Inside the mind of Patrick Scalisi
Things are really humming in the Open Heart Publishing hive right now. The band is up and we are doing the dance let me tell you. We’re coming up on it fast so just a few things before I introduce you to our next author.
Remember you can pre-order your copies of An Honest Lie Volume 2: Delusions of Insignificance in our store and while you’re there you can see what all the hype is about and pick up some of our other books. Also, if you want updates about what’s to come follow us on facebook and twitter @ohpublishing
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And now allow me to introduce you to Patrick Scalisi. Patrick sent us a great tale called “The Registry of Lost Socks.” It’s a thrilling tale of lost and found and they way things get that way in the first place. You will never see lost laundry in the same way again. And now … Patrick Scalisi.
Open Heart Publishing: What do you feel is a delusion of insignificance?
Patrick Scalisi: This is definitely a misguiding phrase. I think most people — myself included — automatically see the word “insignificance” and assume the worst: weakness, a tendency toward introversion, etc. Thinking about the whole phrase, though, I think it takes on a different meaning; I think it means that a person is stronger than he or she may know — but hasn’t realized it yet. This is certainly true of Peggy Hawthorne, the heroine in my story, “The Registry of Lost Socks.”
OHP: What is An Honest Lie?
P.S.: An oxymoron for one — certainly one of the coolest literary devices in the English language. As a definition, I would say that it’s a lie we tell ourselves so often that we come to believe that it’s true. It’s the airs we take on when we’re in the company of others — the armor, the masks. It’s what we are when we’re with everyone but our most trusted loved ones.
OHP:Why do you feel the need to write?
P.S.:For me, there’s something endlessly fulfilling about creating a world from scratch. That would probably explain all the projects I’ve started but never finished. Starting something — be it a writing project or a book or a video game — always delivers the best rush.
OHP:Have you ever contemplated becoming involved in a revolution?
P.S.:There’s a Billy Joel song called “Angry Young Man” that really sums up how I felt in adolescence. I was going to fight every battle I could: ageism, freedom of speech, censorship, the right of 16-year-old teens to see R-rated movies without a parent or guardian. I’d like to think I’ve mellowed a bit (“I believe I’ve passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage,” as the song says), but I’m still concerned with freedom-of-speech issues and censorship. These are two things worth revolting for.
OHP:Do you think writers should call Ernest Hemmingway, Papa?
P.S.:The man had such a patriarchal beard! But I think there are other, more important writers that might deserve that particular term of endearment. Speculative fiction — which are the genres I’m most interested in — owe a lot to Poe and his contemporaries. Plus, there are the true greats to consider: the Beowulf author, Chaucer, Milton, Shakespeare. Hemmingway is one of the pantheon, certainly. I’d be proud to call him cousin, or even teacher.
OHP:I agree completely. But I too am a fan of Speculative Fiction. Why did you decide to submit your work to An Honest Lie?
P.S.:I was not familiar with An Honest Lie or Open Heart Publishing until the publication was featured on Duotrope Digest. The theme of the anthology intrigued me, but I wasn’t sure if “The Registry of Lost Socks” would fit. I was actually on the verge of not submitting until I read the description to my girlfriend, and she convinced me to try. “Socks,” at that point, had been rejected from about 18 markets.
OHP: We thought it was a great read, creative and original. Besides writing, what other sorts of deviant behavior do you happen to enjoy?
P.S.:I’ve always been a real movie buff. I worked for Blockbuster Inc. for six years while in high school and college, which afforded me five free rentals a week. After I resigned, not having those free rentals was like trying to quit a meth habit. I also like to visit historical sites and museums, and I like to get outdoors to hike when I can. I recently discovered an activity called Letterboxing, which involves searching for stamps in waterproof boxes that have been hidden in public places. You keep a log of the ones you’ve found, but you also get to discover some neat places that you may have passed a hundred times but never explored.
OHP:Do atheists pray?
P.S.:Prayer by definition indicates an entreaty to a higher power. Most atheists would vehemently deny belief in any kind of god, but I suspect they have just transplanted a traditional deity for one of modernity: technology, science, communications, etc. The idea of praying to the God of Genetics or the Heavenly Host of the Internet is intriguing — very cyberpunk, very William Gibson/Neil Gaiman.
OHP:Besides short stories what other writing endeavors are you currently engaged in?
