Tell us about yourself and how we can connect with you.
My name is J. D. Graham. I write short fiction, poetry, and essays about writing. The best way to connect with me right now is through my Twitter (@jd_graham_) or by joining my newsletter to get free access to exclusive content: https://www.subscribepage.com/jd_graham_ I’m going to be sending a poetry chapbook to my newsletter subscribers very soon! I won’t be sending that out again; instead, I’ll be publishing it for a fee. Now is your only chance to get a free copy of that collection. Sign up for my newsletter now!
What inspires your writing?
Classical Mythology! I studied Latin and Greek in undergrad, and I love the gravity of the old myths. In all genres of my writing, you can find influence from the old Greek and Roman myths. Right now I’m reading through Ovid’s Metamorphoses and working on stories inspired by his work.
What genre do you write in? If more than one how do you balance them?
For fiction, I usually write horror or fantasy. Those genres allow me to play with the same themes as are found in Classical myth. In poetry, I write a wide array of genres, usually focused tightly on form. My non-fiction is pretty tightly focused on literary criticism.
I don’t spend a lot of conscious time balancing writing different genres. Because writing is a bit of an escape for me, I allow myself the freedom to write whatever genre I am in the mood to write. I’m sure I would be a more effective writer if I scheduled out my time, but I enjoy the freedom too much right now — the rest of my life is already so structured, this feels like a good place to let myself play a bit.
What is your favorite thing about being a blogger, writer, or author?
My primary goal and greatest joy as a writer is to entertain readers. Especially when it comes to fiction, I don’t write to be “literary” — whatever that means. Instead, I want to write a good story that keeps people entertained. That’s one of the reasons I like formal poetry. Formal poetry holds another layer of meaning for poets to employ in rhyme and structure, and thus offers more depth of meaning for a reader to draw out of the poem.
What are you reading right now?
I’m writing this in October, so I’m in the mood for short horror right now. I’m reading a collection of short horror including authors like Ambrose Bierce. I’ve been planning on re-reading the Lord of the Rings, and I think I’ll start in on that next.
What does a typical day of writing look like for you?
I write early in the morning (around 4:30 am) on non-gym days. I used to set very firm wordcounts for myself, but now I just focus on moving the needle on whatever I’m working on at the time. Sometimes that’s revision, sometimes that’s starting something new, sometimes that’s cranking out a couple thousand words — it just depends on the situation.
If you could learn how to make any food what would it be?
I love to cook! I worked in restaurants for a long time, so I’m always trying out new recipes. I would love to learn how to make a perfect Beef Wellington.
What projects are you working on right now?
Right now, I’m finishing up a poetry chapbook. Like I said earlier, I’m also working on a series of short stories connected by Ovid’s Metamorphoses. I’m going to be releasing selections of that on my newsletter, so readers can get sneak peeks and early access there!
Nosh with Chef Julie 
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