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Interview with Rob
Roberge
With two novels under his belt, a band, a gig as a teacher at the UCLA Extension Writers' Program, a small press to run, and a blog that he updates faithfully, writer Rob Roberge keeps a pretty full schedule.
Having met him at a local writers' conference this summer, Roberge stuck out. Not only did he appear to be more laid-back than most of the other panelists, he exhibited zero pretentiousness and seemed to be someone who genuinely loved his craft. Plus, two men sitting next to me during one of the panels were absolutely raving about his books.
So... the curiosity began.
In this Q&A, Roberge tells us why he writes, how he feels when he's not writing, and explains what he loves and doesn't love about the writer's life. Enjoy!
How did you get your start as a writer?
I started writing in high school, dabbled at it in college-- and then, when I discovered Raymond Carver's What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, I just fell in love with stories. Later, I fell in love with actually writing them. [I] wrote in college… a little after… then grad school… and really learned a ton when I worked with the writer Francois Camoin. He taught me to write, pretty much.
Explain the road to publishing your first novel, More Than They Could Chew. For instance, how did you find your agent-- and how long did it take for him/her to sell the manuscript?
I found my agent a long time ago-- maybe seven or eight years [back]. He stuck with me through books that wouldn't sell, and always stayed really high on my writing, even though I'm an odd fit in publishing. This manuscript, More Than They Could Chew, took about a year to sell and was turned down by 20 or so presses.
Do you have a writing schedule?
Not really. I write in the mornings. I can revise anytime. I'm a binge writer. Not at all some days. 20 pages and 14 hours, others.
What is your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part?
I love pretty much everything about writing, except the hustle to try to make a living at it. But the writing itself? No complaints. I think it's a great way to live an engaged life-- very in the moment, very zen, creative and often accompanied by the wonder and beauty and awesome nature of life. So, the writing's cool. Plus, I like getting to meet other writers.
The least favorite part is the labeling that presses and audiences tend to do. I think of myself as a writer-- not a literary writer or a crime writer, but, what the hell? They need a shelf to put it on, I suppose.
Do you ever experience writer's block? If so, how do you work through it?
Not really. I experience writer's laziness. I experience shopping on eBay, or going to the gym… or looking at porn… but just because I'm not writing, I don't figure it's writer's block.
How long does it generally take to write one of your novels?
About a year, around teaching and stuff. Maybe a year and a half.
When did you begin teaching at the UCLA Extension Writers' Program? What courses do you teach?
'96? '97, maybe? I teach several courses: Intro to Fiction, Art of the Short Story, several levels of novel writing. It's a great place to teach.
Tell us a little about Doublewide Press, and why you started it.
D-wide is a small indie press I started to do new and odd books that major publishers wouldn't do, but ones I thought needed to be in the world. It's a small labor of love... and frustration. Our next book is the history of local (LA) punk rock legends.
The Urinals, one of the great relatively unknown bands of the last 30 years, should be out next year.
Why do you write?
Hmmmm. I don't really know. It's just something I do. I feel really crappy about myself when I don't. So, to keep the self-loather at a mild boil, rather than an explosion, I suppose.
Do you have a favorite book on writing?
I like Bird by Bird. I like Burroway's Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft. Robbe-Grillet's For a New Novel. I read Helene Cixous, Coming to Writing & Other Essays, and it turned my head around. Not about writing, totally, but Sontag's Against Interpretation is astounding. A bunch of 'em…
What are you working on now?
A new novel… and I just finished one (a few months ago that HarperCollins/Dark Alley has right now, and we'll see if they like it). But working on a new novel, and I just installed a new steam shower in the house and [I'm] fixing up vintage tube amps and selling them. But, writing-wise, a novel.
What advice would you impart to aspiring novelists?
Scram! It's hard enough getting published. Kidding. My best piece of advice I think would be to read a lot, honor the craft, and do your best work, and write the book you wouldn't skip a line of if you were its reader.
Jennifer Minar is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the managing editor of www.WritersBreak.com. She can be contacted at jminar@writersbreak.com.
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