Chinese Whisperings is delighted to welcome back to the fold Rob Diaz, author of the eighth story in The Red Book, Out of the Darkness.

Rob’s early dreams of interstellar space travel were grounded by the poor supply of freshly brewed coffee available to the intergalactic traveller, and so from an early age began to write science fiction stories in an effort to explore new worlds from the comfort of warm coffee shops.

A deep abiding love for coffee really only has applications in two careers; software engineer or writer, and Rob has managed to be both, amongst a host of other careers, all of which equip him to write about coffee and its ability to help people overcome their troubles with life, love and zombies.

Rob now calls Hamilton, New Jersey his home, which he shares with his wife, two children, dog, tropical fish and many houseplants.

Just don’t mention kittens. It’s a long story. They’re evil. Trust us on this one.

When asked what he enjoyed most about Chinese Whisperings last year, Rob said:

I really enjoyed the concept of The Red Book and the way it was written in a sequential fashion. The build-up of fear and anticipation as I awaited my turn to write made the project that much more daunting and exciting because I had time to think about the upcoming work but no time to plan ahead since I would not know anything about the story preceding my own until the day I was to start writing.

Believe it or not, I enjoyed the editing and revision process, too! Don’t get me wrong – the rewrites and edits and occasional disagreements or contradictions were frustrating at times. But through it all, I was writing and I was learning different ways to tell my story with fewer or better or different words. Seeing the story grow and change over time was rewarding.

Most important, I enjoyed seeing the finished product. Each story in The Red Book is very good and enjoyable to read, but each story was written somewhat on its own, intended to be able to stand on its own. When I read the final draft and saw the entire big picture as it came together piece by piece, I was very happy with it. The Red Book is a book that is greater than the sum of its very great parts and seeing it come together was very enjoyable.

What prompted Rob to say yes to a second round?

Well, I could say that I’m a glutton for punishment, but as true as that may be, it would not be enough of a reason for me to accept a second round of Chinese Whisperings.

I am really quite looking forward to seeing how the second book comes together and how it grows and evolves. The concept was great for the first round but as with any new idea there were things that could have been improved or tweaked, so I’m interested in seeing how these changes come together. One area I thought could be improved was the feeling of camaraderie amongst all of the authors. I am already feeling more of a team spirit to the group for this second round – between the fan page and the chain story and the banter on Facebook or Twitter, it is amazing to see everyone getting to know one another and just being creative. I was a somewhat late addition to the writing crew for The Red Book so I don’t know if a similar feeling existed at the beginning of the first round or not, but I get the impression that it is different this time. I tend to feel more productively creative around other people who are being creative, so I feel that this could be good and healthy for me!

Finally, it is clear from feedback I’ve received after the first round that I need to find a use for the chicken that was wearing red rubber pants in one of my drafts for “Out of the Darkness”. I’m not sure if this book will be the one that is graced by my well-dressed chicken, but I think it is an idea that warrants investigation!

Read Rob’s full bio, enjoy more of his writing at Thirteenth Dimension or read an extract of Out of the Darkness from The Red Book.

Tomorrow we welcome new writer Jen Brubacher to the stage.