Q & A with M. Steven Neal

Interview with M. Steven Neal

How long have you been a writer?

Since I was about ten-years-old.

What inspired you to become a writer?

More like who. My brother, Scott Mechlowicz. He was the only one who ever told me to just go for it.

What is your favorite genre to write?

Contemporary, literary fiction.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge you face when you’re writing?

All of the alone time.

What is the most challenging thing about writing?

 The blank page each morning.

Have you ever had writer’s block? How did you work through it?

I like to call it writer’s avoidance. Long walks help.

What do you love about writing the most?

The flow. Forgetting about time.

How do you develop the plot and the characters for your writing?

Good question. I’m not quite sure I know the answer. I think just observing, listening. It comes then. And sometimes it doesn’t.

Are you working on any projects right now that you’re excited about?

I have an idea for a screenplay, The Stockbroker. Kind of my former life. And a novel about a girl who commits suicide in Dallas in the 90s. How everyone turns out because of it 30 years later. You can never really forget something like that.

Do you have an author that inspires you?

Sure. Anna Burns. Peter Carey. James Baldwin. Anne Rice. 

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Well. Since I am one myself, I think I’ll pass on this one. Maybe just go for it.