, the plot was at my fingertips.

What are your writing goals for the future?

To keep writing, naturally.

Do you have any advice for a beginning writer?

Take classes and try not to write the All American novel on your first try.