Ask the Author: Garry Abbott
Answered Questions (7)
Garry Abbott
Hello Brenda, thanks for the question!
To date I have written one published collection of short speculative fiction stories (The Dimension Scales and Other Stories), a full length science fiction novel called 'The Great Connection: Worlds in Waiting' due for release autumn this year, and I am about a quarter way through a science fiction comedy currently called 'transported' that I want to complete for a 2017 release...
Before that I wrote a sci-fi novella many years ago that I never published, and that made me realise I needed more skills and practice! That prompted me to go back to university and complete some creative writing courses as part of a open university BA degree.
I hope that answers your question and thanks again for asking!
Kind regards
Garry
To date I have written one published collection of short speculative fiction stories (The Dimension Scales and Other Stories), a full length science fiction novel called 'The Great Connection: Worlds in Waiting' due for release autumn this year, and I am about a quarter way through a science fiction comedy currently called 'transported' that I want to complete for a 2017 release...
Before that I wrote a sci-fi novella many years ago that I never published, and that made me realise I needed more skills and practice! That prompted me to go back to university and complete some creative writing courses as part of a open university BA degree.
I hope that answers your question and thanks again for asking!
Kind regards
Garry
Garry Abbott
My latest book was a collection of short stories, so lots of places! Many come from my day to day life, and many from technology and world stories projected into exaggerated scenarios.
Garry Abbott
That's a hard question. I take notes when I come across interesting ideas and concepts in the world that make me stop and think 'what if?'. I also want to explore the human condition as I find the world and humanity infinitely interesting and devastating all at once. Anything that gives me a route into that is a good place to start.
Garry Abbott
I am working on two things: a full length 'meta-fiction' novel, and a shorter science fiction novella (or novel, if it gets too big!).
The novel is less science fiction than my other work and more surreal/existential... it is written in first person present tense from several characters point of view, so I'm having fun trying to get my head around that! All I'll say at this point is that it involves a man with a talking snake in his stomach and the cure to capitalist apathy!
The shorter work will be like an extended short story, something that would have fit right in with my last collection of short stories 'The Dimension Scales', but longer, obviously. This is about exploring projected universes in a virtual space - my take on how future space travel will develop when it is easier to bring the universe to us than to travel out to it.
The novel is less science fiction than my other work and more surreal/existential... it is written in first person present tense from several characters point of view, so I'm having fun trying to get my head around that! All I'll say at this point is that it involves a man with a talking snake in his stomach and the cure to capitalist apathy!
The shorter work will be like an extended short story, something that would have fit right in with my last collection of short stories 'The Dimension Scales', but longer, obviously. This is about exploring projected universes in a virtual space - my take on how future space travel will develop when it is easier to bring the universe to us than to travel out to it.
Garry Abbott
Depends what you mean by 'aspiring'! Anyone who writes anything is a 'writer' as such, so if you are struggling to even put pen to paper (or digits to keyboards), then start there. You won't know what kind of writer you are until you've finished something and let someone else read it who will give you honest feedback. After that I suppose you need to decide how big a part of your life it is. Are you willing to invest time and money in your career? Are you happy to wait for the chance that someone might publish you, or do you want to go ahead and do it yourself? It doesn't happen overnight for most people, and I, like many, am still in the process of trying to reach a larger audience. I suppose you should make sure you are clear on your own motivations and commitment, like with most things!
Garry Abbott
Surprising yourself.
Garry Abbott
I usually take writer's block to mean I need to rethink the direction I'm heading in with a story. I give it a little time, and if still nothing, go back to making plot notes to see if I can get excited again. I don't get it too often, and I think it can often be a sign that you are not clear on the direction of the story (or what the story is at all if you haven't even started yet!)
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