WRITING ABOUT BIGFOOT: A TRICKY PROPOSITION, a guest post by Patrick C. Greene
Back when I first conceived of my novel Progeny, I realized there were potential
pitfalls. I had in fact, been warned away from the topic.
As it happened the guy who issued the
warning was less-than-knowledgeable on the subject of both mythical monsters
and apparently, despite being a screenwriter, about writing in general. He
asserted that no one cares about bigfoot. Seeing dozens of books and movies
hitting the markets every month that featured the hairy monster, I was sure he
was at least partially wrong.
In the early going, whenever people asked
what the book was about, I tended to be furtive in telling them, preferring to
emphasize the human elements, as I did in writing it. But after the first few
conversations, I realized just how wrong my "friend" had been. These
days, when people ask, I can just respond "Bigfoot" and the interest
level is instant and palpable.
My point: writing is a very personal
thing, and if you are interested in a topic that's all the reason you need to
write about it. That's no guarantee of success of course—unless you measure
success the way I do, which is first and foremost based on how much I enjoy
writing about something. Friends and family members generally mean well when
offering advice about writing. But even if they are writers, it doesn't mean
their advice is good. In the famous words of William Goldman: "No one
knows anything."
Author Bio
Some dark serendipity plopped a young Patrick
Greene in front of a series of ever stranger films-and experiences-in his
formative years, leading to a unique viewpoint. His odd interests have led to
pursuits in film acting, paranormal investigation, martial arts, quantum
physics, bizarre folklore and eastern philosophy. These elements flavor his
screenplays and fiction works, often leading to strange and unexpected detours
designed to keep viewers and readers on their toes.
Literary influences range from Poe to Clive Barker to
John Keel to a certain best-selling Bangorian. Suspense, irony, and
outrageously surreal circumstances test the characters who populate his work,
taking them and the reader on a grandly bizarre journey into the furthest
realms of darkness. The uneasy notion that reality itself is not only relative
but indeed elastic- is the hallmark of Greene’s writing.
Living in the rural periphery of Asheville North
Carolina with his wife, youngest son Gavin and an ever-growing army of
cats, Greene still trains in martial arts when he’s not giving birth to demons
via his pen and keyboard.
Links:
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Progeny-ebook/dp/B009U6VFEK/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1366910642&sr=8-1&keywords=progeny
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