My interview with Moctezuma Johnson

I met Moctezuma Johnson (here-on known as MJ) on one of my many Twitter forays. I found him quite the character to be honest, and, more often than not, very amusing. He speaks exactly how he finds, being very open and forthright, and is not one to pull any of his punches. Nothing is taboo, he'll pretty much post anything that comes to mind, controversial or not, but he is highly entertaining and a one of a kind person, at least I haven't met anyone else quite like him.
MJ writes, what he tells me he and a friend came up with, smutpunk. I have to be honest and say I don't quite understand what it means, but I do know it is a kind of erotica, though maybe a little more hardcore. He has assured me he has kept the interview as clean as he could/would :) so, if you find you're not quite as open minded as you think, then you might not want to read further, but before you make that decision think to yourself "Do I really want to miss out on getting to know one really colourful person?".
Me personally, well I just couldn't resist!


Here is what Moctezuma Johnson had to say...

Why did you decide you wanted to become a writer?

I really like coffee and was sick of working at Starbucks. That’s partly true but there’s background. I worked at Starbucks during my final year at university. I had always been writing. I was lucky enough to score a job as a journalist in NYC, so I finally quit Starbucks and my other part-time job (and I swear to you I invented the Chai Latte but that’s a story for another day).
 
How long have you been writing?

I was a journalist straight out of college in the late 90s so a long time. I guess about 30 years. I’m still very much a novice. I’d say I’ll be okay in a few decades.
 
Why did you pick the genre/s that you have?

I have no idea what genre I belong in, if any at all. That’s why Callie Press and I have been calling it smutpunk. It’s kind of the illegitimate child between splatterpunk and cyberpunk. I’ve written many different kinds of things over the years, so it’s hard to say for sure. I just write and then try to market it, but no category has ever felt exactly right to me. Each category has been like trying to wear someone else’s underwear.
 
Who is your favourite character, and why?

I like Haroun from Haroun and the Sea of Stories. He’s so full of wonder. Wonder is good.
 
Do you have any particular quirks when writing?

Yes, I usually find I am rubbing myself in an unmentionable part unconsciously with one hand. Well, that’s not really a quirk since I do that most of the time. Just a normal male habit, I guess. I also find that I use words I don’t know and then look them up and find I have used them pretty well. I guess Chomsky is correct, our competence is higher than our performance, and writing is a bizarre performance that lets you tap your full competence. Brilliant, really. 
 
What does your family think of your work?

Ha ha ha, I don’t think that question is to me. You must mean the author behind me. Rose, answer that please. Rose?
 
How do you deal with writer's block?

I just write my way into and out of it. I sit and start writing. Even if I’m only writing how to cook an egg over medium or what I’d like to be writing. Sometimes I’ll write about what I’d like a book to mean and then I’m off.
 
What would you say is the most difficult part of writing?

Weening myself off social media, which I find more and more laborious, inconvenient, and useless. Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule? The conventional wisdom is to use 20% of your time to get 80% of your results but with social media I easily have wasted 80% of my time. Recently I’m using lots of bots, surrogates, and other ways to not really get roped in. It’s very time consuming and usually annoys me.
 
What do you enjoy the most about writing?

I enjoy being unshaven and dressed in my underwear. I enjoy that a lot. Even when I was running a bar that was often my attire. Most of all, I’d say I enjoy the coffee. I drink copious amounts of black coffee and espressos. I’ve quit drinking and need to have at least one vice.
 
Where do you find your inspiration?

Everywhere. I go for walks. I don’t go for walks like normal people. I go for slow, staring walks. I have the double whammy of being a writer and being Latino so I think nothing of staring people down. I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just my nature. I get a lot of information that way. I also ask people questions. I talk with everybody and her grandmother.
 
Are your characters based on anyone you know? I realize you often write about extraterrestrials with universe-destroying powers, so I hope not.

Yes. My wife.
 
What do you do in your spare time to relax?

I write. I work out. I make espresso.
 
What do you like to read?

I like comics and literature. I basically never read any genre writing although I’m enjoying it more and more since I’m reading other contemporary writers.
I like Julio Cortazar and Italo Calvino a lot, especially Calvino as I get older. His plots are the best I’ve ever seen. I’m also a fan of many Latino writers, namely Borges. That said, whatever I’m reading at the moment is the best book ever in my opinion because reading is awesomely powerful. The other reason I like Calvino so much is that you could never make his books into a movie (at least not now with today’s limited technology).
 
Where are your books available?

You can get my books on my site moctezumajohnson.com or on Amazon under my name or “smutpunk”. Or you can join my mailing list and nab a freebie: http://bit.ly/FreeBookFromMJ
 
What are you working on right now?

I write many books at once. I guess, that’s another reason I don’t get writer’s block too often. I just move to another file. I work online so I can easily pop around. I normally have forty windows open. My computer hates me because I work it to the bone.
Today I’m working on an alternative history, a memoir (the more I talk with other people the more I realize my actual life has been pretty thrilling), a how-to book about sex for men (and nosy women), various one wank wonders (yes, that’s the proper term), and smutpunk.
 
What is your ultimate goal?

I have absolutely no idea. Probably to be the politician who finally bans guns in the United States.
 
Do you have a favourite film? And if so what is it?

The Royal Tenenbaums (The Grand Budapest Hotel is a close second) but Royal is so similar to my father that I can’t resist this movie.

Thank you, Sallyann for asking me these wonderful questions. It has been a pleasure chatting away with you.


Here is where you can find Moctezuma Johnson

Website: http://moctezumajohnson.com

Twitter: @smutpunk_author

Mailing List: http://bit.ly/FreeBookFromMJ
 

I'd like to finish the my interview firstly by saying it was a pleasure MJ, I had a great deal of fun getting to know you and getting into your mind a little, and I'm sure a lot of my readers and followers will enjoy the insight as well.
And, secondly, to all my readers and followers, if you enjoyed this interview with Moctezuma Johnson enough to read to the end then you may want to learn more about him by using one of the links he was kind enough to provide above. I'm sure he wouldn't mind answering any questions you might have, and you might just find that, like me, you enjoy his brash and intense humour intriguing.
Once again, thank you MJ, for taking the time to answer my questions and being willing to take part in an interview.
 

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