P.S.: My biggest writing project right now is a Weird Western collection of five short stories and one novella. The stories take place in a traditional Western milieu where cars have replaced horses. Right now I’m procrastinating working on it in order to do this interview. I’m on the third draft and would like for the collection to be complete in the next few months so I can begin searching for a literary agent. Besides that, I have another short story — a ghost story — that I’m trying to publish and an idea for a sci-fi/cyberpunk story knocking around in my head.
OHP:Are there any authors, besides yourself, that you enjoy reading?
P.S.: The first “big boy” author that I read was Terry Brooks, and he’ll always have a special place in my heart. The Sword of Shannara was a very formative novel for me, especially when I discovered the back-story behind how Brooks struggled to get it published. Since then, I’ve really come to like (in no particular order): J.R.R. Tolkien, William Gibson, Ian Fleming, Stephen King, D.M. Cornish, Jonathan Stroud, Frank Herbert, C.S. Lewis, Alan Moore, Terry Pratchett, Patrick Rothfuss, J.K. Rowling and dozens of others.
OHP:Who would you say is your writing mentor/hero?
P.S.: Definitely Stephen King. I’ve been writing since childhood, but never with much conviction or with any clear idea of what I wanted to do with my work. I told myself that I was going to be a famous author someday, but never made any strides to even become published. Around 2007, I read King’s On Writing, which is both a very clever autobiography and a writing manual. That book really opened my eyes. I realized that if I wanted to become a writer, I really needed to take it more seriously. I started writing short fiction and published my first story titled “Warded” in Twisted Dreams magazine in the summer of 2008.
OHP:Do you have a writing nemesis?
P.S.: I have an absolute loathing hatred for James Frey. What he did with A Million Little Pieces was such a blatant breach of the covenant between writer and reader that to me it counts among the capital sins of writing. If I had my way, the man would never be allowed to publish again. Yet people continue to defend him and his work, and he keeps getting publishing deals while so many up-and-coming writers continue to struggle. Yeah, I’m a little bitter about the whole thing — even though it happened like a million years ago.
OHP: What do you feel about the following quote “Imagination is more important than knowledge?”
P.S.: The two should never compete with one another; they go hand-in-hand. Often the best ideas come from a bit of knowledge gleamed: some new scientific discovery, an obscure bit of history, etc. Knowledge and imagination are the yin and yang of the creative process.
OHP: Where do you believe humanity is headed as a whole?
P.S.: That’s a pretty loaded question. In a nutshell, the whole thing is very strange. Every day, you read about terrible things happening all over the world: rape, murder, genocide, war, environmental disasters, and so on. But then you hear about some guy who stopped to help a woman whose car had broken down on a remote road; or a doctor who perfected bionic legs for a cat; or a celebrity who did something for charity quietly with a real motivation to help his or her fellow man and not as a publicity stunt. For all the bad things that are happening, good things are happening, too. The universe is constantly trying to keep itself in balance.
OHP: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
P.S.: The very best inspiration comes from asking “What if?” questions — and again this may have been something I gleaned from Stephen King’s On Writing that I found true in my own creative process. For instance, what if my laundry room was populated by sentient appliances that occasionally stole my garments? Most of my story ideas come from learning or reading about something and then asking a “What if?” question.
OHP: In your opinion, which is the more important discovery of humankind: plumbing or the written word?
P.S.: The written word, without a doubt, followed closely by the printing press. You know, I recently read an article about a British survey that ranked the iPhone as number eight among the greatest inventions of all time. The iPhone?! Do these people realize that without the written word, without the printing press, there would be no iPhone? And if we have to read a book (or use our cell phones) while visiting the outhouse, then so be it.
OHP: According to Anatole France “To die for an idea is to set a rather high price on conjecture.” In your opinion what do you believe is worth dying for? What do you believe is worth living for?
P.S.: I guess the best answer to this question is that individuality is worth dying for. You could say that justice, the arts, principles — that these things are worth dying for. But all of these concepts are really subjective. Are individual. My idea of justice may differ from yours, and so on. I do, however, believe that creativity is worth living for. Whether it’s the visual arts or music or the written word — when you find something that speaks to you, you know you have on some level touched the rest of humanity. And maybe even the divine.
OHP: Mark Twain once said, “You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” What do you believe he meant by that?
