AW's Day of Listening - Interviews Thread

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Kitrianna

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From Venezuela I bring you Maxmordon

Maxmordon, is a wonderful young man from the country of Venezuela. I felt compelled to interview him because I believed he would have a unique perspective on the writing world. I was not disappointed, I hope you won't be either.
What is your favourite food?

Hard to say... I think I have to say breaded steak with broccoli and mashed potatoes or perhaps cachapas, that are sort of corn pancakes.

What is your favourite colour?

Green, but not shiny green; either soft green or dark green.

What is your favourite place?

My bedroom, is like a sanctuary to me.

What is your favourite article of clothing?

A red and black striped polo shirt.

What is your favourite word?

Why do I have to choose a word? A word can be as beautiful as we use it. But I would have to say... either Madrugada, which is a Spanish word defining early morning since makes me think that no matter how dark is the night, we know that the sun will rise the next day and Redemption, knowing that people can touch bottom and redeem themselves if they have the will to do it.

What is your most favourite quality about yourself?

My creativity, I guess... or how I manage to keep myself calm facing bad situations.

If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?

I really don't have idea. I guess I am where I want to be... (gosh, how cliched does that sound?)

What inspires you to write?

Stories that I think must be told and a way to express myself. I see the world around me and think how many things in our lives are untold... how little details that are quite interesting could be exploited...

What is your favourite book and why?

I can't have a favorite book; it would be unfair to the other books I have loved through the years. I love Papillion at the same time I love Gulliver's Travels and One Hundred Years of Solitude or A Brave New World. I just can't choose one since one loves books for different motives... would I ask you which is your favorite child?

What is your favourite genre to write in?

Fantasy... the posibility of what you can make seems limitless... is a blank slate where you can make whatever crosses your mind. It can have Tolkien and China Melville sharing the same genre. Tell me where else you could find such contrasting figures writing under the same blanket?

Where do you see yourself as a writer in 3 years?

With my current WIP finished, edited and seeking a publisher.

What language do you prefer to write in and does that impact your potential audience?
I prefer to write in Spanish since is my first language and the one I feel more free and confortable. But it's hard to get an audience... see? I only can name one writer of epic fantasy in Spanish, one writer of urban fantasy and a long list of Magic Realism... the Latin American boom finished almost 30 years ago and now, most people read either books tranlasted from English, Italian or Portuguese or the same big figures from the Latin American boom (García Márquez, Vargas Llosa, Cortázar, etc.) who we must live at their shadow... sometimes I think I would be far more succesful in English than in Spanish...
 

Kitrianna

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The beautiful woman who is AW's Tiger Tyrant

What is something most people wouldn't know about you here?
The first story I wrote, a horror piece, was well received. I recall being hauled down to the principals office, my Grams being called, and spending a lovely fun filled week being grounded. Coincidentally, I was unable to sit comfortably for about the same amount of time. I continued to write a lot of short stories. I never stuck to one niche-- horror, sci-fi, historical fiction, and slice-of-life stuff.
In HS, I was published all four years, in two different annual scholastic statewide publications. Works included: seven poems, two essays, and one of those slice-of-life stories. Attracted to loud music and hearing loss, I published my first live show review at sixteen. At twenty I went to college for broadcasting to put my big mouth to some use.
Work, I have held tons of jobs. Other people travel, see the world, I change jobs. Most times, I worked two or three jobs at a time. Some of them are: on-air and club DJ, host of a local cable news show, and freelance music columnist /reviewer. I wonʼt list the most hated jobs--which is about ninety percent of the rest. The mags I have written for are the internationally distributed Jet Lag, SurFace, and 15 Minutes Magazine. All are extinct, now.
I am currently a martial arts instructor, who gets to do all the marketing and pr writing for the school. I love teaching and helping children, as well as, adults accomplish their goals. I still write constantly and some of it, makes sense.


What is your favorite food?
Coke and pop rocks are delicious and nutritious.

What is your favorite color?
Depends on whatʼs being colored?

What is your favorite place?
My own mind is where I spend my off hours.

What is your favorite article of clothing?
Depends on who is wearing it?

What is your favorite word?
I donʼt have a favorite word but I do have a favorite phrase,
la petite mort. Donʼt know what it means but I am pretty sure itʼs not about a short guy named Mort.

What is your most favorite quality about yourself?

Varies, which personality are you asking?

If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
You are restricting me to this time and space, bummer.

What inspires you to write?

I am inspired by life, music, pain, joy, loss, my friends, my enemies, my loved ones, and red bull.

What is the most influential book you have read and why?
The Richard Bach novel, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, is the one book that had most impact in my life. It changed how I looked at the world. I wonʼt philosophize or get too hall marky --itʼs a damn fine book and if you havenʼt read it, you should.

What is your favorite genre to write in?
Any, I feel like. I am a well rounded (flighty).

Where do you see yourself as a writer in the future?
Where I am now. I write for myself. If I never publish another piece, I wonʼt be deterred in the slightest. I have been praised and despised as a writer--to me--they will always be the same, someone elseʼs opinion. I write because--I need to, I have to, and I want to--no event good or bad--will change that--barring--accidental decapitation.

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jst5150

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Jason interviews ChaosTitan

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Grades, Guys or Groupies. Of those, what was most important to you in high school and why?

Grades. I was a nerd, and it wasn't because getting good grades was more important to me than Guys or Groupies--I was just too dang shy for my own good. I had a good group of friends (ironically, mostly guys), though.

You've written on your blog for about two years. You started it as a means to vent about an online role-playing game. Now, you're talking about your father's health. You seem to keep up with it. Is your blog important and why should we go read it?

My blog is important to me, but in the grand scheme of things, not that important to others (unless you want to listen to me vent, chat about movies and books, or talk about my own writing). You're right, though, about its origins, and I've come a long way from the painful moment that birthed my first blog post.

Why should you go read it? To be entertained a couple of times a week. To learn more about the process of signing with an agent, making a sale, and seeing a book through the various stages of production. To learn a bit more about me and my writing habits, favorite books and TV shows. To eventually participate in release-related contests.

I'll even bribe you with cookies.

Name one of your mentors and what s/he did to set you up to be where you are now.

I really wish I could point to one person and call them a mentor, but there isn't any single, huge influence on my life as I know it. No Obi-wan Kenobi for my journey. Just a lot of people who touched my life enough to help mold it.

Writing-wise, the closest person I can identify as a mentor is a man named Kris Young. He's a produced screenwriter, and I took a screenwriting class with him seven years ago. He liked my storytelling instincts, and he was the first professional writer to tell me I could make it. In a way, his faith in me is what kept driving me forward toward my goal of publication.

A hottie's across the bar, smiling at you. You've GOTTA meet and greet him. Write YOUR best pick up line and what your expected response from the hottie.

My best pick-up line and his response? Oh dear...if a hottie was staring at me from across the bar, I think I'd turn around first just to see who was behind me.

Me: *saunters over, drink in hand, trying to be casual* *trips and spills drink into his lap*

Him: *trades me a towel for a dry-cleaning bill*

Can you tell my pick-up lines need work? Hehe.

In reaching what many on AW consider the Holy Grail (publication by a big publishing house), you've made "a leap" from progeny to, well, author. What new responsibilities do you have and how are you carrying them out?

As a member of AW (and especially as a mod), I've always tried to give honest, informed answers to questions asked in the writing-related rooms. I've offered suggestions in the Sandbox and SYW, and I've been supportive of members outside of threads, as well. As far as new responsibilities, I think it's doubly important to do those things, especially the "honest, informed answers" part.

When I was a newbie, I had great respect for the published members, and especially for their advice. I'm not saying anyone needs to give great weight to my words now that I'm joining that group of published authors, but there may be someone who does. And my responsibility to that member, especially if s/he is a new writer, feels a little bit larger now. (I hope that doesn't sound conceited, because it's not mean to be, it's just a hard question to answer)

The three things on your Christmas list you really want but won't receive this year are ... ?

A copy of my book, dammit!

The next eight Harry Dresden novels (I only have the first one, but don't expect the entire rest of the series to land in my stocking).

Digital camcorder (cuz they're 'spensive).

How does the brand of SF/Fantasy in your writing separate itself from the vast amount of SF/Fantasy stuff that's already out there?

The mythical creatures I use in my books aren't typical of what's popular right now in urban fantasy. My vampires aren't sexualized creatures--they can't even bite humans without dire consequences. I have shapeshifters, but not a single werewolf in sight. My heroine isn't the illegitimate daughter of a human and supernatural creature, nor is she the unwitting descendant of a line of Powerful Beings. All of her abilities are obtained by training or by outside influences.

Yes, I do have a snarky, first-person narrator (who swears like a f*cking sailor), but that's because I love those types of narrators.

You have the choice of continuing to write your own novels for the next five years or working to develop the new Star Trek franchise with JJ Abrams. Which do you choose and why?

My own novels. Now, if I could work with JJ to develop an original series, I'd be all over that.

Speaking of Star Trek, which crew member of the USS Enterprise do you see yourself as and why?

NCC-1710, 1701-A, 1701-D, or NX-01?

Was that really geeky of me? Engineering skills aside, I kind of relate to Trip Tucker (from "Enterprise"). We're both pretty easy going; we're good leaders of small teams, but still work best when someone else is in the big chair; we're intensely loyal to our friends and will do whatever we can to defend them; we have a natural curiosity for new things. And we can both hold grudges and be cynical about things that have negatively affected us.

Do you see writing as your means of removing the title "sales leader, Pier 1 imports" from your business card, or something else? If something else, what and why?

I was a writer long before I worked in retail. Retail was always a means to pay the bills. It's not a career, and it's never something I'd put on a business card. I do, however, have a nifty business card now that says: Kelly Meding, Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Author.

Writing is... for me it's that thing people are talking about when they say, "It's not really work if you enjoy what you do." I love writing, even when it frustrates the hell out of me. It's what I want to do for as long as I am able, even if people stop publishing what I write.
 

jst5150

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Jason interviews AW's Server

Are you rack or stand-alone?

Rack. And a great one. I mean, a great rack. My rack stands about two feet above the other racks, which seem to be sagging under heavy loads lately.

Why a server? Why not, say, a handheld GPS or an iPod?

Location location location. Do you want to be mounted in someone's '96 Chevy Caprice Classic or being part of the belief team playing Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" thinking the pounds are going to melt away while hanging off someone's sweaty arm? Besides, I hear they're going to co-locate the files for the new "Star Trek" web site right next door. I say all the right things and, boom, I'm a redundant server for JJ Abrams. That's how things work in this town.

You've had a couple of crashes ...

Look, when you've got 26,000 members with 650,000 different database entries running on your backside 24/7, you find time to get in a latte, breathe in some forced fan air and keep running. This is hard work. The processors have threatened to quit twice. The motherboard bus is already trying to unionize and the networking system is talking about a sit in. I'm just trying to keep things rolling along. Meanwhile, I'm getting megabytes of data on fistbumps and someone's wardrobe? C'Mon. I've got better electrons to process. If I stumble once or twice a year; cough up a little data and allow you people some free time, excuse my hospitality. And I'm not being defensive. So, you know, shut up about it.

What do you think is your greatest strength and your biggest weakness?

Well, strength, that's obvious -- speed. I'm the Hussein Bolt of processing posts. Want to edit that post -- BLAMMO -- it's done. Need to throw some crap into that thing you call a landfill -- BLAMMO -- done. So, that's something that me and another guy named "Hussein" have in common. My biggest weakness? [click] Goat porn.

Do you credit popularity or need for your amazingly high workload output?

For some of these meatheads, it's need. Baffling to me how many green light bulbs I have to change -- while no one is LOOKING either, mind you -- because some of these "can't unattach the AW umbilical cord" folks get their butt out of the Internet chair and in front of the writing chair. However, I have become popular. I have asked my agent -- last name Google -- to look into some franchising and marketing. This Xeon processor's got bigger plans that just building people's profiles and keeping up with newbie posts.

Is there any writing you're fond of on the site? If so, what?

It's all just 1's and 0's to me. However, there was a piece a few weeks ago -- all 1's. I mean, the RS-232 interface and I were HOWLING. And then the guy had the nerve to say it was "Harlan Ellison-like." I've seen Mr. Ellison's 1's and 0's. And that binary don't hunt.

Plenty of people are just plain paranoid about putting their info on the Web. How secure are your operations?

Ixnay on the onversationkay about the icuritysay. The En-Ess-Ay ightmay eBay isteninglay. K? Or should I just expose all those PMs and rep points now?

Any downtime we should know about coming up?

Does Bill Gates tell you about what bugs are going to bite you in the keister when Windows crashes? Does Steve Jobs let you know when the little Bomb is going to pop up when one of the magical Apple apps snorts fiberglass and goes down like a cheerleader on prom night? Like I know these things ...

What's the future for the AW Forum and how you're running it?

There's plenty more space in the database for members. However, I'm thinking of creating a one cent fee for every field I fill once we hit 50,000 members. I figure every cent can go to trimming Rolling Thunder's beard and buying some consonants for Robaeae.

Any last thoughts?

LINE: 71
CHAR: 1
ERROR: OBJECT EXPECTED
THIS MACHINE WILL NOW SHUT DOWN.
C:\DOS\VBULLETIN\AWFORUM _

Just kidding. ;-) Glad the Day of Listening includes those of us without a corporal shell. Luv ya.
 
