One of the very talented authors I've become acquainted with in my writing journey is science fiction/fantasy writer Mary Pax. She's joining us to today to introduce her newest book, The Backworlds, and talk about what sparks creativity for her.
Welcome and aloha, Mary!
Thanks for having me, Toby!
Most people talk about sunrises with awe, and I admit I find them and sunsets splendid sources of inspiration. The way they diffuse colors and change the light. High up on a mountaintop, I feel the air shift as the sun slips lower and lower. The cooler air stirs the warmer air. The wind whips up shaking the trees by their limbs, bending the delicate flowers in a fury. Yet the flora defy destruction. Millions of tiny miracles that endure in cold, thin air, high winds, and with little water. It’s magical.
So is the moonrise. My favorite is when it rises over the summit and there are a few clouds. Silver fingers reach out, caressing the sky, fondling the puffs, lighting them with a glowing, ethereal light. Shadows grow long. The tree tops light up. We can look into strangers faces and see their expressions.
- Mary's photo of a moonrise.
Then we stand under a spotlight as the glare of the orb descends upon us, creating shadows that dance. Owls screech and call. Coyotes bay. Once in awhile we hear the call of a cougar.
It’s a magic all it’s own that chases the stars from the sky as effectively as the sun. The guests at the observatory go home. There’s nothing more to see except the moon. I get out my filters and camera, my pen and notebook.
Whatever phrases occur to me when sitting under the moon, I write them down. Later I transfer them to my idea journal. It holds other sparks — things I’ve seen or heard or tasted. Snippets from other blogs, people driving by, folks who visit us at the observatory, things my writer friends say over lunch.
Opportunity waits everywhere. Creativity is everywhere. I keep notebooks and pens on me at all times. A few times a year I gather them all and jot the lines, sentences, and paragraphs into one notebook. There I keep the beautiful gems captured until I’m ready to use them.
How do you manage your sparks of creativity?
- The Backworlds
The Backworlds After the war with Earth, bioengineered humans scatter across the Backworlds. Competition is fierce and pickings are scant. Scant enough that Craze’s father decides to hoard his fortune by destroying his son. Cut off from family and friends, with little money, and even less knowledge of the worlds beyond his own, Craze heads into an uncertain future. Boarding the transport to Elstwhere, he vows to make his father regret this day.
Available as an ebook from: Available from: Amazon / AmazonUK / Smashwords / Feedbooks
Free on Smashwords & Feedbooks. Will be free on Amazon in a few weeks.
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About the author:
- Author Mary Pax
- M. Pax’s inspiration comes from the wilds of Oregon, especially the high desert where she shares her home with two cats and a husband unit. Creative sparks also come from Pine Mountain Observatory where she spend her summers working as a star guide. She writes mostly science fiction and fantasy, but confesses to an obsession with Jane Austen. She blogs at her website, www.mpaxauthor.com and at Wistful Nebuae. You’ll find links there to connect on Twitter, Goodread, FB and other sites.
