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Erik Schmidt

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Erik Schmidt

Erik Schmidt is a writer and editor living in Athens, Ga. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia, and owns several Georgia Press Association awards.

Erik is a sports addict--the Mets break his heart every summer--and a fan of hair metal, Bob Marley, Todd Snider, and Sharon Van Etten. He enjoys working out, drinking at the Oglethorpe Garage, and hanging with his dogs.

Erik is the author of Dogging POTUS, and was one of ten contributing writers in a 2010 short story compilation titled Cover Stories: A Euphictional Anthology. He also assisted in editing Black Financial Culture by Dr. Michael Thomas. Unplayable Lies, co-authored with Doug Roberson, is his second novel.

IN THE AUTHOR’S WORDS

Author interview

Interview submitted .

What inspired you to start writing?

When I was in fifth grade, I found a copy of "The Hobbit" in my parents' guest room. I picked it up and never put it down. The characters and world building and plots and subplots--all amazing. It was the overall creativity that hooked me, though. As a kid with a ridiculously active imagination, I wanted to be the creator. If a guy named J.R.R. Tolkien could do it, so could I. Clearly I was wrong, but Tolkien definitely put me on the path.

Who are some of your favorite authors and books?

Carl Hiaasen, Christopher Moore, David Sedaris, and Nick Hornby are on my Mount Rushmore of living authors. Though, Jenny Lawson could be up there as well. It's hard to choose specific titles, but I really enjoyed Hiaasen's "Bad Monkey" and "Fever Beach," Moore's "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal," Sedaris' "Holidays on Ice," and Hornby's "High Fidelity."

What would you like to tell readers who have just discovered your books, but haven't read one yet?

As someone who spent several years as a journalist, my work leans on dialog and action rather than description. If you're looking for a writer who paints pictures with words, I'm not your guy. Also, and this is important, I want people to laugh when they read. That's my goal. Unfortunately, my sense of humor is not for everyone. It can be dark and it can be R-rated, but if you keep an open mind and accept that the material is designed to entertain, you might enjoy the ride.

Who is the favorite character you created, and how did they come into being?

Okay, I'm going to cheat here. This is a tie. In "Unplayable Lies," I created Carlos Juarez, a violent drug cartel member who flees Columbia, lands in the U.S., and finds work in a movie theater. He discovers a love of cinema and really digs the air conditioning. Carlos was created because we needed a bad guy to chase one of our more prominent characters. I thought it might be funny to have a violent villain who digs "Annie Hall."

I can't leave this question without mentioning Phenex. I wrote a fictional oral history called "Dogging POTUS." Phenex is a covert advisor for a moronic president on the verge of ending democracy. I love bringing in characters that have knowledge behind this world, so Phenex occasionally provides the reader with gossip from Hell, e.g. Jim Morrison enjoys torturing Jefferson Davis with late night music and haunting poetry.

What are your future plans as a writer?

I hope to continue creating.

Books by This Author