Wrong Answers Only Interview: Todd Keisling

I went out on a little author hunting for a Wrong Answers Only Interview and found a straggler from the herd by the name of Todd Keisling. Now, you guys all know me by now. I can’t let a trophy like that pass me by. So, I grabbed him, tied him up all good and proper, and told him to lie like his life depended on it. Because technically it did … I’m not all bark and no bite.

Well, folks, at first I thought I’d bitten off more than I can chew, because phew! The guy’s tougher than Kevlar and I’m sure he knows a thing or two about being tortured. Luckily, though, I found out his weak point is none other than … *grins* … I’m not gonna give away all my torturing secrets. 😉 But Todd Keisling eventually sung like a canary and lied through his teeth for me, as we all knew he eventually would.

So, please, sit back and enjoy another Wrong Answers Only Interview with the one and only … *drumroll* …

Todd Keisling: Liar Extraordinaire

Table of Contents

What inspired you to start writing?
TK: Jesus appeared to me in a dream and said, “My child, do not become a writer, for you will lead many astray.” I decided not to listen to the son of God since I really despise going to church. Take that, Jesus!

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
TK: Literally anything else. Duh.

How do you handle writer’s block?
TK: The trick to avoiding writer’s block is to avoid writing altogether. No writing, no block. Problem solved!

How do you develop your plot and characters?
TK: I write down two lists of words, one of twenty nouns and the other of twenty proper nouns, and then I cut out the individual words. Once that’s done, I keep a pair of 20-sided dice and roll for initiative. For example: (Proper noun) meets (proper noun) in the local (noun) and discuss (noun).

What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your book(s)?
TK: The most surprising thing is my innate desire to be doing anything else at that point in time. “Hey, look, it’s time to work on my book. I’d better go do laundry.”

Where do you draw inspiration from?
TK: Many years ago, I used a divining rod in my backyard and found a spot where I could tap into the river of inspiration flowing beneath my home. Now I visit the well daily and draw inspiration whenever I like.

Who is your favorite author and why?
TK: Dan Brown. That’s it. That’s the joke.

What is your favorite book?
TK: “A Joyful Guide to Lachrymology” by Ronald P. Vincent.

What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?
TK: The demons kept telling me to take the plot one way, but I wanted to go the other way. They kept saying “Left hand path! Left hand path!” and I’m all “The road doesn’t go that way!”

On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?
TK: 200,000 words every day but I usually delete them all.

About the Author

TODD KEISLING is a writer and designer of the horrific and strange. He is the author of several books, including Devil’s Creek, Scanlines, and The Final Reconciliation, among other shorter works. He lives somewhere in the wilds of Pennsylvania with his family where he is at work on his next novel.