Ask the Author: Colin Matthews
Answered Questions (11)
Colin Matthews
Twice she felt her skin crawl and quickly turned to see who or what was the source of the shadow she saw moving along with her, off to her right side, and twice she saw nothing. Then the loud humming started.
Colin Matthews
As you might be able to guess, I think Gabriel Allon in Daniel Silva’s novels is a very, very interesting character. If I could travel to his world, and achieve the sense of satisfaction he finally realizes after an exceptionally complex job well done over a number of locales around the globe, e.g., Rome and the Vatican, protecting the Pope --- that is where and who I would want to be, doing what he does so incredibly well --- being a really good guy, fighting evil in all its forms.
Colin Matthews
A Prayer for Owen Meany-John Irving
Dolores Claiborne-Stephen King
The Corrections-Jonathan Franzen
Dolores Claiborne-Stephen King
The Corrections-Jonathan Franzen
Colin Matthews
One particular ability --- I’ll call it that because I don’t know what else to call it --- has been enough of a mystery in my own life to perhaps serve as a plot for a novel. Years ago, on a number of occasions, I became aware of things happening in reality that I had some months or years before only thought of as flash fiction in my mind. Trained and active as a Ph.D. scientist, I laughed at any idea that these occurrences were in some way prophetic. Nevertheless, there came a time in my life when I thought it might be interesting to write fiction that made use of some of these kinds of mental wanderings and wonderings. So I wrote a novel (VICTOR’S STORY) incorporating some of the possibilities of life events unfolding as I had imagined. But what if there were some person who really did have a uniquely mysterious ability to see in his or her mind’s eye what might happen in the future, and … and… Now there is the plot for another book.
Colin Matthews
Superman and Lois Lane --- because together they represent the epitome of pure fiction, regardless of fictional vehicle, with character development built in by virtue of the fiction of his very being.
Colin Matthews
The key to beating it for me is patience. Go for a run/walk on the beach; read a good book to get the creative juices flowing; have a cup of coffee while just sitting doing absolutely nothing.
Don't try to force the issue. Most of the time you're boss of your brain, but here it might be better to let it do what it wants to. And in doing so, it might return the favor by giving you great ideas for your writing.
Thanks for asking.
Colin Matthews
Don't try to force the issue. Most of the time you're boss of your brain, but here it might be better to let it do what it wants to. And in doing so, it might return the favor by giving you great ideas for your writing.
Thanks for asking.
Colin Matthews
Colin Matthews
For fiction writing, the ability to make it all up as you go along. Sure, you have to do quite a bit of research (for facts) to make it interesting and believable for people (characters), places, and times. But other than that research, which might be considered work (although enlightening in most cases), the rest of it is all fun.
Thanks for asking.
Colin Matthews
Thanks for asking.
Colin Matthews
Colin Matthews
Go with the flow for the ideas --- let the thinking be free to go its own way and write it down as fast as you can. But don't try to rush the thinking itself; be patient. You can always change what you write down when it is fiction. But at least start each day of writing by actually writing something down. It almost always will grow on its own from there. My problem was having it grow so much that I had to cut it back, but that is usually a good thing.
See my blog over the next few months. A good portion of my posts will be addressing the kinds of things that might be considered advice for aspiring writers, but not labelled as such.
My personal blog is, I believe, accessible on Goodreads as part of my author profile.
It is: colinmatthewsblog.com
Thanks for asking.
Colin Matthews
See my blog over the next few months. A good portion of my posts will be addressing the kinds of things that might be considered advice for aspiring writers, but not labelled as such.
My personal blog is, I believe, accessible on Goodreads as part of my author profile.
It is: colinmatthewsblog.com
Thanks for asking.
Colin Matthews
Colin Matthews
I have an author site on Wordpress where I am just now beginning to post blogs having to do with writing and such --- colinmatthewsblog.com
That site is, I believe, accessible directly through Goodreads under my profile.
My blogging is tagged as 4F; Commentary for fun, fans, facts and focus. Hey, I had to think up something to put as tags that did not limit my writing/posting there as the spirit moved me.
I am right now working on another post to appear there probably tomorrow.
Thanks for asking.
Colin Matthews
That site is, I believe, accessible directly through Goodreads under my profile.
My blogging is tagged as 4F; Commentary for fun, fans, facts and focus. Hey, I had to think up something to put as tags that did not limit my writing/posting there as the spirit moved me.
I am right now working on another post to appear there probably tomorrow.
Thanks for asking.
Colin Matthews
Colin Matthews
Funny you should ask. I just recently wrote on my blog (colinmatthewsblog.com) about that. The title of that recent post had to do with the nation's war on drugs, but that is what got me started. I had been vocalizing objections to the absurdity and futility of that war.
Because, I guess, they got sick of hearing those vocalized objections, and because I wasn’t actually doing anything about it but venting my frustration, some friends and family kept saying, “Write it down! You know this stuff, write something about it.” They knew I had a Ph.D. and was trained in the medical sciences, but writing scholarly journal articles or reports about scientific research as I had in the past was not what I thought was called for in this case.