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III

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III’s interview with Norman D Gutter a.k.a. David Todd

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Who was the biggest influence on you at a young age?

My parents for sure, Dad more than Mom. Mom was terribly sick during all of my memory years, and she died when I was 13. Dad worked the night shift, and at Mom's death we three kids became latch-key teens; worse than that, we were home alone every weekday evening until Dad got home sometime after 3 in the morning. Dad was asleep in the morning when we quietly left for school, and during sports seasons I never saw him from Sunday night to Saturday morning. Yet, almost every night we went to bed on time. Every night we did our homework. Every night we self-limited our TV watching. Never did any of us go out at night when we were not supposed to. Wednesday night my brother and I walked the quarter mile to boy scout meeting and home again, never deviating from the shortest, safest route. Mom and Dad so instilled in us the idea of obedience, that we never thought to do otherwise. May I insert here the poem I wrote about this?

Remembering Mom and Dad
Mom died at night--a painful death, they say.
Three children mourned. Then age thirteen, I cried,
though not as much as Dad about the way
Mom died.

Despite his night-shift job, this hero tried
to raise us right. He faced the world's array
alone. Steadfast, he took no second bride

who might divide his time. Would he betray
his sacred trust? No way. I've much relied
on what Dad taught, and always kept the day
Mom died.

You’re a U.S. citizen but you’ve lived in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. How did living abroad change your approach to life?


My five years in the Middle east has given me a global perspective on life. I'm not so concerned about buying American. I'm not always concerned about "What's best for America," but rather what's best for the world? I certainly have a better understanding of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and a much greater appreciation of Israel as a result of those years. And a greater love for America, and for the freedom we have.

What’s the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen?

In terms of physical things, it would be either the pyramids in Egypt or the Great Wall of China, both seen on vacations in our expatriate years. In terms of events, our trip to China in 1983, where we spent two weeks in six cities, was an amazing time. The poverty and suffering of the people was incredible. Our kids were 4 and 2 at that time, and most Chinese had never seen a blond child before. They were the stars of the show, and where ever we went we always had a parade of Chinese following us. Also on that trip, we had a few days in Hong Kong and visited a missionary from our church. He asked us to carry Bibles into China and deliver them to a man in Beijing. We agreed, got them through customs, and carried them all the way through China until, on our last night there, we made contact with [name withheld], a man who had been imprisoned 21 years in a Chinese prison camp for his Christian faith. That was an amazing moment. So, I guess you could call me an international Bible smuggler.

What do you consider to have been your biggest time-waster over the years?

Hmmm, only one? Daydreaming of greatness.

What first attracted you to your wife? What attracts you to her now?

My wife and I met at a singles retreat for our denomination in 1975 and were married eight months later. I saw a spark in her, that her Christian faith was real. She had been raised in a devout Christian home where it really meant something, whereas my religious raising (despite having good parents) was ritualistic and more or less meaningless. She had what I wanted as far as a Christian walk. Her most attractive quality continues to be her love for Jesus, and her dedication in following Him. She has great compassion for others in need, and will seek to right injustices. A few years ago she gave away a bunch of our kitchen stuff, including my favorite carving knife, to a family in need. We became foster parents mostly because of her compassion for kids.

What’s the best thing about being a parent?

Having the kids move out when they grow up! Seriously, seeing them develop into good citizens. While neither our son or daughter has turned out exactly as I would have liked, they are good citizens, hard workers (go-getters), self-starters, kind-hearted. That's really the most a parent can ask for. In terms of being foster parents (which we were for nine months in our 50s, before we broke a rule and they shut our house down), it was feeling we were making a positive difference in the lives of those four kids.

Your tagline is “Engineer Sonneteer”. How do your skills as an engineer cross over to your writing and vice versa?

I love formal poetry (rhyme, meter, and structure), which may have been influenced by my engineering background. As a civil engineer involved in designing heavy construction projects, I am responsible for producing construction drawings and specifications that show the contractor, in the clearest, most concise, and yet most complete way, what to build. This probably carries over to my poetry, and I guess to my prose as well. I'm not much for hidden meanings. Deep plot points are okay with me, and subtle hints early in a book that become critical later for importance, but not those poems where you have to unpeel umpteen layers to figure out what the poet is saying. I like it plain and direct. What I've learned of the craft of writing, in turn, has worked back into my engineering writing, especially business letters and reports. I'm always looking to avoid passive language in my business prose, avoid excess modifiers, and try to make it more interesting.

What aspect of literature really moves you?

The writer's ability to make an unsympathetic character interesting, either in fiction or prose. I won't mention specific books, but I have read a number of them where a character is destable because of his/her actions or beliefs, yet by the end of the book I am almost on his/her side because the writer has done such a good job of character development.

Do you write from the heart or from the mind?

From the mind. My definition of poetry builds on something Wordsworth wrote: Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of emotions of the heart, remembered in tranquility, which find their way to paper or pixels only after a lengthy stop in the brain.

Why did God make David Todd?

That question has yet to be answered fully. To worship Him. To serve Him by serving others. To proclaim His message in everything I do. To develop my mind as fully as it can be developed.

How has God worked through you in the lives of others?

I witnessed to my sister, and she later accepted Christ as her Savior. I was chairman of the building committee at church, for a $2.6 million dollar project. Otherwise, I just hope the life I've lived and the example I've set have been a positive influence towards the kingdom of God on others.

Do you play any sports?

In high school I played football (end and defensive end) and ran track (half-mile and mile). In adult life I've played only softball. I'm now at the age and in physical condition that I don't play any competitive or recreational sports any more. Well, maybe a little ping pong from time to time.

What’s the worst job you ever had?

I suppose it was the two weeks during senior year in college when I tried to be a short order cook, and failed miserably. Or, it might have been junior year in college when I worked a week at a yarn factory, and couldn't get the hang of the machinery. In adult life, the four jobs I've had have been good.

What’s in your CD player right now?

At home, some Christmas CD. At work and in the pick-up, I don't have CD players, only cassette tape players, and I rarely listen to cassettes, preferring the radio. I'm not one to purchase the latest gadget. I don't have anything that will play an MP3 file (whatever exactly that is), and I don't go off and buy a CD player when a cassette player does just fine. My preferred music is of a different era, and I have all I need on my cassettes. At home, we have one CD player, and all of our CDs have been picked up at thrift stores. It is all Christian music, not the rock kind.

You seem like such a cerebral and even-keeled guy. Under what circumstances do people around you get to see the less-composed side?

I get riled when people question my integrity or intellectual honesty. I hate arguments and fighting, and really struggle to not return anger for anger. I've seen two Internet poetry communities die because the poets fought each other. How silly. So I have decided to live my life on an even keel, taking this Bible verse to heart: As far as it depends on you, live at peace with all men." Romans 12:8

If you were on national TV for thirty seconds, what would you say?

I can't really answer this, because it would depend on the context. Would it be engineering? Christian practice? Literature? Genealogy (my hobby)?

And, should I ever write my autobiography, I fully expect the title to be, "The Journey Was A Joy".
 
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Sarita

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Sara's Interview with Alleycat

When did you start writing? What prompted you to give it a go?

I only started writing with any intentional of getting published a few years ago. I always enjoyed writing, or, to be more specific, I enjoyed the creative aspect of coming up with ideas. I never gave much thought to doing anything with it. Then one day I had an idea I particularly liked and sat down and wrote a novel, or the biggest part of a novel. Like many people who have never written much except in school, I thought the hardest part of writing was coming up with a good story idea; once you had a good story in mind it should be relatively easy to write it down. Well, no, it’s not quite that easy. The novel I wrote, as far as the writing itself was concerned, was awful. I still have that novel written in longhand in a dozen or so notebooks somewhere. I can’t even bare the thought of rereading it. Someday I might try to go back and redo it (I still think the storyline is good, and original), but I’m in no hurry.

Anyway, I decided that if I were going to do any more writing of a serious nature I better learn more about the craft. So that's basically what I’ve been doing. Writing and more writing. Trying out different things, different genres, different approaches. I have had only a few things published so far; I really haven't submitted all that much. I'm still working to be a good writer, not just someone who writes.

Who are some of your influences?

That’s a tough question. I’m sure I’ve been influences by any number of authors, but I didn’t really think about it much at the time. Some of the ones that I can actually point to as being influential as far as fiction is concerned include W. Somerset Maugham, Raymond Chandler, Poe, Thomas Wolfe, Carson McCullers, and the short stories of Ernest Hemingway and a host of others as I've always enjoyed short stories. I also like Sherlock Holmes stories, and to a lesser degree Agatha Christie, and those may have been of some influence on the mystery stories I’ve written.

Who is your favorite fictional character and why? What types of personalities do you best relate to?

That's another tough question. I don't have a favorite in mind. I think I relate to the type of character who is a bit of a loner, or at least goes his own way; who is maybe searching for something (even though he might not know what); a character pursuing something that's more understandable to himself than others; a character who is willing to take calculated risks. I know he's not fictional, but if he were I might have said Thoreau. Walden has always been a favorite of mine. Some of Hemingway's characters might fit the bill, as would some of those by Jack London, Raymond Chandler, Jack Schaefer, Thomas Wolfe, and even Maugham (the main characters in Of Human Bondage and The Razor's Edge comes to mind).


Tell me a little about your day job in engineering. How does it jive with your writing? Is it a creative draw or boost? Does it give you free time to write?

Unfortunately, there is little in the way of a symbiotic relationship between my work in engineering and writing. I work for a major structural engineering firm (literally, billions of dollars of construction every year), and while the projects can be interesting and impressive in a certain way, I don’t find the work very fulfilling creatively. Another 20-story office building? Yawn. I used to work more in the architectural field, but switched over to structural engineering some years ago (it’s a long story). Still, my job is relatively secure, and I make a reasonable amount of money (enough that I plan on retiring early in a few years), so I can afford what I need and don’t have to spend my free time fretting over such things.

Over the years I have learned that a job can take all your time and energy if you let it, so I try not to let my job do that. I’m one of those people who has to have a fairly large amount of time alone (as does my cat) and time to work on the things I enjoy, and that’s also a factor in how I try to conduct my life. On Friday nights, after a long workweek, I often go home and turn into a vegetable. I don’t want to go out with friends, or even answer the phone.

Retiring: Tell me something that you plan to do or would like to do in retirement, something that your friend's wouldn't expect out of you.

Write, paint, fish, walk in the woods, maybe volunteer at either a school or the local art museum (I went through their volunteer training program a few years ago but decided I really couldn't make the time commitment), build a house, travel a little, be lazy . . . be really lazy. There's probably nothing I could do that would surprise my friends all that much; most of them are well aware that I follow the beat of my own drummer . . . even though I sometimes think my drummer is either drunk or half nuts.

What would you like to write, but haven't tried? Any plans to try? What are you currently working on?

I’ve at least tired my hand at most of the genres and types of writing that I’m interested in, so I don’t see myself expanding in a new direction very much. I would like to try a novel again since most of my work so far as been short stories (both general fiction and different genres), children’s stories, plays, and screenplays. I keep putting it on my “to do” list but haven’t done much towards it so far. Some day . . . maybe.

I’m currently working on a novella for the Black Orchid story contest. I also did a number of children’s stories during the summer and submitted them to major publishers (I also have a number of other children’s stories that I have not submitted anywhere, or didn't quite finish). I probably need to go back and see if any of these stories can be improved and possibly resubmit them somewhere else. The usual time to wait for a reply for a children’s story is four to six months and it’s coming up on that time frame. I find that letting a story "age" often allows a writer to see the story with fresh eyes. It like the writer is just "too close" when he or she is first writing it; later they're able to see their own work more objectively.

What is it about children's stories that you're drawn to? Do you try to teach a lesson? Why or why not?

It's partially a matter of remembering when I was a kid and loved to hear or read a story, and partially because I like children and like to make them smile. Generally I don't set out to tell a lesson, but it often happens. For example, one of the story I wrote last summer was about a kid who wants a new bike but his mother can't afford it. Instead he's given a rusty old bike by one of his neighbors. At first he's disappointed, but then all of his friends pitch in and help him to shine up the bike until it's as good as new. The old bike is actually a rare and expensive bike worth many times what a typical new bike would cost and the boy is offered a lot of money for it but the boy won't sell it because now it's special for more reasons than just being a great bike. In the end, it turns out that having good friends is better than even the best new bicycle. I didn't set out to tell a story with a moral; it just happened to work out that way. I did make a point of NOT adding a good lecture at the end about the importance of friendships (it was tempting to do so); I wanted the story to carry the message by itself. If a reader found that message in the story, great; if not, then I hope they enjoyed the story anyway. By the way, I submitted that story to a well-known children's publisher but haven't heard back from them . . . so it might have been a great story anyway. I think I'll resubmit it somewhere early next year.


What do you read on a weekly basis? (Newspapers, blogs, magazines, etc…) Why do you chose those sources?

I usually glance at the morning paper, and read a number of special interest magazines (writing, ancient coins, financial, home design). I don’t read blogs unless someone posts a link to a blog with a bit of information I might be interested in. I just don’t have much interest in transient reading; that is, reading something that I would forget all about in a week or two, or which does not provide me with solid information or entertainment. That’s why I just scan the newspapers. I really don’t care what a New York Times columnist’s opinion is of the auto bailout or George Bush or Timbuktu. There's too many good books I'll never have time to read; I don't think I'm missing anything by not reading about another train wreck (to take a nod from Thoreau).

