G. G. Silverman

answers the Usual Questions

G. G. Silverman Photo (c) Camille Chu

When she isn't writing, G. G. Silverman loves to explore the mossy woods and wind-swept coast of the Pacific Northwest, which provide moody inspiration for all her stories.

Has your interaction with fans, for example, at conventions, affected your work?

People who have found me online have been really positive and have been cheering me on through my publishing journey, and have even become good friends. So that has affected my work in the fact that I'm significantly more confident about my writing now than I was a few years back, and you definitely need some measure of confidence in yourself to put your work out there for others to read.

Is there any particular incident (a letter, a meeting, a comment that stands out?

I recently took a proof of my book's cover to a conference, and everyone I showed it to had an immediate visceral reaction to the title, Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress. They couldn't help but laugh out loud, and I instantly gained a few fans. In fact, that's the reaction I get whenever I share the title with new people, a but-gusting laugh.

Do you have a favourite author or book (or writer or film or series) that has influenced you or that you return to?

I love all kinds of comedy, and all kinds of horror, so all my influences are too numerous to list here. But I can say for sure that my book, Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress, absolutely tips it hat to certain pop culture influences from movies and television of the last 10-20 years. It's a conceptual mashup of Daria, the Mean Girls movie, and the zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead.

As for writers whose work takes my breath away, I'd say Margaret Atwood and Cormac McCarthy are gods and I will never be able to write like them, because they are untouchable. I am not fit to lick their boots.

Who is the person you would most like to be trapped in a lift with? or a spaceship?

I wouldn't mind being trapped in a spaceship with my husband. He's extremely funny and also handy with tools. But we'd be sad if we couldn't bring our dog to space. May we bring our dog? Pleeeease?

Who is the person you would most DISlike to be trapped in a lift with? Or a spaceship?

I'd hate being trapped in a spaceship with someone who had no sense of humor. Life is too hard without laughter.

What would you pack for space? (Is there a food, beverage, book, teddy bear, etc that you couldn't do without?)

I'm a fairly low-maintenance person, so the basics would suffice. But if there were a way to get sushi in outer space, YES PLEASE. And lots of good books. And DVDs. And music. And hot cocoa. Wait, this list is getting long. Maybe I'm not so low maintenance after all. Did I ask if I could bring my dog yet?

What is the most important thing you would like to get/achieve from your work?

I hope to make readers feel something they hadn't expected to feel, whether it's sudden laughter or being moved to tears. I have had people comment that they were reading a piece of mine on break at work, and had to close their office door because they had started crying. Mission accomplished! The extra icing on the cake, though, is when something I've written makes people think about something in a new way.

What is the special satisfaction of your work?

Creating characters that I love and care about. Except it's hard when they die. I'm not above crying for fictional characters. If you see me wiping a tear when you walk into my office, you'll know what's going on. Just look the other way, please.

submitted by G. G. Silverman

20 August 2014

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Just the facts:
Born: Somewhere in Boston, USA
Resides: In the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Bibliography/Awards:
First YA novel: Vegan Teenage Zombie Huntress (September 2014)
Short stories:
The House of Butterflies-1st Place, Winner Summer 2012 Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest
The Black Dog of Porto Negro-Finalist for 2012 PNWA literary award
The Last Dance-Winner, Litreactor "Teleport Us" Sci-Fi Writing Challenge 2013