P.S.: Every bit of stimuli that we encounter each day is an opportunity to spark our imagination. Artists get their ideas from everywhere, often from the most mundane everyday things. Our eyes — and indeed all of our senses — work hand-in-hand to make us the creative people we are.
OHP: Most people have two stories for doing anything: a plausible excuse and the real reason. Why do you really write?
P.S.: As Indiana Jones once said, “Fortune and glory, kid. Fortune and glory.”
OHP: Amen brother, Amen.
Davin Kimble – Jr. Editor
Patrick Scalisi is a magazine editor and aspiring author from Connecticut. His writing career began when he started composing stories about his favorite video games and movies on his mother’s word processor. Since 2008, he has published fiction in several outlets, including The Willows, Twisted Dreams and Space Westerns. He is also working on completing a novella. When he’s not writing, Pat enjoys watching way too many movies than are good for him, reading more books than he has shelves for and listening to music (his tastes range from classical to classic and modern rock). Visit him online at www.patrickscalisi.com
Bearing the Heat with Claire Ibarra
Well, well, well friends and fans. Ya’ll have been showing us the ultimate praise and loyalty. We are not exactly at press yet and the requests for the newest volume of An Honest Lie are pouring in. We truly appreciate your passion for what we do. You are the reason we do it in the first place. We want to bring you the best fiction at the most affordable prices. We truly appreciate your support.
In return we are hoping to bring you closer to our authors as we build relationships with them. We want to remind you all that this anthology is a competition for a book deal with Open Heart Publishing. You can vote for your favorite author here. If you can’t stand the wait you can preorder your copy here. Remember, preorders end on October 21st 2010.
This week we are talking to Claire Ibarra. Claire blessed us with a gem of a short called Heat Stress. It’s a tale of fleeing, from or maybe finding ourselves. Claire had a lot to say about her passion and her life. It was a pleasure for me to read this interview and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Without further adieu… I bring you, Claire Ibarra.
Open Heart Publishing: What do you feel is a delusion of insignificance?
Claire Ibarra: Actually, I think all of us, as human beings, need to be somewhat delusional to get through life. Delusions are a more creative form of denial. People live with delusions about everything from where their food comes from, to where their garbage goes, to how they feel about their jobs and even their own family members. Facing reality can be too gruesome. I much prefer harmless delusions to make life a bit rosier. Delusions become a problem when they gain enough power to steer the direction of our lives. When people act on their delusions, often they’re frowned upon.
OHP: What is An Honest Lie?
C.I.: This is a common notion to fiction, the ability to reveal truth about human nature through made-up stories. I often ask myself why this is important for various reasons. One is to be a better writer, but also I want to believe that this lonely, somewhat obscure endeavor is necessary. I know my stories are necessary to me, but I’d like to think they could be necessary to others, too. We see ourselves differently and know ourselves better through stories–they are an entertaining method of therapy.
OHP: Why do you feel the need to write?
C.I.: I feel as though I have an entire world inside my head, and sometimes it gets crowded in there. The only way to empty it and make more space is to write stories down. Some people are great oral storytellers, but writing is the easiest way for me to express myself. It must be the wiring in my brain. It makes me wonder though…how is it that I feel so comfortable inventing greatly troubled characters in such great detail. It’s an odd pastime when I really think about it.
OHP: Have you ever contemplated becoming involved in a revolution?
C.I.: When I was younger, I was very passionate about changing the world. When you’re young you actually believe it’s possible! I also grew up in Northern California, which is a great place to be a rebel. Now I regret that I’ve become so complacent. There’s a lot to be angry about, so much we should be fighting for and against, it just seems overwhelming. As I get older, I tend to focus on what I can do to make a difference in the world day-to-day. Things like recycling and being kind to people. I am also a Montessori elementary teacher, so I like to think of my classroom as a small subversive environment, where kids are free to speak their minds with confidence and where they learn how to grow a garden. Not exactly revolutionary, but it’s a good start.
OHP: Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Considering the state of the public education system Montessori is truly revolutionary. Where do you draw your inspiration from?
C.I.: I draw inspiration from my life experiences. My travels have provided me with a lot of imagery. Places like Greece, The Himalayas and Andes, The Caribbean islands—they have all made their way into my stories in one way or another. I am inspired when observing people; noticing someone’s reaction or behavior in a situation will often trigger an idea. Most often I am inspired by places, by nature, and by solitude. Melancholy is my most inspirational emotion.
