Member of the month for March 2009

 The Member Of The Month For March Is :

yoshi97

Congrats!!!

1.Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a small town by the name of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.

2.What is the first thing you remember that perked your interest in writing?

My start in writing is a bit of an oddity. Ten years ago I was playing an online game by the name of Starseige: Tribes. I spent a lot of time (waster – perhaps) on the line forums learning how to become a better player.

On those forums I read the writings of players like myself who were tired of being beaten down by eight year olds with itchy mouse fingers and far too much testosterone for their age. Our escape to scavenge our egos was to write of great tales of battle, where we became the heroes. It took on such a persona that we actually found ourselves crowding out the talk about the game and seating a rather large audience anticipating our next story.

It was then I conceived the idea I might be able to write some literature worthy of reading.

3.Did you go to college/university?
I almost went to college. Living in a college town, that's what is expected of someone who does well in school. However, living a less than privileged childhood, opportunities were scarce. So I entered the working world, telling myself I would find another way to live out my dream.

4.If so, what was your major?
I wanted to major in computer programming, but that never happened for me. A good thing, as it turns out, as I went on to become a very highly skilled computer repair person.

Now that I think about it – it doesn't make much sense. It's kind of like having a person dream about building cars then having them wake up an expert auto mechanic. Ah well, Jeff Gordon needed a pit crew, and I was smart to realize I could remain in racing longer than him by not getting behind the wheel. Lol!

5.Outside of college, how have you educated yourself beyond secondary school?
My education has always been self-serve. By that, I mean, I have studied hard to learn everything I know. At one time, my bookshelves were filled with books on computer programming. From there, the collection moved onto computer repair, and now the shelves are lined with books on writing.

I have this adaptation complex; whereas, I focus my interest on one talent at a time until I believe I have maxed it out. As such, my education continues with writing, as it's one of those fields where one can never know everything.

6.How's the weather?
The weather? You picked a good day to ask. Today, it's 68, and after another bitter cold winter I'm happy to be able to walk out without two layers of clothing to stay warm. Yeah, I know the Canadians are laughing as we Americans truly have no clue of what winter is all about; but hey, we laugh with you at those Georgians when they get a small snow squall and close down the state.

It's all about perception from one's viewpoint – and yes – the weather is quite fine here today. 

7.What's your favorite color?
My favorite color is blue. I can't give you a logical reason why other than my eye might respond to it better than most.

Hmmm… What logical reason do humans have for preferring one color over another? I need to google that one. While I'm at it, I should do some research on whether color blind people have a color preference and if the blind have a tone preference. There's a good short story in that goop somewhere – I'm certain of it.

8.Food?
As much as a snap off about the might nacho, that's more an old gag running into a new generation. My true love is lasagna made the traditional way – lots of meat, cheese, and noodles. You know – the kind that puts you on the email list for Jennie Craig.

9.Pastime?
My favorite pastime – believe it or not – is writing. I enjoy seeing my ideas hitting the paper then later dread it as I do my best to work out all the logic issues that crop up in writing a solid story. I'm a plot nazi, so I focus hard on believability in my stories – sometimes so hard that I need to take up another midless venture – video games – until my brain stops hurting.

10.Music?
I prefer the music from the 80s. My likes are eclectic in nature, as I like a little bit of everything. On the same day I could listen to The Planets by Holst, Numb by Linkin Park, and then Baton Rouge by Garth Brooks.

Odd thing is … I can't describe what I like about certain songs. Something inside of certain music sways my emotions and that's the best I can describe my likes in this area. It makes little sense to me, so it will make far less sense to others.

11. Writer?
My favorite writer? Arthur C. Clarke. If life had no penalties for bad behavior I would pull out his mind and place it beside my own, and then I would pump out some of the most compelling oddities this generation has ever seen.

The art of writing is making the unreal seem more real than reality, and I consider this man to be the master at his game.

12. TV show?
I thoroughly enjoy the show House. In a sense, I can understand the man. As much as the show portrays him as an uncaring oaf, watching enough of it tells you the opposite is true.

The man is a moral compass, steering everyone around him in a direction he feels will benefit their lives. As for his patients, providing them with a cure when they are so near death provides him the adrenaline rush he needs to keep going. For all the pain he suffers through, mending these people temporarily mends himself.

13 .Movie?
As with my music, I like many different kinds of movies. Two of my all-time favorites: The Black Hole and The Empire Strikes Back. Some would say that makes me a sci-fi buff, but those who are strongly aware of the marketing genres will quickly point out that the first story is definitely a hard sci-fi movie, but the second is classified as a fantasy story, when placed within it's proper place on the bookshelf.

I can hear the groans already. Star Wars HAS to be sci-fi. They have robots, star ships, futuristic weapons. How could it be anything else? We see what George Lucas wants us to see. Alas, the story revolves around the force, which is an ethereal quality that is not based on hard science. Thus – it's a fantasy wrapped up inside a sci-fi taco shell.

