Ask the Author: Jonathan Paul Isaacs
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Jonathan Paul Isaacs
Armchair Safari is really three stories in one: a technology thriller; a fantasy adventure (taking place inside an online role-playing game); and a military memoir. There wasn't just one genesis. The technology part comes easily as I've worked in the technology industry for a while, and see on a daily basis all kinds of stuff that is stamped "ready made" for use in a thriller. Word to the wise: don't dive into the details unless you truly want to be scared. Likewise with the fantasy adventure; I've loved computer games my whole life as a vehicle for escapism, and gaming is far more immersive than TV or movies.
The military part was a later addition as part of the main character's story, and I've written about its origins elsewhere (you can see one such excerpt here on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...). Suffice it to say that the interviews I did with some of the Marines (and their family members) to build out the detail in that storyline was incredibly humbling.
All in all, I'd say that ideas for storytelling abound in the world around us, which makes sense if you view writing as simply a way to record and convey the human condition. Wait until the next one coming out later this year!
The military part was a later addition as part of the main character's story, and I've written about its origins elsewhere (you can see one such excerpt here on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...). Suffice it to say that the interviews I did with some of the Marines (and their family members) to build out the detail in that storyline was incredibly humbling.
All in all, I'd say that ideas for storytelling abound in the world around us, which makes sense if you view writing as simply a way to record and convey the human condition. Wait until the next one coming out later this year!
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