An Interview with Bad Book

Carolyn Steele wrote an excellent post about character interviews. But what about the next level? I believe books have distinctive personalities. Each book not only contains characters but is a character in its own right. It has a voice, a cadence, distinctive quirks & tics, and it has something to say to the world. Like people, books need to both fit in and stand out.

While a book accomplishes this through the efforts of its author, it is also something other than a pale reflection of the author. In many ways, a book’s personality may be very different than that of its author. A book may be brash and bold and daring even if written by a timid, reclusive author.

So, if we were to interview a book, the results could be wildly different than an interview with the book’s author.

To demonstrate this personality theory, I have decided to conduct an interview with Bad Book.

SH: Bad Book, it’s good to see you again. Welcome to Indies Unlimited.

BB: Thanks, Stan. Have we met?

SH: It’s Steve, actually. I am one of your authors.

BB: Oh yeah. You’re the guy that kept jamming all those commas in.

SH: Ahem. Let’s get on with the interview. Tell our audience a little bit about yourself. Who is Bad Book and what are you all about?

BB: I guess I see myself as a bit of a lovable troublemaker. There are a lot of books, movies, and television shows out there that take themselves pretty seriously. It’s my job to muss up their hair and give them a wedgie.

SH: You “wedgie” quite a few works, including classics like The Three Musketeers, Cyrano DeBergerac, and Moby Dick. You also hit some more contemporary notes with satirical runs at Jaws, Jurassic Park, and even CSI television dramas and soap operas. What do you think you do best?

BB: I like to think I have shown that if you are willing to set your expectations low enough, success is always in reach.

SH. Okay, you were co-written by three authors. What was that like, and do you feel it made a huge difference in the kind of book you turned out to be?

BB: You know, I think it’s just really nice to be able to distribute the blame among so many different people. Not a lot of books can do that.

SH: Tell me what kind of readers you’re after. Who is going to like Bad Book?

BB: I’m a guilty pleasure book. Everybody enjoys me, but no one wants to be seen with me. But that’s okay, I like to be alone with my readers, if you know what I mean…

SH: I don’t. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

BB: One word – more hotdogs.

SH: And maybe just brush up on basic math a bit as well. Finally, let me ask the question that’s on nobody’s mind. Will there be a sequel?

BB: I am lightning in a bottle. The synergy, the confluence of creativity that loosed me upon the literary world was a singularity, never to be replicated. So… sure, why not?

SH: Well, I’m relieved to know that. After all, I’ve raked in literally tens of dollars from your sales.

BB:Tens of dollars you wouldn’t have had otherwise? You’re welcome.

SH: Ahem, yes. Thanks for stopping by, Bad Book. I’ll just note for anyone who has read this far that you are available at Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and wherever else books are sold online. If you have any questions for Bad Book, please write them on the back of a $20 bill and send them to me.