Episode 42: Steve Griffiths Interview

R
Hello cinnabar moths or any kind of moth you’d like to be welcome to the writers triangle, cinnabar moth’s podcast for all things publishing and books. Today we are here with Steve Griffiths author of Kill Sequence. How’re you doing today? Steve?

S
Ross Damn, well, thank you. How are you?

R
I’m doing quite well. Thanks for asking. So how are you feeling excited about the release of kill sequence?

S
Well, you know, it came out in March of this year. So I’ve got a lot that I’m excited about at the moment. But, you know, the excited about kill sequences a little bit, you know, dated for me now, I guess. It’s kind of it happened. I have, you know, the fanfare. Lots of nice things said, it’s one of the biggest things of my life. But I guess that you have a big fanfare moments. gone a little bit until Netflix buys it.

R
So you’ve so you’ve already had the experience of the initial excitement of it’s released, it’s finally out and now it’s kind of died down a bit. It’s like, yeah, that happened. That’s cool.

S
Yeah, yeah, exactly. And he was a strange thing, because, you know, you’ll notice yourself when you’re excited about your thing, maybe getting published. And then it happens, you kind of have this vision of, you know, what, one big phone call and one one huge day of, well, I’m getting published. But actually, it was kind of a, it was almost like a drip feed kind of process. I mean, I had the email saying, Well, I loved it, I’d like to publish it. And then we had a FaceTime call. And that was one how i. And then there was the editing process and the contract, and it was lots of little, you know, highs, that kind of accumulate, and then it was out. And that was another part of it. And then that’s it done. And then, you know, reviews come in, and their highs as well as a couple of those. It’s a strange process. It’s not quite how I envisioned it. But it’s been wonderful. I can tell you that.

R
Whether you’ve had a wonderful experience with the publication of kill sequence, how long ago did you start writing kill sequence?

S
I started it in December 2019, which was pretty much three months. I remember all the Christmas decorations. And it was it was about three months before we had the COVID lockdown over here in the UK. And as a result, a few people said, Oh, you wrote a book during lockdown. Did you know No, I’d already started it. And then it was done. Well, I started submitting it around. February 2002. No, march 2021. So it was about, I guess, 1314 month process.

R
So from writing the book to finishing, it took about a little over a year, and from there to publication took about another year.

S
Yeah, yeah, it was. I mean, I started submitting to agents, of course, when the agent group to start with. So that was around March, I was getting nowhere. I was getting nothing but foreign rejections. And that was around about the time that I joined Twitter, actually, because I thought, you know, I feel like I’m shooting into the dark here. And I didn’t really understand that there was this whole indie community, and that Twitter was a good way into it. So that’s when I kind of joined Twitter and became aware of all these amazing indie presses like cinnabar moth and Conservatorium press, and it kind of opened up a whole new world, really, and then I think around about August, I have some interest from indie presses. So go ahead. Yeah, I was just gonna say that that was a whole whole thing in itself. You know, I think I’d read somewhere that actually finding a publisher or an agent is, you know, that’s where the real work begins. Oh, my gosh, my gosh, is either true.

R
So it took a bit of time to find a home for Kill Sequence. And as you just mentioned, it was a lot of work. What would you say that process of going through agents and you know, queering, and all of that was what we would say it was like for you.

S
It was well, you know, He was he was incredibly exciting. When I, when I hit send on that first submission email to an agent who I decided, you know, I’d done my research and decided this is the agent for me for sure. For sure. And it’ll definitely signed me up within a week. Obviously didn’t in fact, he never even sent me for rejection. And then, but hey, that that’s, that’s the way it goes. And then I think I left it a day. And then I said about seven or eight more after different agents, and had a couple of phone rejections. And that realize, well, I’m gonna have to do is, you know, do this the not quite the machine gun way. But I was starting to realize that it doesn’t work like that, you know, you, you need to find out a lot of people to find the right home for it. But it was four rejections all the way. The best thing I had actually was one UK sci fi agent, who actually it was almost a personalized reply. It said, Hi, Steve. Anyway, so that was that was that was a that’s almost the best you can hope for. And he’s first and believe it or not, this made me really happy. He’s first sentence was Hi, I read the chapters. I can’t say I loved it. And I thought well, ouch. Least he’s read.

R
But yeah, you got that far? Yeah.