14. Book?
Sunstorm, by Arthur C Clarke, is my favorite. The Tommyknockers, by Stephen King, is a close second. Both books consumed me until the final page and at no point did I ever feel lost in the logic or bored by the content.

15.Poem?
My favorite poem? I'm not really a poetry buff. I know a few limericks that would be classified as adult, so I suppose I can't share them here.

It's not that I see poetry as a wasted form of art, but rather, I think it takes a well-shaped mind to grasp poetry for all of its hidden meaning. My mind is always a chaotic mess, so that's why it's geared to vast plots that go beyond the typical norm. As such, I like my reading sessions long in length and full of suspenseful turns.

Info about your Writing :

1.When did you first begin to write?
I started writing when I was 31. As previously explained, back then, it was a form of expression whereas I envisioned myself as some sort of hero performing heroic deeds and placed them on a forum where others could read and enjoy them. They asked for more … I provided. It was then I thought … just maybe .. this was a raw talent I could somehow hone to an art.

2.What kind of stories do you prefer to write?
I prefer writing fantasy, but I feel sci-fi and horror are my stronger suit. All of my fantasy writings fall into the category of things recently overdone, so I shy away from them.

I strive to take a normal situation and turn it into something vague and non-familiar. This, in itself, offers the reader a glimpse of a world they rarely get to see in real life.

3.Fiction or non-fiction?
I definitely write fiction. For me, the events of the real world don't justify a story, as they are already overwritten upon the internet and global newspapers. I want to offer a unique view, and I just can't seem to do it within a non-fictional realm.

4.Have you published anything?
Several stories … A Gackle is a Man's Best Friend was published January of '97. Since then, I have been working on my novel, but I did find time to get an acceptance letter for A Higher Purpose, and a few days ago I was approached by a new webzine to publish Simulacrum. This one was really exciting, as I didn't farm out this story. Instead, it was recognized online and published by invitation. For me, this means a lot, as there were millions of other stories to pick from online.

5.What is your reaction when the muse visits? Drop everything and write it down or tuck it away in memory and write it later?
Sadly, my life doesn't allow me to carry a notebook – but perhaps that's a plus. When the must strikes, I remember the details and toss them around in my mind as I determine if it's a good idea, or remnants of yesterday's enchilada. From there, I poke at the idea until I feel it really works and then I go off to write it when I have a chance.

6 .Do you consider yourself a spontaneous writer or do you tend to plan things out in advance?
A bit of both. First draft, I'm spontaneous, writing anything that comes to mind. I don't care if it all makes sense – I just want to get it onto the page.

On my first revision, I straighten out all of the logic bombs I created, restructuring the story heavily. From there, I ask myself what new directions I have seen in the story. I let it talk to me and tell me where it wants to go, and then I sit down and plot how to get it there.

Trust me … first drafts for me look nothing like final drafts at all. It's a process that seems to work, so I stick with it. I liken my writing process to feeding a horse bad hay that's beyond starvation. Thankful to be alive, it leads you to a better pasture, where it eats better. You follow the horse along to see where it wants to go, discovering the horse knew which way to travel all along, it just need enough food to get up on its legs and traverse the first pasture.

7. How does reading other authors affect your writing skills?

It always helps, even if the writing is bad. I look at the works of others and find the faults, which I swear not to repeat (though I often do) and I look at the parts in each writing that excite me and try to figure out why – as I want to create the same excitement for my own readers.

Now, there is a negative side to this all. With having read so much, I've learned what bad writing looks like, which also tells me what a bad movie looks like. Movies I enjoyed years ago I can barely stand to watch nowadays, as I know they were put together all wrong and are nothing more than meaningless mental bubble gum for our minds to chew on.

Therefore, if you read more, you might enjoy movies less. However, you will also learn how to appreciate your own writing more and learn how to improve.

8. When you sit down to write something is it fun or work?
A little bit of both. When the words flow easily it’s a rush like no other. However, I can sometimes find myself stuck on a sentence for several hours, understanding the importance of its impact but incapable of forging the correct words to make it flow in the direction needed.

Those who intend to sell their stories should know in advance. If it never feels like work then the odds for sale are small, as you aren't focusing enough on crafting the words that will pull your reader into the story.

9. How do you get past writers block?
With a writer's chainsaw? Um, no … that's not it. I'm not certain I actually experience this phenomenon. In reality, it's not an inability of the mind to come up with new ideas as much as it is the mind refusal to give up on bad ones.

We all write ourselves into a blackhole from time to time, and it's a simple task to put the story away to work on something else. However, when we return, the problem is still there, squinting at us like a crocodile eyeing up a plump fish in the water.

When I see myself not moving forward, I step backward in my story to see where the walls started closing me in. I then ask myself 'Is there another direction I missed?' If there is, I start off in that new direction. Otherwise, I step back further in the story and repeat the procedure.

