Interview with Matthew Drzymala

Matthew Drzymala is a relatively new indie author. His books range from psychological fiction to cosy humour titles. After he interviewed me last week, I decided it was time to find out more about Matt.

Matthew Drzymala

Who are you? Where did you come from?

My name is Matthew Drzymala and I was born in Manchester, but I now live in Liverpool in scouse ex-popstar Sonya's old flat (It's true and I'm very distantly related to Bill Oddie. Also true.)

I released my first stories in December 2013, one being a novella called Bittersweet and the other was a Christmas short story called Last Christmas. They both centred on the fictional village of Bumpkinton.

These stories were a bit of a fluke really. I wrote them at the very end of a writing course I took in 2012/13 and I had exhausted myself with dark stories.

I just decided to make up a random village with odd characters and it went down a storm in class, so it gave me the confidence to write some more.

I must admit that my decision to become an indie author was swayed mostly by yourself. You were the first indie I read and after some chats with you and after joining the KUF Forum, it made up my mind that indie was definitely the way I wanted to go.

If you were on Mastermind, what would your specialist subject be?

I think it would probably be on the TV show Red Dwarf. I used to go to conventions organised by the fan club for many years and was a part of a number of winning quiz teams.

I think I'd be a little rusty now, but it wouldn't take long to brush up on it.

If you were in a Miss World contest, which round would be your best?

The swimsuit contest by a mile. Wait until you see me in a pair of budgie smugglers.

Do you like your characters? Would you hang out with them down the pub?

I love my characters. I really enjoy writing Father Whitworth O'Grady in my Bumpkinton stories. He's the one character that just flows from the moment I start to write. I think mostly as he has all of my frustrations.

I also like the psychologist, Michael Eriksson, from my Brainstorm short story. I really enjoyed writing his journey (I hate that word, but I don't know how else to describe it) in that story.

I think I'd have a drink with them down the pub, Father O'Grady so we could have a right good moan and share our love of crumpets for breakfast, while Michael Eriksson could give me some more advice about my depression when the going gets tough.

If you had to date one of your characters, which one would it be?

Erica Templeton. She's a girl who will appear in a future Bumpkinton story. She appears briefly in Bittersweet. Erica is a joy to write because she's just a really sweet woman who deserves to be loved.

We see a lot of Lady Matt in your photos. What does she think of what you do?

Aww, Lady Matt, she loved that when I told her about this question. She's otherwise known as Elaine and she loves what I do. I think she gets more excited than me when I make a sale or get a good review.

She's immensely proud of me and encourages me every single day. I couldn't buy the amount of support she gives me, she's an absolute legend. She wouldn't care if I wrote something truly dreadful as long as I am enjoying what I am doing.

Everybody deserves an Elaine and I am so happy I have her to support me.

Where do you hope to be this time next year?

This time next year I hope to have my first novel out as well as a collection of Bumpkinton stories in paperback. It's going to be a lot of work, but it's what I am aiming at.

Where do you hope to be in ten years' time?

To still be writing and in an ideal world, a successful author. I want to be able to look back at what I am doing now and have taken huge steps as an author. I am still in the first 6 months of being a writer and I can be impatient. Hopefully in ten years I will be writing works that have been nurtured over time and be writing novels more than short stories and novellas.

What are you working on at the moment?

I have just completed the second novella in my Bumpkinton series called The Bachelor and it is ready to go. All I need is the front cover and it will be complete. I plan to release this in July, but may bring it forward to June.

I'm also writing and tweaking some short stories I wrote in college that I may release later in the year. I mostly plan to take the next 6-8 months out to complete the novel I wrote in 2011 then do a complete re-write for release next year.

It's a children's/young adult book and needs a lot of work.

I also have the third Bumpkinton novella 80% complete in first draft, but again, that will be a 2015 release.

If you had to pitch your work using only words beginning with 'M', what would you say?

Merry, Mirth-filled (am I allowed that?), Marvellous and Mind-boggling.

Thanks, Matthew, for a great interview. Has Elaine got any sisters?

1 comment