S
Yeah. So someone read them. And that’s, you know, I mean, you’re an author yourself. Right. So just having someone read your stuff? That’s, that’s a bit of behind itself, even if even if they openly say I didn’t know that.

R
I can understand that. Because they’re they’re saying, you know, the initial hook got me interested at least.

S
Yeah, yeah. Hope. It’s yeah, I mean, you got to look at the positives.

R
Yeah, otherwise, I’m gonna get to you, right?

S
Absolutely. Absolutely. And what I realized was was really, around about that time was Oh, my God, that there are hundreds of 1000s of incredibly talented authors out that you’re saying, Yeah, you’re kind of, you know, essentially competing against all these incredibly talented people with amazing stories to tell, and, you know, a finite number of agents and a finite number of publishers. And it’s, it’s, I think it’s so much more difficult than it was, you know, way back before the internet or Amazon. So it’s incredibly No, it really is, it’s an incredible thing to to get published. Full stop really huge.

R
So you went through the scoring process, trying to go through agents and not having much luck? And then you eventually found Twitter and learned of the thriving indie community within Twitter. And that’s how you discovered Conservatorium press. Was that correct? Yeah, yeah.

S
And several others as well. Yeah.

R
So what made you decide to publish with Conservatorium press?

S
the editor, the guy that I submitted kill sequence to. I sent it on a Thursday evening. Now, I live in the north of England, in Lancashire, near the light district. So I like to spend the occasional weekend camping up in the lakes. And I remember I said, I was going camping this weekend with my family and sent it to him on a Thursday evening. And he responded, back, thanks, got it out a little bit as soon as I can. And then on the Monday morning, he came back and said, I loved it. And I remember reading it about 5am in bed. And so I’m nudging my wife, and I’m showing you these emails, I couldn’t quite believe I finally had an acceptance. You know, sometimes you just dream of hearing an editor or an agent saying that they love your work. And then yeah, yeah, that was that was the start of it, really. But all because of Twitter. I wouldn’t have I wouldn’t have found those guys. Or anyone who wasn’t for Twitter.

R
Yeah, so you ended up selling queering with them, and you got back. I love it and you had that excitement. And it made you choose Conservatorium press as the place to publish kill sequence.

S
Yeah, I mean, we had, it wasn’t quite that straightforward, because we had a we arranged a FaceTime meeting. Because the editor, it’s an American company, but he was actually living he lives in His name’s Tom White, it’s gray guy. And he lives half the year in Australia and half the year in the States. And he was in Australia. So we had this, this, this FaceTime, where I think it was 10pm for me and 7am for him or something like that. We had an hour’s chat. And his the price he was working with was actually kind of restructuring and rebranding. So there was there was quite a big delay, for moving things forward. And at one point, I actually didn’t know if it was going to happen or not. And I thought it was it was potentially not actually going to happen. But Tom was just in a really in love with the characters in kill sequence. And he really got what it was about. I mean, you know, we had this really lengthy conversation, and it just felt like, Oh, my God, he’s in my head. He really, you know, he really was in my honey. He just got ill. And I think that that was what really sold it to me that these are the wrong guys. Just because of this conversation, where he just, you know, read between the lines and the right places. It’s all the little kind of easter eggs that I was wanting in the book.

S
He just got it. It was amazing. Really.

R
I guess what drew you in? was the editor Tom wise, and his excitement is understanding of your story. Yeah.

S
Yeah. It’s a weird thing, isn’t it? I mean, you write something that only leaves in your weird head. And, you know, you think, well, it only lives in my head. And then And then someone when someone reads it and actually get it. And, you know, they you have this conversation with someone, and they’re talking about these characters only leaving your head and you realize, oh, my God, they’re in someone else’s head now, and they’re not mine anymore. You know, the hairs now as well, he owns them as well. And, you know, in his head, they look slightly different. Everything’s photographs on the different the different backing music, you know, it’s a different director, but it’s still the same. And it’s not life in my head. It’s just a weird feeling. And I love it. It’s an incredible thing, first of all.

R
And so you had this excitement in this kind of bond with the editor. And so you end up choosing Conservatorium press, just like they chose you. And you’ve gone through the publishing process with them. What would you say has been the most surprising thing about publishing with Conservatorium press?

