Interview with Lindsey Goddard
First, can you tell us a little bit about your recently released poetry collection Trapped Verse? What inspired it? And what would you consider its overall theme to be?
I figure the first human to scribble poetic verses onto paper (or papyrus or stone) did so because they couldn’t hold those feelings inside any longer. Some emotions are too big for our hearts and our minds, and they are begging for release. My collection, Trapped Verse, taps into all those thoughts and feelings of which we do not speak: obsession, toxic love, abuse, loss of self, and oppression, with a good amount of vengeful rage mixed in!
You write poetry, short stories, and have written one novel I know of. Which form do you prefer writing? And why?
I prefer short stories. It’s funny, because when I started taking my writing seriously in my early twenties, I was advised by two mentors that I should only write short fiction to keep me busy in between longer pieces. I was told that novels are where you gain success and readership. Yet, I had a family to take care of… I had too many ideas and too little time. So... I wrote short story after short story after short story, and I don’t know if that age-old advice I received back then was true or not, but I find I’ve built a decent readership this way So, to those old mentors who tried to deter me from this path, I say: Eat my shorts!
What author or authors, if any, have inspired you to become a writer? When did you decide you wanted to become a writer?
I will have to break that answer down into time periods. I’ve been reading and writing for as long as I can remember. In the early days, there was a lot of Shel Silverstein and R.L. Stein. In my teen years, Oscar Wilde and Poppy Z. Brite were big influences. In early adulthood, a lot of Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, and Robert McCammon, and then in my thirties, I got in touch with the classics, like Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, and these books all just made me even weirder, one by one!
What does your writing process look like, for all forms of writing you do? When you’re writing poetry do you jot down ideas for poems first? When you’re writing short stories or novels do you outline and do a lot of planning before beginning?
It always starts with an idea, and those ideas usually come to me in the shower or while I’m stuck in traffic. Haha. I send myself a lot of notes via text message to remember these ideas!
You’ve been published through an indie publisher and have also self-published. Which do you prefer? And what made you decide to go the indie publishing route?
I honestly don’t have a preference. There are things indie presses do for an author to lighten the workload (not to mention building their name with the established readers of that press), and for me, that makes it worthwhile to share the profit and relinquish some creative control. On the flip side, self-publishing is a lot more work. You have to find good editors to check your work, come up with cover art, etc… yet you retain one hundred percent control of your creative property… and sometimes that’s the path an author needs to take. It depends on where you’re at in the journey.
Which one of your books is your favorite and why? Which would you recommend to a new reader?
I recommend starting with Ashes of Another Life, my novel. It’s just a really good story! Trust me!
Can you tell us a little bit about your poetry collection Freed Verse, which is coming out soon? And can you, maybe, give us a date as to when?
Freed Verse will be released in early 2026. I originally planned to release these poetry collections (Trapped Verse and Freed Verse) side-by-side, but as stated in a previous answer, self-publishing is a heck of a lot of work, so I decided to take time in between books so that the quality is not rushed.
I also noticed you’re the founder of a site called Weird Wide Web. What inspired you to start this site, and what is it exactly?
I adore creative minds, so I wanted a place where they can come together and mingle! Weird Wide Web is a place for ALL passionate souls—from readers and writers, to music lovers and musicians, to movie buffs and filmmakers, visual artists, and more! I run a podcast where I interview fellow creatives, and I host fun contests and blogs! Check it out at: WeirdWideWeb.org
I noticed you were also the editor of a poetry collection called Sleeve of Hearts. What is the overall theme of this book?
Sleeve of Hearts is an anthology presented by Weird Wide Web, which showcases the work of 52 poets, each offering readers a piece of their hearts. This eclectic assortment of poetry has been called both "a hurricane of emotion" and "a chasm of the soul", and it does not hold back on exposing the raw emotion of the tortured poet within us all, painting an honest, and sometimes brutal picture of what it means to be human. You can find it at all major book retailers, and we would love more reviews if you enjoy it (or even if you hate it)!
Do you have anything else you’d like to add?
Yes! I’ve been trying to build my Instagram, so if you’re interested in keeping up with me, you can follow me there at: https://instagram.com/lindseybethgoddard
Thank you for answering my questions! I very much appreciate your time.
