Mari Collier
29 Palms, California
Mari Collier was born on a farm in Iowa. Since then she's lived in Arizona, Northwest Washington (on the banks of a river), and moved to Southern California after retiring from Nintendo of America. She's on the board of the local Historical Society and part of the Desert Writers Guild of 29 Palms, CA.
Good morning, Mari, and welcome to Vision and Vision, the Place for Art and Authors. It is a pleasure to have you with us this morning. Can you tell us a little about what you've written?
The novels are: Earthbound, Gather The Children, Before We Leave, Return of the Maca, Thalia and Earth, Fall and Rise of the Macas, Man, True Man, and my newest release, The Silver and The Green. There are four anthologies of Twisted Tales. One the tales are set in the desert, one has all the tales set in the Northwest, and the other two are tales from Earth and elsewhere.
What is your favorite genre to write?
Science Fiction
Favorite food.
I like all foods except those that do not like me. Dilled salmon is especially delicious.
Tea or coffee?
Coffee, black. I don’t like to make a pudding out of it.
Pizza or ice cream?
Ice Cream, of course.
Wine or beer?
I love beer; it hates me. Wine is therefore my drink of choice.
Where would you like to visit?
The archaeological sites in Mexico or Egypt.
Favorite musical artist.
I do not have one.
Do you listen to music when you write?
No, I listen to the people in my head.
What makes you laugh?
Funny jokes, weird happenings like when my husband and I were on a freeway and the divider lines were missing. People were driving all over the road. Babies giggling at something they’ve done.
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
That is a hard one. Van Gogh’s paintings have always been appealing.
How old were you when you started writing?
I was about eleven when I started writing the stories I had been making up since I was about four or five.
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write? I just write.
Describe your perfect evening.
Dinner out with family or friends, topped by a night at the theater.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I have no idea. The stories are just there, although sometimes something in life will trigger one.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I have not experienced that. If you can write a letter or an email, you don’t have writer’s block. You have a problem continuing the story you want to write. Let it sit and write a memoir or anything and the problem will resolve in your mind.
Who is your favorite author?
Will Durant (a historian)
Best book you ever read.
Caesar and Christ.
Last book you read.
The Eternals, but the last one I truly enjoyed was The Ingathering by Zenna Henderson.
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
Well, I retired from Nintendo of America. That was the best position I ever held. They paid me to read, write, talk, and play games.
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
I cannot say one. It was both my father and mother.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
Another difficult one. If I could speak German, Dr. Martin Luther. If I could speak Latin, Julius Caesar.
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Read, read, read.
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