Adrian Ludens
Featured Author: Adrian Ludens is the author of Ant Farm Necropolis (A Murder of Storytellers LLC), and is a member of the Horror Writers Association with Active status. Recent publication appearances include D.O.A. III (Blood Bound Books), HWA Poetry Showcase IV, The Misbehaving Dead (A Murder of Storytellers) and Zippered Flesh 3 (Smart Rhino Publications). Adrian is a radio announcer and a fan of hockey, reading and writing dark fiction, swimming, and exploring abandoned buildings. Visit him at www.adrianludens.com.
Featured Author: Adrian Ludens Interview
- How long have you been writing?
- What/who inspired you to be a writer?
- What genre do you prefer to write in?
- Describe your writing process. What comes first–character or plot? Do you “pants” it or outline?
- What is your daily routine as a writer?
- Are there any software tools, resources, or websites you often use while writing?
- What are some of your biggest challenges you feel like you have to overcome in your writing career?
- Do you prefer short stories or full-length novels in your writing?
- Can you give some us some insight into your story in Realities Perceived?
- What advice can you give other writers?
LHP: How long have you been writing?
Adrian Ludens: I started dabbling in writing in 2005, sticking with micro fiction and flash fiction. I didn’t start writing short stories, or start submitting to markets, until 2008 or so.
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LHP: What genre do you prefer to write in?
Adrian Ludens: Horror, or quirky/weird/dark.
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LHP: What/who inspired you to be a writer?
Adrian Ludens: I loved the Alfred Hitchcock Presents anthologies. I got one set as a kid, and the smaller books as a teen. I’ve read a great deal of genre fiction (mysteries, westerns, horror) and a lot of classic literature too. But the stories featured in the old Hitchcock anthologies hooked themselves into my brain the most. Stories by Ray Bradbury, Theodore Sturgeon, Joseph Payne Brennan, Robert Bloch, Roald Dahl and so many others still inspire me because they are wholly unpredictable. Back to top >>>
LHP: Describe your writing process. What comes first–character or plot? Do you “pants” it or outline?
Adrian Ludens: Sometimes just a line or phrase or idea comes to me. Sometimes a location inspires me. Sometimes I know the ending and that’s it, other times I have everything in my head EXCEPT the ending! Some stories come easy, others are an absolute chore to write. Some take days, others take years.
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LHP: What is your daily/weekly routine as a writer?
Adrian Ludens: Unfortunately, I don’t have one currently. I’m in a bit of a transitional phase. I don’t have writer’s block, I am just focusing on other things going on in my life right now. When I was writing more often, I did all my best writing late at night.
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LHP: Are there any software tools, resources, or websites you use often while writing?
Adrian Ludens: I usually blast through a first draft and then go back and do online research to make sure I get things right. I like a site called editminion.com because it’s free and flags potential infractions in several categories, but I treat the results like suggestions, not gospel. I used to subscribe to a great resource called duotrope.com that helped me find a lot of potential markets. There’s another free one called Dark Markets that’s good too.
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LHP: What are some of your biggest challenges you feel like you have to overcome in your writing career?
Adrian Ludens: I feel like I just don’t understand “literary horror” or the so-called “New Weird”. I can’t crack certain markets. I read stories published by these markets and when I’m finished I think, “What was the point of that story?” So either I need to revisit some college-level English and Creative Writing courses and figure out what I’m missing, or I need to focus on submitting to more genre fiction-friendly markets.
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LHP: Do you have a set number of words per day you target? or do you set other goals to meet?
Adrian Ludens: Not really. I have more of a bucket list. Markets I’d like to crack, authors I admire who I’d like to share an anthology appearance with… stuff like that.
How much time is spent on “the business of writing” – queries, seeking an agent or publisher, marketing/sales?
Adrian Ludens: It’s half and half. The writing is usually the fun half. The rest of it is work.
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LHP: Do you prefer short stories or full length novels in your writing?
Adrian Ludens: I’ve only written short stories.
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LHP: Can you give some us some insight into your story?
Adrian Ludens: It’s two stories within another story. And it’s all in the deputy’s head. He’s gone off the deep end and his subconscious has created this old man to do his dirty work for him. But the old man tells him these stories to help lead him back to the truth.
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LHP: What advice can you give other writers?
Adrian Ludens: Don’t give up and don’t take a story rejection personally. I try to learn from editors’ comments (when they have time to give them) and try to improve a little bit with every story I write.
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Realities Perceived
Adrian Ludens recently authored “Cobwebs And Cold Truths” for Realities Perceived, on sale now.