Thank you so much for sitting down with us for PRIDE month!
So, tell us a little bit about you. How did you get into writing?
Writing has always been part of who I am. When I think about all the things that make me ‘me’, writing is pretty much top of the list. I have stories inside me that I have to get out. I think as soon as I could write, I was – my mum tells me that, too, so it must be true 😉
As a society we have come a long way in representation of LGBTQIA2S+ members, but there is still a long way to go. What would you like to see happen in the next few years and how do we get there in order to see that representation?
Answer: I still see a lot of LGBTQIA2S+ written in a very stereotypical way, or as side-characters. We are not vehicles for someone else’s story – we are the story. For me, I’d like to see more visibility of gay protagonists, but without the sexuality being the forefront of the plot.
As an author do you intentionally try to represent LGBTQIA2S characters in your stories?
Answer: I write gay male characters, because that’s where I’m comfortable writing from. For me, being authentic is the most important thing in anything I write. I like to present a different side of gay men that purposely avoids stereotypes, so I write a lot of gay bear characters and chubby men as protagonists.
What are your favorite genres to read and write?
Answer: I love crime and thrillers. I read horror, as well, of course, but the fast-paced thriller is always a go-to for me. I tend to write dark stories and horror, but I have found I am also slipping into comedy. It’s a lot of fun to get my weird sense of humour out there, and even better that people seem to enjoy it!
It’s almost cliche that authors live on black coffee and hard liquor. What are you drinking right now?
Answer: Coffee 😂 But I don’t have sugar and I use almond milk. Coffee really does make my world go round, so I’m okay with the cliché.
Writing in a pandemic. Has it changed the way you write? Has it made an impact on your voice?
Answer: It has, I think. I wrote a book when I was fifteen about a global pandemic, and I am generally interested in that sort of trope to see interpretations of how micro-societies form and redistribution of power etc. However, I purposely stay away from that now as it feels like all we do is talk about the pandemic. There are so many other interesting stories to tell and I now tend to put those at the forefront.
Fun question: A mysterious box lands on your doorstep addressed to you. No postmark, no stamp.
Answer: This reminds me of that story Button, Button. I would definitely open the box and see what it was all about – love a good mystery 😀
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David-Jack is an Australian author, published in several anthologies and recently released his debut horror-comedy, The Haunting of Harry Peck. His second novel, Raven’s Creek, is currently under consideration with an American publisher. David-Jack is also a qualified editor, specialising in horror/thriller, and anything LGBTQIA2S+, operating a small business, Chainsaw Editing.
His writing influences are Ramsay Campbell, Dean Koontz, and Bentley Little, and being an avid horror movie buff, he finds inspiration in films like Evil Dead, Cabin in the Woods, TCM, Wrong Turn, Saw, and most things with body horror.
For social media and other things, see my LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/djfletcher