My main reading is books, either nonfiction or fiction. I guess I read about 60% nonfiction and 40% fiction. Some of my nonfiction interests are house design, history, nature, biography, and, of course, writing. I subscribe to The Writer, Writer’s Digest, Script, and a couple of other magazines devoted to writing, as well as read books about writing.

Whose biography do you find most compelling and why?

I assume you mean the person whose biography it is, rather than who has written the best biography. In that case, Robert E. Lee. A few years ago I made it 3/4 of the way through the Lee biography by Douglas Southall Freeman (the four volume set), and I've read other biographies of Lee as well. Some of the other biographies I've read and which have stayed with me include those of Churchill; Teddy Roosevelt; Antoine de Saint-Exupéry; and many painters, writers, and historical characters

Has living in TN influenced your music choices? In what way? Have you always lived there? If no, where else?

I don’t really think it has. My dad was a big country music fan and when I was little we would go to a lot of their shows. I got to meet a lot of the performers who were “big names” at that time; back then it was easier to meet them. You basically just walked up and said, “Hi, I enjoyed the show.”

When I got a little older I was a rock music fan as were 98% of my friends. I like groups like the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, the Stones, that sort of thing. Of course, Nashville is the home of country and gospel music, but most people don’t know that Nashville has a world-class symphony orchestra, or that it was once a center of soul and R&B (less so now).

Living in Nashville, I’ve met or become friends with a few of the people who are well-known now (Keith Urban probably being the biggest name among them). We try to keep that sort of thing low-key here. If someone who lives in Nashville sees a “star” in a restaurant or store, the acceptable thing to do is to leave them alone. Of course, tourists are not expected to follow this "rule".

I have lived in Tennessee most of my life, except for a time when I was going to college. I like living in Tennessee; I love the rolling hills and mountains, the lakes and rivers, the hardwood forests, and, for the most part, the way of life here. It's not perfect, but then no place is. I would like to spend a year in Europe some time, especially around the northern Mediterranean (southern France, Italy, Greece, Spain). I don't really enjoy traveling when I'm just going somewhere for a week.

Tell me about someone who changed your life. In what way? How do you feel about that person, now?

Well, I could say my parents, who not only changed my life but created it. Instead, I'm mention one person who was been important to me--my best friend Cheryl. We have been friends for over twenty years; we have seen each other through good times and bad. Even though we have different interests about some things, we always enjoy sharing time together. We have never intentionally hurt each other. She knows if she calls tonight and needs me I'll be there; if I call and need her (as I very much did one time), she'll be there for me. A true friend is worth their weight in gold. I think Cheryl and I have a very special relationship. Oh, my other "best friend" is Melissa (so much so that we refer to ourselves as "big brother" and "little sister", My wedding gift to her was her wedding dress. I think I've said enough about friends however; I'll save this for another time.

I know you like to cook, so describe for me your favorite meal. And why? Who do you like to cook for?

I don’t know that I would say I like to cook so much as I don’t mind it and it can be fun at times. I like to be able to go home and cook anything I want. Here lately my favorite meal has been a big pot of chili! I don’t know that I really have a favorite meal (other than the always popular steak, burger, and pizza). Basic southern cooking and Italian are probably my favorite types of food, but I like a variety of other ways of cooking. In the past couple of years I’ve become a bigger fan of Middle Eastern/Northern African cooking (but don’t ask me to name many dishes just yet).

Cook for? Ha! I’m a single guy -- I take women out to expensive restaurants. My female friends have no qualms about letting a guy buy them dinner, trust me. ;-)

You've mentioned that you enjoy art. Who are some of the artists that you're drawn to (ha!) And why? Have you ever tried throwing a brush to canvas? Why or why not? And with what result?

I like the old masters (Rembrandt in particular), the Impressionist, and art of ancient times. I’m less interest in “modern art”.

I have tried both watercolor and oil painting, but I’ve done more drawing than painting. When I worked in architecture I was often the guy who did the presentation drawings for a proposed building; this was done using a number of varying techniques. If I had more free time I would probably do more drawing and painting than I do now. It’s hard to fit everything into one’s life.

One comment. People will sometimes talk about being “in the zone”, a sort of effortless, subconscious mindset while doing something, whether it's writing, or drawing, or playing music. When I’m doing a drawing I can easily get “in the zone” very quickly. I have had this happen when I was writing from time to time, but much less so, and not as fully or as intently as when drawing.

And last but not least: Why is Alleycat your user name?

My last name actually is Alley (as a few people already know), so Alleycat has always been a natural nickname for me. When the Internet came along and I was always needing a username, I just choose Alleycat. I’m alleycat on probably a dozen forums. Oh, and I do have a cat; a Russian Blue named Anna.
 

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Sara's Interview with Kimmi

When did you start writing?


I’ve always wrote, but for myself, never to publish. And I started a book club for 13 elementary students many many years ago. We invaded the libraries and read. Then we’d write, write and write. I had their works published in our local papers, had them write letters to themselves to be mailed to them on their 16th Birthdays. …Letters to the president, parents and each other. But we quickly morphed into a three dimensional facet club after I learned many of them simply could not change a light bulb and or boil an egg. I taught them about different cultures and traditions through reading and writing and how to boil the egg and change that light bulb. We learned about astronomy and I had them find their own star, name and write stories about their own star. More importantly, I encouraged them to do random acts of kindness for their families and communities. I decided when they turned twelve, to get the group; adult, infant and child CPR certified, then let them go. They protested, but in my heart I knew they had outgrown the club. They’d morphed into teens. ; )

What prompted you to try it?

My book started out as a childish diary to get through the emotional roller coaster I was experiencing at the time, then became a childish outline which I gave to William, the male protagonist inter-weaved throughout my book. To show him his own self worth and to thank him for giving voice to victims long silenced. But unbeknownst to me, William had taken my childish outline to an author and famous film producer in N.O. in 2006. They told William, “this lady needs to learn to write, tell her to go to IUniverse.” I was furious, embarrassed, but in the end grateful. The words were wise, indeed! Except for the IUniverse thingy. ; )


Was there an author or person who inspired you?

I come from a long list of ancestral authors, artists and composers, so maybe somewhere along the line, I inherited some of those creative writerly genes, at least I’d like to think so. And I can get inspiration holding a piece of old slate, looking at a muddy river or digging in my garden.

I know you write some poetry and we'll touch on your memoir, is there anything else that you enjoy writing?

Yes, I enjoy short stories and dabbling in children’s as well. And I generally will pull life lessons into all my writing.

Where do you usually write?

If I’m trying to work out serious problems in my writing, I head to my farm retreat. Otherwise it’s a small dining room nook I’ve carved out for my office. I have stain glass windows and the sunlight streams in and I can see trees and sky.

Why?

I can interact with my family and see my two pound puppies romping about outside.

Do you listen to music during the process or do you prefer to be undistracted?

Music, eclectic, no borders and crossing every genre, and played very loud. For editing I prefer quiet.

Your new book, The Unbreakable Child, is due out in April 2009. What was your writing process like, in writing your memoir? Did you find it cathartic or difficult? A mix of both?

The book was nourished with tea, typing n’ tears, I like to say. And thousands and thousands of hours of mistakes and learning to correct is not cathartic. It became painful. Even more so, I had many agents wanting it, I just couldn’t deliver--move it from 3rd to 1st POV at the time. Finally, in April 2007 a wonderful agent wrote me a letter and said, “Kimmi, for the fourth and final time, I’m sorry to say, I must again reject.” I looked at that letter over and over for a clue—a fifth chance, then jumped in my car and headed to the bookstore. For the first time since writing, I picked up a memoir, another, then another. They were all written in 1st POV! I just sat on the floor of the book store like a deranged idiot, tearing up, surrounded my 50 books, too dazed to even move. When I came home, I told my husband. He said… wait for it Sara, ready… husband said, “ohh, that’s okay, honey, just change all the words to I.”

And then came a big twist (the book had a few already, but this was for me, by far the biggest) at the completion of my work. There was a hint of it (this twist) in the book and I had to rewrite to expand on it further. It was a mind-blower.

There is much more I’d like to share with you and others, but news media is talking with me now for interviews and I’ve been advised to wait.

For me my big catharsis came from another on board here at AW. It was one of many first baby steps; a true healing to finally share with someone—someone who connected and totally understood.

After completing the manuscript, what surprised you most about the publishing process?

The ease of talking to those in the publishing world. They didn’t mind if I accidentally ‘sweetied’ or ‘hugged’ them. And the generosity my agent and publisher gave me over final say--control of my book. As well they always showed kindness and compassion. I guess from former tales and some advice on AW, I’d expected a somewhat edgier relationship.

Given the delicate subject matter and considering it's a story of your life, how do you feel, now that the book is out of your hands? Are you at all anxious about family and friends reactions?

Being an orphan and abused was my secret – and thus silence was my biggest ally, weapon for protection for me and my family. And, I kept all this from my family, children and closest friends, until I realized it was going to become an open book. Only then did I share with my children and start talking and even then—now; it’s more of a whisper. And to this day many of my friends still don’t have a clue. However, I did let a close friend of twenty years read the first two chapters recently. And she started sobbing uncontrollable. It scared me. I’d never told her I’d been raised an orphan etc… and I took the book away and found myself hugging HER and calming her, reassuring her that all was fine and I was fine.

I’d survived my childhood and when I became a young adult, I decided to educate myself on child abuse and its effects on me and others, dump my childhood baggage in the first trash bin, kick forward and survive what life had in store for me next. I simply didn’t want pity from anyone, or want to have childhood monsters peeking up from under the bed and grabbing my ankle! Still don’t. So, I try to remain positive, push aside any anxious thoughts and can easily be grateful for survival rather than bitter for childhood lost.

Do you have another project in the works? If so, what?

Yes, I have three, but have reluctantly put them aside to focus on the promo of this book. I’ve committed to advocate groups as well to touring etc. They say writers are only half way there when finishing a book—the other half is promoting. And it’s true.


Just a couple questions about you!

You are the self professed "Laundry Queen." What other talents do you possess that we may be unaware of?

I like photography and have been given national recognition and awards in the past for such.

What's your favorite meal? And why?

*laughs* There is no favorite; I like all foods except one. Oatmeal. And you can read the book on that take!

Tell me about a major non-writing related accomplishment.

I’m still working on this one, as I’m one that always has a never-ending task that needs accomplishing, which usually involves others. And I move quietly and quickly to try and move small mountains for others. These are my true major accomplishments; trying to change another’s life for the better.

According to your blog, you like to find ancient treasures for gifts or yourself. What would you consider your most prized possession?

It’s very true I love old--odd things and more so their history. But it is family that is the prize. Why? I hope you’ll read The Unbreakable Child and find out!
 

kdnxdr

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My Interview with Donkey

1) In the on/upon thread, you said "(you are) ready and willing to learn any new way of looking at the art of writing" and that you would like to find a "knowledge base" to work from.

In your bio you mention that you are a scultor by occupation and that you are also a singer. Do you find yourself inter-relating these different disciplines and do these very different mediums influence the other? Do you see your own experiences in these other art forms providing you with a "knowledge base" to drawn upon?

Good question. :)
I find that everything in my past influences my art, no matter which medium I’m working with. One of the benefits of maturity is having so much history to call upon when I’m seeking inspiration. I find this is especially true with writing.
Singing is actually a byproduct of my habit of constantly listening to music. Music helps me enjoy life, influences the creative aspect of my work, and keeps me awake when I’m reading. :)

2) Assuming that you are very busy with your varied interests, how serious do you want to pursue your writing?

I find that the more I get into writing, the more serious I become about it. My confidence level is very high. I believe I will write books that people enjoy reading. I’ve been learning about life, love, honor, faith, and finding your path from excellent authors my whole life, mainly because I enjoyed reading their books. I intend to be that author for someone else.

3) In response to a newbie introduction, you wrote "when you put pen to paper, you take your strife in your hands". You said you authored this statement. Do you find that your writing works as a type of catharsis for you, as way of dealing with stress in your own life?

I’m a creative person. Much of what I do (creatively) is cathartic. I’ve found this especially true of writing. It’s not physically demanding. I work with stone. Every aspect of working with stone is hard on my body. That’s a source of stress that I can’t control beyond making leverage my friend and working with the best tools. Writing is relaxing, very much like listening to mellow music. Unlike stone, I can leave a problem area just like it is and come back to it when I feel like dealing with it. I find that very freeing.

4) As a sculptor, do you ever see a poem in something you are sculpting or, vice versa, something to sculpt in your poetry?

I can’t say that I have ever done that. I try not to get too impressed with myself. Hopefully, somewhere along the line, my work has inspired someone else’s poetic leanings. I might be okay with getting a big head over that. :)

5) What is your preferred genre?
A good thriller with a Sci-Fi edge will always catch my eye first when I go digging for something to read.

6) In the Dark Fantasy Query thread, you mentioned "a nice glass of cabernet sauvignon". Often, writers have certain habits that help them "get into" their craft. Do you have any habits or do any "mood setting" to get yourself into your writing?

That was just me being a goof. :) To answer your question, though, I’d have to say that I haven’t yet developed any habits or mood setting techniques to get me ‘into’ writing. I hope I never do. I think it would portend the beginning of the end.