There have been, and still are, significant other writers addressing the futility and social destructiveness of that war. I did not have any real interest in attempting to add my little bit to the non-fiction literature on the subject. Nor did I want to be simply an echo chamber of sorts. As it so happened, one of my other traits with which those friends and family were familiar was my habit, when the spirit moved me over the course of less than half a minute, of cognitively manufacturing tiny vignettes in my mind’s eyes and ears, instantaneously experienced mini-micro short stories really, which I then laughingly told them about, as in “guess what just zipped through my head”. My re-telling of these flash tales seemed to find a receptive audience (Or should I say captive?).
Did these quick and dirty vignettes represent a visit from my muse? Did I now have a muse? A literature muse I did not know anything about? Was I becoming a fiction writer without knowing it? Was this an example of behavioral self-evolution in action? So many questions. So many things my characters wanted to say and do in their own little made-up world.
Who would have thunk it? Colin Matthews a novelist? --- You’ve got to be kidding!
So, one day more recently I decided to write a novel with that issue, the “War on Drugs”, as one significant theme. That platform allowed me freedom to include as well some interesting thematic explorations, fictional character development, and plot action regarding additional issues of importance for a solid story --- issues perhaps at most only a very tiny notch below the corrosive effects of an absurd drug war policy and its inexcusably harsh punishment of addiction in lieu of treatment.
• Did I hear someone ask about American border security and immigrant problems?
• Are heightened fears of terrorist penetration in this country reasonable? Can we ever be free of all risk?
• What about the risk of xenophobia to us as individuals? To our country’s nature? Some other fear?
• Is representative democracy protected? Or in trouble? Can government paranoia be diagnosed and cured?
• Will we in the United States always be allowed to say what we want without government reprisal?
• Would it be of interest to gain some idea of what goes on in the upper reaches of the Amazon rainforest?
• Gotcha on that last one! How about that recent film “Embrace of the Serpent”? Further exploration?
• Did I want to jump at the chance to include some serious crime and suspense? And some political intrigue? And honest-to-badness danger?
I am continuing to post on my blog about these kinds of things having to do with my writing. Please feel free to have a look.
Thanks for asking the question.
Colin Matthews
Because, I guess, they got sick of hearing those vocalized objections, and because I wasn’t actually doing anything about it but venting my frustration, some friends and family kept saying, “Write it down! You know this stuff, write something about it.” They knew I had a Ph.D. and was trained in the medical sciences, but writing scholarly journal articles or reports about scientific research as I had in the past was not what I thought was called for in this case.
There have been, and still are, significant other writers addressing the futility and social destructiveness of that war. I did not have any real interest in attempting to add my little bit to the non-fiction literature on the subject. Nor did I want to be simply an echo chamber of sorts. As it so happened, one of my other traits with which those friends and family were familiar was my habit, when the spirit moved me over the course of less than half a minute, of cognitively manufacturing tiny vignettes in my mind’s eyes and ears, instantaneously experienced mini-micro short stories really, which I then laughingly told them about, as in “guess what just zipped through my head”. My re-telling of these flash tales seemed to find a receptive audience (Or should I say captive?).
Did these quick and dirty vignettes represent a visit from my muse? Did I now have a muse? A literature muse I did not know anything about? Was I becoming a fiction writer without knowing it? Was this an example of behavioral self-evolution in action? So many questions. So many things my characters wanted to say and do in their own little made-up world.
Who would have thunk it? Colin Matthews a novelist? --- You’ve got to be kidding!
So, one day more recently I decided to write a novel with that issue, the “War on Drugs”, as one significant theme. That platform allowed me freedom to include as well some interesting thematic explorations, fictional character development, and plot action regarding additional issues of importance for a solid story --- issues perhaps at most only a very tiny notch below the corrosive effects of an absurd drug war policy and its inexcusably harsh punishment of addiction in lieu of treatment.
• Did I hear someone ask about American border security and immigrant problems?
• Are heightened fears of terrorist penetration in this country reasonable? Can we ever be free of all risk?
• What about the risk of xenophobia to us as individuals? To our country’s nature? Some other fear?
• Is representative democracy protected? Or in trouble? Can government paranoia be diagnosed and cured?
• Will we in the United States always be allowed to say what we want without government reprisal?
• Would it be of interest to gain some idea of what goes on in the upper reaches of the Amazon rainforest?
• Gotcha on that last one! How about that recent film “Embrace of the Serpent”? Further exploration?
• Did I want to jump at the chance to include some serious crime and suspense? And some political intrigue? And honest-to-badness danger?
I am continuing to post on my blog about these kinds of things having to do with my writing. Please feel free to have a look.
Thanks for asking the question.
Colin Matthews
Colin Matthews
Funny you should ask. I just recently wrote on my blog (colinmatthewsblog.com) about that. The title of that recent post had to do with the nation's war on drugs, but that is what got me started. I had been vocalizing objections to the absurdity and futility of that war.
