Interview With Author Matt Gabrielson

Today, I bring you a great interview with author Matt Gabrielson. Matt works on the social media team for Tea With Coffee Media headed up by the wonderful Tyler Wittkofsky. Lets find out more about Matt.

Tell me about yourself? 

Well, my name is Matt and I am from the Midwest in The United States. I am a lover of poetry, blogging, and all things writing. Besides writing, my next biggest passion is music. I am always listening to it and constantly striving to discover new artists and songs. I am currently working at my dream job for Tea With Coffee Media where I am part of the social media marketing team. I help promote our new books, interact with our followers, and keep up with new marketing techniques. Taking this wonderful job has allowed me to dedicate more time towards bettering my own writing skills and my blog.  

What did you like to read as a child? 

Oh, this is a tough question lol. I read a lot of R.L Stine like the Goosebumps series, The Hardy Boys detective novels and one of my all-time favorites, The Anamorphs Series. I am probably missing a few but these are the ones that had the most impact on my childhood. They provided stories that I could get lost in and each one always kept me on my toes as a reader.  

When did you first call yourself a writer?  

Honestly, I couldn't say. I have always journaled, written poetry, and kept a blog, It wasn't until the last 2 years that I really found the courage to write my book. So, if I had to put a time on it, I would say around 2022, because that's when I really got heavily into finishing my upcoming book and tossing around ideas for future works in progress.  

What have you published?  

My debut novella, 'Small Town Chaos' is releasing on June 25th of this year and I recently found out that I had a poem accepted into an anthology, but the time on that releasing is still tentative.  

How has your work inspired your writing?  

It has allowed me to connect with so many talented writers who have been doing this for so much longer than myself. I have been able to draw on that knowledge to learn and improve my own writing. Which in turn gets me motivated and excited to try new writing styles and even take a stab at new genres, then put that new knowledge to use. I am continually working to improve and hone my own craft. 

What do you love about writing poetry?  

Honestly, it is the challenge and never-ending creative freedom that comes with it. The great thing about poetry is that it's unique to each person and we all draw from different inspirations and muses. I tend to write a ton of Haikus more than anything else. Haikus are a challenge since they can only be three lines and have a strict syllable pattern of 5-7-5. This forces me to think outside the box to use words that I might not normally use so that I can keep within the pattern but still get my story out. Which ultimately leads to discovering new words and phrases consistently. I have tried other forms but in the end I seem to always come back to haikus.  

Tell me about the social media services you offer other creatives?  

At this point in time I offer social media Maintenance, meaning I will keep up the posting schedule on my client's pages making sure the bots don't cause issues and provide creative post options, whether that be graphics or other creative advertising. I also offer the option to build or consult on the building of pages such as Facebook and Instagram using all the things I have learned from running my own social media for over a decade and implementing things I have learned through my job. I will work with each client to tailor a plan that works for them based on their needs and goals for their pages.  

Are you currently working on anything new?  

Yes, as a matter of fact I am just about done with my mental health book which is being co-written with the wonderful Tyler Wittkofsky. We are aiming to have that come out in early 2025 if all goes well. I am also working on part two of 'Small-Town Chaos' which is a bit slow going but it will get there. Besides that, I have one other project in the works and I am on the look out for anthologies and places to submit my poetry to.

What's the best piece of writing advice you have been given?  

This is going to sound odd but it was to just start writing. Even if you don't have an exact plan just get it all out. Once you have said everything you think you need to then you go back to edit and refine. No one's first draft is perfect. So, now anytime I think I have the slight beginnings of a story I just run with it. In my experience some of the best stories are unplanned.  

What advice would you give other writers? 

Honestly, I don't feel even close to qualified to give writing advice lol but the one thing I would say is always follow your gut. Trust yourself and see every idea through. It is okay if it doesn't lead to anything but what's important is you followed through on your creative drive and finished a project. Who knows maybe someday down the road you might find the right occasion to put that one idea to use.  

Thank you to Matt for sharing with us on the blog. If you would like to check out Matt's work, click on the links below.

https://twitter.com/MattsRandomR

https://linktr.ee/mattsrandomramblings