Friday, June 6, 2014

Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2014: Jay Wilburn

You're reading Books, Beer and Blogshit! It's the only blog crazy enough to take on the zombie apocalypse one writer at a time. I am you're zombielicious blog host, Mr. Frank!

So you're checking back in to The BLOGshit for all things Summer of Zombie Blog Tour 2014? Good, we got all the goods you're ever going to want. Books, Beer and Blogshit strives to be THE premier venue every year on the tour. It's authors like Jay Wilburn, today's victim, that make it so.

So without further adieu, the always creepy and suspiciously nefarious, Jay Wilburn.



Books, Beer and Blogshit:  Are you a survivor or one of the undead?

Jay Wilburn:  Everyone thinks they are the survivor, but secretly fears that they are patient 1 or 2 following a bite from zero. I think I could hold out to patient 5 or 6 easy.

The Blogshit:  What is your latest piece of zombie fiction we should be concerning ourselves with?
Jay Wilburn:  In the midst of the blog tour, my collection of longer zombie pieces will be released – Zombies Believe in You with Hazardous Press.

The Blogshit:  Do you feel you are a classic or progressive type of zombie fiction writer?



Jay Wilburn:  I tend to gravitate toward the Romero universe in my writing. I’ve always felt the great story in zombie fiction is still found in character and development and not just in the craziest new premise.

The Blogshit:  What makes your zombies different from all others?

Jay Wilburn:  My latest zombies are set in more distant times and settings.

The Blogshit:  What makes your living different from all the others?

Jay Wilburn:  I like to think I’ve tapped some real characters. Some of them reach for the level of characters living in the time of legends. Others are just people hiding from zombies, I suppose.

The Blogshit:   Do you think it's important, in this climate, to run with the pack or really try to reinvent the wheel in zombie fiction?

Jay Wilburn:  I think to some degree “different” is the new “same.” What makes your zombies different? This question has replaced “what is your story about?” Flying zombies with three mouths?! Nice! Let’s read this hot, new mess. You still need story and characters.

The Blogshit:  Zombie fiction seems heavily dependent upon working within the construct of a series. Do you feel that is the way that makes it work best for you or do you think there is still room for stand alone stories?

Jay Wilburn:  Even in a series, a story has to stand up. I haven’t found my series yet. I still seek a finality with my short stories and novels. I think the potential for money rests with the series.

The Blogshit:  Are you ever afraid of being pigeon-holed in this zombie fiction genre?

Jay Wilburn:  There is a lot of push and pull. I write a wide range of genre and cross-genre. I think my risk is in being so far afield that I have no identity for readers to latch onto. I may need to find my pigeonhole. Zombies seem to be pulling me back. My most marked successes seem to be with zombies to the point that I need to give them more attention. They get bitey if you don’t give them enough attention.

The Blogshit:  For your next zombie story, stand alone or series, do you think you will need to go sicker or smarter to keep it going?

Jay Wilburn:  I wrote a weird little story called “Dead Song” that keeps getting attention to the point that I feel almost compelled to explore it as a novel. It focuses on music during the zombie apocalypse. The outline for the novel version has a very folk, country feel like the life story of a struggling musician – only his struggles also involve dealing with zombies. So, I guess I’m hoping for smarter.

The Blogshit:  On last year's tour, we asked about what to put on your zombie sandwich. This year, we want to know: What special ingredients would you use to pickle the pickles on your zombie sandwich?

Jay Wilburn:  You have to get the right combination of vinegar, sugar, time, and sorrow.



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Jay Wilburn on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AmongTheZombies

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