Because, I guess, they got sick of hearing those vocalized objections, and because I wasn’t actually doing anything about it but venting my frustration, some friends and family kept saying, “Write it down! You know this stuff, write something about it.” They knew I had a Ph.D. and was trained in the medical sciences, but writing scholarly journal articles or reports about scientific research as I had in the past was not what I thought was called for in this case.
There have been, and still are, significant other writers addressing the futility and social destructiveness of that war. I did not have any real interest in attempting to add my little bit to the non-fiction literature on the subject. Nor did I want to be simply an echo chamber of sorts. As it so happened, one of my other traits with which those friends and family were familiar was my habit, when the spirit moved me over the course of less than half a minute, of cognitively manufacturing tiny vignettes in my mind’s eyes and ears, instantaneously experienced mini-micro short stories really, which I then laughingly told them about, as in “guess what just zipped through my head”. My re-telling of these flash tales seemed to find a receptive audience (Or should I say captive?).
Did these quick and dirty vignettes represent a visit from my muse? Did I now have a muse? A literature muse I did not know anything about? Was I becoming a fiction writer without knowing it? Was this an example of behavioral self-evolution in action? So many questions. So many things my characters wanted to say and do in their own little made-up world.
Who would have thunk it? Colin Matthews a novelist? --- You’ve got to be kidding!
So, one day more recently I decided to write a novel with that issue, the “War on Drugs”, as one significant theme. That platform allowed me freedom to include as well some interesting thematic explorations, fictional character development, and plot action regarding additional issues of importance for a solid story --- issues perhaps at most only a very tiny notch below the corrosive effects of an absurd drug war policy and its inexcusably harsh punishment of addiction in lieu of treatment.
• Did I hear someone ask about American border security and immigrant problems?
• Are heightened fears of terrorist penetration in this country reasonable? Can we ever be free of all risk?
• What about the risk of xenophobia to us as individuals? To our country’s nature? Some other fear?
• Is representative democracy protected? Or in trouble? Can government paranoia be diagnosed and cured?
• Will we in the United States always be allowed to say what we want without government reprisal?
• Would it be of interest to gain some idea of what goes on in the upper reaches of the Amazon rainforest?
• Gotcha on that last one! How about that recent film “Embrace of the Serpent”? Further exploration?
• Did I want to jump at the chance to include some serious crime and suspense? And some political intrigue? And honest-to-badness danger?
I am continuing to post on my blog about these kinds of things having to do with my writing. Please feel free to have a look.
Thanks for asking the question.
Colin Matthews
Because, I guess, they got sick of hearing those vocalized objections, and because I wasn’t actually doing anything about it but venting my frustration, some friends and family kept saying, “Write it down! You know this stuff, write something about it.” They knew I had a Ph.D. and was trained in the medical sciences, but writing scholarly journal articles or reports about scientific research as I had in the past was not what I thought was called for in this case.
There have been, and still are, significant other writers addressing the futility and social destructiveness of that war. I did not have any real interest in attempting to add my little bit to the non-fiction literature on the subject. Nor did I want to be simply an echo chamber of sorts. As it so happened, one of my other traits with which those friends and family were familiar was my habit, when the spirit moved me over the course of less than half a minute, of cognitively manufacturing tiny vignettes in my mind’s eyes and ears, instantaneously experienced mini-micro short stories really, which I then laughingly told them about, as in “guess what just zipped through my head”. My re-telling of these flash tales seemed to find a receptive audience (Or should I say captive?).
Did these quick and dirty vignettes represent a visit from my muse? Did I now have a muse? A literature muse I did not know anything about? Was I becoming a fiction writer without knowing it? Was this an example of behavioral self-evolution in action? So many questions. So many things my characters wanted to say and do in their own little made-up world.
Who would have thunk it? Colin Matthews a novelist? --- You’ve got to be kidding!
So, one day more recently I decided to write a novel with that issue, the “War on Drugs”, as one significant theme. That platform allowed me freedom to include as well some interesting thematic explorations, fictional character development, and plot action regarding additional issues of importance for a solid story --- issues perhaps at most only a very tiny notch below the corrosive effects of an absurd drug war policy and its inexcusably harsh punishment of addiction in lieu of treatment.
• Did I hear someone ask about American border security and immigrant problems?
• Are heightened fears of terrorist penetration in this country reasonable? Can we ever be free of all risk?
• What about the risk of xenophobia to us as individuals? To our country’s nature? Some other fear?
• Is representative democracy protected? Or in trouble? Can government paranoia be diagnosed and cured?
• Will we in the United States always be allowed to say what we want without government reprisal?
• Would it be of interest to gain some idea of what goes on in the upper reaches of the Amazon rainforest?
• Gotcha on that last one! How about that recent film “Embrace of the Serpent”? Further exploration?
• Did I want to jump at the chance to include some serious crime and suspense? And some political intrigue? And honest-to-badness danger?
I am continuing to post on my blog about these kinds of things having to do with my writing. Please feel free to have a look.
Thanks for asking the question.
Colin Matthews
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