S
Hmm. Pride probably the the freedom that they afforded me, I mean, I kind of expected it to be a lot more difficult, I expected it to be a lot this bits rubbish, you can’t have that. You need this character to do this. Not that. And, you know, kill sequence is quite a it’s quite highly stylized, in terms of how it’s written. It’s very strange Gatto. And quite simplistic in places as well, but for a reason, it’s not an accident. So I think what surprised me was it was the freedom that they gave me the, the level of understanding that they had, or what I was trying to achieve with it. And even you know, even down to the length of the book, because it’s a long one, isn’t it? It was 106,000 words. And they said, well, it’s fine. It’s, you know, it is what it is that that’s how long it is. And so during the editing process, I kind of expected a lot to get cut out. And they didn’t, you know, there were a few bits that they said, Yeah, we should cut this out, because it slows the pace of it. But at the same time, you know, Tom was saying, you know, that there’s this scene here, it’s a great scene, but to be even better if your character Shawn did this, or someone sort of did that. So I ended up we ended up taking things out, but actually putting things in as well. So the word count, it went down from 106,000 words to a whopping 105,000 words. You know, that any other editor, I’m sure would be saying what you need to lose another 20,000 words. But it just wasn’t like that. So that was really, that was really cool.

R
And that sounds like a really positive experience. Being able to have this level of understanding of your story, a sort of freedom with the story and then also help with expanding it in ways that matter. Watch your vision of it.

S
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, this scene as well that you had this idea about it was, it was one of my favorite scenes. And he said it was one of his favorite scenes. When he had that suggestion, we made the while I made the change, and it’s yours, you know, it’s infinitely better for. So I can’t thank him enough, really.

S
That’s why it’s amazing to hear when editors and authors able to collaborate to bring a story even more to life and the authors vision.

R
Definitely. Yeah, it really was, it was really cool. And he’s a great author himself, by the way, I’ve read some of his stuff. And yeah, very cool.

R
And so with the process for bringing kill sequence to not just to life on the page, but to life in the form of a published book. What would you say has been the most surprising thing about the publishing process in a general sense?

S
I think probably. I mean, I touched on it a bit earlier, I guess, really, the biggest surprise for me is just been how many incredibly talented authors there are. That, you know, really ought to be big five authors. And they just, they just can’t get there. And it’s not for lack of talent. It’s just because it’s such a competitive world now that there’s just so many talented writers and a finite number of publishers. And I don’t think I’ve ever really appreciated. You know, how many incredible authors there are. So, I mean, I can only imagine how you know, how many submissions any publisher asked to read? And how many good things you have to kind of say no on that you think, well, actually, this is really good, but for whatever reason, I’m not gonna go with it.

R
So for you the process of queering, and kind of do Twitter, learning about the size of the community was the most surprising thing.

S
I think so. I think so. Yeah.

R
That makes sense. Because if you go back, you know, just maybe a few dozen years. Things were quite different in the author and publishing world.

S
Yeah. Yeah, I think so. I mean, I was reading an interview, I think it was, it might have been Lee Child. He wrote the first reacher novel in something in I think it was early 90s. And he’s from my neck of the woods, by the way, he’s only elephant candle Navy. And he was saying he wrote, he wrote three chapters and sent it to an agent that lived around the corner from Amazon. And they just, he just snapped it up and said, Yes, I mean, the rest. wouldn’t happen now. There’s no way that would happen.

R
Yeah, I can’t imagine in modern world being like, oh, yeah, I know, a guy down the street. I was set up.

S
It’s, you know, it’s, I mean, nowadays, you can’t publish anything that hasn’t been edited and polished. 60 times you can’t even send it to anyone. Right. Yeah, I think it is a hugely different world. And thanks to Amazon, all the all these, you know, authors. I work in on amazing work. And, yeah, so to get published, it’s, it’s it really is a big achievement now. It’s, I’m very lucky. I think I’m very lucky.

R
I think we’re also lucky to be able to have the opportunity to read kill sequence, you know, luck goes both ways.

S
Oh, that’s so kind.

R
So speaking of kill sequence, and the luck of it being published, you mentioned that it was published in March. And that’s when the majority of the excitement with its release actually happened for you. Yeah. How did you end up celebrating its release?

