- What inspires you to write?
Well, when I was working full time as a welder, I would often feel like an underachiever; as a result, I decided to start the general studies degree at CVCC to hopefully figure out a more satisfying occupation. When I started college composition 1, I wasn’t looking forward to writing papers because it’s always been a struggle/burden to me. However, my professor allowed me to write about topics that interested me, which seemed to raise my attraction to writing. By the end of the semester, I was sure I wanted to be a writer and started to compose ideas for potential stories. I believe what inspires me to write is the chance to inspire others as well as entertain them.
- Discuss your book, of course, and other types of writing you like to do.
I’m not sure what age I was when I wrote “The Milk Battle,” but I do remember it was an assignment for school, and at the time, I was really into “The Terminator.” When I started desiring to be a writer, I decided to see if I could get this story published, and what do you know? It was published.
The writing I enjoy now usually entails addiction, and this not limited to drugs. Addiction is something I’ve been around and experienced the majority of my life, and I like to incorporate it with most of what I write.- What are your future plans?
I’ve envisioned the outcome of my life many ways, but I’ll tell you about one of my favorites. After I finish at CVCC, I plan to get my bachelors in film at one of the many schools I am looking into. Then I want find a job working in film, writing stories/screenplays in my free time, and hopefully working my way up to writing and directing films. If these goals are met, I want to start working on my dream home, which is kind of like a warehouse. Well, it looks like a warehouse on the outside, but the inside will consist of my living quarters in the back and have a soundproof wall separating my living area from the stage area. I hope to have bands play there to entertain the public and have my band play every other month or so. Oh yeah, I like to play guitar, so that’s what I’d be doing in my band. Finally, I would like to marry a woman that drives my insides wild and have babies or something.
- What advice would you offer other writers?
You will never be 100% satisfied with your work; therefore, you should ask for the opinions of people you trust to not steal your work and who will give you the unmerciful truth about your writing(s). Also, if you’re writing to inspire, keep in mind you will reach more readers if your message is entertaining as well as inspiring. For instance, if the message is, “Don’t do drugs,” avoid lecturing and preaching statistics of death and complications from using drugs. You don’t want to come off sounding like a D.A.R.E. officer due to many people being afraid or irritated by authority figures; you want to get in the readers’ heads without them knowing. For example, you could start off by telling of a “goody two shoes” girl who lives in the perfect, ideal home with a mother and father. This girl’s mother ends up abandoning the family for an unknown reason; consequently, the father is distraught and starts obsessing over his daughter, being she is the only thing left of what he thought was the love of his life. The man indulges himself in liquor every night, which is subsequent to the molesting of his daughter. This girl starts to lose herself and ends up hanging with the “rougher” crowd at school while lashing out in rebellious ways. Eventually, the girl gets hooked on drugs, which drive her further into anger, depression, and denial; however, it’s important to show the fun and the escape the drugs give the girl. Then it would be appropriate to show how the drugs worsen the situation leaving the girl in the epitome of hell. Finally, the girl breaks down one night after being raped by her father; as a result, she stabs her father 72 times in his sleep. Consumed by the overwhelming shock of what she has done, she dials 911 and blows her head off with her father’s 12 gauge. Now, I guarantee more people will be enthralled and inspired by a story such as this than a D.A.R.E. officer showing pictures and saying, “Don’t use these drugs because they can kill you.”
I hope you can understand the point I was trying to make.
