Who are you? Where are you from? What are you working on these days?

I’m a crime fiction writer. I live in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles with my girlfriend Genevieve and our two cats, John Wayne and Calamity Jane. I’m originally from Ohio. I’m currently finishing up a noir novella called Tough Guys Don’t Read the Comments Section, which is about a tech billionaire who is persecuted by a deranged media mogul.

What do you hope to accomplish as a writer?

My goal is to tell stories with meaningful messages that are fun to read. The specific agenda can change with each piece. For The Surfing Green Beret, I was thinking about how all of the military veterans I know aren’t the wilting screw-up basket cases that Hollywood is so fond of portraying. Most of the military veterans I know are uncommonly selfless, thoughtful, competent, successful, obviously heroic, and tend to genuinely love movies like John Wayne’s The Green Berets. Here, my goal was to write a piece that the guys I know might enjoy. I figured that if they liked it, then others would too.

Who are some of your influences? How have they influenced your work?

The top one is James Ellroy. I saw the movie L.A. Confidential when I was in middle school, loved it, looked up the book, and was blown away. Ellroy’s ability to write big, romantic and fiercely moral historical epics in a fast-moving tabloid style is as good as it gets. He’s influenced me because I also try to incorporate heavy “literary” themes in a hopefully straight forward style. 

What are some writing tips you’ve received over the years you feel have helped you improve your writing?

Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules For Writing and On Writing by Stephen King. The wisdom in those two sources is immense.

What are you currently reading? How’s it going—recommend, or no?

Telex From Cuba by Rachel Kushner. I love anything about Cuba in the ‘50s. Kushner’s level of detail and her ability to bring you into that world is amazing.

What should we look for from you in the near future?

Lady Tomahawk, a noir novella about L.A. in 1980 is my contribution to L.A. Stories that will appear later this year from Uncle B. Publications. My short story The Book of The Satanic Years, about a former L.A. cult enforcer turned private investigator is due out at Close to the Bone in the fall. I also regularly write short fiction, essays and reviews directly for my Medium.com page.

 

 

Andrew Miller is an author, screenwriter and essayist. He is a contributor to Switchblade Magazine. His stories have also appeared in Broadswords and Blasters and on Medium.com. His film work includes the music documentary Soul Of Lincoln Heights. He is a member of the Independent Fiction Alliance, a network of authors, publishers and editors committed to combating censorship and promoting freedom of expression. Andrew lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend Genevieve and their two cats, John Wayne and Calamity Jane.