Ask the Author: Michael R. Worthington
Answered Questions (7)
Michael R. Worthington
My "covid" novel is an adult Sci-Fi. Check out my blog for a short excerpt.
I am trying hard Sci-Fi to gauge readers' response, but I am also tempted to write adult fantasy. Either type is one of the most popular readers' categories, but they are also popular with writers for the same reason.
Hope you have survived the pandemic well.
I am trying hard Sci-Fi to gauge readers' response, but I am also tempted to write adult fantasy. Either type is one of the most popular readers' categories, but they are also popular with writers for the same reason.
Hope you have survived the pandemic well.
Michael R. Worthington
I am putting the finishing touches on a young adult book about a black girl in the foster care system who helps "gentle" a mustang. Though not explicitly stated in the book, the character grew up in New York City but the story setting is upstate New York (think Saratoga). The life lessons from the barn helps her overcome school violence and racial discrimination to make friends (including a boy friend), gain confidence, and become adopted by her caregiver. The violence in the book is necessary to the plot, but I am concerned about the reception by readers. Also, "cultural appropriation" has become a "cause" with some readers, so that also concerns me since the main characters are minorities and female. If you want to send a message with your email address, I would be glad to send a PDF of the manuscript for your opinion.
Michael R. Worthington
Four sticks of dynamite exploded during classes at my high school on September 8, 1971. The racial unrest began when a white N.C. Highway Patrolman, named William ‘Billy’ Day, shot and killed a 32-year-old black farm worker, named William ‘Bill’ Murphy, on a rural road near Ayden, NC on the night of August 6, 1971. Seven young black men were arrested and convicted of the bombing of the Ayden-Grifton High School. However, nobody was ever charged with providing the dynamite.
Michael R. Worthington
I write Hi/Lo fiction (High Interest / Low Reading Difficulty) to encourage reluctant teenage readers. Hi/Lo books have an interest level at least two years above the reading level of the text. The plots of my novellas move quickly, chapters are concise, and the book length is short. The challenge is to make the Hi/Lo books 'sound' like mainstream literature despite diction restrictions and simpler sentence structure. The result is an easy read for a day at the beach or a lazy afternoon at home. Adults say they enjoy the books; so read them with a teenager and discuss it to encourage them to read more. And the books would work well with a school reading club, which would be a good project for a school volunteer.
Michael R. Worthington
Build a portfolio by submitting works to local media, school publications, contests, and small magazines. Learn from the editors instead of taking offense to their suggested changes. Join a writers' group and attend conferences. But above all else, write material: poems, articles, journal, or stories. Writers write, and hope to one day become a published author.
Michael R. Worthington
Computers lend themselves to 'free writing.' Don't worry about diction or grammar--just record ideas. The difficult part comes later when it is time to delete parts. Often I delete over half of what I wrote--Keep It Short and Simple.
Michael R. Worthington
The basic idea came in a dream while I was in a medically induced coma for 17 days. It was one of a number of vivid dreams that even a year later, seem like memories of things that actually happened.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more