Question: Aside from writing, what are some of your other passions or hobbies?
P.J. Moroney: Well, I guess reading. I’ve always read a lot. These days, I read a bit of history, criticism, and the like besides fiction. I’m pretty typical, I think. Love music and movies. Follow most sports. I’m a diehard footy fan, like most Melburnians (Essendon), and cricket, and so on. Food, travel, living well – is that a hobby? I’m pretty mainstream. No odd passions or interests. I guess, whether I like it or not – and often I don’t – I follow the news and current affairs religiously and have opinions on every topic. Been like that since I was a kid.
Question: How does your interest in current affairs and history influence your writing?
P.J. Moroney: I don’t know – does it? I suppose it must. Everything you read, see and hear eventually goes into your writing, whether you know it or not. It shapes your perspective and maybe your attitude, and there’s no way that doesn’t influence your writing. But, it’s hardly explicit in me. I haven’t written anything historical. I don’t think about global events when I sit down and write. But then, knowledge of how things work – politics and relationships – is at the core of writing fiction. The more you know, the better you get at it, I would think.
I do have a project in mind that draws upon current events.
Question: What advice would you give to someone who wants to switch careers and pursue writing?
P.J. Moroney: Nothing particular. Writing is an individual thing and I think there’s probably a bit of luck in it, too. What’s true for me may not be true for others.
My so-called writing career is still pretty fresh, and there’s nothing certain about it. I’m in no position to give advice except maybe to suggest some caution. I don’t know what the stats are, but I know there’s a lot of unpublished manuscripts out there. It’s not easy, and I’d probably say the same thing my dad might have said to me if I ever asked: make sure you know what you’re doing. It’s not for everyone, and it takes more than passion. In other words, don’t jump into it without getting your work checked.
I was a terrible judge of my own work. It was essential that I got feedback. That’s still true, though it’s different now. Back then, I needed validation that I could write and that what I wrote was worth reading. Once I knew that I could attack it more confidently, though I was still years away from doing anything about it. Most writers start out doing it on the side and gradually testing the waters, and I think that’s probably the best and safest way of going about it. Once you know there’s a market interested in your writing, you can be more expansive.
That’s how it was with me, though other circumstances forced my hand to a degree.
Question: What circumstances?
P.J. Moroney: Cancer. I survived but it killed my day job.
Question: That must have had a profound on your outlook. Did it change your writing?
P.J. Moroney: It had a profound effect on everything. I’d be guessing, but I figure it may have given some depth to my writing. It certainly changed my outlook.
Question: What have you learned about publishing that you wish you knew when you started?
P.J. Moroney: I’m still learning. It’s tough. I don’t want to go into it too much because I just don’t know. All I can say is if you’re confident in your stuff, stick with it. There are fashions and trends in writing, just as in everything else, but what you bring as a writer is individual and presumably personal. Don’t be tempted to be something that you’re not. If it’s going to work, then it’s your voice that matters.