S.G. Browne, author of Breathers: A Zombie's Lament (Sept 21-Oct 2)

Please welcome S.G. Browne, author of Breathers: A Zombie's Lament. S.G. will be chatting on Librarything until October 2nd.

Hi. I'd like to thank LibraryThing for hosting this chat. I always enjoy the opportunity to engage with readers. So, off we go...

A little about me:

From 1990 to 2001 I completed three novels and more than four dozen short stories, most of them straight supernatural tales inspired by the likes of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Robert McCammon, Peter Straub, and F. Paul Wilson. Although I published a handful of short storied over that time, none of my three novels saw print.

Then, in October 2002, I read the novel Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk, which inspired me to turn my 2000 word short story "A Zombie's Lament" into an 82,000 word novel titled Breathers, a dark comedy about zombies through the eyes of an ordinary reanimated corpse. It's Fight Club meets SHAUN OF THE DEAD, only with the zombies as the good guys.

Although I finished Breathers in 2006, it took me 15 months and 82 agent rejections before I found an agent who wanted to represent it. Two months later, I had a book deal with Broadway Books (Random House). A year after that, Fox Searchlight Pictures optioned the film rights for Breathers, with Diablo Cody and Mason Novick attached to co-produce.

With Breathers, I've discovered that I much prefer to write dark comedy than straight supernatural horror, as I enjoy making readers laugh more than trying to spook them. Now, my writing is inspired by the likes of Chuck Palahniuk and Christopher Moore, along with the films of Charlie Kaufman and Wes Anderson.

That's just a smattering of info. So if you have any thoughts, comments, or questions about Breathers, zombies, authors, books, films, or whatever else comes to mind, fire away. I'd love to hear from you.

For some reason, Lullaby does not appear as a Touchstone work on my first post, so I'm trying again here.

I really enjoyed “Breathers”. The themes of persecution and segregation are classic, but I thought you brought a freshness to these themes and avoided the temptation of treating them in a heavy handed manner. I saw the movie “District 9” recently and I thought it was handled in a similarly clever and sensitive way. I haven’t cheered for an alien since ET. Now I find myself cheering for zombies, what the hell is going on here?

Kevin

Thanks for giving "Breathers" a read and for your comments, Kevin.

I had someone ask me recently if I felt that creating sympathy for zombies was going to take them too far away from their Hollywood stereotype and lead them down the road which would end up with them sparkling in the sunlight. Which is a reference to "Twilight," for those who haven't read the book or seen the movie.

I didn't start out with the intent of writing a novel with social commentary but rather, to write a novel from the zombie's perspective so that the reader would sympathize and empathize with his plight, even if the zombie eventually gave in to his Hollywood urges. The social commentary just naturally evolved out of the plot, which I think helped to keep it from being heavy handed.

I also enjoyed "District 9," which drew obvious parallels to apartheid but, I felt, focused enough on the human and alien characters to keep it from being too preachy.

15 months and 82 agent rejections to get Breathers off the ground? Wow, seems like you've really been through the ringer!

What kind of advice can you give to aspiring writers out there?

Well, there's the usual suspects, like write every day (which we don't all follow, truth be told), join a supportive writer's group (which has been invaluable for me), and don't take rejection personally (which you will, but you'll get over it).

However, the one piece of advice, or the one suggestion, I like to throw out there is:

Write something you would want to read.

Don't listen to what anyone else says you should write. Don't try to write like a particular author or in a particular style or on a particular subject just because it's popular or you think it's what people want to read.

Write something that matters to you. Something that makes you laugh or cry or shudder in fear. Something that resonates with you on some level. Because if it doesn't resonate with you, then it's not going to resonate with anyone else.

I just finished volume 10 of the graphic novel series “The Walking Dead”. This is a tremendous series and I was wondering if you may have read it, or do you find yourself staying away from other zombie works?

Also, do you believe that we all “have at least one book in us”?

I haven't read "The Walking Dead" series and, although I have read World War Z, Patient Zero, and a couple of zombie anthologies, I don't tend to read a lot of zombie fiction. Most of what I have read has been post-Breathers.

The main reason I stayed away from zombie ficiton was because I didn't want to be influenced while I was writing Breathers (I even avoided "Fido" and "Shaun of the Dead" for as long as possible). But for the most part, if I'm going to get my zombie fix, it's more likely to be on film or video rather than in print.

As for whether or not I believe if we all have at least one book in us, that's a good question. One I haven't been asked before. I guess I'd agree, but that for one reason or another - be it time, opportunity, desire, persistence, ability, or some other factor - not all of us will be able to spit it out.

Same goes for painting or sculpting. I think we all have the potential to create at least one work on canvas or in clay (or some other medium), but it's whether or not it's something we really want to take the time to do that ultimately makes the difference.

Both my husband and I fully enjoyed Breathers, much for the unique voice given to Andy. (We are fans of all things zombie-related, though this is one of the few experiences I have with the personalization of the zombie's plight.)

