Interview with Michael D. Griffiths

Michael D. Griffiths is a good friend and superb writer of horror and science fiction. Mike has won the Withersins 666 award and had his Skinjumper series published in M-Brane magazine. His novel published by The Living Dead Press 'The Chronicles of Jack Primus' is something special that every home should own.

M. How would you describe your novel 'The Chronicles of Jack Primus'.

MDG. Besides being a novel, which could be called Horror or Dark Fantasy, The Chronicles of Jack Primus is a book of discovery and acceptance. Jack is a young man and was normal as anyone else his age, until he was exposed to the dark existence that lurks under the façade of our accepted reality. When he is exposed to the foul evil known as the Xemmoni, he barely escapes his first encounter intact and is forced to flee.

He soon discovers that, not only has he become a ‘marked man’ who now has every Xemmoni he runs across trying to kill him, but he has also attracted the notice of a mysterious entity known as Yig. This Godlike creature is giving him some abilities to try to help him survive, but will it be enough when supernatural serial killers are hunting him as he races across the country?

M. What inspired you to write this story?

MDG. Jack Primus is a big part of the puzzle that several series of books are telling on an epic level. Jack is the Hero of the Earth, protecting us from outsiders seeking to destroy all we hold dear. Other series focus on the eight different Stalwart archetypes and together they hope to rid the multi-verse of the threat of the Dark Alliance and its goal to unite to Xemmoni in an attempt to claim all there is, so they can promptly make it foul, dark, and decayed.

M. Do the evil Xemmoni ever materialize in your nightmares.

MDG. At times, it has been known to happen. I tend to have action-oriented dreams quite often, where the chance to be a hero and fight a supernatural menace can certainly happen. Exact representations, such as, “Oh man, there is a nest of Darcarre in the basement that I have to destroy,” are rarer.

M. Did you want to create the perfect stalwart hero with Jack?

MDG. The simple answer to that question is yes, certainly. But it needs to be kept in mind that there are eight types of Stalwarts (heroes). Jack is the perfect Stalwart of Yig, but if he were a follower of Loki or Dionysus, he wouldn’t be doing a very good job. Each brand of Stalwarts has their own modalities and goals. What would be perfection for one might be mediocre or even wrong for another type.

But despite this, some of Jack’s heroic nature transcends Stalwart boundaries. He is an ideal hero in many respects. He gets furious at injustice and would lay down his life to protect a friend. When it comes to the forces of the Darkened, he quickly realizes that no mercy should be shown and he enters each battle like it could be his last.

M. When setting out to write a story do you have to be in a certain state of mind? Do you plan your stories or do you just see where they take you.

MDG. Do I have to be in a certain state of mind, no, not really. All I need to write is the time to do so. I plan my stories to a certain extent. Sometimes, I might know where they will end, but the journey takes me on a ride of its own. I am often as surprised as the reader as to some of the ways things turn out. On more than one occasion, I have grown angry with myself. “Well how is he going to get out if this, Mike?” Yet, they always find a way.

I don’t really believe in writer’s block or waiting to be inspired. If I waited to be inspired, I’d be finishing my second book by now instead of have written seventeen. If you really want to be a writer, you need to write, every day. Even if it is only half a page or for a few minutes it needs to happen. If it is something you dabble in twice a month, when the mood strikes, then you are a person with a hobby of writing, not a writer.

M. Do you have any writing rituals?

MDG. Yes and no, here. I tend to like to have something to drink nearby. I enjoy soda and cold ale, wine is good, or even water. I will light a stick of incense at least when I first sit down. On the weekends, I’m a little more open ended, but I often take a walk in the woods before I start. On weekdays, I try to start as soon as I get home and keep going for two or three hours before I call it quits for the night.

M. What are you writing at the moment?

MDG. I just finished writing my first Skinjumper novel for M-Brane. M-Brane magazine has already published my Skinjumper short stories series, but now we are taking it up a notch and putting out the first of what could easily be a series of Skinjumper novels.

I’m working on a Zombie novel for Living Dead press. The owner said he would publish a zombie novel if I wrote one, so I’m writing one. I also have three or four short stories I’ll be tossing his way. I’m already in five Anthologies through Living Dead Press and I’d like to double that by the end of 2010 if I can.

I also write for the comedy site, The Daily Discord, but I use my old punk rock name, Alex Bone, for them. I also work for a local scene oriented newspaper, The Noise, and do book reviews for Innsmouth Free Press. My longest running job is with Abandoned Towers where I tend to wear a lot of hats.

I have a weekly Jack Primus blog, so there is never a time where the dust has to settle when it comes to following Jack’s adventures. I also have a thread on the SFReader in the anything goes section, where I team up with a demented grandmother to either rid the world of havoc or plunge it into chaos, I can never be quite sure.

Also keep an eye out for Dalsala Den that will be released soon through Cyberwizard Productions and perhaps Alone in the Vast through Journalstone.

M. Any stories we can read online.

MDG. Oh sure. I have a few up on the Abandoned Towers web site. Rope and Wire has one of my stories posted. I think some should be available at Golden Visions. I usually have something up on The Daily Discord and Innsmouth Free Press. Also the Jack Primus blog and the Shovel thread on SFReader are updated weekly.

M. What authors inspire you and why?

MDG. Many authors inspire me. Jack Vance comes to mind. His use of language and dialog never ceases to amaze me. HP Lovecraft for his holistic approach to the totality of horror and evil. Michael Moorcock has inspired my series, by breaking rules. His characters jump from series to series, story lines spill over. Imagining a conflict that can span different series of books has inspired me a great deal. I like to think that he build the foundation I am currently using for my various series. Lastly when it comes to heroes like Jack, Robert E. Howard was certainly inspiring. His heroes never gave up. When confronted with horror that is only two options, one can give up and die, or one can forget all the rules and fight with whatever you have. The list could go on, but this is a good start.

M. If you could be a cartoon character who would it be?

MDG. I tend to become Daffy Duck when confronted by serious problems. There has been a few times I’ve fled from scenes of trouble going Wop, wop, wop-wop, wop, while dodging people and furniture.

Thank you for the interview, Mike.


To purchase your very own copy of 'The Chronicles of Jack Primus' go here http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Jack-Primus-Book/dp/1935458434/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273547814&sr=8-1

And if you want to read more about Jack's adventures then go here http://jackprimus.wordpress.com/