Rock, obsessions, and writing: Susan Helene Gottfried speaks

Susan Helene Gottfried is a music lover and bibliophile, and she knew at age 6 that she wanted to be a writer. Earning a BA and MFA in creative writing helped hone the talent, but it was the real-life experience in record stores, radio stations, and behind the scenes at rock concerts that set Susan on the path of melding books and music.

She is the author of Shapeshifter: The Demo Tapes Year 1.

If you missed the first part of the interview, please check it out at D.C. Literature Examiner.

4.  I assume you listen to music quite a bit.  What songs/artists do you listen to while writing?  And if you don't listen while writing, how does music play into your writing habit/routine?

I flip on the trusty XM Radio online and let it play in the background whenever I'm here at my desk. Checking e-mail? Only here long enough to get directions to wherever I'm off to in a few minutes? Click that radio on. I use it more than I Twitter.

So. That begs the questions: which bands do I favor?

My top three are Metallica, Disturbed, and Godsmack.

Then bring in Killswitch Engage, Linkin Park, Avenged Sevenfold, Flyleaf, 3 Doors Down, Tantric, Hatebreed. Umm.... you name 'em, I like a song or two. There's very little I turn off:

Don't forget the classics and the fun stuff: Queensryche, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath. Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi.

Really, it's a varied palate I have, yet consistent. However, I love the sounds of the sixties, when Rock and Roll was young and no one wondered how Dick Clark kept from aging. And the hippie/acid rock sounds of the seventies and ...

5.  Do you have any obsessions you would like to share?

Books. Especially helping the mid-list or debut author -- anyone who's NOT a celebrity author yet -- become a celebrity author. I've launched a second blog called Win a Book to help connect books and readers. I've gotten great support from both book bloggers AND authors so far. Not to mention readers, who are constantly e-mailing me with tales of how they've been exposed to new books, thanks to Win a Book.

It's my labor of love. Most days, it cuts into my writing time. But I figured I could be part of the solution or I could quit whining about how the smaller-name authors are being overlooked.

6.  Could you describe your writing space?

Oh, it's a mess. I should NOT be nearly this productive in my space. The important thing to know is that the closest book to me at ALL times is my own copy of The Demo Tapes: Year 1, and my cat is usually straddling my right arm. He used to sit on my mouse so I couldn't use it. I countered that by buying a new keyboard with a touchpad. So now he sits on my arm and purrs and meows. Until he wants more from me and sits ON the keyboard itself.

How utterly rock and roll, I know.

The other telling fact of my office is that I am hidden from my floor-to-ceiling windows by stacks and stacks of books. So I've got the great light but total privacy. Not that I'm hiding anything, but it's sure a conversation piece when my neighbors figure out that I'm the one who lives in the house with all those books. I think it explains a lot about me to them.

For more information about Susan Helene Gottfried, check out West of Mars. Check out some reviews of her book, Shapeshifter:  The Demo Tapes Year 1, at Diary of an Eccentric, She Is Too Fond of Books, Peeking Between the Pages, and The R's: Reading, 'Riting, and Randomness.