Twenty Nine Palms, California
Welcome to Vision and Verse, the place for Art and Authors, Brent. Can you tell us a little about what you've written?
Though I’m rather
decent at writing words, I’m less proficient at stringing them together to form
sentences. Nevertheless, I seemed to have stumbled into several short stories,
mostly with a little help from friends. I can’t emphasis that enough. Have a
support group! You can find the majority of my work published in anthologies
through Inklings Press, who is not only the publisher for my short stories, but
my friends.
What is your favorite
genre to write?
Alternate History and
science fiction are my recreational methods of escaping reality, but I’ve
dabbled in some other things. I… I don’t like to talk about it.
Favorite food.
Anything not cooked by
me.
Are you related to my husband? That is his favorite food, too!
Tea or coffee?
The tea got dumped in
the Harbor and I don’t as of yet understand the Language of the Coffee Machine.
I drink pre-chilled energy drinks. Pop a tab and guzzle. Repeat as needed
Pizza or ice cream?
Why not both? (just not
ON the pizza). Seriously, pizza and ice cream are the base of my personal food
pyramid.
Wine or beer?
Rum and Vodka
Where would you like to
visit?
The Cretaceous
Isn't that a small, crusty animal like a lobster? Favorite musical
artist. Do you listen to music when you
write? What?
Lindsey Stirling. She’s
my muse when my other muse isn’t looking (sorry, wifey). And I’m into movie/tv
scores. Anything done by: Bear McCreary, John Williams, Danny Elfman, Klaus
Baldet, James Horner, Hans Zimmer, just to name a few!
What makes you laugh?
A rousing game of Cards
Against Humanity. Also, British People
Favorite work of art or
sculpture.
Apparently, I’m an uncultured swine. I have no idea.
This is a blog about Art and Authors, so I am obliged to ask. Do not feel bad. How old were you when
you started writing?
My 9 year old found a
piece of writing from when I was 9. She corrected my grammar.
Describe your perfect
evening.
Binging a season on
Netflix. Reading a good book. Going out to a midnite showing of the newest
comic book movie. I prefer to be alone or with a crowd that shares similar
interests.
Where do you get your
inspiration?
As Jack Kerouac might
say in a drunken stupor: Living. At no time am I ever not thinking about
something I should probably write down.
What do you do when you
get a writer's block?
Write. There is no such
thing as writer’s block. Even if it’s painful, even if it’s not what you sat
down to write. Writing is work.
Who is your favorite
author?
At the risk of sounding
cliché, Tolkien and GRR Martin, and from the television/movie script scene,
Joss Whedon.
Best book you ever
read.
I love fiction for fun,
but non-fiction sticks with me more. My favorite books to read are actually references
about how to improve my writing. Noah Lukeman’s The First Five Pages is probably one I’ve worn out by re-reading.
I've not heard of that one. I'll add it to my eading list. Last book you read.
The Art of Comics, by
Scott McCloud. Technically, I haven’t finished it yet, but I’m assuming I will
by the time the article runs. So far, my mind has been blown by some of the seemingly
obvious revelations about why symbolism and iconography are so important to
story-telling and the structure of stories themselves.
What would you do for a
living if you weren’t a writer?
I was a retail manager
for 14 years. Now, I drink heavily. Remember folks, correlation is not
causation. But you can draw your own conclusions.
Who is the one person
who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
I honestly have no idea
who I wouldn’t put down here. Everyone I’ve ever met has influenced me in some
way, conscious or unconsciously. You guys are all important. Really, I’m just
standing on all your shoulders, in the same way that I hope I’ve let others hop
onto mine.
If you could sit down
and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who
would it be and why?
It truly would be Joss
Whedon of Buffy the Vampire fame. And I wouldn’t talk. I’d just swoon and
listen. I’d learn more from him about writing over lunch than I would in a
lifetime of study.
What advice would you
give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Develop thick skin and
buckle up for the long haul. It’s as terrifying and painful as it is rewarding
and fun. Even though I don’t feel as I’m in a position to give advice, I will
mention one thing that was important for me: find friends who share your
passion as much as you and who are better writers than you. It’s the only way
you’ll keep going and get better.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
Author Links
