 Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself? Thirty-eight years old, shaved head, tattoos, and I like classical music. And cappuccino. And dogs. Do you prefer the term Horror, Weird Fiction or Dark Fiction? Not too sure about weird fiction; the other two don’t bother me at all. Weird fiction suggests something not quite right, too far out, undefined and er … well, weird. Who are some of your favourite authors? George MacDonald Fraser, Tolkien, Charlie Huston, Richard Kadrey, Neal Barrett Jr. What are you reading now? Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson – awesome! How would you describe your writing style? Linear mainly. I always start each book with a plot or story that I want to explore and aim for, but it’s what happens on the way that really excites me. Seeing how characters react, what they do and say and how far I can push them to draw out their true essence. Detailed and graphic and I’ve been very lucky to get praise for both my action writing, scene setting and most importantly for me – the characterisation. Describe a typical day spent writing. Do you have any unusual writing habits? Cappuccino in the morning followed by very long stints at the keyboard broken by mini-trips to the kitchen for more coffee. What’s your favourite food? Chinese and Thai, but I have a great passion for plain roast chicken and lasagne. I don’t eat lamb and very rarely pork. What’s your favourite album? I don’t have one, I like songs. Anything from Metallica through to Beethoven. Different songs and styles of music invoke a different reaction to how I write and the manner in which I write, so they are carefully chosen to enhance the writing, especially when I am working on a set scene. What’s the most important lesson you have learned about writing? Write. Write as much as possible, write every day without fail. Without fail - that is the most important thing. Personally, I think character and characterisation is the next most important lesson to learn. A bad plot or weak story can be supported by a decent character but never the other way round. Learn to characterise, learn your characters and let them be themselves, they are not you. Fame and fortune, or respect? All of the above please! No, but really, fame can bugger off. I’m not at all interested in fame as in the celebrity side of things. To be respected in your field and to bring enjoyment to others, and for readers to enjoy your work is the goal, and if someone wants to give me lots of hard cash on the way, then great! What piece of your own work are you most proud of? Ah, well, there is pride in completing a section or a piece of work but never to the extent that it is perfect. It will never be perfect. There is always something you could have done differently. I’m proud of my development but still so very frustrated that learning the craft takes so much hard work and dedication. Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next? I write a series so my last book was The Undead Day Thirteen which I am quite proud of, as it took the story to the point I want it to be, while allowing me to work on the existing characters and draw some new ones in. The Undead Day Fourteen is underway now and is by far the hardest work I have attempted to date, with multiple story lines running at the same time.  R.R. Haywood currently lives on the Isle of Wight, but was born in Birmingham, England. The early years of his life were spent moving frequently, living in diversely different cultures. Picturesque rural south coast of England where front doors were rarely locked to inner cities where front doors were triple locked, bolted, barred and not opened after 9pm.
Having travelled widely and after a few minimum wage jobs, he became involved with law enforcement some 15 years ago and only started writing in May 2012 with The Undead Day One. The Undead series has since become the bestselling UK based zombie horror series currently available with a strong cult following. Presently, the series is available as e-books on Amazon, and The First Seven Days compilation edition is also available on Sony, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Diesel and iBooks.. The author is actively seeking representation from an agent or publisher. Find out more at Richard's website Comments are closed.
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