Yeah. We got a new one. Thanks to Drew for contacting me. Drew is photo adverse, so you will have to use your imagination if you weren’t at VP. Frederic Pohl in a limo? Read on…
Tamago: When did you know you wanted to write fiction?
Drew: Hard to pinpoint. I started writing fiction in my early teens when I couldn’t find a book to read. As to when I decided to write fiction for money… well I haven’t really yet. :: Grin ::
Tamago: Which genre(s) do you like to write in? Why?
Drew: I like to write Mystery, Science fiction, and Fantasy, because those are the genres I like to read. They tend to engage my mind, my imagination the most.
Tamago: What kind of advice would you give to a new writer?
Drew: Just write. I can’t take credit for this, but the best advice I’ve ever gotten (Which is extremely difficult to follow) is, “Don’t worry about how good it is. That’s not your job. Your job is to write.” If you follow this, eventually it will be good enough, and there people out there who make their living making that decision. If you want that job, become an editor. Otherwise, write.
Tamago: What was it like to be a Writers of the Future winner? Do you have any memorable moments you care to share from that experience?
Drew: Amazingly, I highly recommend the Writer’s of the Future experience. The Writer’s of the Future folk ship you to and from the Awards Ceremony in limos. Being a bit of a party pooper, I opted out of the after party early, and was rewarded with a once in a lifetime opportunity. Imagine an inexperienced writer being put into a limo with the likes of Hal Clement and Fred Pohl. I admit I said not one word, I couldn’t even think of a question. All I did was sit, try to be invisible, and listen to them talk about the business of writing.
Tamago: What did you find valuable about your time at Viable Paradise? What advice would you give to someone who is considering the workshop?
Drew: Despite what I said above about not worrying about how good your writing is, I think it’s valuable, time to time, to apply a yard stick to your progress. Rejection letters can only tell you so much. I highly recommend VP as a way to get a good idea of where you are, as well as tips on how to progress further.
Tamago: What kind of projects are you working on now?
Drew: Silly me, after going through all the time getting to the point where I could get a short story published, I have been working on writing at the novel length, only to discover that there are some muscles required at that length that I have severely under excercised over the years.
Tamago: Where do you see yourself as a writer in ten years?
Drew: Lazily retired? Ha. Still writing.
Tamago: What would your dream project be?
Drew: Consulting on the movie script of my highly succesful, if critically panned, novel.
Tamago: Which writers influence your work?
Drew: I’d hate to damn a writer by claiming a connection to them. I would say though, that I aspire to be able to create a scene in readers’ minds as easily and sparely as Robert B. Parker did. I’d like to make people laugh as easily as Janet Evanovich does. And of course I’d like to create a world so vivid and complex that it takes on a life of its own like JRR Tolkien.
Tamago: Where can readers find your work?
Drew: Just Writer’s of the Workship XVIII, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds III at this time.
