A Few Questions with A. A. Rubin
A Few Questions
What are some authors/books/events that have been influential to your work?
I first knew I wanted to be a writer when I read The Hobbit in 7th Grade. Reading Tolkien made me think that some of the games I was playing with my castle legos at the time might make good stories.
Over the years, other writers have influenced me as well, probably to a greater degree when it comes to style. These include Kurt Vonnegut (whose books changed the way I thought about speculative and literary fiction, as well as the connections between the two), Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett (whose wit is probably the biggest influence on my story in the Once Upon Another Time anthology), Neil Gaiman (for the way he writes across genre and medium), Jack Kerouac, Charles Dickens, Ursula K. Le Guin, Alan Moore, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
How do you see your writing fitting in (or not) within the current world of books?
When I was a young writer, I got to meet Neil Gaiman after one his readings in support of Sandman: Endless Nights. In addition to the book he was promoting, we were allowed to bring one additional book for him to sign. I brought Stardust, and I told him that it was the kind of book I wanted to, one day, write. He told me that he wrote it because he wanted to read it, and no one else was writing books like that at the time. That moment was important to me as a young writer, not only because it affirmed that what I wanted to do might be viable, but also—and maybe more importantly—because it taught me the lesson to write authentically, to write the stories I wanted to write, regardless of whether anyone else was doing something similar, and perhaps, because no one was doing something similar.
As such, I never follow trends, and I am probably unaware of most of them. I believe that chasing trends is a fool’s errand, and that the only way to be successful is to write authentically. The market will come around eventually, or the author has to create their own.
I do believe that there is too much homogeneity in terms of writing advice and the way writing is taught. As I’m fond of writing on my blog (http://aarubin.com) , “If you write like everyone else, your writing will read like everyone else’s.” The key thing is to be uniquely you. I have a series on my blog called, “Rules, What Rules?” Where I examine common writing “rules” and give examples of writers who break those rules. It’s been instructive for me (and I hope for my readers). Some of the most successful writers, from both a commercial and critical standpoint, break the most commonly cited rules. Salman Rushdie’s writing, for example, is replete with adjectives and adverbs. Many of the so-called-rules are actually trends rather than rules. The point is not to actively go against these trends. The point is to be authentic and not chase them.
What are you currently working on?
I am a multi-tasker by nature, so, as always, I am working on many things. I am working on a Sherlock Holmes/Science Fiction novel, as well as an ever-growing fantasy satire novel, which I hope to be done with by the end of the year. I am also in the production phase of a collection of my gothic micro-fiction and poetry, illustrated by the very talented Marika Brousianou.
At the same time, I am writing short stories, poetry, and comics of varying lengths and in varying styles, and am trying to pick up some more editing jobs as well. I am also maintaining my blog, which includes writing advice, analysis, reviews, and my recently completed collaborative Surrealist Cadavre project.
What has/have been your proudest moment/s as a writer?
Back when my first short story was published in 2022, I shared the publication with my editor at the trade magazine house where I was then working as my day job. He promised to read it, but did not want to do it in front of me. I had no idea when or if he was actually going to read it. Some time the next day, he burst into my cubicle, and, without any greeting or preamble, exclaimed, “Don’t you feel bad doing that to your characters?”
I’ve won multiple awards for my writing. I’ve published writing in many journals, including a few professional markets. I, recently, was able to purchase a comic book that included a prose short story I wrote in the comic book store I patronized when I first got into comics. But I’m still proudest of that moment when I got to see my editor’s visceral, emotional reaction to my story in real time.
What books/authors are you currently reading or really into?
I read widely, and like my writing, I multitask. At any given point, I could be in the middle of 10+ books at the same time. Currently, I am reading Marlon James’ Moon Witch, Spider King (I loved the first book in the series), as well the collection of Robert Frost’s poetry, among others for pleasure. I am also working my way through a reread of the Sherlock Holmes canon, both as research for my current work-in-progress, and to keep the narrative voice fresh in my mind. Related to the same project, I am reading a lot of mid to late 19th century literature as well.
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