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Interview With Author Timothy Johnson

1. What made you want to be a writer?

It was probably a mixture of narcissism, masochism, and the right teacher in the right class telling me I had potential in something when I felt I had potential in nothing but had to decide what I was going to do for the rest of my life. 

I took a creative writing class in college when I didn’t have a major, and when I started writing, I thought I was brilliant. At the time, I had been writing songs, so it seemed natural that I’d become a poet (because that’s a practical decision in this world). Then I was in a room with friends who literally laughed at my work, and I realized I wasn’t good.

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Let the Hate Flow Through You…

**DISCLAIMER: There will be no more Star Wars references going forward**

There is a place in the world for the bad…

So it was about ten years ago. Maybe more. Wait, how old are my kids? Good lord, I’m old.

Okay, it was more than ten years ago, but not quite twenty, and I was younger and energetic and doing a lot of theater. Primarily an actor, I also did lighting and directing and dance. Writing had been limited to short plays for children, so no experience with real, full-on adult drama. Still, I knew what I loved about theater; the art, the precision, the work ethic. Creating great product was more important than making dollars. I was passionate, and part of being passionate is working on thoughtful, interesting, insightful works which are seen by a handful of people, yet touch each of them deeply.

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On Jonathan Franzen’s Rules for Novelists

In November, Lithub republished a list of ten rules for novelists by Jonathan Franzen that had originally appeared in the Guardian in 2010. It apparently raised a stink on the Internet. Reading the list now, I see why it was divisive. Some of his rules are obvious. Some are preposterous or pretentious. Overall, it’s just not a helpful list.

All of this is in my humble opinion, of course (this is my blog after all). Franzen has accomplished far more in his writing career than I probably ever will, but I see reflections of some broader issues in the literary community here that I feel the need to comment on.

To be clear, this isn’t really about Franzen’s list. This is about the impetus of some of his ideas. And admittedly, it probably reveals more about my own philosophies than Franzen’s, so take it for what it’s worth

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My Thoughts on Nick’s Villains Never Die

The first thing you should know about Villains Never Die is it’s going to be familiar. The second thing you should know about Villains Never Die is it’s going to be completely foreign.

That might seem like an oxymoron, but it isn’t. If the superhero story is a classic Mustang, Nick DeWolf brought it into his shop, tore out all of the old junk that engineers have improved in the last half century, replaced it with new technology, gave it a real good wash and wax, and then sent it out to the showroom floor.

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Confidence in Writing

Last week, a young writer asked if I had any insecurities about my writing. My initial response was, yes, of course I have insecurities. I wouldn’t be a writer if I wasn’t on some level insecure about my writing (and in general about everything for always and forever).

However, after some retrospection, I realized I’m in a much better place than I was when I started.

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GLASS is a good movie and anyone who disagrees is wrong.*

*If you haven’t seen the movie and are planning to, you probably want to stop here. Come back after you’ve seen it.

Now…

Full disclosure: I’m a fan of UNBREAKABLE. I liked it better than THE SIXTH SENSE. I’ve watched it probably six or seven times. And every time I’ve watched it, I manage to pick up something new I missed the previous times.

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The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons

I acknowledge it’s unfair of me to review Dan Simmons’ entire Hyperion Cantos together because it’s a long, complex journey with highs and lows in terms of both narrative drama and writing quality. In many ways, it’s less a four-book series, and more a duology of duologies. Unfortunately, the first two books are far superior than the latter two, which mainly serve to button up the universe. If these books interest you at all, I might recommend reading only the first two; however, the Endymion books might compel you, and you might find yourself beginning to resent them and questioning whether it was worth beginning the series in the first place.

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Why I Hired Sensitivity Readers

Because it’s 2019.

Because I’m a white guy living in the U.S. who is purposefully writing characters who are anything other than white, and I don’t want them to be stereotypes.

Because just making them not stereotypes isn’t enough.

Because I haven’t lived as a POC and there will be things I get wrong.

Because I haven’t lived as a woman and there will be things I get wrong.

Because part of being a writer… no… part of being aware… no… part of being a decent human being is letting go of your ego.

Because if I want diversity in my books, and diversity in my readership, I need to have diversity in the creative process.

Because Google Translate doesn’t really speak Spanish.

Because I have unconscious biases. As much as it hurts to admit and as scary as it is to face, it’s true.

Because POC deserve respect. Part of that is me putting in the time and energy and cost of getting things right, when creating something to (hopefully) represent them.

Because women deserve respect. Part of that is me putting in the time and the energy and the cost of getting things right, when creating something to (hopefully) represent them.

Because sensitivity readers aren’t hard to find. Seriously. Go to Twitter, type it in as a hashtag. Easy. No more excuses.

Because they were professional and polite and more than one showed appreciation that I was trying to be better. They didn’t have to do it, and I didn’t expect it from them. Still, it warmed my heart.

Because they made my book so much better.

Because I learned things about myself. Some of them made me sad. But sadness is good. Sadness is a tiny wound, and now I can heal it.

Because I learned things about others. Some of them were beautiful. Now, I can carry them with me and go back to them and smile.

Because words matter, and I have a duty to use mine for something good.

Because there’s no good reason not to.

Because it’s time for me to be better.