In my recent novel, Dark Exodus, I stepped all the way back to the beginning. The design flaw was there on the first page, but I failed to recognize it as I went on to write 300 more. Filled with backstory, I had forgotten the need to create the incident that fired off the hero on his journey, and in doing so, made his quest seem less meaningful.

I never ran out of gas as I wrote on, but I felt all along that the reader couldn’t identify with his journey without being there when it first began. Thus, I restarted at the beginning and fired off another 100 pages.

10. What feeds your desire to continue writing?
A part of me wants to become a well-known and respected author, but I could live with anonymity if it meant getting my stories out to the masses.

I also look at the financial side of the equation and realize few writers ever make enough to quit their daytime jobs and become a professional writer – I'd like to become one of the exceptions to that rule.

Now, don't mistake that want for greed, as I have no wish to become a multimillionaire. I would be content to make enough that I could awake to my computer and write a new story each day, without a growing concern over whether or not my bills would be paid that month.

11.Who are your influences?
Oddly enough, I cite the readers as my influence – not the great writers of our time. Whenever I put out a story I look at their reactions and ask myself 'What is it they liked? What is it they didn’t like?'.

Regardless of what other authors might think or say, without an audience, one cannot be an author. They can be a writer, but that's because the definition of a writer is a person who puts words to a page. An author is a person whose words are read and enjoyed by others, and that's what I strive to be. To that end, I'm always looking to mold my writings to what the general readership is looking for, keeping in mind that any single opinion could be wrong, but the voices of many in unison must never go unheard.

12.How do you know when your story is finished?
When I stop revising it. The words 'the end' are actually 'the beginning' as that means the first draft is done. From there, I rework the story, often putting pieces of it online to get the reactions of others. Once a story receives global support, only then do I consider it done.

To that note, I feel I have only completed four short stories, though I have written many more. The others remain in various states of revision and I pull them out of my drawer whenever I need time away from my novel.

General things about you

1.Hobbies?
I like to play video games when I can, which is rarely ever. 

2.Pets?
I have a Siamese cat by the name of Keisha, a Ocicat by the name of Simba, and a German Shephard by the name of Rex.

3.Talents?
I believe I have a talent for writing, but it's still in raw form, waiting to be mastered. As I'm a patient person, I'll keep working at my craft until I feel I have achieved mastery, which might be never as most great authors will tell you they still have butterflies on the date of each new release they put out. It's not always about being able to write well – sometimes it's about being well-received.

4.Jobs?

I've been everything from a janitor working for minimum wage to a high paid senior level computer technician. As with everything else in my life, my job cycle has followed through a series of progressions with each path followed leading up to something bigger and better than the path before.

Currently, I go into work everyday and (for the most part) remove viruses from people's computers. It's quite an art, considering few have mastered it (at least in my area).

What I would really like to do is become a fulltime writer, but I'm already well aware of the years of hard paid dues one must make to become a fulltime part of this world and I have already made my first couple installment payments that should set me on the right path.

5.What advice would you give to growing writers?
That's a really tough question. There's so much knowledge to share. As such, I think the best service I could do would be to give out some pieces of strong advice I have hammered into the minds of the students in my 'Let's get published' course on Storywrite:

Don't revolve your life around becoming a highly successful writer. Only so many slots exist for you to stand among the greats, so assume no spot exists for you and write from your heart. Only then will you write your best material and stand a chance to appear in the limelight.

Editors are not called editors because they fix stories. As such, never hand them any material that hasn't been gone over by the eyes of many others. Hacking a story together and submitting it without care makes one appear like an amateur, and editors have no interest in publishing amateurs. As such, you must always appear professional, always doing what it takes to finely polish your story to the point it's ready for publication without any edits.

If you have no patience, then consider another hobby. Writing is not for those who expect immediate gratitude. As a writer, you will almost certainly spend years getting rejected, regardless of the quality of stories that you write. Editors purchase what they know they can sell, and that means buying well-written stories that hold a current status with today's readership. Charles Dickens wouldn't sell a single story today, anymore than Stephen King would 200 hundred years ago. As such, you may need to put your story away until it becomes more of a current want or you might need to shelve it for something else readers are looking for.

Writers don't decide what sells – readers do. As such, if you don't write what they want to read – they won't buy it. To this end, you need to read and read and read. Determine what it is that sells then write something comparable in your own voice, incorporating your own ideas.

Gramma loves you because you're related to her. She loves your story for the same reason. Never trust relatives or friends to be honest about your stories, as they just can't do it. Ask outsiders to review your work and listen carefully to what they have to see. Ferret out their opinions. If only one person points out a certain flaw, then it could be overlooked as an over-discerning eye. If many say the same thing, then certainly get on the editing goggles and start mending the problem!

Read, read, write – in that proportion. By reading others you improve your vocabulary and learn to find the faults you might be making in your own writing,

Determination is the one thing you must find to become a published author – no one can give you this needed requirement but yourself.

To all authors, young and old alike, I want you to know that writing is a pipe dream … and to make that dream a reality you must be willing to work hard to build that pipe. Good luck!

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