Matt Rooney

A Life of Stories: From Diplomacy to Fiction

For Matt Rooney, storytelling has always been a family tradition. Growing up in a home filled with literature, music, and lively intellectual debates, writing seemed almost inevitable. His father, a frustrated playwright turned publishing professional, and his mother, a mathematician and linguist turned university administrator, instilled in him and his siblings a shared destiny—they would all become writers, in one form or another.

Rooney’s own journey began with an early love for 19th-century French and German literature, a passion that carried him through his university years. However, practicality led him away from fiction as a profession, and instead, he found a career in international economics and diplomacy. His skills as a writer and analyst made him a natural fit for the U.S. Foreign Service, where language and storytelling became essential tools of diplomacy.

After retiring from government work, Rooney finally returned to fiction—not just as a pastime, but as a serious pursuit. Over the past several years, he has dedicated himself to honing his craft, studying at Montgomery College and The Writer’s Center in Maryland. He also co-founded a small writers’ group, where he engages in the constant refinement of storytelling—one of the most vital skills in both literature and life.

Finding Humor in Mortality, Meaning in Romance

Rooney’s fiction explores a range of themes, but two stand out:

The whimsy of death and what comes after.

Love as a guiding force in human lives

His short fiction often wrestles with mortality in a lighthearted way, treating death as another stage of existence rather than an abrupt end. This theme emerges in his two published stories, Phoenix and Spotting Proust, both of which blur the lines between life and death with humor and curiosity.

For longer fiction, he is drawn to romance—not just for the relationships, but for the way the genre allows for the exploration of deeper themes. Romance presents a world where people are motivated by love, where most are well-intentioned, and where the pursuit of happiness is central.

"A cursory glance at any newspaper tells you why so many people, myself included, wish to live in that universe."

His current novel-in-progress, Deep in the Heart, follows this instinct—a coming-of-age story set in Austin, Texas, during the free-spirited late 1970s. It grapples with the ways sex, love, and personal growth intertwine, exploring the pitfalls of mistaking one for the other.

Creative Process: Writing Without Routines

Unlike many writers who rely on strict rituals, Rooney’s process is refreshingly free-flowing. Writing comes naturally to him, so he doesn’t need to force himself into a routine. He is just as comfortable working from his home study as he is at a neighborhood coffee shop, finding inspiration in the everyday moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed.

When faced with a creative block, he doesn’t push forward aimlessly. Instead, he steps back—refining character sketches, reworking outlines, or immersing himself in other art forms. Museums, long city walks, and revisiting the journals of his younger self often spark new ideas.

A perfect example of his spontaneous approach to inspiration is his short story Spotting Proust. It began when he and his wife were dining at Dallas-Fort Worth airport, where their waiter bore an uncanny resemblance to Marcel Proust.

"I told him this, showed him a picture of Proust on my phone, and he chuckled and said, ‘People tell me I look like Prince.’"

This offhand moment led to a thought experiment—what if Proust had never actually died, but was instead living a mezzanine life, waiting tables while finishing his masterpiece? By the end of the trip, the story had taken on a life of its own.

Writing for an Audience: A Novel in Progress

Rooney doesn’t write for personal catharsis—he writes to entertain. His ultimate goal is to find an audience and give them an experience worth their time.

With Deep in the Heart, he envisions a primary audience of baby boomers reminiscing about their youth, when the world seemed full of possibility and life’s dangers felt distant. But he also hopes the novel will resonate with younger generations, offering them a window into the coming-of-age experiences of their parents and grandparents.

"Before AIDS, climate change, terrorism, and financial crisis, life was much simpler. Maybe boomers' kids and grandkids will find this glimpse into their parents’ past an entertaining bit of insight into why they think and behave the way they do."

The novel is currently in the rewriting phase, with a first draft completed and a major revision in progress. Rooney hopes to begin pitching to agents later this year.

Personal Influences: Life as a Source of Storytelling

Rooney’s stories are deeply personal, rooted in his own life experiences. He believes that the best fiction begins with real moments, small encounters that spark larger narratives. His world is full of moments waiting to be transformed into prose, from casual observations in airports to memories buried in old journals.

At home, he is fortunate to share his creative space with a partner who is also an artist, spending long hours at her easel. Together, they balance the inner worlds of creation with the demands of family life, particularly their grandson, who—like all young children—has an instinctive ability to pull adults out of their thoughts and into the present moment.

This interplay between solitude and connection fuels his writing, offering both rejuvenation and inspiration.

Final Thoughts: The Patience to Rewrite, The Drive to Publish

Currently, Rooney’s main focus is on completing Deep in the Heart, ensuring that the second draft is polished and compelling before he seeks publication. He is committed to telling a story that is engaging, nostalgic, and emotionally resonant.

His approach to writing is simple but effective:

Observe. Reflect. Write. Rewrite.

He understands that the first draft is just the beginning and that a great story emerges only through revision and persistence. As he fine-tunes his novel, his goal remains clear:

"If I can get my story in front of an audience and entertain them for a few hours, I will have done what I set out to do."