OHP: Why did you decide to submit your work to An Honest Lie?
C.I.: I came upon An Honest Lie by chance and by luck through Duotrope. But the more I investigated, reading the Junior Editor’s Blog and exploring the extensive Web site, the more I felt a kinship with the values of An Honest Lie. An Honest Lie does some really great work in the community! And I enjoy the humor I find there.
OHP: Well thank you very much, we work hard to create the best image and products we can and we plan on working closely with our writers. Besides writing, what other sorts of deviant behavior do you happen to enjoy?
C.I.: I like to blast old rock and roll and dance around on chairs, playing air guitar. Many of my dinner parties end with friends dancing on chairs. I used to do that when I was thirteen, and it’s still a lot of fun! Other than that, I’m not very exciting. I practice yoga and a breathing technique from India, which my kids say looks a little weird.
OHP: Besides short stories what other writing endeavors are you currently engaged in?
C.I.: I’ve been working on a novel set in Peru. It is about an eccentric family and spans five generations. The novel is based on my husband’s Peruvian family and my experiences living there. We own a hostel in a remote Indian village in the Andes. I have also written several children’s stories, which I would love to see published one day.
OHP: Are there any authors, besides yourself, that you enjoy reading?
C.I.: I would not be able to list them all! I suppose my favorites are the Latin American magic realists. I admire Isabel Allende for her writing and also for being so prolific. There are some authors who have written one or two novels that are among my favorites. White Oleander by Janet Finch and The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri come to mind. I took a fiction workshop with Connie May Fowler and she was amazing, so I would mention her too. I have an eclectic taste for literature.
OHP: Who would you say is your writing mentor/ hero?
C.I.: Connie May Fowler was incredibly generous to all the writers in her workshop. I learned a lot about the craft from her insights. I have a few close friends who are writers, and we mentor each other. They are my heroes in the writing trenches. On a more abstract level, I would say Isabel Allende was the writer I most tried to emulate in the beginning stages. I gradually discovered my own voice, but she definitely influenced me as a writer.
OHP: Do you have a writing nemesis?
C.I.: Because I consider myself a literary writer, I tend to get annoyed with the commercial success of some genre authors. Perhaps I’m just envious. We should celebrate authors with such success, and not belittle them for it. Literary writers can be snobby that way, thinking all writers should wallow in poverty in the name of their high art. Achieving success as a writer is difficult enough without harboring negative feelings, like envy or rivalry.
OHP: I can relate to that. What do you feel about the following quote “Imagination is more important than knowledge?”
C.I.: I have that quote and a picture of Einstein hanging up in my classroom, for my young students to ponder. I tell my students that Einstein did horrible in school. I believe he was even expelled, and they always get a kick out of that. Knowledge grows out of our imagination—out of curiosity and the need to create, we seek to know more and understand the world. We should all strive for that. As writers, I think we do.
OHP: Where do you believe humanity is headed as a whole?
C.I.: I think we are evolving into higher beings with extraordinary empathy, wisdom and spiritual knowledge! Maybe that’s just my delusion of insignificance. It’s better than the alternative–locking myself in a stockpiled shelter in the year 2012. Our fears feed on themselves, and I am very saddened by the way the future is portrayed in entertainment. Throughout history there’s always been those proclaiming doomsday, but in reality life is always getting better. Advancements in medicine, over the centuries, are one good example. The movement toward green technology makes me feel more optimistic. We are evolving creatures, so why not toward a higher consciousness.
OHP: That is the most optimistic answer so far. Tell us about your family.
My husband and I met in Peru, where I studied for a period. Like many Peruvians, he is very spontaneous and lives fully in the moment, which is what I love most about him; that and his sense of humor. We own a hostel in a remote Indian village in the Andes, which provides adventure in our lives. We have two daughters, who have grown into amazing young women! Being their mother is my greatest accomplishment in life. I was an only child, but I was blessed with a large extended family—I am very close with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I think being an only child helped me become a writer. The solitude gave me time to observe my surroundings and watch adults, which was a great way to gather material.
OHP: In your opinion, which is the more important discovery of humankind… plumbing or the written word?
C.I.: Plumbing improves sanitary conditions and cuts down on diseases, which has saved lives. But the written word elevates human beings and passes on knowledge through the ages. Personally, I could survive without plumbing as long as I had some bushes and a natural source of water. Not to sound overdramatic, but I couldn’t live without literature. I suppose I could survive, but I couldn’t really live fully. If I were sent to a deserted island, I would choose to take books not a toilet.
