Ask the Author: William Matthies
Answered Questions (7)
William Matthies
To visit some of my unlived lives. How different would things be for me had I made different choices?
William Matthies
A mystery of sorts.
I, along with three of my high school friends, all served together in B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 19th Airborne Artillery, First Cavalry Division, Vietnam, 1968. Six months to the day we arrived, one of the three, Steve, was killed in action.
That's real, no mystery.
A little over five years ago, the discussion of the possible existence of parallel universes got me thinking, what if Steve was not dead, but is "living" in a universe parallel to the one he lived in prior to being killed? That was the impetus for me writing "The Unlived Lives of Raymond Quinn", due out in fall 2024.
The story begins with Raymond believing he is living an unhappy life in downtown Seattle, until he meets a mysterious Asian man who tells him he is dead, and has been for 46 years. He is stuck between the mortal life he believed he was living, and the one he now exists in a parallel universe.
Unbelievable, but who knows what we'll find to be true in the future?
I, along with three of my high school friends, all served together in B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 19th Airborne Artillery, First Cavalry Division, Vietnam, 1968. Six months to the day we arrived, one of the three, Steve, was killed in action.
That's real, no mystery.
A little over five years ago, the discussion of the possible existence of parallel universes got me thinking, what if Steve was not dead, but is "living" in a universe parallel to the one he lived in prior to being killed? That was the impetus for me writing "The Unlived Lives of Raymond Quinn", due out in fall 2024.
The story begins with Raymond believing he is living an unhappy life in downtown Seattle, until he meets a mysterious Asian man who tells him he is dead, and has been for 46 years. He is stuck between the mortal life he believed he was living, and the one he now exists in a parallel universe.
Unbelievable, but who knows what we'll find to be true in the future?
William Matthies
I stop attempting to break the block. I continue to think about whatever is blocking me but only to a point. Any more effort only makes matters worse.
If possible carry a small notebook with you wherever you go. You will have random thoughts that may be useful later. And if you don't want to add that to your pocket (I rarely do) make notes on your phone.
If possible carry a small notebook with you wherever you go. You will have random thoughts that may be useful later. And if you don't want to add that to your pocket (I rarely do) make notes on your phone.
William Matthies
Trite to say; this is advice from those who are real writers, which I am not.
Write.
You won't improve if you do not continually write. Just get it down on the page and then rewrite. When done with that rewrite the rewrite. When that's done do it all once more continuing to rewrite until you can't bear to read what you've written.
When that happens turn it over to at least one professional editor; someone who knows what they're doing (all who call themselves an editor don't). Someone whose personality will mesh with yours.
Write.
You won't improve if you do not continually write. Just get it down on the page and then rewrite. When done with that rewrite the rewrite. When that's done do it all once more continuing to rewrite until you can't bear to read what you've written.
When that happens turn it over to at least one professional editor; someone who knows what they're doing (all who call themselves an editor don't). Someone whose personality will mesh with yours.
William Matthies
Something completely out of my comfort zone. Fiction regarding an individual who encounters himself in parallel lives. However saying I am working on it is a stretch. I have the concept but am short of the specifics.
William Matthies
I have a love/hate relationship with writing. Hate because for me doing it well is extremely difficult, love when things turn out well (they don't always.) The inspiration comes from the challenge of attempting continuous improvement.
William Matthies
I am a business planning consultant, one who realized my clients were not doing all that well living with the plans I helped them complete. The only silver lining in that was discovering that my success rate (about 50% goal achievement) was better than the average (approximately 40%). But that couldn't be acceptable. So I began what became a four year investigation into change management, both personal and professional, resulting in my book, The 7 Keys to Change.
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