  Mystery
This week: Back to the Future Edited by: Gaby  
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| Welcome to this issue of the Mystery newsletter. I'm Gaby and I'm your this week's editor. |
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What have you been missing?
Looks like I've missed quite a lot in the time I've been gone. New merit badges, auctions, raffles, all sorts of things. However, what I missed the most is writing, character creation, plots, and twists. To do that, there isn't a better way than to get to know another person a little better. It opens other venues and gives you ideas about new characters. That's one of the reasons why I interviewed Escape Artist  .
He's a gentleman in his mid 60-ties, who lives in Alaska and enjoys fishing. I've talked to him quite a few times but I never delved deeper into his life to find out what he likes or doesn't. My recommendation for you is to get to know him better because he's a great guy. But I wanted to know what brought him to Writing.com and how he likes it so far. 
JJ, how did you hear about WdC in the first place?
I found the WdC website while surfing for writing tips. Entering random key words such as writing, reviewing, and editing in the Google search engine revealed the address, and once I found Writing.com, my search was over.
What did you think once you signed up? We're you overwhelmed at all?
I first signed up in February of 2012. I had just started reading and finding my way around when a flurry of personal and family issues popped up and not only took me away from the internet but my writing. I returned in October of 2013 and was very surprised at what this community of writers had to offer -- and yes, the site was indeed intimidating. I read all the WdC 101 rules and tips then created a port and posted my first story, the prologue to my novel. It took several more months to gather notes on writers, reviewers, and editors. Surprising enough, I found that reading poetry was as rewarding as the stories and thats when I found the words of Mandy and her campfire muses.
Did you have any help from anyone or did you jump in headfirst and found your own way?
I took a tentative wade in the shallow end with my initial postings, but after I sent MissBee what I thought was an email (I found out later it was a review) telling her how much I loved her poem, "Invalid Item" her immediate response hooked me. So, any success I might have with my writing here on the WdC all began with Mandy's kind words.
In the time that you've spent on WdC, what's the most memorable moment for you?
Many come to mind, but a few stand out. Discovering PatrickB fantasy epic "Invalid Item" was stunning, convincing me that this was the ultimate place for aspiring novel writers to post their projects and gather feedback. The first review of my prologue was also a confidence-boosting gift from PatrickB. The annual Quill awards are amazing and a well presented showcase for talent -- a fitting recognition of writers from all genres. Winning a contest, meeting new friends, and communicating with like-minded people are all memorable moments in my estimation.
Now, did you always want to be a writer or was writing a Sci-fi novel really on your bucket list?
I thought about writing a novel--some day--because I'm an avid reader. That idea became a bucket list item later in life, but I never had the chance to focus on a project for any length of time until I retired. I plotted out several novel ideas over the years and kept notes with the intent of giving that dream 100% when the time was right. That time came three years ago, and Im now a writer -- not an author yet, but Im enjoying the journey -- prodded, poked, and persuaded by all the awesome people Ive met on the WdC.
Any other favorite genres and why those?
After hard science fiction, fantasy would be a favored second genre for both reading and writing. Im a very off-world kind of thinker. I love creating characters, dabble a bit in otherworldly lore, and read a lot. Ive been inspired by George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, Phillip Jose Farmer, to name a few. I do have the entire collected works of John D. MacDonald, the greatest crime writer ever, so I do stray back to gritty earth at times. Supernatural, paranormal, and military thrillers follow closely and are reflected in my writing. For me, the real world is a mundane, repetitive, often harsh, and frustratingly dysfunctional place to live -- but -- we still have our imaginations. Fictional realms are my retreat, my abdication of reality--after all, Im an escape artist, right?
I've noticed that you like game of thrones and reading Dean Koontz. I'm a huge fan as well. Have any of the authors influenced your own writing and in which way?
I gave you some of my favorite authors in the last question, but here are a few more that have influenced my writing and the way I look at the world. Carl Sagan, what an amazing man -- J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Heinlein, Wilbur Smith, Allen Bradley, Allen Dean Foster, Asimov, and many more. Dean Koontz is one author with a style unlike any other. Although I have read most of his novels, the character of Christopher Snow and his dog, Orson in Fear Nothing is my all time favorite. Having said that, you may be surprised that poetry has always had a profound effect on my writing. The symmetry, rhythm, and stilted, well-chosen lines of a poem force you to think the imagery -- to fill in the story -- and theres always a story. Now I may see things differently than most, but a precisely worded line of poetry blossoms like a time-lapse flower in my mind. Its really a beautiful art form.
At your young (yes, you're still young!) age, do you have any wise words for the rest of us writers?
Keep on dreaming, and if you really want to tell a story, create a character, or build a world, approach it like any other learning process, read the rules, outline a plot, and start writing. At any time during that process, dont hesitate to seek out help from friends, or solicit advice from writers like those on the WdC. Just do it, an hour a day if thats all the time you can find.
Need to be inspired. Here's a short story a fairy tale come true if you will. I have a neighbor here in the wilderness. Her name is Eowyn Ivey, and she lives about fifteen miles from me on a remote homestead. Eowyn found enough time in her busy day taking care of a family of three through the rigors of country life to write in her closet after her family went to bed, just an hour a night. The result of that determination was a novel called The Snow Child, a masterpiece of fantasy written over several years. She decided to take that manuscript to a writers workshop one summer and pitch it to an agent. The agent was so impressed with the first chapters that he sent them to his publisher (Little Brown) and the rest is history. Eowyns night-written, closet-secreted, idea for a story turned out to be a best seller, now published in many countries and in 2013 made the short list for the Pulitzer prize in literature. Thats right, the Pulitzer Prize. I'm just saying, it can happen, maybe not as easy or whirlwind as Eowyns first try, but theres the inspiration. So, just do it. Write!
And there you have it, folks! Who says that dreams don't come true or that other people's lives aren't interesting enough to mix them into your story? There's a mystery right around the corner waiting to be written. 
~ Gaby 
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Mystery: July 23, 2014 Issue [#6446]
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