Thank you SO MUCH for hosting this interview! It was great!
I figure the first human to scribble poetic verses onto paper (or papyrus or stone) did so because they couldn’t hold those feelings inside any longer. Some emotions are too big for our hearts and our minds, and they are begging for release. My collection, Trapped Verse, taps into all those thoughts and feelings of which we do not speak: obsession, toxic love, abuse, loss of self, and oppression, with a good amount of vengeful rage mixed in!
You write poetry, short stories, and have written one novel I know of. Which form do you prefer writing? And why?
I prefer short stories. It’s funny, because when I started taking my writing seriously in my early twenties, I was advised by two mentors that I should only write short fiction to keep me busy in between longer pieces. I was told that novels are where you gain success and readership. Yet, I had a family to take care of… I had too many ideas and too little time. So... I wrote short story after short story after short story, and I don’t know if that age-old advice I received back then was true or not, but I find I’ve built a decent readership this way So, to those old mentors who tried to deter me from this path, I say: Eat my shorts!
What author or authors, if any, have inspired you to become a writer? When did you decide you wanted to become a writer?
I will have to break that answer down into time periods. I’ve been reading and writing for as long as I can remember. In the early days, there was a lot of Shel Silverstein and R.L. Stein. In my teen years, Oscar Wilde and Poppy Z. Brite were big influences. In early adulthood, a lot of Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, and Robert McCammon, and then in my thirties, I got in touch with the classics, like Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, and these books all just made me even weirder, one by one!
What does your writing process look like, for all forms of writing you do? When you’re writing poetry do you jot down ideas for poems first? When you’re writing short stories or novels do you outline and do a lot of planning before beginning?
It always starts with an idea, and those ideas usually come to me in the shower or while I’m stuck in traffic. Haha. I send myself a lot of notes via text message to remember these ideas!
You’ve been published through an indie publisher and have also self-published. Which do you prefer? And what made you decide to go the indie publishing route?
I honestly don’t have a preference. There are things indie presses do for an author to lighten the workload (not to mention building their name with the established readers of that press), and for me, that makes it worthwhile to share the profit and relinquish some creative control. On the flip side, self-publishing is a lot more work. You have to find good editors to check your work, come up with cover art, etc… yet you retain one hundred percent control of your creative property… and sometimes that’s the path an author needs to take. It depends on where you’re at in the journey.
Which one of your books is your favorite and why? Which would you recommend to a new reader?
I recommend starting with Ashes of Another Life, my novel. It’s just a really good story! Trust me!
Can you tell us a little bit about your poetry collection Freed Verse, which is coming out soon? And can you, maybe, give us a date as to when?
Freed Verse will be released in early 2026. I originally planned to release these poetry collections (Trapped Verse and Freed Verse) side-by-side, but as stated in a previous answer, self-publishing is a heck of a lot of work, so I decided to take time in between books so that the quality is not rushed.
I also noticed you’re the founder of a site called Weird Wide Web. What inspired you to start this site, and what is it exactly?
I adore creative minds, so I wanted a place where they can come together and mingle! Weird Wide Web is a place for ALL passionate souls—from readers and writers, to music lovers and musicians, to movie buffs and filmmakers, visual artists, and more! I run a podcast where I interview fellow creatives, and I host fun contests and blogs! Check it out at: WeirdWideWeb.org
I noticed you were also the editor of a poetry collection called Sleeve of Hearts. What is the overall theme of this book?
Sleeve of Hearts is an anthology presented by Weird Wide Web, which showcases the work of 52 poets, each offering readers a piece of their hearts. This eclectic assortment of poetry has been called both "a hurricane of emotion" and "a chasm of the soul", and it does not hold back on exposing the raw emotion of the tortured poet within us all, painting an honest, and sometimes brutal picture of what it means to be human. You can find it at all major book retailers, and we would love more reviews if you enjoy it (or even if you hate it)!
Do you have anything else you’d like to add?
Yes! I’ve been trying to build my Instagram, so if you’re interested in keeping up with me, you can follow me there at: https://instagram.com/lindseybethgoddard
Thank you for answering my questions! I very much appreciate your time.
Thank you SO MUCH for hosting this interview! It was great!