7) In the Remembrance Thread, you paid respects to Michael Crichton. You mentioned that you had been "reading or watching his work for more than thirty years. If you were in your 20's when you became familiar with his writing, do you believe his work would be appealing to 20 year olds of today?

Jules Vernes’ “Journey to the Center of the Earth” was published in 1864. It’s most recent cinematic remake came out in July, 2008 and was very successful. Some authors possess the rare talent required to create stories that have a timeless nature. I believe Michael Crichton to be one of very few authors about which this can be said.

8) Is your WIP, The Risen, your first attempt at writing a novel?

No, and yes. I took up writing when I was twenty, wrote a number of short stories, penned lots of poems, and started a novel. I spent two years in prison, so I had the time. Part of my generally misspent youth.
My current two WIP’s are a much more serious effort to write, finish and publish a novel. A third effort has possibilities. I’m actually most excited about the middle piece, in terms of having found my voice. It’s moving very well, and I have betas asking for more. :)


9) As a sculptor, and family person, when do you find your most opportune time to write?
During meals. My wife and I are big readers, and have always enjoyed our reading time at meals. Now she reads and I write. I also write at night. Like now. :)

10) Does your novel pull you away from your bread-n-butter work? Absolutely. I have a much harder time keeping my nose to the grindstone, knowing I have characters waiting for me.

11) Do you have a set schedule where you alot a specific amount of time for each craft? Asked and answered. :)

12) Your join date at AW is only 8-12-08 and now it's 12-08-08, and you over 500 posts. Quite a few of those posts are in various games and prompt threads. I and others have expressed how addicting AW can be and how easy it is to pass the time "just playing". Do you feel you are on AW purposfully most of the time or do you find yourself just killing time?
I usually go on and check the games first, then get to more important business. I enjoy reading SYW posts and offering critique, but I don’t consider that playing as much as learning. Every time I point out something another writer did right or wrong, I learn from it.

13) So far, how do you feel about your time spent here at AbsoluteWrite and the people you've "met" here?
Time spent on AW has been enlightening, fun, and extremely valuable as regards efforts to improve my writing skills. It’s an amazing ‘place’ to hang out, learn from and share.
Nearly everyone I have interacted with on AW has treated me with courtesy and generosity. I try hard to offer the same and contribute something of value to the site.


14) Besides haiku, prompt/games and your novel WIP, are you interested in trying other writing projects? I’m beta trading with a couple of other writers from AW, but I’m trying not to spread my available time too thin between additional projects.

15) Would you recommend AW to other writer friends?
Of course. It’s an incredible resource for any writer. I feel blessed to have all of the advantages of a site like AW at my fingertips. It’s offered me a real step up. Any writer could benefit from this site.

(Addendum to My Interview With Donkey)

Would you like me to use your real name? Probably not. It's best not to have your real name out there too much. (on-line)

Where are you from? Airforce brat, so all over. I attended 25 different schools between grades K-12.

Where do you live now?Oregon

I saw that you are in the Write A Lie About the Person Before You Thread alot...........and there are some pretty intriquing rumors that could get started in that thread. Could you please confirm the following:

1. Did you once sing a duet with Barry Manilow?
Or anyone else, for that matter? I only duet with my wife. What kind of guy do you think I am? Did I just ask a trick question?

2. Can you or can you not do Spock eyebrow raises? Do you attempt to do Spock eyebrow raises when in front of your bathroom mirror? Yes to both. One follows the other, unless you are muscularly challenged and without talent.

3. Are you secretly a Trekki? There's no such thing as a secret Trekie. People can tell. So, no, but yes.

4. Do you or do you not sometimes pretend to be Dr. Phil?
How did you feel when you asked that question? Did it make you sad or angry? Can your mother come on the show? Does anyone take your advice? You know what's funny about that? They don't take my advice, and then they expect me to take directions from them. The gall! Besides, nobody really knows how to get to Hell. Do they?

5. Are you at this time attempting to become pregnant so that you can be the second pregnant man? No, but I am lactating, and that's working out great so far. You know how expensive milk is. Why would you want to? I hear the benefits are awesome!

6. Were you ever really a pretty pony? HandsomeHandsome! pony. What happened to you? Sunning with baby oil. Quel désastre!

7. And, is it true that you are 100% ass? Good question. Should I ask your wife? Not unless you want every disgusting detail. Ask at your risk.

(If you could just help clear up these little misconceptions, it will help to deter any of this information from ending up in the AW rumor mill.)


Elaine Parny - kdnxdr
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Magdalen

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Magdalen's interview with Meerkat

I’ve read a lot of meerkat’s poem’s and his profile but I like him anyway. Seriously, I’m happy to contribute a slice of meerkat, even if it is a day late; I assure you it is not a dollar short!

1. What is your most vivid childhood memory, and how old were you when the event occurred?


My elementary school class in New Jersey took a brave, ill-advised field trip to Shea Stadium to watch a Mets game. I say ill-advised because some foolish twerp always wanders off to the bathroom in order to gawk at the vendors' nonsense, then cannot find my way back to wherever the seats were. After wandering around a little, I just selected a portal to pop out of (some would call this a lifelong modus operandi), and looked up at the thousands in the crowd. At that exact moment, my classmate Nickie B. stood on his seat to cheer, raising his head above the dozens of rows of gray adult blobs in front of him. This level of rescue-by-synchronicity has always been a reliable feature in my life.

2. Were you ever "obsessed" with a book or movie, such that you read or watched it repeatedly?
Many movies actually fall into this category, but I would say that the one I most frequently choose to watch when I have the house to myself is Saving Private Ryan. I was lucky enough to see it the first time in a near empty theater equipped with surround sound. The empty shell casings sounded as if they were falling on the floor behind each audience member's head. In my opinion, this movie best captures every aspect and emotion of army life, and best lets every generation know what horrors and sacrificial decisions are at stake.

3. Please give the name of three authors, poets, artists or musicians (any combination) whose work you admire or influenced you.
I have always thought that Alice Cooper and Donald Fagan were the two most under-appreciated musicians of our time. Okay, of my time (my kids call me Seventies Man, and I wear that badge proudly)... I learned how to play the guitar, playing along with the eight-track tapes of both artists (in lieu of studying, in both high school and college). The writer who has influenced me most is Ray Kurzweil. His brilliant work The Singularity is Near is the most astounding and instructive manual we could possibly have in our hands at this remarkable time in history.

4. Share a brief story about a really exciting time or moment in your life.
My midlife crisis was a humdinger. In a matter of weeks, I grasped "divorced, unemployed, homeless debtor" from the jaws of "rising community leader." That was a dozen years ago, and I am still crawling back. I can take no man seriously until this phase of his life is behind him.

5. Please contribute one poem that you've written.
Every poem I've written has been done here. The one of which I am most proud would be this:

Origami

such fragile marvels we
whose moods so freely swing
such drunken marbles we
whose paths once tempted err

what paper tigers roar
shored by unwitting allies
what shapes so quickly crush
or hold, with one choice word


Peace be with all of you, my fellow AW members!
 

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Swine Before Pearls, Part 1: my interview with aruna

What questions do you dread that I'll ask?

“What’s your most embarrassing moment?” I’ll NEVER answer that! Only two other people were there; one was my best friend, and the other the stranger who witnessed the dreadful thing. As a result I’ll never forget this stranger. It happened on an ocean liner, I was 16, and that’s the only thing I’ll reveal!

Name some things that make you smile.

Cute babies, puppies and kittens. The ocean, a starry night, roses, mountains, the full moon, a tree in full blossom… you get the picture!

What excites you about writing?

Creating characters out of nothing, making them come to life, finding their stories and letting them live on the page.

What's it all about, Alfie?


The short answer:

I believe in love, Alfie.
Without true love we just exist, Alfie.
Until you find the love you've missed you're nothing, Alfie.


The long answer:

OK, I’ve thought about it some more and decided I can’t leave it at this; it’s far too impersonal. So I told Poet to hold on to the interview so I can elaborate on the “Alfie” question.

If I’d been born to normal modern parents today, they’d probably put me into therapy. I could sit for hours doing nothing, and I refused to talk to anybody but my parents and close relatives. Once an aunt actually (Horror!) heard me speaking ) (I’d forgotten she was sitting in the back seat of my dad’s car!) and it seriously freaked me out! The only things that interested me were books and animals, though I did have a few close friends. When I sat all alone gazing at nothing or curled u[ in a corner I was actively thinking deeply about myself and my place in the world. I was trying to figure out things like “what are thoughts made out of?” and “what is in the space between two thoughts?” and “what makes me separate from other people?” but I found no answers.

Later I read all the books on philosophy and psychology I could find but I got no answers there, either. I’d been raised atheist so I got no answers in religion. So I decided to be cool like other girls my age, and became a party girl. All that happened was that I was far too square and insecure for boys to like me, so I ate too much to compensate for not being liked, developed a eating disorder, and got very fat. Boys called me the “Brown Bomber”, which didn’t help. I also smoked and got drunk a lot. My mother (she raised me alone) was very permissive so I could do anything I wanted, and all my friends who had strict parents thought I was lucky. But I was very unhappy.

By that time I was working as a staff reporter for the leading Guyanese newspaper, and they used to send me out to interview interesting foreigners who came to the country. One of these was a Yoga teacher from Switzerland. Long story short, I began going to Yoga classes and the very first class turned me around. I left it feeling as light as an air bubble, and in the weeks following as I kept up the practice I dropped all my excess weight as well as stopped drinking and smoking. And then I began reading the philosophy books related to Yoga, and they answered all my questions I’d had as a child; they were more concerned with the practical side of self-discovery, self-knowledge and self-improvement, rather than theoretical philosophical questions on the meaning of life, so it was right up my alley.

Another long story short, in 1973, aged 22, I left Guyana and travelled to India. I had no money but somehow that sorted itself out. I went via Switzerland, where I met some friends and worked for a while, and we all went together overland via Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan. We arrived in India on a day when the war with Pakistan had ended (or at least a ceasefire had been agreed upon). And at the India-Pakistan border there was a red carpet laid out for returning soldiers and everyone else, and people were cheering and throwing flowers on us and blowing trumpets. That was how I entered India.

The place I went to was in the south, in Tamil country, and it was a journey in itself down from the north, but I made it and it didn’t disappoint. The following year was the happiest in my life. I lived mostly in a tiny hut at the foot of a hill ,without plumbing and electricity, living on very little, but I was gloriously happy. Back then the place was undiscovered (though famous in Indian antiquity) and there were few people, and they were all like me. I made some lifelong friends, Indians and Westerners. Now, the place has unfortunately become popular and it’s overrun with hundreds and thousands of people, especially at full moon, and had become all touristy with all the negative issues that brings. It still remains special to me, though, and I go as often as I can. It’s my home.



Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?




Back in my school days, we studied a new Shakespeare play every term, and from every play we had to learn at least one speech. We learnt sonnets by heart, as well, including this one. That doesn’t happen in schools today; at least, my children didn’t have to do anything of the sort. It’s a damn shame. When we learn such superb writing by heart our minds align with the greatness behind it, takes on the very shape of greatness, if only for a moment. It’s the very best training for a writer, both in terms of writing skill, and in terms of reaching out for grand ideas. The yearning for permanent love, permanent beauty, permanent fulfilment is perhaps the driving force in my life. Something beyond the ephemeral. Maybe I caught it from Shakespeare.


Is there a dream that used to flash like twilight lightning for you, but hangs limp in memory now?

I remember sitting, as a child, maybe seven years old, on a sunny Caribbean beach at Blanchisseuse, Trinidad, and being overwhelmed by the grandeur and vastness of the sea before me. It was a feeling of perfect, exquisite happiness, complete in itself, and I’ve carried that moment around with me ever since.

It doesn’t hang limp in memory at all, I can recall it at any given moment, and it’s as real and alive as ever. I’ve always wanted to return to Blachisseuse, and even investigated the price of property there recently! I don’t believe that it’s a dream that will come true, though, and it’s wrong to tie it to a particular place; the truth of that moment was that happiness quite literally is inside one.


"For the most part, people are... " what?

“…people want to be loved and respected, no matter who they are. Scratch beneath the surface, and that’s what you’ll find.”

How do you like your narrative voice to come across: what emotion, manner, outlook - what type of person - do you convey in that voice?

Most of all, writing is a manner of expression for me, a way of communication. As a child I was always a shy, withdrawn person, awkward and silent, too introverted to be understood. I desperately wanted to have a voice; at times I felt I was brimming over with things to say, but no words or medium of expression. I felt there was a huge space between me and everyone else. A lot of the time I felt stupid and inferior to others, especially popular people who always had such brilliant things to say, who were funny and eloquent and natural; that was what made them popular, after all! And I was just a wallflower. Writing was a way of bridging that gap. I found I could tell stories, and everything I ever wanted to say came out in that form. I was able to come across as strong and adventurous and even witty.


Is that person a reflection of you, either in reality or in some ideal or alternate persona?

It’s asif, when I’m writing a story and am caught up in the magic of creation, the shy, insecure me vanishes and the real person stands up; as if the writing me is the real one, and the everyday one a fake.

If you were to remain one age forever, what age would that be?


