Reprinted from Cogwell's Corner, marketing newsletter
Back to: MAIN PAGE
Being
a writer means first being a reader. I got my start at the tender age of nine,
devouring science fiction short stories and novels. The author who had the most
influence on me was Isaac Asimov. As I grew older, I couldn't believe how
versatile he was, in non-fiction subjects as well as fiction. Who but Asimov
could have written scholarly books on such diverse topics as Shakespeare, the Bible,
and chemistry, then switch gears to create his famous Three
Laws of Robotics? His presence here on Earth is greatly missed.
In
high school I branched out to reading Regencies, having been metaphysically
introduced to the great Georgette Heyer. The tone and the language of the era
fascinated me: where else could you refer to a drunken man as someone who was
chirping-merry, or three parts disguised, or a bit bosky, to name only a few
phrases?
From
there, I graduated to writing. I wanted to combine fantasy with my own
particular kind of reality. “Special Delivery,” my novelette published in Notable
Novellettes by Cogswell Publishing [now on Amazon.com], was born because of my preoccupation
with the mail. You know, waiting for acceptance letters, contracts, checks, that
sort of thing. I started to wonder what would happen if one day, the mail waited
for me—or Ralph Dunmeyer, as it were. “Special Delivery” is the result.
Lord
Darver's Match, my time-travel Regency novel with LionHearted Publishing
[now on Amazon.com], began one morning with me snuggling in bed next to my
husband. What would happen, I theorized, if the man next to me was not my
husband? This idea germinated into Hillary Logan's plight—transporting her to
early nineteenth century England ... and the Marquess of Darver's bed. So you
see, by combining reality with fantasy or imagination, you can conceive the most
inventive plots!
I've
also had the good fortune of having several of my information articles reprinted
in various writers' newsletters, including two that appeared in Australia. And
in addition to “Special Delivery” and Lord
Darver's Match, I've had one science fiction and two romance short stories
published [now too many to count!]. As with the former, I incorporated personal experiences into the
three tales. Who could have imagined strange-tasting food in a restaurant would
have evolved into a dastardly plot to use humans as guinea pigs (“Special of
the Week”) [now on Amazon.com]? Or that an anniversary party at a restaurant (not the same one!)
would turn into a yarn about lost love (“Happy Anniversary”) [now on
Amazon.com]? Or an intimate
article of clothing left in a public Laundromat could serve as an introduction
for two lonely people (“Friday Night”) [now on Amazon.com]? The possibilities for storytelling
are endless!
Copyright (c) Susanne Marie Knight