OHP: Agreed. Now a few more questions. According to Anatole France “To die for an idea is to set a rather high price on conjecture,” in your opinion what do you believe is worth dying for? What do you believe is worth living for?
C.I.: I think I would sacrifice my life to protect my family. I hope that if I were in a position to have to fight to the death for a higher ideal, like freedom or justice, I would be brave enough. My life circumstances haven’t forced me to make that decision. Living rather than dying for something seems like a better option. Life is worth living for every single experience we encounter. Experiencing the world through our senses, feeling joy and even pain, being loved and loving, it’s all worth the journey.
OHP: Mark Twain once said that “You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” What do you believe he meant by that?
C.I.: I think it means that we experience the world through the lens of our imagination, and that’s what gives each of us our own unique perspective. We can’t separate perception and imagination; they work together to form our understanding of the world. On a very practical level, we use our imaginations to make sense and give context to what we see with our eyes. In Mark Twain’s day there was an entire nation living ‘out of focus’ with slavery. I’m not sure you can feel empathy without imagination.
OHP: Most people have two stories for doing anything… a plausible excuse and the real reason, why do you really write?
C.I.: I honestly don’t know. If it were for recognition, fame, money, or anything ego driven I would have stopped a long time ago—especially during those years when my work wasn’t getting published. Now it is somewhat more gratifying. I’ve asked myself many times why I choose to do something that offers so little reward for the amount of time invested, even something in which the word ‘rejection’ is standard industry lingo. The truth is I have to write!
OHP: Man, don’t I know it.
Claire Ibarra had the soul of writer long before she figured out she could actually become a writer. As the only child of artistic bohemian parents, her fate was pretty much sealed early on. She preferred the company of adults, engaged in deep conversation or wickedly fun gossip, to dawdling with children her own age. Her peers thought of her as peculiar, which was a tremendous boost to her writer’s persona. Claire’s first published story was in her high school newspaper.
After traveling the world and studying in Peru, Claire dutifully and joyfully put in her 10,000 hours of practice (she’s done the math on this) and is now seeing her work come to fruition. Her fiction and creative nonfiction have appeared in The MacGuffin, Natural Bridge, Boston Literary Magazine, Moondance Magazine, Quiet Mountain Essays, Amoskeag and Midway, among others.
Claire and her husband own a hostel in a remote village in the Andes of Peru, which is a setting for her historical novel in progress. She is a Montessori elementary teacher, which is a constant source of inspiration and headaches, and is also the proud mother of two amazing young girls. Claire rarely achieved anything in life by taking the direct path, much preferring the roundabout, scenic route instead. She currently resides in Miami, Florida. To find out more, visit www.claireibarra.com.
Keeping it moving with Dennis Thompson
We are pretty busy bees over here at Open Heart Publishing. We are literally
weeks away from the release of An Honest Lie Volume 2. While the actual release date is October 31st. Presales will be available Oct 1 – Oct 21st for the printed version of the book. Get in early and get the first run … great holiday gift for the bibliophile in your life. Stay tuned for more information and don’t forget to follow us on twitter @ohpublishing.
Today we are loading up one more Author Interview. We are talking to Dennis Thompson. Dennis sent us a story called Not-So-Merry-Go-Round about getting what you deserve, or maybe what you need. Either way it’s a serious tale with a frightening twist. You don’t want to miss this one.
Open Heart Publishing: What do you feel is a delusion of insignificance?
Dennis Thompson: A wacko who’s more important than he thinks he is; which is the general state of most artists, especially those of us who aren’t getting paid.
OHP: I know right? You have to do this for love or you’re just a crazy person. It’s like me digging ditches for free, if I was inclined to do that sort of thing. Good thing we are a paying publisher. What is An Honest Lie?
D.T.: One of the myriad white lies we tell every day to make our lives easier.
OHP: Why do you feel the need to write?
D.T.: If I knew the answer to that I would promptly explain it to my wife.
OHP: I hear that. Why did you decide to submit your work to An Honest Lie?
D.T.: Blind luck, and the “free” carrot.
OHP: Besides writing, what other sorts of deviant behavior do you happen to enjoy?
D.T: Secret porn.
