9 Questions for Mark Mitchell
We caught up with Mark, author of the cleverly misdirecting story “A Model Town,” published in our anthology Through the Briar Patch.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Mark: I would say, as a writer, I came to it later in life – at least in terms of writing fiction. In college I studied film with an emphasis in screenwriting and thought I would have a career in that industry one day. During my years in college I also worked as a background actor/extra and can be found in a number of films and TV shows from that time period. Film was really my first love, whereas writing a book felt like a daunting task meant for smarter people than myself. It wasn’t until the COVID shutdown that I tried my hand at fiction writing and fell absolutely in love with it. It freed me up from the restrictions of writing a screenplay where a story is more geared toward dialogue and leaving white space on the page. Fiction writing is the complete opposite that allows one to fully explore an idea in myriad ways. Every story becomes its own puzzle to be unlocked. I wouldn’t dream of doing anything else now.
How do you find time to write?
Mark: I find this a tricky question to answer in a way, mainly because I believe there is so much that makes up what it means to write. If we’re talking about getting words down on the page, then I would say I follow a writing routine of sorts. I find I can’t write first thing in the morning, but need a bit of time to let my mind wake up. So oftentimes I walk my dog first thing to move around some, then read while I have my morning coffee to help inspire me. After that is when I try to get some writing done and will generally spend about an hour or two to that effect. Most of my time though is taking in stories and digesting them, taking them apart. I think 90% of writing is done away from the desk. It’s in conversations you overhear, music you listen to. It’s during those morning walks when I’m thinking about whatever story I’m working on. There’s something to be said about living a life and exploring while letting your subconscious do the heavy lifting. Of course this only works if you can also get your butt in the chair. You have to empty the well so that it can refill, and therefore everything is important to the writing process.
What does your writing space look like?
Mark: I wish that I could say I have a dedicated writing space; my ideal would be a gothic library with a roaring fireplace, stained glass windows, and an ever present thunderstorm rumbling in the distance. But until I can afford a set-up like that I settle for writing wherever I can. I mostly write in the living room which allows me to sit down and toss off a few hundred words here and there when I can, but it also forces me to not make “writing time” too precious. Writing in a high trafficked area like that has taught me to block out distractions and focus on what I’m doing, so I’m pretty good at picking up where I left off—almost like I hit pause on my creativity—as opposed to needing to set a mood first with candles and whatnot.
Tell us about your favorite story that you’ve written.
Mark: Here’s a Sofie’s choice, now isn’t it? I like a lot of the stories/novels that I’ve written, most if not all of them in fact. But to choose just one? With the caveat that it will change with the wind I would say “Ode to Fatherhood” which was published in Canyon Voices Magazine last year. Whereas almost all of my stuff has some sort of speculative element to it, this one was more of a slice of life story with a heavy influence from my own father and some of the things he instilled in me growing up. I would comfortably call it a fully fictionalized auto-biographical story. I’ve also been writing some horror/western stories of late that have been fun beyond all get out.
What are you working on right now?
Mark: Right now I’m dragging my feet a little bit, trying to decide on which project is the shiniest. I’m currently writing a story about haunted halloween decorations, but the question is what to work on afterwards. I have about 20k words of a novel I abandoned last year to write a different novel that was more shiny, so I might go back to that and get it done (I hate having manuscripts unfinished). But more than likely I’ll start one of my other novel ideas I’ve been kicking around for a while now. I like drafting novels because it gives me structure for a while, knowing what to work on each day, but I also like short stories because I finish them faster and can explore many more ideas.
Do you read much? If so, what are you currently reading and what’s at the top of your TBR pile?
Mark: I read a ton. Reading is a great way to generate new ideas, to get inspired, to learn about craft; I always question a writer who says they don’t read. On average I read about 120 books a year and so my TBR is pretty eclectic. I have basically whatever I can get my hands on. Romance, Literary, Horror, SFF, Crime, Poetry, Short Story Collections. I tend to read books in the order I acquire them as well so nothing is sitting for too long unread. I’m currently halfway through Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and have some Joyce Carol Oates coming up next, but I also have stuff by Stephen Graham Jones and S.A. Cosby waiting in the wings I’m itching to get to.
What’s the most challenging thing about being a writer, and how do you manage it?
Mark: Consistency. My process has changed a bit and I no longer write every day like I once did. As a side effect my production has gone down, but on the other hand I also think I’m creating some of my best work right now, so it’s been a tradeoff. I would like to get back to a more consistent schedule again though. I think one of the things that threw me off was after I had a couple dozen stories written, I started submitting them to markets/publications. Keeping up with that aspect of it has taken me away from creating new work on a more consistent basis. Trying to make a career as a writer takes a balance of both the business aspects and producing new work. Really though I need to stop making excuses and start making the writing more of a priority again.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Mark: I try to spend a lot of time out-of-doors when I can, weather permitting of course. I enjoy going for walks and hiking. I have a friend who likes to go exploring around Los Angeles, trying different restaurants and learning about the city’s history, that sort of thing. I also like watching movies and hockey. I’m a big Anaheim Ducks fan. But anything that connects me with nature and allows me to learn something new, be it through food, music, travel, I’m all for.
Where can readers find you?
Mark: The best place to keep up with me and to find out where my latest stories are being published is on instagram: @markmitchell.writer.
