Interview with Ford Forkum
FORD FORKUM
When did you first decide you wanted to write?
There was no single moment when I said, “I’m going to be a writer.” But I’ve always wanted to create from my imagination – books, songs, animations – anything that could convey meaning in an entertaining way.
Did you get nervous the first time you put your work out there?
Yes, and Alien Invasion of the Zombie Apocalypse could be seen as a bold first release. I knew I was going to be nervous no matter what, so I didn’t hold anything back in the writing. I slaved over countless revisions until my inner critic was finally satisfied. At that point, I was at least confident that I had a solid piece of writing. My only worry was that it might not ‘click’ with a substantial base of readers. But, based on the overall response, I seem to have gotten it right.
What is your favorite genre?
What I like to read and what I like to write are essentially the same. I enjoy writing as a medium because the only limits to what is possible depend on the author’s imagination and ability to maintain suspension of disbelief. I’ll take any genre that takes me out of reality and puts me in a different world.
Do you have a favorite author?
If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be Douglas Adams. When I was first introduced to his work via the Hitchhiker’s Guide series, I’d never read anything like it, and it really resonated with me in a way that no literature ever had before.
Is there something you want to write about, that you haven’t yet?
At this time, what I want to do most is finish a novel I’ve been struggling with for years.
What is one silly fact about you?
I can sing all of the words to Yakko Warner’s “Nations of the World” from memory…(United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru….etc.)
What is next for Ford, and what projects do you have coming up?
That novel I mentioned, which I intend to complete before the end of 2012 is thematically linked to another short story I’ve completed, and I plan on publishing them simultaneously. I also have some humorous novelty songs that I’m making animated videos for and will upload to my YouTube channel in the near future.
Spaghetti or Lasagna and why?
Spaghetti – lasagna’s good, but the dense, noodly texture and cheesiness doesn’t always agree with me. Spaghetti’s got superior flavor and mouth-feel.
Do you have a favorite quote?
No, I think quotes get overused, especially in situations where they don’t fully apply.
You can go on a picnic with a character from any novel, who would it be, and what would you bring?
I’d choose someone who couldn’t exist in reality, like Gandalf the Wizard or Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged. I’d want to avail myself of the surreal possibilities this scenario could bring.
Anything you would like to say to the aspiring authors reading this blog?
Don’t put out anything that isn’t copyedited. Hire a professional copy editor if you want to be perceived as a credible writer. If you don’t, you’ll get bad reviews. That’s the best advice I think any aspiring author could take.
THE BOOK
In a satirical combination of two end-of-the-world scenarios, a zombie plague is quickly followed by an alien invasion – in a time when humanity is already struggling with vampires.
Landing dead center at a college campus swarming with zombies, the aliens soon realize that their abduction mission is going to be quite a bit more complicated than they’d imagined. The presence of vampires only makes the situation worse.
Will the human race prevail or be forced to relocate to an alien planet? Is there any way to reverse the zombie plague? Is the plague contagious to aliens and can an alien be turned into a vampire? What if a vampire alien became a zombie, then was bitten by a radioactive spider and then possessed by the ghost of a robot werewolf? That last part doesn’t happen in the story, but what if it did?
Find out what becomes of humanity in this hodgepodge of dystopian absurdity.
MY REVIEW
“They appeared more like a bunch of teddy bears on a cheer-up mission to planet Lollipop where they would launch and attack of hugs.”
Quotes like this one had me chuckling all the way through this creative short story. With the obsession people have of the paranormal these days it was a nice roundup of zombies, vampires, and aliens. I recommend it for a fun read!
“They appeared more like a bunch of teddy bears on a cheer-up mission to planet Lollipop where they would launch and attack of hugs.”
Quotes like this one had me chuckling all the way through this creative short story. With the obsession people have of the paranormal these days it was a nice roundup of zombies, vampires, and aliens. I recommend it for a fun read!
I enjoy laughing when I read a story, I have already made several of my friends read his story!
FIND FORD
@fordforkum
https://www.facebook.com/ford.forkum
http://www.fordforkum.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/fordforkum?feature=guide
WATCH THE TRAILER
