What's Changing...

I’m a reader, and an unrepentant reader at that. I’ll read anything, and more likely than not, I’ll have some wise crack comment to make at the end of the day.

I’m also a writer, or as my friend Colin calls me, a “wordslinger.” (It’s a Dark Tower reference, I don’t expect many of you to get it.) I write mostly short fiction, but lately the stories have been growing, and I think a novel may one day appear.

So, if you read the year in review post, you’ll know that I’m changing the format of the Right Wing. I’m keeping the sports aspect, because I like writing about sports, but I’m leaving behind politics and all things political, unless I write a story about them, and I’m shifting focus to one of my true passions: Literature. The blog’s new format will feature book reviews, usually done as often as I finish a book, and for the whole month of January, as a dedication to my geekdom, I’ll review a different Star Wars book every day, for all thirty-one days.

I’ll also be posting some short fiction, and maybe even some long fiction in multiple parts, and I’ll be letting some of my friends post their own writings.

So I think I’ll ring in the New Year, and the new blog format, by explaining myself as a writer, in a very in-depth, personal interview conducted by myself.

Favorite Author?
I have many favorite authors. This is one of those questions that cannot be answered easily. J.R.R. Tolkien, Matthew Stover, James Rollins, Stephen King, Timothy Zahn, Douglas Adams… just to name a few.

Writing Inspirations?
If I had to choose the biggest inspirations to my writing, I’d say Douglas Adams and Stephen King. Adams brings a new kind of humour to books, even though most of his writing is over fifteen years old and, sadly, he passed away a few years ago. I think that a book written without any kind of humor is a sad attempt. Even the Bible has humour in it. Stephen King impressed me greatly with the Dark Tower series. I hope that one day I can be as powerful in writing as he is, and have the command of words that he does.

Favorite Genre?
Science fiction and fantasy are definitely high on the list, but I’m growing more and more interested in thriller sci-fi, like the SIGMA Force novels by James Rollins. Matthew Stover wrote a Star Wars book in the New Jedi Order series called “Traitor” and it’s a nice mixture of Star Wars saga and psychology, examining the differences between good and evil. I’m a huge “Lord of the Rings” fan, and I think “The Silmarillion” is one of the most beautiful pieces of writing available.

Writing Style?
If you mean my personal writing style, I’m a fan of a limited third person narrator. I like it when the narrator finds out stuff at the same time as the audience. Omniscient narrators bore me; they’re way too cut-and-dry, ‘absolute truth’ kind of narrators. Unreliable narrators, like the kinds found in a limited third person style, are way more fun. I truthfully don’t like writing in first person, although I’ve done it before, and depending on the situation it can be fun.

So what have you(I) written?
I’ve written some fan fiction stuff on a Legend of Zelda site, another story that might one day appear on the blog. It was written in first person and was a play off of the Ocarina of Time video game.

I’ve also written some other thing, obviously not counting academic work here. Historia is a work in progress that is already at roughly 25 pages in length. Historia is a “Picasso Literature” piece.

The Darby O’Hanlon story lives on in various incarnations, numbering from 14 pages up to 31 pages. If anything I’ve written could become a novel, I think that’s it.

And what exactly is “Picasso Literature?”
If you’ve read I, you know that the story makes sense, without making sense. The historical aspects follow no rhyme nor reason, but if you haven't studied the story really will not be as effective for you as for someone who has studied. Even in its silliness, it is educated literature. The fact that a Revolutionary War General is fighting on Pepperidge Farm while our hero makes his way through accompanied by a talking mouse is enough to drive anyone mad, until you dig into the story and see what's going on.

So what is going on?
How should I know?