Michael Woudenberg
Tucson, AZ
USA
Good morning, Michael, and welcome to Vision and Verse. What have you written?
Paradox – Book One of The Singularity Chronicles. Science Fiction meets science fact where, in the battle over advanced AI, we struggle with whether we will lose our humanity or learn what truly makes us human.
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| New Cover! |
What is your favorite genre to write?
Science Fiction and Fantasy as well as non-fiction essays on a variety of topics. I find that fiction allows the ability to write on complex topics that can say ‘what if’ without suggesting it must be some way. In our increasingly polarized world, SciFi and Fantasy still allow intellectual curiosity.
Favorite food.
We do a lot of home cooking so my favorite food is hard to pin down but probably a wonderfully cooked brisket which can then be made into everything from tacos to omelets.
Tea or coffee?
Black coffee in the morning and herbal tea at night
Pizza or ice cream?
Pizza – And crazy pizza, like with a pesto base, or even we made one that used Chick-fil-A sauce as the base with crispy chicken and smoked mozzarella that was amazing.
Wine or beer or soda or what?
I brew my own beer so I’d have to pick that. Unless I’m eating Italian food or Charcuterie and then wine.
Where would you like to visit?
I’d love to visit Switzerland or the Moon.
Favorite musical artist.
Easy E. There’s something about that original hip-hop that is unique.
Do you listen to music when you write? What?
I typically do not listen to music when I write but sometimes, I’ll play instrumentals to help evoke the emotion of a scene.
What makes you laugh?
I have a natural love for dad jokes.
Which reminds me;
When does a joke become a dad joke? — When it becomes a parent.
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
Sacsayhuamán Peru. This stone work is so mind-blowingly beautiful and complex yet we still have no idea how they did it.
How old were you when you started writing?
One of the first stories that I remember was when I was 7 in the second grade writing fan fiction about a character in a favorite book called The Tombs of Anak.
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?
I do create outlines and development arcs. I don’t get into deep world-building and when I write I follow the axiom: “Good writing should surprise the author.”
Describe your perfect evening.
A book, a glass of whisky, some sort of snack, and nice quiet either inside or sitting at a fire.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Much of my writing builds from my non-fiction essays I publish on www.polymathicbeing.com which exploretechnology, psychology, philosophy, and more. These create the foundation where science fact underpins my science fiction.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I don’t stop writing but I do change what I write. Often if I’m stuck, I’ll just shift into reading other’s fiction or non-fiction research work, and that typically helps unlock something.
Who is your favorite author?
It’s a toss-up between Robert Heinlen and Orson Scott Card. They both wrote deeply on the human condition in ways that few have been able to emulate.
Best book you ever read.
I’d say the most transformative that brought me into the reading world was The Hobbit followed closely by Ender’s Game. Both are go-to recommendations
Last book you read.
I’m currently in the middle of a web serial titled The Wandering Inn which has been my fiction read for a few years.
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
Well, since writing isn’t my full-time job, I work to help people unlock value in technology through Systems Innovation. I also write non-fiction on www.polymathicbeing.com. This role provides the technical foundation for my writing and is one of the best careers I can imagine.
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
The one person with the most influence is my partner in crime, editor, and love of my life Lisa. I can say there is no other person who’s had a more profound impact on me.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
I’d pick a real person and that would probably be Robert Heinlen mostly because his fictional people, like The Man From Mars, who I’d like to personally meet too.
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Good writing should surprise the author. Just get out there and write and spend a little less time on world-building.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
Paradox on Amazon
Paradox on Nook
Paradox everywhere else
Book Video Trailer on YouTube
Author website for The Singularity Chronicles
Readers group on Facebook
Polymathic Being on Substack
USA
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