When you tell the truth and say that you don't write "every day," is there another goal that you do live by? Examples, saying "50,000 words will be written in 30 days" or "I will flesh out my characters and let them determine the story line."

Why do zombies resonate with you?

And what's on your word processor right now?

I used to be very disciplined. From 1992 to 2001, when I wrote 48 short stories and my first three novels, I wrote every morning for two hours and, if possible, every evening for another two hours, while in between I earned a living at my day job. And when I say "every day and night," I mean pretty close to every day. 4-5 days a week on average.

However, my last two books, both Breathers and the book I'm finishing up edits on now, titled FATED, I tended to be more of a binge writer. For example, with FATED, I wrote 45,000 words in about three months, took eight months to write the next 15,000 words, and finished it off with 20,000 words in one month.

Ideally, I'd like to sit down and write from 8:00am to noon each day, since I tend to be fresher in the morning and lose focus in the afternoon. That would leave my evenings free to either write for another couple of hours and/or blog, answer e-mail, etc.

As for a goal of words or pages, I figure they'll come with the time sitting at the computer or writing longhand in my journal, which I still occasionally do. (The Internet can be a very distracting place.) So I don't tend to set short term goals other than setting aside the hours to write. As for long term goals, I will set those, as in "I will complete the first draft of my novel before I eat another pint of Ben & Jerry's."

Someone once said that writing is a perishable skill, and I think I believe that. So while I may not always engage in the practice of writing each day, I'm aware of the dangers of letting too much time pass without giving the muse his due.

Long answer: Zombies resonate with me because out of all of the monsters, I think they're the most human. They used to be us. And in the suspension of disbelief that includes vampires, werewolves, and zombies, we're more likely to become a reanimated corpse than a blood thirsty shape shifter or a tormented lycanthrope. Plus they're tragically comical, shuffling along, groaning, decomposing, body parts falling off. What's there not to like?

Short answer: I saw Romero's original "Night of the Living Dead" when I was 11 years old and still think it's the scariest movie I've ever seen.

What's on my word processor right now? I'm working on the edits of my next novel, FATED - a dark, irreverent, supernatural comedy about Fate, Destiny, and the consequences of getting involved in the lives of humans.

Although it's not due out until sometime in late 2010, if you're interested, I've posted a brief synopsis about it on my web site:

http://sgbrowne.com/novels

Will you push for FATED to be available on Early Reviewers through Library Thing? *hint hint* :D

I will definitely talk to the appropriate parties about getting FATED on Early Reviewers.

I'm a career bookseller, and was thrilled to come across Breathers (I and my supervisor in charge of merchandising have featured it heavily in many displays : ). Not only is it adorable and funny, but I think its publication was a kind of tipping point. Now, I'm not going to go so far as to say that vampires are going to go away, but I do think that zombies are the new vampires...and not a moment too soon! Write more--we'll love to read it, we'll love to sell it.

Thanks for the support! And you're not the only one who's mentioned that zombies are the new vampires...or indicated a bit of an over-saturation with the BloodSucking Fiends. (Obvious nod to Christopher Moore). Though I've also come across the same sentiment regarding zombies: that they're like Starbucks or McDonalds. You can't go anywhere without running into them.

But I digress.

While I would love to return to the wonderful world of zombies, at the moment I don't have any plans to follow up Breathers with a sequel or anything tangentially zombie. It would have to be something completely fresh, otherwise I'd feel like I was just regurgitating the same story under a different title.

While I'm not ruling out a return at some point down the road, I don't expect to be writing about zombies in the near future. However, my next novel and the novels on my list to write will continue to be first person POV and darkly comedic with a supernatural or fantastic element in the spirit of Breathers.

A slight caveat to my previous message:

While I don't plan to publish any new zombie fiction anytime soon, "A Zombie's Lament," my original short story upon which Breathers is based, appears for the first time in print in the newly released anthology, ZOMBIES, edited by John Skipp.

In addition to my story, there are originals and reprints from the likes of Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Max Brooks, Robert McCammon, Poppy Z. Brite, and Ray Bradbury. Among others.

Just in case you're interested...

And in late 2010, my short story, "Zombie Gigolo," will be appearing in THE LIVING DEAD II, edited by John Joseph Adams.

It's a great pity I didn't get to this before I got to Reg Shoe (the zombie undead-rights activist in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series), 'cos now I have a Tom Robinson-ish voice in the back of my head going, "Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiing if you're glad to be grey, sing if you're happy that way . . . ."

I've been told more than once that I need to read some Terry Pratchett, but no one had ever mentioned his zombie undead-rights activist. Now I'll definitely have to pick up one of his books.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. Your short answer makes the most sense to me.

Best wishes for continued success.

'Zombie Gigolo'- nice. Would you say you write more for print, or with film development in mind? I've heard of Breathers, but will order it from Amazon today.

> no one had ever mentioned his zombie undead-rights activist.

