Eric Woods, Author

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QUESTIONS:

1. Tell our readers a little about yourself and your writing (including publications).
   I’m a former sports journalist and media relations professional who now works full-time as a copywriter in higher education. I’ve been a self-published author since 2015, when I released my debut novel, Bounty. To date, I have written eight novels, one short story collection, and one non-fiction book, and I’ve had work appear in three separate anthologies. I’m the author of the superhero/mystery Jill Andersen series (Bounty, Blood Ties, Behind the Badge, Behind the Mask, Betrayal, Bitter End), as well as the contemporary fantasy Notna, and my latest, the sapphic romance thriller Summertime, Assassins, and Other Skullduggeries. I’m heavily influenced by superhero comics and genre fiction, though I’m also a fan of such films as Kill Bill and Atomic Blonde. I pride myself in embracing the narrative strength of diversity and playing with tropes.
   
   
2. Are you a daytime writer, a mid-day writer, a nighttime writer, or just someone who writes when the mood hits you?
   I’m mostly a when-the-mood-hits writer (or, more accurately, a whenever-I-have-time writer), though most of my best work happens after the sun goes down and everyone else goes to bed. Between my day job, and my responsibilities at home, late night is often the only time when I have the space and the privacy to dive into my work. It also helps that I’m a night owl; I’m far more likely to still be up at 2:00 in the morning than I am to get up any earlier than 7:00.
   
   
3. How many books do you read in a month? What are your favorite genres?
   In a good month, I read anywhere between three and four books. I’d love to be more proficient, but I’m a relatively slow reader. This is mostly a function of time (working full-time and doing freelance work and writing, along with eating and sleeping and other things I apparently need to do in order to be a functioning adult). I’ll read just about anything, though of late, I’ve found myself drawn to non-fiction material, particularly anything with a political, historical, or societal focus.
   
   
4. Do you have any “rules” when you write? (EX for me: the dog never dies!)
   If my work features an LGBTQ+ romance, I will not kill one of the characters in that relationship unless I have a damn good story-related reason. Far too many stories have taken that trope to its lazy extremes, and queer romances deserve the same respect and care that straight relationships enjoy. My stories always feature racial and sexual diversity, for the simple reason that these people exist, and they deserve to see themselves in my stories the same way they exist in the world.
   
   
5. What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a writer?
   The only way to improve as a writer is to write. You can do all the reading and study you want. You can take whatever classes interest you. You can ruminate over theory and you can devour every book on your shelf. But nothing short of sitting at the keyboard and pecking out the words is going to tell your story. You have to put in the work. You don’t have to write every single day, but you do have to consistently put in the effort. Whatever schedule works for you, stick to it. Don’t worry about editing or what your cover will look like or what you’ll do once you’re published. Those thoughts will sap your creativity and your productivity. The only way to write your story is to write your story. Words on the page. Tell that blinking cursor to piss off and chase it away with your thoughts. There is no other way to do this. To be a writer, you must write.