Ask the Author: Patrick Witz
Answered Questions (7)
Patrick Witz
In 2009, I had a 104.5 fever and a massive excruciating headache for over a week and ended up in the hospital. I was given every test the Director of Infectious Disease Management could think off. The phlebotomists were bumping into each other coming and going to draw blood for all kinds of unpronounceable testing. At one point they believed my appendix burst as they couldn't find it on a CT-Scan... an hour later I was on the table. In the Recover Room I was given the "good news", "bad news" routine; "The good news is that your appendix had not burst and was fine. The bad news is that we removed it anyway!" I was given several CT body and MRI head scans and uncountable number of "negative" blood and urine tests. To add insult to injury, I got over a dozen bedside visits by the Director of Infectious Disease Management. Every time he walked through the door he'd sarcastically say, "Oh ya, your that poor guy who came in here with a headache and they removed your appendix in an attempt to fix it!" I was finally given medications to keep the fever and headaches in check and released with a diagnosis of, "High fever and head pain, cause, unknown! Two weeks and five additional doctor follow-up visits later, I was back to what some would label as normal.
The mystery remains as to what I had. Sadly, I repeated the same scenario January 2017. However, this time it got labeled, "High fever and head pain, cause, unknown virus."
My situation could easily be incorporated into plot involving an attempted murder for any number of reasons < or > a plot involving the doctor/hospital manipulating patients' testing and records for financial gain. I could also see this story convoluted into science fiction, dystopia, romance, or coming of age YA genres.
Regardless, these two similiar miserable experiences remain a mystery!
The mystery remains as to what I had. Sadly, I repeated the same scenario January 2017. However, this time it got labeled, "High fever and head pain, cause, unknown virus."
My situation could easily be incorporated into plot involving an attempted murder for any number of reasons < or > a plot involving the doctor/hospital manipulating patients' testing and records for financial gain. I could also see this story convoluted into science fiction, dystopia, romance, or coming of age YA genres.
Regardless, these two similiar miserable experiences remain a mystery!
Patrick Witz
At one warm summer writing meeting in 2015, our group was exploring options of what to write about in one of our writing challenge workshops. One member early on in the meeting shared a personal development in his life, whereas he inherited a collection of over ten thousand buttons. He shared his surprise that many of the buttons had large monetary values and that there were many collectors negotiating and exchanging buttons at “Button Shows” and on the internet. Who knew? None of us were aware that there was a worldwide all-encompassing Button Market! The wine was flowing and the group laughingly decided on an odd writing challenge. Each member was to write a short story that would include – in whatever quirky way – a specific plot point: use a diminutive, seemingly innocuous… button. As the humorous discussion of the new writing challenge heightened, the group tossed about taking the writing assignment one-step further. We decided to combine all our short button stories and publish them as an e-Book or print-on-demand publication. Straightaway the simple writing assignment exploded into a group-publishing project... and the short story fictional anthology involving buttons was born.
Patrick Witz
To me writer's block is a fear. Be knowledgeable, face the fear and it will dissolve.
Patrick Witz
To be free to imagine and create whatever, whenever and wherever world you please and direct the interactions of that world's participants, personalities, and dialogues.
Patrick Witz
Stay positive; learn to use criticism as a tool to hone your craft and understand that not everyone is going to like what you write.
Patrick Witz
Our writing group is currently exploring ideas on what genre and locality our next short story anthology will centered around. The thoughts are Speculative Fiction using the Sierra Nevada mountain range and towns as settings. I'm also continuing to collect information and details for a novel about my father-in-laws WWII military experiences with the 38th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized).
Patrick Witz
My writing profession accidently began a few months after I moved to Northern California. I sent out a letter describing my family’s newly purchased country lifestyle that included humorous quickly-learned forestry living experiences and insights. Consequently, my “Annual Witz Family Newsletter” was born. For over twenty years, I have continued to send every year a uniquely different entertainingly informative letter regarding my family’s life changes and misadventures to family and friends (in 2015 sent 183 letters). The now highly anticipated annual letter and the supportive warm responses from family and friends gave wings to my writing endeavors.
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