OHP: And modern technology makes it so much easier to access the good stuff.
Do atheists pray?
D.T.: Yes.
OHP: Besides short stories what other writing endeavors are you currently engaged in?
D.T.: My young adult novel about an eight-man football team is being published by Country Messenger Press this year, I have collaborated on a football coaching manual that will come out the first part of 2011, and I am currently compiling about five hundred Bukowskiesque poems that I hope Sean Penn will read.
OHP: Are there any authors, besides yourself, that you enjoy reading?
D.T.: My current top ten authors are Steinbeck, Kerouac, Bukowski, Hamsun, Henry Miller, James Frey, Junot Diaz, Cormac McCarthy, John Fante, and Tom Wolfe. I also like Raymond Carver, Denis Johnson, Sherman Alexie, Rick Bass, Annie Proulx, and Jim Harrison (along with about fifty others).
OHP: Who would you say is your writing mentor/ hero?
D.T.: Charles Bukowski, hands down.
OHP: He is the man. Do you have a writing nemesis?
D.T.: Lethargy, television, and familial duties.
OHP: Do I ever hear that. If only we can just write and ignore life all together. What do you feel about the following quote “Imagination is more important than knowledge?”
D.T.: Knowledge just makes you look like a jerk at parties. Imagination lets you party in your head.
OHP: Tell us about your family.
D.T.: My wife, two thirteen-year-old step-daughters, and my five-year-old son live in a mountain home that we have built with our own hands. We are happy.
OHP: That sounds wonderful. Where do you draw your inspiration from?
D.T.: That party in my head. The one that really gets rolling when I manage to quell lethargy, television and familial duties for blocks of two hours or more.
OHP: In your opinion, which is the more important discovery of humankind… plumbing or the written word?
D.T.: It wasn’t plumbing.
OHP: According to Anatole France “To die for an idea is to set a rather high price on conjecture.” In your opinion, what do you believe is worth dying for? What do you believe is worth living for?
D.T: One word answers both questions: salvation.
OHP: Mark twain once said “You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” What do you believe he meant by that?
D.T.: I think he was probably drunk and kicking himself for the girl he brought home that night.
OHP: Most people have two stories for doing anything… a plausible excuse and the real reason, why do you really write?
D.T.: I write because I have an unexplainable burning compulsion in the pit of my stomach that will not go away. If I could, I would sit in a quiet room ten hours a day and do nothing but lay it down. I feel like my fingers are a conduit to the untapped wonders of my subconscious and I want to know what the hell is going on in there.
Dennis Thompson is always on the search for the next gut-punch story, and has been writing since 1987. Inspired by On the Road, Notes of a Dirty Old Man, and about thirty other decent lies, Dennis decided to take a shot at a life of the mind. He has written hundreds of poems, flash fiction, and short stories, one novel, a screenplay, and a work of non-fiction. He substitute teaches and coaches junior high football while his loving wife makes the real money. He lives deep in the woods of rural northeast Washington State. And for that, he thanks his lucky stars. You can find out more about Dennis by visiting http://dennisrthompson.com/.
Who’s on first? Cynthia Witherspoon
Dear friends and fans, readers and critics welcome back. We are coming up very fast on the release of An Honest Lie Volume 2: Delusions of Insignificance. 6 weeks until the release, maybe less now, and we have 4 authors and two staff yet to get interviewed. So, if you will, follow me down the cracked and tarnished yellow brick road of old and join me in the Emerald City of our minds.
This week we are speaking with Cynthia Witherspoon who sent us a sobering tale called My Own Making. Spunky and straight forward in her answers here she has a depth in her writing that I think is fabulous. Prolific in her local area she is working closely with another writer and mentor and I have to say I believe she has a bright future ahead. Don’t miss My Own Making in An Honest Lie Volume 2 and don’t miss Cynthia Witherspoon.
Open Heart Publishing: What do you feel is a delusion of insignificance?
Cynthia Witherspoon: [A delusion of insignificance is] the self-consciousness that writers are known for. So many great writers delude themselves into thinking their work is not good enough because they don’t have a celebrity name. Its more, sad than anything.
OHP: What is An Honest Lie?
C.W.: An Honest Lie, in my humble opinion, is any lie that we tell ourselves enough that it becomes truth.
OHP: Why do you feel the need to write?