Probably your best starting point, if you wanna find out about Reg, is to get Reaper Man. That's got the first mention of his organization, the Fresh Start Club. Night Watch, published many years later, includes the events that, among other things, led to Reg becoming a zombie--although that one might be a bit difficult to follow without having read a Watch book or two (maybe Guards! Guards! and/or Jingo), so you understand better who Sam Vimes is and why he's significant.

Reg is always a supporting character, but he's also the distillation of every obsessive activist you've ever met or read about, and funny in proportion. Possibly his best quote of all time: "Nobody ever thinks about the difficulties of policing in a multi-vital society."

I wish these responses would appear beneath the appropriate comments.

But this is in response to Message 25 from semckibbin:

My pleasure. And I agree with you.

Thanks for joining in the conversation and for the good wishes.

To SomeGuyInVirginia:

I definitely write more for print, as I enjoy being able to get inside the minds of the characters, which is tough to do in film. That said, I actually saw this as a film first (with a different opening), but never considered writing it as a screenplay.

I have had a number of people tell me that the way I write lends itself well to film adaptation. I'm not going to disagree, but again, I didn't write it with that intention. It's just the way I write. Fortunately, the book made its way into the hands of the right people for film adaptation.

Thanks for the question. And for your support.

To Marchbanks:

Thanks for the suggestions. I will definitely put Reaper Man on my list of books to read, right after The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy. Oh, and I just finished Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell. That was a fun read.

Thanks again!

By the way, for anyone who lives in the Los Angeles area, I'll be doing a reading and discussion of Breathers in Torrance at the Katy Geissert Civic Center Library on Saturday, Oct 3 at 11:00AM.

I'll also be at the West Hollywood Bookfair on Sunday, Oct 4, doing a panel and a signing with Amber Benson, author of Death's Daughter and Seth Grahame-Smith, co-author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, among others. Panel begins at 1:30PM

You can find more info on my web site events calendar:

http://sgbrowne.com/events

If you're around, come on by. I'd love to meet you.

Thanks Scott, I'll keep an eye out for when you make it to DC. Breathers is on the way and I'm looking forward to reading it.

Hi Scott,

I noticed that “The Big Nowhere” is on your reading list. Are you a big fan of James Ellroy? I certainly am. A few years ago I met him at a reading of “The Cold Six-Thousand”. He hung out for a while and answered questions and told stories; he is quite a character. He signed my book and I left without reading what he had written inside. When I opened the book to read the inscription, I could not decipher his hand writing; it may as well been written in code, a complete scribble. For days I would pick up the book in an attempt to break the code without success. Then, one more try, I picked up the book and the words leapt from the inside cover completely legible.

He had written: “To Kevin, 007 lives”

As a kid I devoured every one of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels. How the hell did he know to write that?

Bizarre. Dig it.

Kevin,

Actually, The Black Dahlia was the first James Ellroy novel I read, which was recommended to me during a discussion of authors. Since I'd loved the film version of L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (and thought it was a crime that TITANIC took best picture instead), I gave him a read and enjoyed Dahlia quite a bit, so I'm working my way through his L.A. Quartet.

And yes, the bit about 007 is bizarre. But thanks for the story. That's a good one.

Some other books I've enjoyed reading recently, or just want to throw out as recommendations:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Fool by Christopher Moore
Lamb by Christopher Moore
Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk
Kockroach by Tyler Knox

Plus all of the other novels I've mentioned in the previous posts.

Hi Scott: Amazon shipped Breathers yesterday but I won't get a chance to read it before your chat is up. It was already in my cart, so I had heard enough good things about it before to keep it on my radar- ordering it was a snap. Thanks for taking the time to let us know about yourself and I'm looking forward to reading your book.

It's been my pleasure. Always enjoy having the chance to chat. And thanks again for giving Breathers a read. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think.

Scott,

Thanks for taking the time to chat and the book recommendations. I only recently discovered Chuck Palahniuk and read his books “Haunted” and “Snuff”. He is one of those authors that fall into a category ill defined; like Pynchon or David Foster Wallace.

My desert island book: “Gravity’s Rainbow” by Thomas Pynchon. Every time I read this book it is like the first time.

Yours?

If you come through Nashville, TN I will buy you a drink.

Thanks again. I look forward to your next book and “Breathers” the movie.

Regards,

Kevin

Apologies for not posting in time to catch the end of Oct 2, but was away from my computer most of the day.

That said, I just wanted to thank everyone who joined in the chat, asked questions, threw out recommendations (I just bought a copy of Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett), and helped ot make this a lot of fun.

As for the last message from Kevin, thanks for the offer of a drink. If I make it out to Nashville, I'll take you up on it.

And I'll have to give Gravity's Rainbow a look.

My desert island book? A couple of titles bounced around in my head, including Lullaby by Palahniuk and The Stand by Stephen King, until I realized that the only possible answer would be, ironically enough, Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

So long as I get to be the one holding the conch.