S
What did we do we had so my wife and my son and I went to our favorite pub with six or seven of our friends. And we just sat around and drank. They already was, I mean, this was publication day. This was the actual day publication, but I didn’t have any copies of the book. So my wife knowing that we wouldn’t have any copies of the book, because I wanted to have a stack at the monitor. We’ll move obviously we couldn’t do that we didn’t have any. So my wife went to I think she went to Asda, which I guess is like Walmart for Americans. And she she got a cake with, with the kill sequence cover printed on the icing.

R
Oh, wow,

S
I know it was a mess. So we have that in the 10. I couldn’t believe it. I know, you know, wow. I didn’t know you could do that. But yeah.

R
That does sound quite amazing.

S
You know, I just couldn’t sign it. That was the icing along the way, well, this slice of cake and sign the top.

R
So your, your wife went through the trouble of finding someplace to you know, get the cake and have it personally styled after the cover of the kill sequence. So I imagine that your wife was very excited about the books release?

S
Oh, yeah. Yeah.

S
She, I mean, I can’t tell you enough about my wife. She’s amazing. She’s She’s a neonatal nurse. She has been doing that for 25 years of age. She’s not an aligner. But, I mean, I think she has an illness. So she, you know, she saves lives. She looks after premature babies. And he does something that’s so consequential and important. And my guardian just puts things in perspective. I mean, you know, I write silly stories, and I sell electronics for a day job. And she’s saving lives. But the whole process, she’s been so 100% supportive. And he always insist on reading whatever I’ve read. And of course, she always tells me it’s wonderful. Even if it’s not. And yeah, she was, she was incredibly excited. And my son was as well. I mean, he’s a, he’s 15. And he’s a really cool writer himself, actually. He keeps only he wants to take a year out and write something. And we’ll see, we’ll see if he does that.

S
But yeah, they’re incredibly supportive family.

R
It’s amazing to have a supportive family around you as you go through the process of writing, which can sometimes be a very lonely process.

S
Yeah, I mean, it’s, it’s, for me, it’s quite, I mean, I quite enjoy the you know, being in my own doing stuff. I always felt really bad though, for for those two that I was, you know, kind of hidden away in a room, all of my own typing away. And, you know, my son, my son was 1314 at the time. And he knew I was writing a book. Well, you know, I didn’t feel bad because I thought it was his dad. Didn’t I’ll be doing something with my son, and my wife. So I, you know, you get these pangs of guilt sometimes. That’s so, so supportive. Now, I couldn’t have done it without them.

R
I really think it’s amazing that you’re able to make it this far. And I want to ask you, is kill sequence your first publication?

S
It is. Yeah, it is. It is I’ve got I’ve got a couple of short stories coming out. One of them is actually coming out with a new magazine called sonder, which is Conservatorium presses own magazine. Might just be an easy No, I’m not sure. And one of the, one of the bits that we actually took out of the original editor kill sequence. I said to Tom, because he’s editing it. Now maybe maybe I can slightly repurpose this and polish it up a bit. And we’ll have it as a kind of deleted scene of kill sequence in the in the magazine, and he loved it. So we did that. So that’ll be coming out in a month or two. And then in October, I have a another piece of flash coming out in cinnabar. Moth, easy. Cold Lake Hornswoggle. Which I’m really excited about that. That’s a fun thing about completely different and standalone. stuff happening is the stuff coming in, of course, I’m working on a second novel, which again is nothing to do with with kill sequences, a whole new thing.

R
Okay, so it sounds like you’ve got have several projects that are all in the works currently. Yeah. And so I’ll ask you, what do you hope happens next with kill sequence or with these works that you’re doing?

S
Well, you know, I have been asked if I’m going to do a sequel, kill sequence. And I think when I was writing killstreak sequence, I definitely had a series in mind. Maybe two or three? I’m not so sure. Right now, I’ve kind of got the whole plot in my head for the second book. I just don’t know. I’m not sure when I’m going to get around to doing it. Because I’m, I’m so into this other thing that I’m doing. So what’s next for kill sequence? I don’t know. I guess it will be the, you know, when that day when the Netflix contract definitely is going to come? How could it? No. But yeah, we’ll see. Maybe there’s maybe there’s going to be a sequel. It’s in my head. And I think it’s going to have to come out. You know, can I kind of keep it in there? It’ll drive me crazy. So I think there will be a sequel, I just, I just don’t know when.

R
Okay, so you currently aren’t working on it, you have a different project that’s got your different writing story that you’re writing and focused on. But the next book in the series for kill sequence, is there rumbling in the background?

