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A: Some people dream in their idle time about
sports, travel, or their family. I was single, and living
in Atlanta, Georgia. When I lived in Atlanta, I spent a lot
of idle time stuck in traffic, riding the brake. I love to
daydream about space science, technical stuff, and travel.
During the countless times I sat in gridlock on the Atlanta
Interstate parking lot, I would daydream story ideas and jot
them down on post-it notes. When I arrived home, I would put
the post-it notes on my bedroom wall. It took just a few days
of Atlanta traffic before I had the wall covered. My friends
say the wall got covered because at the time I didn’t
have a girlfriend to take the notes down!
I found a book at a garage sale titled “Craft of the
short story” by Richard Summers, printed in 1948, which
explained the three act play format, character motivation,
essentials, mistakes to avoid, etc. After reading this book,
I then divided the bedroom wall into three sections, for the
three acts of a play, and rearranged the post-it notes.
I checked books out of the library on how to write thrillers,
and mysteries. More rearranging of furniture and post-it notes.
Eventually, the post-it notes were arranged into a timeline
of events. Next, I made up a spreadsheet over 6 pages long
in 8-point font that outlined when events occurred in the
story.
A: I’d love to write one, but I don’t
know if I could stand being stuck in Atlanta traffic to finish
the storyboarding! Yes, a sequel is in development.
A: Several reasons.
I know a friend who died as a result of his medical marijuana
being taken away. Peter McWilliams wrote “Ain't Nobody's
Business If You Do: The Absurdity of Consensual Crimes in
Our Free Country.” He suffocated to death on his own
vomit because the government took away his medical marijuana,
which relieved his nausea.
A relative of mine has glaucoma. Luckily, they are presently
able to control their glaucoma with DEA approved drugs. However,
I find it morally wrong that if those DEA-approved drugs did
not work, and medical marijuana did work for that relative,
they would have to flee the United States to Amsterdam to
keep from going blind. I thought I lived in the land of the
Free.
As bad as organized crime and addictive drug are to society,
I think the RICO laws are a more dangerous assault to our
Constitutional liberties. When we trade security for liberty,
pretty soon we have neither. I believe Thomas Jefferson is
quoted as saying that.
From a story writing perspective, there must be tension. In
a thriller, the higher the tension, the better. It made sense
to have a character fighting for something, and battling obstacles.
A: I think terminally ill patients should
be free to use anything, I repeat, any therapy they and their
doctor want to try. Period. Patients should get their medical
advice from the end of a stethoscope, not a gun.
This may sound morbid, but terminally ill patients should
be free to participate in any experimental therapy. What have
they got to lose?
A: I love to travel, and I have flown
four flights in a hang glider. That’s about it. I don’t
ride motorcycles, nor write software. My mom and Dad is alive,
and cancer free. I really wish I had unlimited cash from computer
game royalties, but in reality, I am a starving writer.
The major inspiration for the character named Scott was from
a friend named Joe. Without a high school diploma, Joe did
go from 10th grade into Georgia Tech. After three years there,
he dropped out, moved to California, and did make a mint writing
computer games for the Apple II computer. He’s a brilliant,
self-educating person. He never went back to get his diploma
or college degree, yet he’s the first person I’d
hire to write software, and he does make a lot more money
that many PhD’s in computer science! I hope he writes
and publishes a book someday.
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