For a long time I’ve looked forward to being 80. It’s an ideal age for me. I believe that life is about learning and growing, and I dearly hope that when I turn 80 I will have reached a degree of wisdom and compassion that will allow me to live forever, a calm, wise, gentle old woman who people turn to when they are troubled! I wish I could just skip the intervening years, as I think they will be tough. That kind of ideal doesn’t come easy.


Does 'being a writer' effect any changes in you, any expectations of yourself in terms of character or manner -- anything other than writing itself?


Well… when I was first published I had to do all sorts of things to which I was totally unsuited: meet and impress industry people, give readings, talk to journalists, give radio interviews and once a TV interview, and once or twice, a workshop. So I was forced to come out of my shell, and I did try very hard to be that public persona. It’s important, I think, not to put on an act in such cases, but simple speak from the heart, which is the course I took. Most times it worked. But I will never be that perky, witty chatty person so beloved by today’s media. I guess I’m too serious, incapable of small talk. I’m more of an ivory tower sort of person, and would dearly love to change that.


What are the characteristics of a writer - the way you'd like to be seen and remembered as a writer?


I just want to write books that move people, books that live on in their minds, and if possible even change them into better humans. I’d like to write novels that people remember and pass on to others. I’m more eager for my characters and their stories to be remembered, than to be remembered myself.

But it might be over. Since finishing my last novel (sixth!) earlier this year I haven’t felt the least urge to write another. I don’t even feel as if I should be writing another: no guilt. I look back and everything seems trite and inadequate. Maybe all my stories have been told, and I need to go in a different direction. Non-fiction appeals to me, and Hindu mythology. Maybe it’s just that I am weary, as at the moment I’m carrying quite a few loads that have nothing to do with writing.

Are there any reading experiences you've had (emotions, epiphanies, impressions, etc.) that have shaped your conception of how you'd like your readers to react to your own works?

When I was about 19 I read a great book called The Book of Mirdad. It was one of those “What’s it all about, Alfie?” books; written by Michael Naimy, a Lebanese writer and intellectual who was a close friend of Kahlil Gibran. It bowled me over, both by the beauty of the language and the wisdom of its content. In a nutshell, it taught me that “we live that we may learn to love. We love that we may learn to live. No other lesson is required of man.”
The last lines of the book suggest that there is room for a sequel. The greatest thing for me would be to write that sequel, one worthy of its predecessor. Till then, it’s just scribbling.


Do you finish books you don't like? What do you get from them?


No. Life is too short. I throw them against the wall with a scream of torment.

Describe your favorite or ideal writing mise en scene -- that is, how, where, when you like (or would like) to be situated when you're writing.

An octogenarian, sitting on a wicker chair in a beautiful rose garden in India, under a honeysuckle pergola, with my favourite mountain in front of me.

You're a multiple-published novelist. What inspires you to switch gears and write in other forms?


One of my next projects is an autobiography of a famous politician from my country, Guyana. I know her, and I have her permission. But I do find switching gears very difficult indeed. I tend to want to dramatize everything, add my own salt to her already very spicy life, but I get the feeling she would not like that. She’s a very pragmatic kind of person, and I am not. So before I even start I have to kind of strip down to the bare essentials and just concentrate on the facts of her life. It’s not going to be easy.

Of the questions that you hoped I'd ask but didn't, which would you most like to answer? (Go ahead, then!)

This will sound like treachery, but if I had the choice to be a different kind of artist, I would take it… and I’d be a musician. I’d play the violin, or in a far second be a singer, and I’d play the most exquisite music ever heard on earth. For me, music is an even clearer self-expression than words; it’s direct speech, straight from the heart, without the need of interpretation through the brain. Just exquisite!
 

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Swine Before Pearls, Part 2: my interview with Perks

What questions do you dread that I'll ask?

Now, if I were to name them, I’d feel compelled to answer them in defense of why I didn’t want to in the first place. And yes, I do that much mental tail-chasing all the time.

Name some things that make you smile.

The moon in the daytime. When I was about six or seven, I decided that seeing the moon in the morning on my walk to school meant good luck, that it would be a good day. I’ve never been able to keep from smiling at the moon in a blue sky ever since. Other than that, I don’t smile at all. It causes wrinkles.

What excites you about writing?

Finding a particular order of words that makes the thought in my mind solid and textured, so it looks on the page just the way it felt in my head.

What's it all about, Alfie?

It’s all about the travesty of Michael Caine being the most underrated hottie of all time.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Why not? I’m often humid and make greenery wilt.

Is there a dream that used to flash like twilight lightning for you, but hangs limp in memory now?

I think know what you mean, unless it’s a literary reference that is showing me up for the trailer trash I really am. It’s a hard question to answer. Most of my dreams are like that, vivid right up until I try to relate it. I do a lot of lucid dreaming, which is being aware, as it’s happening, that it’s all a dream. I can mostly change, stop, rewind, and jettison my dreams as it pleases me. I’ve never had to have that falling dream since I figured out how to do this. I didn’t realize that everyone didn’t lucid dream until I was in my twenties.

Or wait, did you mean ‘dream’ as in ‘aspiration’? If so, then no, I’ve always been short of ambition.

"For the most part, people are... " what?

A pain in the ass. That’s why I count the ones I enjoy as worth their weight in diamonds.

You often write with a first-person voice. How do you like that voice to come across: what emotion, manner, outlook - what type of person - do you convey in that voice?

So far, I’ve conveyed three different people in the first person: a fledgling ghost, a corrupt police officer, and a woman who wants nothing more than to be suburban normal, but she’s got… um… obstacles. So, when I think of this question, the answer that comes to me is that we can’t be anything other than the axis of our own lives. We are essentially egocentric, even Mother Theresa, because that’s how the world is – one life at a time, everywhere simultaneously. I want to portray that one-way filter of fundamental solitude.

First person is play-acting, and I think probably the easiest way to get prose to ring true, if you do it right. So sadly, I probably use the first person point of view because it’s an easy way out. That’s Path-of-Least-Resistance-Perks and she comes with all the accessories shown here.

I do have a novel nearly done that’s in third person, though. And it turns out I love that just as much as first person, if not just a teeny bit more.

Is that person a reflection of you, either in reality or in some ideal or alternate persona?

Sure. I think every person I’ve made up has hatched from some dream egg of my own laying. I’m greedy. I want a thousand lives. So, until my plan for body-snatching and soul-eating is realized, I live through these tendrils of my daydreams. Inventing adversarial situations and ways out of them is wonderful mental exercise. I think it makes our lives larger in a very real sense.

What’s really great is that I live just as fully through characters that other people create as I do my own. When a book is well-written, I absolutely ache to be in that fraternity, to be one of the people who can do that for others – create bigger, better playgrounds for their minds to run and fall and get dirty and push and shove and win and lose. All from the comfort of their very own bed, bus seat, airport terminal bench, hammock… you know.

If you were to remain one age forever, what age would that be?

Ha! I used to pretend that my Barbie dolls were twenty-eight. Always twenty-eight. I don’t know why. Twenty-eight was a good enough year for me, but as far as what age I’d like to stay forever, I haven’t hit that yet. Physically, I’d like to reverse gravity by a dozen years or so, but barring that, there’s always Botox.

Does 'being a writer' effect any changes in you, any expectations of yourself in terms of character or manner -- anything other than writing itself?

I expect of myself that I have to try harder than other people to make sure that fantasy does not supplant the reality that whooshes past me all day, every day. I can rewind my dreams, but I can’t rewind Thursday. Plus, if I’m mindful, I can use it.

What are the characteristics of a writer - the way you'd like to be seen and remembered as a writer?


That I was good. That’s all. I desperately want to be good at this.

Are there any reading experiences you've had (emotions, epiphanies, impressions, etc.) that have shaped your conception of how you'd like your readers to react to your own works?


Oh yes. The most obvious one is a book that hasn’t been published yet. I trade work with a guy who is one of the most talented writers I’ve ever read. Watching his book glitter as he tapped facets into it was the most inspiring thing I’ve ever witnessed.

He got both elements of fiction so right. It was a riveting story told through the most gorgeous words possible. And he knows what in a scene is most worth relating. His fly-on-the-wall is the greatest cinematographer of all time.

If I could do that…

I resist imitation as best I can, but everything I read, from the shampoo bottle to the next book in the stack on my shelf, can be chock full of examples of what I’d like to achieve or sins against verbiage that I hope never to commit.

Do you finish books you don't like? What do you get from them?


Sometimes. What I get out of them is the shame of being so damned cheap that I’ll throw good time after bad money.

Describe your favorite or ideal writing mise en scene -- that is, how, where, when you like (or would like) to be situated when you're writing.


I love my office. When this house was built, there was a small error in the plans and this room ended up smaller by two feet in both length and width. We tried using it as a guest room, but in all honesty, it was really more of a guest cell. So I moved my office area in here and it’s perfect. I’ve vowed only to have things I love in this room. Everywhere I look, I smile. Oh shit. I just betrayed my answer to question two as a fib. Sorry.

My husband asked if it bothered me that the room was too small to accommodate a chair for someone else to sit in, to keep me company. But the answer is – not at all. Mine, mine, mine, all mine. If you want something from me while I’m working, you’ll have to stand at the door and feel like a pest.

So, the short answer to your question, now that I’ve wandered around the block, is: any time, day or night, in my office with the window open and the neighbor’s dog not barking. It has to be quiet.

What inspires you to switch gears and write a poem?


I love it when that happens. It’s just a phrase that’ll pop into my head, a sideways arrangement of a point. Then I’ll build on it from there. And it’s funny, I very much prefer to write prose on the computer, but I have to write poetry by hand.

Of the questions that you hoped I'd ask but didn't, which would you most like to answer? (Go ahead, then!)

You didn’t ask me what my favorite flavor of ice cream is. Other than that, this was a really terrific set of questions and I really enjoyed working out the answers to them. Thank you.

Oh. It’s mint chocolate chip.
 

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Swine Before Pearls, Part 3: my interview with Ganesha

<watch this space!>
 

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Cranky Interviews SPMiller

Disclaimer: I conducted this interview via IM. If things wander a bit, that's my fault as a newbie interviewer! I had a lot of fun interviewing Sean. Here's a cleaned up transcript of our conversation. (Cleaned up because I'm really awful about asides and tangents, lol)


-----------------------------------------------------

Cranky: What is your favorite author? Why? And, what is your favorite genre, and why?

SPMiller: I'm most widely-read in speculative fiction, including works categorized as "literature" but are really F/SF/horror. Within spec fic, I prefer to read fantasy and science fiction over horror, but am fine with all three.

My favorite writer is hard to choose.

Cranky: Well, then how about your top three?

SPMiller: That's a little easier. I like Roger Zelazny, George R. R. Martin, and Margaret Ogden--each for slightly different reasons.

Cranky: Can you elaborate? You don't have to write a whole bunch about why, but maybe the biggest reason for each?

SPMiller: Sure. Zelazny is an excellent prose stylist, and he's the wittiest of the three by far. Martin is the best at characterization and plotting. Ogden handles perspective and character-immersion (especially in first person) very well.

Cranky: Would you say any of these three is the biggest literary influence you have? If not, who is? Or do you feel you have one?

SPMiller:I'd have to give that to Zelazny. Certain of his works really connected with me, and as a person he was apparently a hell of a guy.

Cranky: Which one of his works is your favorite, or which do you consider to be his most influential for you?

SPMiller: Well, like many F/SF fans, I discovered him through his amber series. He wrote a number of other novels, of course. He was one of the new wave guys, and although I haven't read all of them, some of them were amazing. I'd have to say it was actually a short story of his that hit me in the gut back in college that got me hooked on him: “The Engine at Heartspring's Center”

Cranky: Do you consider yourself primarily a novelist or a short story writer? Do you prefer one over the other?

SPMiller: I always aspired to be a career novelist. I have a lot of years ahead of me before I achieve that goal, but that's my target. Most of my writing output has been novels, simply due to their length, but I've written dozens of short stories as well. I don't, however, see much in common between those two forms of writing. Novel-length narratives are a totally different beast.

Cranky: What do you see as the main difference? I have my own theories, of course, but this is about you!

SPMiller: I haven't given that question much thought, so my response may be simplistic (and therefore wrong), but I feel shorts are more about style than substance. You don't have much room to build up a strong plot with unique characters and a distinct setting; you basically have to piggyback on genre tropes. So, shorts end up being "idea" fiction taken to an extreme. You have a quick hook into a very brief conflict, then you're done.

Cranky: So, to put it another way...there's more room to maneuver in a novel-length piece, to add more substance/complexity to the story? Is that why you (apparently) prefer writing novels to writing shorts? Or is that just the difference, as you see it?

SPMiller: That is indeed how I see it. I feel like the novel form allows me to really spread my wings as a writer, to use a hackneyed expression. As an addendum to my last response, I want to point out that I often write much darker fiction than most of my peers.

Cranky: Oh? How so? (I'm thinking of your living skeleton guy, by the way, and that was awesome!)

SPMiller: I’m usually struggling to free myself and my stories from the constraints of genre conventions.

Cranky: Can you give me an example? Then I have one last “writerly” question for you.

SPMiller: Well, to use some examples from that very story you mentioned, I wanted to write about an undead character that wasn't a vampire/werewolf/whatever. I had him start out in his coffin as a means of intentionally building up the reader's expectations that he turn out to be a vampire, when he's actually more lich-y. From that point forward, I used blood as a motif, but never in a vampiric sense.