S
Yeah, yeah. It’s in my head. It won’t show up. It does. These characters, I just won’t go with the goal plans.

R
I mean, the characters demands to be put onto the page to be brought to life, the word

S
I know. I mean, they did it was well, I mean, I’ve got these scenes that just magically appear overnight, and gold will make that work. How do I make that one work? And now start thinking about well, I work if I did this, I could do that. And oh, yeah. It’s it’s, it’s definitely bubbling. So we’ll say and I think it could be a positive thing, because it might mean it’s a quick book to write you’re totally my head to be doing that, then maybe it’s something I could run off fairly fast. But we’ll see. Because this this, this new thing that I’m writing isn’t isn’t going fast.

R
I think books are a tricky thing. Because even sometimes when you have the story in your head, once you start writing erlaubt, you start going well, what if I change it like this? And you get all these branching ideas that build off of this, these different scenes? And then, you know, putting all that back together?

S
Oh, yeah, absolutely. And you know, the characters just don’t do as they’re told, they always they’ve always got something else in mind, even though you think you know what they’re up to, and you think you’re in charge? Yeah, no, he does not. They always have a bigger idea. And you always end up having to accommodate what they want to do. It’s really annoying sometimes. When I’m writing, I have so many I usually know what what’s going to come in the next four or five, six chapters, or even the next whole act, you know, I know the beginning, middle and end about an act. So oh, I didn’t know that was gonna happen. I was. Okay, so now I’m gonna weave that into my original plan. And before you know it, your original plan is just shelved. And you think, well, I’ll have to use that for a different book because it’s again, a completely different way now. And that happened time to get, unfortunately, more of a pound to than anything.

S
So even though I think I know where I’m going with these things each day, they’re kind of the kind of targets you know, I, I want these characters to get to this place in this scene. Alter mean X, Y, and Zed and that’s the target. And I’m going to this is the route that I’m going to take and you always end up going a completely different route but you hope that you’re going to get to a target. I’d say that’s how it is to me when I when I’m when I’m writing, panting I’ve got a vague idea. And I want to end up in that place. God knows, God knows. I mean, I can tell you that the first draft of kill sequence. I think the second half was was bang on as a relative, but the first half of kill sequence was entirely entirely different

R
The story and evolved quite a bit over the time that you’re writing it.

S
Yeah, absolutely.

R
And so you’ve mentioned a few times now that with the you’re writing another story, and they have a few flash fiction, shorter stories written that are coming out and such, all you aiming for writing to be a career path for you.

S
I love that. I love that rest of it. I mean, that’s the dream show. Yeah, realistically, it’s probably not realistic. But I would absolutely, I would love that. I mean, I don’t want to be rich or anything from it. I just want to be left alone. Left alone, you know, I want the mortgage paid. I want my little study in my little cottage. I want to be happy in the family, lots of family time, but really working hours, I’m just gonna be left alone in the culinary, dark corner of my study. Writing, and that’s, that’s my dream. It’s not fame and fortune. It’s yeah, I’d love to I’d love to do that. But realistically, I can’t see it happening.

R
Well, let’s imagine this this concept of success. Now, if kill sequence were to become a best seller, what would you do with that?

S
Well, if that’s happier? Well, definitely, it would be literally what I’ve just described, we pay the mortgage, I think we buy a nice little cottage on the Lake District. And I just ride down there. And I’d be, you know, genuine fame and fortune thing. No, I don’t I you know, I like I enemity. So I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t want the fame or the fortune and everything I would I would hide away.

R
So even if you had the success, you wouldn’t want to become famous well known, like, for example, Stephen King.

S
No, no, I don’t think so. Okay. No to private. Understand, I like to skulk around in the background and you know, listen. It’s fine.

R
It’s, you know, you’ll, you’ll be sitting there, you’ll be at the pub, and you’ll see sampada book, it’s yours. And like, oh, that’s me, but they don’t know. That’s great.

S
Yeah. Oh, one that you want to dream, want to dream that that will be the most awesome thing. And I have I have this plan, we’re going to Greece, a Greek island called roads in three weeks. And we have this plan, I’m going to take three or four copies of kill sequence. You know, a lot of these great cafe bars, they have little book corners. And you just pick a book up and read it, you know, in the bar and the beat and you put it back or you replace it with something else. We’re gonna take a few copies of kill sequence and kind of scatter them around then look at the cafe’s on the bars. Because who knows? Where they might end up?

