Welcome to Andrew Ian Dodge.
Andrew, tell us about yourself—you know, all that stuff that makes you interesting!
I am a 40 something former US Senate Candidate, writer and rocker. My wife, the lovely Kim Dodge (aka the English actress Kim Benson) and I married in 2007.
I’m now busy writing for HuffPo, PolicyMic, The Commentator, and The Examiner as well as other outlets. In 2007-8, I overcame colon cancer.
As Marty Dodge, I write a weekly heavy rock music column for Blogcritics.com. I also wrote a piece on the British music business for the Economic Resource Council (its most linked/downloaded on their site). When the mood takes me, I write short stories in my Sage of Wales Cthulhu-mythos series as well as novels and lyrics for my band, Growing Old Disgracefully. Our song “Cry Freedom” on YouTube has received almost 150k views.
Dodgeblogium, my blog has been described as, “…bloggers who combine a taste for heavy metal music with a taste for heavy metal politics…”.
[Dennis Sewell on BBC-R4 (UK)]
When and why did you begin writing?
I began writing in prep school and was published in school publications (many of which I edited) from a very young age.
What is your genre?
I write cyberpunk, dark fantasy and Cthulhu mythos tales.
How interesting! What’s your process? Seat of pantser, well-devised outliner?
I write fiction and lyrics when the muse moves me. I have spurts of writing quite a bit then I write less at other times. Recently I have been frustrated with my fiction so have been concentrating on freelance writing and lyrics. However I am sure I will drift back to fiction writing as I always do. I have ideas all the time which I write down, and I have written novellas as a taster for novels I will write.
What other writer inspires you? Your work?
William Gibson, H P Lovecraft and Bruce Sterling have all inspired me to write at one time or other.
What is your favorite work by you? And why is it your fav?
“Drifting into Oblivion” that I co-write with my wife is my favorite book. I love the cover, I find it amusing and because I wrote it with my wife.
Where does your character inspiration come from?
Pen & Paper role playing games of old or rather the characters my fellow gamers and I created for whatever we were playing. I started by writing scenarios, and it was an easy jumps to novels. I find sitting in pubs and bars while watching people a great place to find inspiration for characters.
What’s your best/worst experience as a writer
Best experience as a writer, as I mentioned above, is “Cry Freedom”. On a personal scale watching the reaction of our wedding guests to the song I wrote in lieu of a speech to my wife (she wrote one for me too) when the DJ played the disc and we sang along. I like to see other people enjoy something I have created.
Worst would have to be going through three agents and not getting a publishing deal. One of my agents was so frustrated that she quit as an agent as a result. Not having a publishing deal really frustrates me, considering all the effort put in by those associated with my books from people who have edited them to the people who do my covers.
Many writers have problems with agents and publishers. Don’t let them get you down! What’s the best/worst writing advice you ever got?
The best is that I shouldn’t depend on anyone else to market my stuff other than myself.
What is your latest work?
“Drifting into Oblivion” is an e-book I wrote with my wife about my battle with colon cancer. And, despite the subject matter, it is funny at times.
Tell us something about yourself that your readers don’t already know.
I enjoy creating lyrics when they end up being turned into a song. Writing is a physical need for me. I even managed to do it, to a degree while lying in ICU after a cancer op (and complications) and all through my chemo.
Where can readers find out more about you and your work?
Where can we purchase your work?
“Drifting Into Oblivion” is available in a wide variety of digital formats on:
Andrew, thank you for letting us get to know you and the background for your work a little better. Lots of luck with your writing in the future!
Linda Rae Blair, Author 