Cranky: Yes, I remember. It was very effective, and definitely different.
SPMiller: I wanted to show how one might use blood in ways other than those often used by writers of vampire fiction.

Cranky: I think you succeeded with that. The story sure stuck with me.

SPMiller: If you want to throw that last writerly question at me, I might take a shot at it.

Cranky: Are you subbing this [the above story] around anywhere? (Gawd, if you aren't, I might have to slap you) And how long have you been writing seriously?

SPMiller: You just may have to slap me, then. I'm an unremorseful perfectionist, and something is missing from Hostus' tale--but once I find out what it is, I'll be subbing that story

Cranky: You'd better, dang it! Would you say that's a pretty fair representation of the work you try to do in your novels?

SPMiller: Yeah, I make a very deliberate effort to avert (if not subvert) spec fic tropes. I like turning convention on its head and showing it for the silliness it is.

Cranky: Oh, what a rich answer THAT was! :D
.
SPMiller: I've often said that escapism is too important to spec fic in general, which I'm sure wouldn't endear me to my audience if they knew I said that. And now that I've said it in this interview, it WILL be known!

Going back to your earlier question really quickly, I wrote my first novel when I was in the third grade. That's age nine, for those of you outside the United States.

Cranky: How long was it, and what was it about?

SPMiller: I'm not sure. I filled two spiral notebooks before I reached the end. One of the girls who sat next to me in class got a hold of one of the spirals and couldn't stop laughing. Allow me to assure you it wasn't because I was writing humor. ;)

I've been writing ever since. Sixteen years, I guess. but I didn't get serious about it until October 2007, when I swore that I would lay my ego on the line by making a straightforward, honest attempt at producing a saleable novel.

Cranky: And when do you anticipate (or have you already?) have a novel ready to query agents/publishers with? (And then for the fun questions)

SPMiller: That novel is still out to two beta readers at the moment. I had hoped to have a "final" draft ready by 2009, but I think it'll take a month or two longer than I expected.

Cranky: But then you'll be submitting?

SPMiller: Phew. I wish I felt that confident. Really, I'm nervous, but I intend to submit anyway.

Cranky: Well, good for you. You should. Okay, now...the most important question of them all! Original trilogy, or the "first three" of George Lucas' Star Wars saga?

SPMiller: I have no idea what you're talking about. As far as I know, Lucas only directed A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. This talk of one trilogy, much less two, utterly confuses me.

Cranky: Awesome. Perfect answer. :D You're a software guy, right? Do you have a favorite techy gadget?

SPMiller: As far as software guys go--well, let's just say I've been called a Luddite. My true loves are language (writing, you see) and mathematics. Don't actually care much for software engineering, but computer science as an academic pursuit interests me. I didn't even get myself a cell phone until about halfway through my cs degree. That wasn't very long ago. Maybe four or five years, If not for my friends bitching me out for not having a cell phone, I probably still wouldn't have one.

Cranky: So, no favorite tech toys? A surprising answer.
SPMiller: I'd say my favorite tech gizmo is... the computer. I like tinkering with them. always have. that's how I ended up in CS. I carry weird tools on my person at all times, as well as a pair of black ink pens.

Cranky: Weird tools? Such as?

SPMiller: The pens are for writing, but the tools are for dealing with whatever odd situations arise whilst working on computers. Well, not all of them would be smiled upon by employers or lab managers if I described them in detail, but they do come in handy at times.

Cranky: Ah, so they're sooper sekrit tools? Fair enough, I won’t pry. LOL So...if you had the ability to do anything at all, what would it be? That can be superhero powers, or anything mundane that you don't know how to do but wish you did.

SPMiller: The ability to do anything? That's broad.

Cranky: Well, let's say if you could have any particular talent, then. and as a companion (and final question) do you have any hidden talents that most people don't know you have?

SPMiller: I'll restrict myself in my response--obviously, choosing to be god would open up all other possibilities.

Cranky: Ah yes, no genie, no god.

SPMiller: Talent. I did okay with music, but I've always been terrible at visual art. Can't draw to save my life. I think in pictures and have a very vivid imagination; it'd be nice to be able to put some of that on paper in some other way than words. If I could choose any particular ability, I'd like to be able to understand other people, what they're thinking/feeling.

Cranky: You'd like to be empathic or telepathic?

SPMiller: To an extent. Not so much that I'd be tempted to eavesdrop directly on their thoughts--that should be sacred--but the ability to better connect with people would really help me out in many ways.

Regarding hidden talents, I'm just not sure. People often know me either through my tech/cs/math skills or my writing skills, and they express shock when I reveal my "other side". I try to hide my video gaming skills, but I don't think that'd count as surprising.

I haven't tried recently, but I could probably burp the alphabet, or read a short story entirely with burps

Now that's an endearing talent, I tell you what.

Cranky: That’s all I’ve got, Sean. Thanks for talking to me!

SPMiller: Not a problem.
 

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Conversation With A Digital Medievalist

Same disclaimer as above! :)
---------------------------------------

Cranky: First are some writerly type questions, and after that, I guess I'll just have to wing it and see what comes up, if that's all right by you.

Medievalist: Sure.

Cranky: First things first....and forgive me for such an ignorant question, but do you write fiction or non-fiction?

Medievalist: :D I am currently making my living writing, but I loathe and hate and detest writing. It's too much like work. But other than working on early games, and sometimes brainstorming with writer friends, I don't do fiction. Teaching is much much easier.

Cranky: And you teach medieval history? Or literature? Or some other thing I haven't thought of?

Medievalist: English comp/writing, of various sorts, and English lit from 800 to 1832, otherwise known as The Good Stuff.

Cranky: So, that's where the moniker comes from then, I assume. Do you have a favorite writer from that era?

Medievalist: Anonymous :D In all seriousness, everything anyone would want to know about me is on the Web. http://www.digitalmedievalist.com Really!

Cranky: I assume, then that you'll list your favorite contemporary authors there, too?

Medievalist: Somewhere there . . . it's a pretty big site. SF mostly, Cherryh, Emma Bull, Elizabeth Bear, Donne, and then really early anonymous stuff--the Welsh Mabinogi, Irish myths.

Cranky: And then there is your blog on reading Stephen King. I know a little bit about how that came to be, but if you wouldn't mind explaining it a little more, that would be great. And also if you wouldn't mind telling us which one of his works you ended up liking the most -- or if you ended up liking any of them at all!

Medievalist: I'm still reading King. Here's what happened.

I was the worlds longest writing dissertation student. Ever. And around 2005 or so, Mac got to talking about King and how much she loved him. And I'd really not read anything. So we made a deal that I'd read her suggestions when I finished the Ph.D. (Mac wrote her M.A. thesis on King's Pet Sematary). So I passed my defense in May, and she sent me this &$ (*#&& huge list. Which she kept adding to . . . so far, Pet Sematary is my favorite. I've umm . . . well a blog post turned into an essay. A long essay. [cough]. Maybe twenty or so pages, not counting footnotes.

Cranky: LOL! And correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you originally start this project in the spirit of reading it for fun? :D

Medievalist: Umm . .. well. Yeah. But King is really really smart, and fun, and interesting--and he's actually very very sophisticated as a writer. He's deliberately playing off Hawthorne, and Melville and the Brontes, for instance.

And he's scary as hell. I won't watch the movies. And I won't read him at night before going to bed.

Cranky: I don't blame you for avoiding his work at night. Which one scared you the most?

Medievalist: I'm still reading the farking list . . .but Misery, I think. So far.

Here's the current version of my homework:

List I
> The Dead Zone
> Pet Sematary
> The Shining
> IT
> The Stand
> Dolores Claiborne
> Bag of Bones
> Lisey's story
> Duma Key
>
> Intermezzo
>
> On Writing
> Danse Macabre
>
> List II
>
>
> Salem's Lot
> Skeleton Crew
> Cujo
> Christine
> Misery
> Rose Madder
> The Green Mile
>
>
> Bag of Bones, then Lisey's story and then Duma Key.

Cranky: When you're finished with your homework, are you going to write any more essays on his work? And what do you have currently in the pipeline that you can talk about?

Medievalist: Right now, I'm I'm blogging for hire :D And not under my own name. It pays the bills. I really really do loathe writing.

Cranky: And yet, you do it. Why? A serious question, because I loathe it at times, too, and I don't get paid for it. Yet.

Medievalist: Because I can get paid for it, fairly easily. And particularly when I write about technology. Plus, I moved from SoCal to Washington, after I finished my degree, and I got writing work right away; a tenure track teaching job, or a geek job, takes a bit to find right now.

Cranky: And I would suppose that have some pub credits are a good thing to put on your resume, for sure. Publish or perish, yes? So, if you didn't have to write...what else would you like to do besides teach?

Medievalist: Yep. They are. And honestly, the life of a roving lecturer, someone without tenure, is miserable. If I didn’t teach, I’d develop software. Particularly content based software-- things like multimedia editions.

Cranky: Okay, explain that to the tech-challenged. Namely me. :D Multimedia editions...like interactive content?

Medievalist: Digital Shakespeare and Chaucer :D Things like a video performance, with an annotated text, and comparisons of video clips and essays. Like this: http://www.digitalmedievalist.com/bibs/mackers.html Which is now more than ten years old-- but still is the industry standard. It's hellaciously fun to teach with things like that.

Cranky: I can see why…it would appeal to all kinds of learners. I take it that this is currently too much of a niche thing to provide a steady gig?

Medievalist: Well, it used to. . . but a lot of the problem is that current technology can't do what we did way way back in the '90s. We did things like annotated Beethoven symphonies.

Cranky: Why ever not? Is it copyright issues? Compatibility problems? I know, I'm going off on a tangent here, but I'm really curious as to why.

Medievalist: It's two issues: one, rights now, those things are much much harder to obtain. And two, the basic technology. But we're getting closer.

Cranky: That's something you'd like to be a part of, with the software development?

Medievalist: My last job I created software for "cognitive fitness" -- essentially brain exercises for people in the early stages of Alzheimer's. So,yes. Even just text-based e-books.

Cranky: Oh, wow! Okay, before I take up too much more of your time with silly questions, I have some other questions. Where is the best place you lived, and why?

Medievalist: I grew up in very rural N. H. but I'm loving the Pacific Northwest. I love the weather, the people, the culture. So I'd say Washington, around Seattle. We have grapes, and grain, and cattle, and salmon, you know? What's not to like?

Here's just how much I love Washington: http://somethingpacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/

Cranky: Do you follow this blog or contribute to it?

Medievalist: It's all mine. :D I umm . . . I'm sorta a blog expert. It's part of the geek stuff. Community management/content management.

Cranky: Do you hire yourself out for that on a project basis? I could see that being a pretty lucrative gig.

Medievalist: Yep. :D It's way harder than teaching--even than teaching comp classes with all the grading and conferences--but I can make reliable income. So that blog, that's just because I needed to try some new stuff in Blogger's blog spot, and if I have to write, it's less miserable if I can write about something I'm interested in. And teaching--honestly, I think I may learn more from my students than they learn from me. They do most of the work, after all.

Cranky[/B]: If you could have any ability that you currently do not, what would it be? And god-like powers are out. :D

Medievalist: I'd love to be able to drive a car. Really really love it. I'll never be able to though (poor vision and no depth perception, at all).

Cranky: A particular kind of car? Or just to be able to drive, period?

Medievalist: Just be able to drive. It's really not safe, and in some states, not legal. I can't pass the vision test. And honestly, the world is better with me not driving.

Cranky: Fair enough. :) Do you have a talent that maybe most people don't know about? Or an unusual hobby?

Medievalist: I can tell lots about a person's life just by hearing them talk.

Cranky: Really? Like, though linguistic tics, or something like that?

Medievalist: Yep. Dialect, education, lots of stuff. Partially just by having a good ear, but also, from training.

Cranky: Ah. So that helps you place people, to remember them? I imagine that would actually be more accurate than physical appearance anyway, since that changes so often. That's a pretty handy skill to have as a teacher, I would think. Any other ways you find it helpful?

Medievalist: Well, I really really can't see...and part of the problem with that, and dyslexia, is that facial recognition . . . well, I suck at facial recognition. But I do remember voices. And I really am dyslexic. So the %&*($* letters and words, even on a computer, are shape-shifters.

Cranky: Do they really do that? The symbols, I mean? I'm horrifyingly ignorant about dyslexia.

Medievalist: Yeah, they really do. It's . . . they shift, and move around. They don't even stay in the right order. I fell in love with computers because they had spell check, even on mainframes.

Cranky: Okay, and one (maybe two) last question: what do you consider to be your biggest achievement?

Medievalist: Finishing the %&(*$&8 Ph.D. and not killing a single faculty member! It was truly heroic.

Cranky: ROFL! What was your dissertation on?

Medievalist: It's about fairies. :D http://www.lisaspangenberg.com/scholarship/gfp/dissertation.html It’s boring as hell. The thing about a diss s that you don’t really get to write what you want. You get to write what the committee will sign off on. Then you revise it, and publish a book, and make semi-bitchy remarks about your committee in the footnotes. ;)

Cranky: I've got a good pile of reading material just from this interview! :D Thanks! And last question: Who was your biggest influence, either personally or professionally?

