A profile on my writing and teaching career, called “Horror Writer Does his Best Work Having Fun” was just published in the newsletter of the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. Their web site is for members only but they’ve kindly shared a .pdf file of the feature story that the public can read.
Here’s a short excerpt:
Arnzen also credits his success with taking creative risks. “This is another way of saying I don’t mind embarrassing myself,” he said. “Genres rely on conventions and expectations, so many writers err on the side of repeating what’s been done before.” Arnzen said he’s “always thrown caution to the wind and tried to be as weird and experimental as I can. I try not to censor myself too much.” Horror itself can be taken too seriously at times. Arnzen balances this seriousness with humor. “I don’t hold back the humor. To me, a lot of the appeal of horror is its absurdity,” he said. “I find much of what I’ve read or seen in horror quite laughable.”
Anyone reading this who writes instructional books will find the TAA organization a useful hub of information. Their introductory membership rates are reasonable. Check them out.