Author, Arlen Feldman
Short Story: Judgement
Apologue of the Immortals
Tell us a little about your background and what led you to writing.
I'm really a software guy, but I've been writing for as far back as I can remember, often for zines that my friends and I would put together. With one thing and another, I had mostly stopped writing fiction, but after I left my company, I thought I would give it another try.
How or when did you realize you wanted to be an author?
I think it's always been floating around in the back of my head, but I decided to get a little more serious about it a few years ago.
What is your writing process like?
Process? What is this thing called process? Seriously, I try to write on a fairly regular basis, even if I only manage to get out 200-300 words. I tend to start with an idea or image and go from there, then, once I have a little bit of a foundation, I put together as much of an outline as I feel I need (neither a pantser nor a plotter, but possibly a plotzer).
What inspires you to write?
I love playing with ideas and seeing them develop. I love the idea of taking ideas and characters and emotions out of my head and infecting other people with them.
What part does writing play in your life?
I am slowly starting to think of myself as a writer. I do a lot of other things, but writing has become a bigger part of my identity as I sell more stories.
What are your aspirations for your writing journey?
I would like to write novels that people read.
What is something you know now about writing you wish you knew when you started?
That the rhythm of your words and sentences are almost as important as their content.
Describe your favorite character (you created). Why?
I created a self-driving car (Free Wheel, Particular Passages) that is aware, but doesn't know if any other cars are aware, and dreams about driving on the highway. I really liked the character's voice and aspirations.
Which author(s) inspires you as a writer?
In no particular order: Neal Stephenson, Connie Willis, Terry Pratchett, Charles Stross, Charles Dickens, Andy Weir, Jerome Jerome, Isaac Asimov, Mike Resnick, Dan Simmons, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Neil Gaiman, Jack Chalker, Victor Hugo, Peter Beagle, Val McDermid, H.G. Wells, Jasper Fforde, Douglas Adams, Paolo Baciagalupi, Salman Rushdie, and dozens more that aren't popping into my head right now.
What advice would you give newly aspiring authors?
Write a lot. And then read back what you've written--not necessarily out loud, but sound out the flow and the transitions of your work.
What works can your readers expect to see in the near future?
I have a story called the Museum of Lost Dreams coming out sometime next year, a weird horror story called Deos Amnis coming out in Nameless Songs of Zakok Allen and a few others.
How can your readers find more about you and your works?
You can find a list of my work on my website at https://cowthulu.com/writing
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