Medievalist: My mom, actually. After that, probably a scholar /rhetorician named Richard Lanham.

My mom is a Southern Woman :D She's 88, grew up in rural South Carolina, is rigorous, honest, polite, and demands more of herself than of anyone else. She left home at sixteen, and by her twenties was working in civil service in Europe.

Richard Lanham is retired from UCLA; he was a renaissance specialist, who mostly worked in the field of rhetoric. I was his RA for years. I learned more about how to write, and teach writing--or really, teaching people how to revise-- from him and his books.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_A._Lanham
I made this for RAL: http://www.rhetoricainc.com/

Cranky: Awesome. Thanks very much for all the links and for your time. This was a lot of fun. :)

Medievalist: I can't imagine anyone not being bored out of their skull by me.

Cranky: Well, trust me, I am not bored, and I know there are people looking forward to seeing the interview, so I hope I can do you some justice.
 

Stew21

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Stew21 interviewing Poetinahat

You moved to Australia, how many years ago?

Fifteen - I landed in August 1993. Six AM on Saturday morning, caught a cab to my corporate apartment, which was at one end of the Harbour Bridge. I got into the room, stowed my luggage, and hunted for an open cafe. I ordered a long black and toast with Vegemite - started in straightaway with the heavy fare.

I've been in love with Sydney and Australia ever since I set foot here.

And it was a contract that took you there?

Yes - I worked for an IT services firm (you'd know them) and came here for a three-month TDY. I was here to write enhancements to the mobile phone billing/customer care system for a large telco. The enhancements were to enable billing for a new service: SMS.

Your blog has a fantastic list of things you love about Australia. The wonder and fascination with the place is still there after all this time.. And you fell in love with it never left. Tell me about that.

I'd be delighted - but it's love, so it'll get boring if I go on too long. Here are a couple of snapshots:

Flying into Sydney is spectacular; the harbour reaches into land through the Heads, and the inlets finger in among the hills. Sailboats dot the harbour, and tiled roofs dot the foreshore (well, 'carpet' is more apt, but still, they're terra cotta!). Sun glints off the water in a way that, for me, feels warm even in what passes for winter (whoa, better put on the long-sleeved shirt!).

The seafood is exotic and delectable - would you have guessed that a Balmain Bug tastes very much like lobster? The coffee is espresso, but they have their own varieties - long blacks and flat whites are usual alongside the cappuccini and lattes. Sydney's beaches are gorgeous and accessible - and people are outside all year.

People drive on the other side of the road. When you hail a cab, you sit in the front. Even the money is beautiful -- there's a poet - Banjo Patterson -- on the $10 note.

People do say "G'day". They play several codes of football.

They tell you what they think - straight up. You might argue about it, but then you finish. It's over, and you're having a beer. No worries.

It's an absolute perfect place to fall in love with a sensational redhead and bring up two hilarious redheaded kids.

Do you miss The States?

I've never missed a place in my life. I miss my family, but only when we part.

Are there particular things you miss?

I get sentimental about America as Home - Little League baseball in Ohio country towns; summer in Wyoming; 3AM diner meals; used bookstores in college towns. New England clam chowder.

But it's all still alive for me. Ironically, I feel that I have more American friends, across more of America, now than I did when I lived Stateside. *Yes, good people of AW, I'm talking to you.*

Are you an American living in Australia, or an Australian who used to live in the States?

Great question. I'm on a continuum, and I think I'm a lot less nationalistic than I used to be.

When the US and Australia face off in sport, I'm in the green-and-gold -- this is my home now. I will never cheer against the USA, though; America is my homeland.

I'm lucky enough to have it both ways. That's not hypocrisy; it's love and respect.

Your job is a rather technical one, isn’t it?

In some senses, yes - in others, no. I'm a solution designer, which requires technical background, but which involves no actual technical work; I haven't written code at work in a few years. I write a lot of documents and have a lot of meetings.

That's both a relief and a frustration; building code that works is eminently satisfying; three-hour workshops are productive, too, but it sometimes doesn't feel that way.

And then your write poetry, which seems to be a vast deal different mindset than work. Does this help the writing by being completely different than your day job?

In a way, they are a relief from one another.
I don't know that my job helps my writing; if one has to suffer for one's art, then it certainly doesn't. It does liberate me from other concerns and has enabled me to find poetry, and this community of writers and poets.

I'm not sure about the whole idea of having to suffer for art. After all, as Martini Ranch asked in the 80's, how can the laboring man find time for self-culture?

And, as one of our most august poets here - William Haskins - has said: indeed.

How do you reconcile those two things?

I like to think I'm special - that I'm more than just my job. But that's hardly a unique self-vision.

In fact, I've come to find a former colleague of mine also writes poetry and hangs with poets. As it happens, he's brilliant and an excellent fellow. That reassures me that, whatever shadows I'm chasing here, it is meet and right for me to do.

I look at Mendoza’s and can see the calculations – attention to a detailed scene, precision of word choice, specific emotion and an exact scene and then I look at Mother, Wherefor? Which seems a far stretch from logical, but has such a strong meter that the details are in the numbers. You like writing form poetry and have tried your hand at Sestinas, Villanelles, and sonnets, among others. You also write free form. Is there a style you prefer?

That's amazing that you should mention these very two poems. Perks and I were speaking just today, and she mentioned the very same two.

I have this nagging feeling that one form or approach should make itself apparent to me, that I should have a distinct style. Trouble is, I can't find it.

Actually, that's not the trouble; the trouble is that I can't be okay with it.

The thing is that different forms, or non-forms, seem to suit different topics best. Sometimes I start with the form - for example, I aspire to write a sestina - then fill in from there. There is no reason that can't work.

Other times, I start with some word or turn of phrase. 'A Boy and His Taco' was the absurd challenge I set for myself one day: write about that, why don'tcha? So I did.

To be candid, I just can't define or guide myself to a single form. It's both my wings and my millstone.

I couldn't limit myself to any particular form; I have particular admiration at the moment for the modern sonnets I've read, such as those by cummings.

Does this carry over from that attention to detail mentioned above?

Probably. If I'm going to write a poem, I'm going to ensure that it's worth reading, or as close as I can make it.

There is *always* a right word, and the reader's time and attention are too valuable to squander.

Forsaking form is no excuse for inattention to detail; it's not enough to dump words on a page. The poet owes it not just to readers, but to her own vision, to make a poem worth reading.

I think that many people write poems because they can be very short and cathartic, and because formless poetry is very much acceptable. In short, anyone can be a poet, so anyone is a poet. That gets people in, which is marvelous; but it's not enough.

Poets should want to get good at writing poems - to get better at it.

Who’s your favorite poet?

I can't name a favorite. Outside AW, there's T.S. Eliot, Seamus Heaney, Dylan Thomas, Dorothy Parker, Richard Brautigan, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Charles Baudelaire, and many others. Inside AW, the poets whose works I love know it - I hope.

When did you first start writing poetry?

I wrote a couple of special-occasion poems in my late twenties. I didn't write poems in earnest until a few years ago.

I dabbled in it here, then got drawn in; poetry is a marvelous art, and AW is a fine community for it. There are a number of good poets here, and there are also people who are interested in discussing poetry. I started playing along, then before long, I was a poet.

What is it about poetry that you love to read?

It's the excellence of every word in place, the rhythm of the lines, the feel of the words on the tongue. It's the surprise of discovering majesty and magic in a small tale well told.

What is it about poetry that you love to write?

The satisfaction of building something beautiful within a complex form -- ideally, so beautiful that the form is unnoticed; it feels natural.

The hidden graft of getting the logjam of words out and frenetic, but in a just-so sort of way.

The thrill at a reader finding something I hadn't realised was there.

Do you have themes you like to use consistently?

Not that I know of; I'm not that organised. I actually have a very hard time writing to a theme, which is why I didn't get an entry completed for this year's Christmas poetry contest. I often can't coax a poem to meet a theme; the theme finds me.

Give us a metaphor that describes you.

A bag of marbles. I might amount to something if I could keep myself organised, but I'm soon off in every corner. I'm terrible at keeping myself together like that.

You have far ranging taste in music. Do you have a favorite?

I love this question. The answer changes all the time, and I'll give you a different answer tomorrow, but some all-time favorites are:
- Grateful Dead
- The Smiths
- John Coltrane
- The Specials
- Lyle Lovett
- John Lee Hooker
- Devo
- The Fall
- Everything but the Girl
- Led Zeppelin
- Grace Jones
- Duke Ellington
- Claude Debussy
- LV Beethoven
- Joy Division
- Mose Allison
- Thelonious Monk

You often quote lyrics. Poetry sometimes reminds you of song lyrics, or brings back a feeling of the way a certain song makes you feel. You have even written poetry about music (I’m thinking of that fantastic Jazz piece you did, The Ancients) You seem to maybe find music the same as poetry, only using a different instrument - words vs. notes. Is music another form of poetry to you?

Great observation. It must be. Poor lyrics destroy good music for me.

Tell me about the connection you feel exists between music and poetry.

The careful use of expected and unexpected elements to make the listener feel or respond. The involvement of both technique and emotion in the performance -- in both cases, technique is essential, but without emotion it is nothing.

Favorite song?

Instrumental? Probably Monk's 'Round Midnight. Or any of Debussy's piano work; both of these composers were utter alchemists.

Lyrical? Hard to pick one, but here are some:
- Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, Can't We Be Friends?
- Grateful Dead, Cumberland Blues
- Everything but the Girl, Laugh You Out the House
- The Smiths, This Charming Man
- John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, Lush Life (written by Billy Strayhorn)
- Cake, Comfort Eagle (fantastic example of Show, Don't Tell)
- anything by Joe Jackson
- anything written by Howard Devoto (Buzzcocks, Magazine, Luxuria)

I consider myself very lucky to have joined AW in a time when I could be patiently guided and mentored. I consider you one of those patient mentors. Always with a helpful critique, encouraging but honest. What is it that you enjoy about helping people get a grip on their potential inner-poet?

You're very kind, Trish. Thank you.

I've always derived a joy from assisting others to succeed - it's different from succeeding oneself.

Whatever I feel from writing something that's good - if I get there - is something I would hope other people can feel too. I get tremendous fulfillment from that.

Other poets always see things in ways I wouldn't have thought of, that I couldn't have done. Other people amaze me.

And the same question I asked William Haskins, what does potential look like?

A storm of coloured dots whizzing past your face. A pile of sticks and a ball of string. An obelisk with a blank plaque, and a chisel on the ground.

A baby.

Do you have a favorite word?

Vicissitudes.

I mentioned earlier, and want to talk a bit more about Mendoza’s. It starts with a boy and his taco, doesn’t it? Tell me how this poetic place came about.

It does, and the original poem started as a dare to myself. I determined to write a poem, with no idea of a topic. I blurted this twist on a cliche onto a paper, then forced myself to write to it.


It’s so real to me in reading the poems, I’m sure it exists somewhere. One of these days I’ll find it. When I do we’ll have to meet for coffee and pie and talk some more. Can you give me any clues as to where I should start looking?

I would love to. This is my Australian paradox: quite possibly, if I hadn't moved here, I never would have set off the chain of events leading to me coming to AW. But now, well, here I am and there all of you are.

I took the name for Mendoza's from a Mexican restaurant in Port Clinton, Ohio, where we used to go sometimes in summer, when I came home to visit my parents. The town is something more like I remember Cody, Wyoming.

Is there anything I didn’t ask that you wish I would have?

Hey! I asked this question of my interview subjects. Excellent.

I feel like I should have answered the question, "So where have you been for the past year and a half?" Or, "Who shot your muse?" My muse is alive and fine; it is I who am lost.

Finally, it’s the day of listening. AW is listening. Is there anything you’d like to say to them?

Yes, but it's 4:30AM, and I'm fading. If I'm not making sense, you now know the reason.

Oh, yes: Love your own words, and love others' words just as well.
 

smsarber

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smsarber interviews euclid:
Euclid is a fascinating character I met in Uncle Jim's thread . I shamelessly stole my questions from Yeshanu, who stole them from ShadowFerret; goes to show, never tell anything to a writer unless you expect them to use it!

Tell us a bit about yourself. What would you like us to know about you?

I have a masters degree in Mathematics and a passion for History. My working life was spent in computing and telecommunications in industries ranging from Oil through Pharma and manufacturing and including shipping. I was a computer consultant for 6 years.

What are you doing now? (Career? Married? Single? Children? Pets?)

Married, retired, 3 children (one of each).

When did you first realize you had a talent for writing? When did you start to believe it could be a viable career option?

1996.

What do you write? Novels? Short stories? Poetry? Non-Fiction? Which do you prefer and why?

Short stories (28 (8 SF) so far) and novels (3 so far).

What is your favorite genre to write in? To read in?

I like to write Historical Fiction. I read all sorts, but I love SciFi.

How do you generate story ideas?

I don't know; they just come to me.

Give us an example of a typical writing day.

I write from about 9:30 to 17:00 with a break for lunch. I try to do 6 hours every day. I usually write about 1,500 words each day. I keep meticulous records (in Excel) of word count for each day; it helps to keep me focused.

What are your strong qualities as a writer?

I'm good at Dialogue and Characterisation (my readers tell me).

Your weaknesses?

Everything else.

If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?

Brisbane, Australia, where my daughter is expecting twins in 2009 (one of each) !!