R
That sounds like a fun little adventure for the book. Because people will take it right and then replaced with a different book and then they might eventually exchange it for another one someplace else.

S
Yeah, yeah. That could be world travelers these copies maybe also

R
And you mentioned a couple of times the the deal from Netflix for kill sequence. Yeah. And this I and the idea that if you were to receive a deal from Netflix, would you want it to be a TV show or movie?

S
Oh, which one pays the most it’s you know, I think it lends itself to both really? I mean, it’s it’s quite a cinematic book. But at the same time, I could imagine it being a 10 part Netflix show as well. Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know that’s interesting. I don’t know. I don’t know when plus say let’s say let’s say let’s we’ll go movie because I’m pretty sure that pays better. Okay.

R
So imagine it’s going to become a movie. Let’s say Netflix approached you. They say hey, you want to make kill sequence a movie? Do you have an idea of who he wants to cast for the different roles of characters?

S
No, it’s well, yeah, yes and no, the, the main character Sean Nash. You know, I kind of wrote him as an everyman. So really, anyone can play him, you know? I mean, he’s a he’s an English character as well, but anyone could play. So I never really pitched it anyone, my editor Tom. During that first conversation we had, he said, It’s Ewan McGregor, isn’t it? And I was like, wow. And he goes, do you picture you McGregor Sue? And I’m like, No. No, I do not. But yeah, well, I know. He’d be good. But no, I don’t I don’t know. Why five, I never really kind of visualized, Shawn other than he was kind of six foot Asian, you know, dark hair. And he had a scar on his head. You know, pretty much walks around looking a bit confused. But yeah, you know, it. Definitely, definitely you McGregor is probably getting a bit long in the tooth right now. But then, Michael, Michael’s a whole different thing. I mean, anyone could play Michael as well. I imagine I given a choice. I would say Pierce Brosnan during his bond thing, but Earl Grey had or, or even Hugh Grant or Hugh Laurie. There’s so many, you know, really Asian actors now that can do kind of dark with that love charming. Fun side as well. So, right? Yeah. Yeah. I would like piers Rosana, here, grandma.

R
Okay. So you’ve got a few different people in mind. And so would you imagine, you know, Netflix reaches out to you says, Hey, we want to make this a movie. Do you think you’d want to have a lot of creative control that process or do you want to hand it off to them? What are your thoughts about that?

S
No, I don’t particularly need any any control over it. I mean, they’re the experts. You know? Yeah, the only thing I would say is love whoever you cast. If they’re not English, that’s okay. But don’t have them do an English accent for God’s sake. You know, if it’s an Australian actor like Carla, then don’t do any English accent. Just Just do your own accent. There’s nothing worse there’s nothing worse than a bad English accent. Drives me crazy. Now, beyond that, it’s all yours. Good luck.

R
I understand that I’ve I’ve experienced people trying to different different accents that aren’t natural to them. And it’s just why you could just have somebody else do it. Who’s actually has that accent instead? Right?

S
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I don’t know. Did you watch the boys on Amazon Prime?

R
No, I don’t.

S
It’s an amazing show. It’s so much good fun. It’s got Carla been playing. And I love this program. And it’s got Karl Urban who’s an Australian or is a New Zealander. I think he’s an Australian. And he’s a wonderful actor. And he can do great America accent he plays bones in Star Trek, the movies. But he’s playing he’s playing a Cockney. In the boys and is cockney accent is just awful. But really awful. And you just think well just do an Australian Why are you doing Why are you doing a bad cockney accent when you can just do Australian doesn’t matter no one’s you know, no one cares. Right? It’s just this driving about accent is just so distracting.

R
Yeah, there’s an attempt to for authenticity quote unquote authenticity with the accent but then it’s not an authentic accent so why bother?

S
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. It’s off putting at shake having said all you know Carla will also being killed sequence and do an English accent. Well, he can do that. I’m okay with. That is cool.

R
And now let’s imagine you know, you’ve gone through this process with Kelsey grants, you’ve received the Netflix offer, you’ve accepted it, and they’ve gone through the production process and now kill sequence. The movie is premiering would you want to go the premiere and if you did, I imagine you Paying your your wife?