C.W.: My characters are all extensions of myself and thus, the need to write is who I am. No day is complete unless I have something on the page. And no outfit is complete without a notebook and pen.
OHP: I like that, accessorize with your writing tools. Have you ever contemplated becoming involved in a revolution?
C.W.: No. But I do think that if someone believes an injustice is occurring, they should act to ensure that injustice is stopped; not just stand by and complain about their own unhappiness.
OHP: Do you think writers should call Ernest Hemmingway, Papa?
C.W.: Papa…? More like Grand Poobah or Master; Now Edgar Allen Poe? Definitely Papa Poe….
OHP: Papa Poe, now that’s priceless. Why did you decide to submit your work to An Honest Lie?
C.W.: Because I was extremely impressed with Open Heart Publishing and the quality of works they’ve released. But more importantly, the concept of this anthology inspired me to write My Own Making.
OHP: Thanks for that glowing review. Besides writing, what other sorts of deviant behavior do you happen to enjoy?
C.W.: Sitting back with a cup of coffee and just listening to the world around me. Of course, I’m partial to World of Warcraft too….
OHP: Besides short stories what other writing endeavors are you currently engaged in?
C.W.: I’m currently working on a steampunk trilogy with the fabulous K.G. McAbee who I’ve also written a paranormal romance series with.
OHP: That sounds like a couple of great concepts. Are there any authors, besides yourself, that you enjoy reading?
C.W.: I’d be facetious if I didn’t say K.G. McAbee, but I love the classics too: Papa Poe, anything written by Isabel Allende…there are just too many to list here.
OHP: Who would you say is your writing mentor/ hero?
C.W.: My writing hero and mentor is K.G. McAbee. She’s been kind enough to take me under her wing and let me write with her. There’s so much to say about having someone who kicks you in the butt to teach you what you need to become great at your craft.
OHP: Do you have a writing nemesis?
C.W: Not that I know of…but I’ll let you know if I get one!
OHP: What do you feel about the following quote “Imagination is more important than knowledge?”
C.W.: I think that imagination is born from knowledge, so they go hand in hand. Without knowledge, especially the knowledge that comes from the past, our imaginations become stifled and stale.
OHP: Where do you believe humanity is headed as a whole?
C.W.: Humans are fickle and fragile. We’ll either end up in a utopian society or a zombie apocalypse. I’m betting on the zombies.
OHP: I am betting on the zombies too, if only for the fun factor. Where do you draw your inspiration from?
C.W.: My inspiration comes from anywhere at any time. I could be reading a news article, and have an idea hit me; or grocery shopping. Wal-Mart is definitely a breeding ground for characters….
OHP: Agreed! In your opinion, which is the more important discovery of humankind… plumbing or the written word?
C.W.: Oh the written word for sure! Not just because I’m biased and know nothing about plumbing! Seriously, man couldn’t have created plumbing without being able to write the idea down on parchment first.
OHP: According to Anatole France “To die for an idea is to set a rather high price on conjecture,” in your opinion what do you believe is worth dying for? What do you believe is worth living for?
C.W.: Art and love are the only things really worth dying for, but they are also the only things worth living for.
OHP: Mark Twain once said that “You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” What do you believe he meant by that?
C.W.: That perception is everything, but for a writer, it’s so much more. Our creativity, our imagination, is based on our perceptions of this world that make our worlds on the page a reality for our readers to enjoy.
OHP: Most people have two stories for doing anything… a plausible excuse and the real reason, why do you really write?
C.W.: …Because I have to. I know that it’s a cliché response, but my characters take over when I am writing. They don’t let me go until I get them on the page.
Cynthia D. Witherspoon’s publication experience includes Something’s Got to Give, 2004-2005 by The Concept, as well as Chorus of the Dead in Whortleberry Press’ short story collection entitled It Was a Dark and Stormy Halloween. Her short story Rest My Brothers was most recently published in Christmas in Space also by Whortleberry Press. Her awards include an Honorable Mention in The Writer’s Workshop of Asheville’s Words of Love Contest (2009) as well as second place in the Eleventh Annual Hub City Writer’s Project Fiction Contest (2009). Most recently, her short story Chorus of the Dead won second place within Whortleberry Press’ It Was a Dark and Stormy Halloween contest. Her short story, My Own Making will be published in An Honest Lie, Volume 2: Delusions of Insignificance, which will be available fall 2010.