What inspires you to write and why?

Some stories just need to be told.

What is your favorite book and why?

HHGG (the first two books) by a country mile. It's difficult to say why.

What is your favorite genre and why?

Science Fiction. I've been reading it for years.

List your three favorite authors (any genre) and why?

A very difficult question. I could list 50.

Douglas Adams (you know why)
Samuel Beckett (master of dialogue and humour)
Richard Dawkins (yes, that R. Dawkins)

What do you think makes a writer successful?

Talent, hard work and a lot of luck.

What are your goals as a writer?

To write a bestseller and get it published in the next 2 years.

How long did it take you to write your book(s)?

Not counting the outlining part:
1. 3 months
2. 4 months
3. 6 months (so far) I started writing June 14

If you have published a book, tell us about your publishing success (title, publishing date and company, where it is available to purchase).

No such luck

What would you do differently if you could repeat the same publishing experience?

What have you learned about the publishing world?

If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be and why?

R. A. Lafferty. A wonderful writer of whimsical SF

What is your favorite food?

Three piping hot Pork sausages in rolls with lashings of butter, washed down with Chilean wine (Santa Rita) and followed by profiterols and chocolate sauce.

What is your favorite color?

Blue.

What is your favorite place?

The Grand Canyon, Arizona.

What is your favorite memory?

Can't remember.

If you could have any talent in the world besides writing, what would it be?

Playing the piano. I used to play guitar and harmonica, but the neighbours asked me to stop.

Is there anything you’d like to tell us about yourself that might surprise people at AW?

Yes. No.


Thanks for your time and honesty.
 
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Sarita

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Sara's Interview of Clockwork

:) Here's the audio file for our conversation. We had far too much fun doing this. Chris was funny, engaging, and an all around pleasure to speak with. I have another 10 questions ready for him when his voice comes back ;)

Please "right click" on the link and save it to your computer to listen to. Enjoy!
 

euclid

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My interview with Puma

This is my interview with Puma, a fascinating well-read character, and a newly published author of Historical Fiction.

I see from your profile that you have a degree in American History, but I seem to remember from some of your posts that you are also qualified in some branch of archaeology, palaeontology, or anthropology. Is that correct?

Yes and no. I do have a degree in American History, but I would have to consider myself among the ranks of amateurs in the other fields. I've done a lot of studying, but it's been on my own without the accompanying credentials. I can rub elbows and do speak the lingo in those and actually several other scientific areas.

Would you like to list them?

a narrow piece of ciliate protozoology, aquatic invertebrates, tectonic geology - I'm actually pretty well versed in most areas of the natural sciences, native species, etc.

Is 16-3-3 your first published book? If not, what else have you published?

16-3-3 is my first published book. I've had a few articles published previously.

Do you have an agent?

No. Working on that for future works.

When did you start writing?

For fun, as a teen (The Devil Stallion and other equally now amusing stories). I've done a lot of technical writing over the years, but actually started seriously in creative writing less than five years ago.

Do you enjoy writing?

Yes. But it's also a challenge.

Who had the most influence on your writing?

My father who was an English professor (and published poet and author). When I was in college, I sent letters home weekly and always got a weekly letter from home. One week my letter from home was my letter to them back - all marked up in red - every flipping typo and missed comma!

What are you working on now? I have an idea it might be Science Fiction.

I have one novel in query stage, but part of my problem is what the heck it is - it's contemporary, ends as a thriller, but the underlying premise is The Seven Deadly Sins (and I had no knowledge of the Brad Pitt movie when I was working on this). I'm also in the process of reworking a scientifically accurate, slightly ahead of contemporary, novel which also ends as a thriller. And, because Festus issued another Western challenge, I'm going to be working on a humorous western piece to post about January 1.

So you like to have several projects on the go at any one time! Don't you find that confusing?

Actually I don't. I usually devote all my energies to one project at a time, but there are overlaps - obviously if I'm querying one and working on another. I try to work the AW challenges in to natural breaking points. After the first of the year I plan to devote all my time to the "sci-fi" manuscript.

What do you do in your spare time (family?, job?, hobbies? etc.)?

I'm still working full time but plan to retire at the end of the year (thank heaven's!). That decision was partly driven by needing to spend more time with my husband who has some health issues. We also have a daughter who keeps me on my toes. Hobbies - yes, you name it and there's a good chance I've tried it.

List your favourite authors/books (as many as you like)

All time favorite (which greatly influenced my life) Captain from Castille by Samuel Shellabarger (Conquest of Mexico). I read it when I was ten and from then on I wanted to go into archaeology. I also like many of the classics, actually like Doestoyevsky (although I probably mispelled his name), enjoyed reading all the Rafael Sabatini I could find. Of the more contemporary authors, I really enjoyed the early Crichton's - his later works just weren't on the same par with the early ones. Another more contempory was Arthur (?) Haley who wrote Airport, etc.

Have you always lived in Ohio? Have you travelled?

Always an Ohioan except when I was in school. I've travelled extensively in the continental US and Canada.

Is there something you would like the world to know about you?

My Dad pretty well pegged me when he autographed a copy of one of his poetry books for me - "a perennial wanderer on the uplands of romantic idealism"

Thanks, Puma and good luck with your projects-in-pipeline
 
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Susie

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Though I don’t know why anyone would care to interview me I’m willing to go along. Some of the Mods said something about ‘playing ball’ and I got the drift. I’m only doing this because you’re so nice Suzie, how could I refuse? Well, that and the Mods not so subtle suggestion. Hope you have a lot of space this is likely to get long. So here we are and I see you brought chocolate; thanks. Ask away.

I am glad to have brad's answers from my interview. They're really interesting. Thx much, brad.

1. What is your favorite genre to write in and why?

I read most everything, from history and non-fiction to SF and Fantasy. I love poetry and have a few poems – lost a bunch in the great computer crash of ‘07’. Lucky for me I’d posted in a poetry forum and was able to go back and retrieve some of them; taught me a lesson in backing up stuff up on disc.

My WIP is mainstream/adventure fiction I guess you can call it. I like writing about the world we live in and I’ve been working on the WIP for years. It wasn’t until I interviewed this guy online who belonged to an organization whose purpose doesn’t necessarily involve freedom of choice that I knew I’d found the antagonists for the story. That was back in 2001 or ’02. After that I scrapped the first idea for the book and rewrote it. It’s finished but needs extensive editing.

2. What don't we know about you?

That’s a good question. Next. Just kidding. I’ve probably told a lot of it in the posts at AW - I’m pretty open about my life. I’m a firm believer in God and his love for us through Jesus. It’s what makes life bearable and gives me assurance that even in the darkest times we have hope. I’m not into religion by any means. Religion was something man dreamed up to keep people in bondage. The Pharisees of Jesus time is a good example – rules laid out based on Biblical principles to give them power over others. Knowing God isn’t about religion, it’s about a personal walk with God. Spending time with Him gives me great comfort, especially in these times of economic uncertainty. The financial crunch put a damper on business for now but God is seeing me through.

I’m in my 50’s and have yet to marry. Yeh, I know, to some that’s a stigma and others say I’m smart for not going that route. I watched some of my friends and both my brothers marry and divorce - that hurts a lot of people. I didn’t want to go down that road until I was certain. Besides, when I was younger I drank a lot and did pretty much anything that came down the pike. How could I offer that to a woman? I knew I wasn’t ready for a stable relationship. I stopped drinking and all that years ago; the best years of my life have been the sober ones. Maybe someday I’ll find someone, until then I just work on developing those talents with which God blessed me. He’s given me a lot of those, some of which are posted in my profile.

I am involved in my neighborhood group and sit on the executive board that is the umbrella organization that coordinates all the neighborhood groups. I’m also the Disaster Preparedness Coordinator for the neighborhoods and work with city and county disaster teams in case of emergency. We’ve put together an extensive neighborhood plan and hope to implement it city-wide. Some towns close by are also interested and I’m working on a booklet to distribute with that in mind.


3. Do you own any pets, what kind?

You know everything you’ve asked me means you have to listen to my stories, and of course one comes with this. Through most of my life I’ve had dogs – love’em - and I’ve had many. I thought cats were aloof and unlovable, until one crawled under a house I used to live in and started meowing. I dropped down a heating duct and put out food and water, didn’t want the darn thing to die down there. Long story short, she moved in and I’ve gotten along with cats ever since.

I have six cats. Now don’t think I’m that crazy cat-man down the street. This wasn’t all my own doing. I had a girlfriend who had four cats. She moved to Wisconsin and couldn’t take them with her so, me being a pushover, I volunteered to take them in. By then I had two of my own and now I’m that recluse bachelor monk living down the street with cats. Yeh, six cats is a lot and they are a handful, but I’ve grown to love them. I just love animals in general. I’ve had so many animals, including fish and a guinea pig, over the years and each one I lose hurts, but they’re good company. I’ve also become rather proficient in kitty herding when they mess up – round-up time to the basement. They forgive me.

4. Where would you like to be in five years with your writing?

You mean if the earth is still around as is? The Mayan calendar ends in December, 2012, and everyone knows that’s a pretty darn good indication the world will end. But I digress. I want to be writing full-time by then. After I get my WIP published, which will happen because the people who’ve read it says it’s great. We all know that with that as a recommendation on the book cover it’s bound to be successful. “Read this book because all of Brad’s friends love it! – Weekly Rag and Litter Box Liner -. How could that go wrong? I have the next book in mind and see a series in it. I’d also like to try my hand in other genres. I’m a history buff and wouldn’t mind doing historical fiction and basically write however God moves me.

5. How often do you write?

I try to write every day. It’s not hard in winter when business is slack, more so now with the financial crunch and everyone sitting on their money. When business is going good I don’t have as much time and am usually pretty tired when I get home. BOC (butt on couch) sounds better then than BICFOK (butt in chair fingers on keyboard). I’ve decided to make more effort writing and have several writing projects in the works; the aforementioned booklet on Disaster Preparedness and a monthly column in our neighborhood newsletter. Being around AW gives other ideas, as well.

6. Do you have any trouble finishing what you write?

It depends. Working on my WIP has been a long process, but when I got near the end I wrote almost non-stop. If the words are flowing I never want to stop the river. Now that it’s time to edit, the hardest part of writing, I’ve drawn back a little to let things I’ve learned at AW settle in. The feedback is great and has shown me a lot of weaknesses, mainly because I need to cut a 200,000 word book at least in half. I can be wordy as this interview is pointing out in a grand manner. Usually when I write I finish, an unfinished writing project is like a burr under my saddle. If I don’t work on it for awhile it looks at me pathetically like those things do, accusing me of being a slacker. Kind of like the Disaster Preparedness book is doing now.

7. Did you have a dream that came true for you?

Sure, but most of them have to do with personal development; those intangible things to better oneself that come on slowly over time as God works in us. The good thing about dreams is it gives us something to work toward, and when we realize one another rises. I have several now and time will tell.

8. How did you find AW?

Quite by accident. I was looking for agents since I’d completed my WIP and thought it time to get the publishing process in motion. AW popped up on one of those ‘Writer Beware’ posts and I followed the link. I started exploring the site and realized I had a lot yet to learn and do before thinking of looking for an agent. I joined and the rest is history.

9. What television shows do you like to watch?

I spend a lot of time listening to the news. Current events are an interest because it’s about the world we live in and my WIP has a lot to do with that. Fictionalizing the world today, I believe, helps to point out the inadequacies of politics and government, social values, and everyday things that affect our lives.

I also watch the History and Science channels on satellite TV. It helps to understand technology and what helped to shape modern times; important factors in the writing world. To relax I watch Sci-Fi, Fantasy, comedies and other shows of that nature; it helps expand imagination. I stay away from reality shows, they’re anything but reality.

10. Who is your favorite actor?

I don’t have any real favorite. Hollywood has gone downhill a lot. Most of what Hollywood has to offer these days is pure garbage, though once in awhile they surprise me. The best actors, as a whole, are the ones who were around as the industry grew. The actors I don’t care for are the ones who get in front of a camera expounding their lop-sided view of politics, thinking real people actually care about their opinion. It’s obvious they haven’t done research on their own or believe whatever it is the Hollywood crowd thinks is in vogue. Most are too liberal and their philosophies are based more on self than caring about others. I won’t go into far-left liberal views, I could write for days.

If I had to pick one I would say Paul Newman. I like most of his movies and his personal life reflected the goodness in his heart – a rare thing in Hollywood today.


11. What movie do you love the most?

I like a lot of movies and have quite a library of DVD’s and tapes. Yes, I still have VHS and a DVD player that handles both. Two come to mind as being personal favorites. One is the Lord of the Rings Trilogy - expanded version. Pete Jackson did a great job on that and I’m a special effects kind of guy. Though impossible to put Tokien’s LoTR in three movies, he did alright and came close to sticking with the original story.

The other is a Robert Redford movie, Jeremiah Johnson, about a guy who moves to the mountains because he’s jaded by life below to become a trapper back in the 1800’s, when America began expanding westward. I have a VHS of it and watch it sometimes. I’m amazed by the people of that time willing to undergo hardship to seek out a dream. We’ve become a somewhat complacent society in many respects and today not many are willing to take risks like Jeremiah did. It’s a good life-lesson movie.

Is that it? It didn't hurt much. May I please have some chocolate now?

Yes, you may. :)
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124401
 
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