S
Absolutely. I like all this Netflix talk, by the way, let’s keep doing this a lot. This is good. Yeah, it would it would have to be my wife and my son. And probably I’ve got a couple of friends that I forced, really forced to read the occasional chapter. And they were there was so I mean, the first draft as well. So there was so kind because it didn’t say, Steve, this is the worst thing I’ve ever read. So I feel like I owe them a premiere as well. But yeah, certainly my wife and son because I just couldn’t have done it without him. Yeah. And I know most of them would love to meet you and McGregor.

R
Oh, true. Yeah. That makes sense.

S
And I’m sure my wife will.

R
And I’m sure that might be fun for you as well, right?

S
Oh, yeah. I’d love to. I’d love to. But again, I you know, I wouldn’t it wouldn’t be for me, it wouldn’t be I don’t want to be on the red carpet. I’ll be walked in from the sides. And I see in the house. I’ll meet everyone afterwards. I don’t want to be in the spotlight.

R
Even if you went to the premiere, you wouldn’t want to be walking down and seen by people you’d rather be like any other guest sort of accepts a little bit better because you’re the author.

S
Yeah. Yeah. Slightly better treated, you know, the best seats and all that and free drinks. Yeah, no, I wouldn’t want to. I don’t I just I just don’t really want the attention.

R
Okay, so it sounds to me, like, even with you, writing and having these things out in public, for people to experience and enjoy. Even if that became even if your work became very popular, you would still wants to have that level of privacy where your day to day life isn’t really affected by your success.

S
Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Definitely. I mean, really, really, you know, my deal is just that I can write and pay the bills and not have to worry about paying the bills. I just have no desire for the fame thing. I don’t know. I don’t understand anyone that does. I don’t really get the fame side. It just doesn’t appeal to me. My son’s probably got a very different idea.

R
Your son might be very excited. If you’re famous. Like Dad, you’re famous. Isn’t this awesome?

S
I know. You will. You will not be like, oh god. No, I’m famous. Yeah, it’s weird. It’s weird. But it just, it just doesn’t appeal. You know, it. It’s just not for me. It’s weird. I mean, my own my picture on twitter and things like that. And doing a podcast. You know, that’s weird. That’s weird to me. That’s, that’s probably the limit. I’m glad this is only audio by the way.

R
Oh, yeah. We’ve had a few people who put kept their video up, but we do keep it with video. No video for the actual podcast itself, too.

S
That’s a good thing. Especially especially this time of day.

R
I can imagine early mornings aren’t necessarily the greatest for you know, looking fresh and Spry for the camera.

S
No, not for me. Not at all for me. Definitely, you know, it’s funny, I’m gonna have a work call at 840 or something and I work from home so you know, I sometimes I have a team’s meeting or a zoom appointment. You know, a 30 and my eyes are still red. My face the muscles in my face just woken up. It’s horrible. It’s horrible. Anyone looking at me at that time? At the moment? I feel sorry for him.

R
I can understand I don’t I don’t do well mornings either all wake up all all look dead. And then you give me an hour or two and I can fix it all up. But until I’m fully going I’m just not able to do anything about my face and how ugly I look.

S
Yeah, the muscles just wake up when they want to don’t they? It’s I can understand why actors do those facial exercises. Maybe I do those meetings. Yeah, it’s it takes a while for me.

R
Well, I’d like to thank you, Steve for talking with me today and being on the writers triangle despite your you know, desire for privacy.

S
Now it’s been It’s been a lot of fun. I really appreciate it. Thank you for asking.

R
And I’d like to thank all of our beautiful models for listening. Be sure to buy kill sequence, it’s out as of March of this year. Steve, why don’t you tell everybody where they can find you for social media? You mentioned Twitter.

S
Yeah, I’m on Twitter. It’s at Steve under. No, it’s not. It’s at. Let me start again, at sequence underscore ready.

R
Okay. Do you have any other links, perhaps an author website that people could find you or is it just Twitter?

S
For now? It’s just Twitter. My wife says we must have a website. So we’re planning to do that. So that will be in the coming month or two, there will be a website, but for now, it’s just okay.

R
Well, for all of you listening, be sure to visit cinnabar moth.com, where you can check out the transcripts and we’ll also have the link to Steve’s social media who has a Twitter account. Steve, again, thank you for talking to today. It’s been a pleasure having you on.

S
Thank you. It’s been a lot of fun. Thank you.