INTERVIEW: Dark Fantasy Author Tim Goff

Tim Goff

Kenai, Alaska

USA

 

Good morning, Tim, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the site for art and authors and the people who love them. Can you tell us a little about what you’ve written?

Thus far, that be eight novels, four or five novellas, another half dozen novelettes, and maybe thirty short stories.

The published novels are all from the ‘Empire’ series.

Empire: Country

Empire: Capital

Empire: Estate

Empire: Metropolis

 

The next ‘Empire’ novel, ‘Empire: Spiral’ is slated for release in February, followed by book six, ‘Empire: Judgment’ in April.

 

 

 

What is your favorite genre to write?      

Mostly I write Dark Fantasy.

 

Favorite food.

Steak. Medium rare.

 

Tea or coffee?

Never really got into the whole coffee thing. Same with tea.

 

 

Pizza or ice cream?

I basically lived off pizza for a couple years in my younger days (worked at a pizza joint.) And I’ve always liked ice cream. Anymore, not so much of either. Gotta watch the waistline.

 

Wine or beer or soda or what?

Never was much into wine or beer. Drank way too much soda as a kid. These days…fruit juice.

 

Favorite musical artist. 

So many. Does ‘big hair bands from the 80’s’ count? 

 

Do you listen to music when you write?  What?

I prefer silence when writing. Helps me focus.

 

What makes you laugh?

Cat videos. 

 

Favorite work of art or sculpture.

Tough one. 

Do pulp covers from the 70’s and 80’s count as ‘art?’

 

 

Yes. How old were you when you started writing?

Think I was like ten when I made my first effort. 

 

Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?

 

Used to be I’d just take an idea and start tapping away – and thirty or forty or fifty pages later I’d tap myself into a corner more often than not. 

Anymore, the idea itself isn’t enough. Barring the odd experimental piece, I don’t start a tale without solid ideas of the beginning, middle and end. For longer works – over say, 15,000 words – I’ll put together a 3-4 page outline, with each chapter getting a few short phrases. That gets combined with a character list, with each character getting a few words describing their position.

 

 

Describe your perfect evening.

Participating in something that would make me laugh.

 

Where do you get your inspiration?

Anywhere and everywhere – books I’ve read (take an idea and twist it around) pictures, movies, news stories, walks in the woods, memories of time past, and attempts to extrapolate the future. Sometimes I’ll ask myself ‘suppose ‘X’ was actually possible’ and go from there.

 

What do you do when you get a writer's block?

In my experience, when the writing mojo up and leaves, it means the tale has taken a turn for the boring. Sometimes slow sections are needed to set up the next part of the story, likewise, sometimes you need to explain what is going on.

 

What I have done in the past is to look for ways to jazz up the slow patches. At times, I took an old cooking timer, set it for an hour, and forced myself to do nothing but write until the bell rang. 

 

 

Who is your favorite author?

I read Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ over and over again in my younger days.

 

 

Best book you ever read.                              

Again, that would be ‘Lord of the Rings.’

 

 

Last book you read.

I am currently reading ‘The Thirteenth Hour.’ I find the premise intriguing.

 

 

What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?

Not really making a living as a writer (I am ‘semi-retired.’) In the past I have done everything from carpentry to driving a passenger van. Most recently, I was USPS contractor.

 

 

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?

That would be my Dad. We did not see eye to eye (he was never into reading) but he did teach me about everything from automotive mechanics to building a house (yes, I’ve done that a couple times).

 

 What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?

Don’t expect to get rich. Don’t give up on the first draft, even it is horrible. You can fix that later. Write a little every day.

 

 

Do you have some links for us to follow you?

 

Amazon links to the books -

 

Empire: Country - Empire: Country - Kindle edition by Goff, Tim. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

 

Empire: Capital - Amazon.com: Empire: Capital eBook : Goff, Tim: Books

 

Empire: Estate - Amazon.com: Empire: Estate eBook : Goff, Tim: Books

 

Empire: Metropolis - Amazon.com: Empire: Metropolis eBook : Goff, Tim: Books

 

 

Not that big on social media, but…

 

 

Facebook - (3) Eldritch Spheres | Facebook

 

Amazon Author Page - Amazon Author

 

 

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