Write What You Know: John E. Stith

Kalkion reporter interviews John E. Stith, an American science fiction author, known for the scientific rigour he brings to adventure and mystery stories. In this exclusive interview, John shares some 'trade secrets' about becoming a writer. This interview also explores what he thinks of the relationship between science fiction and mythology and much more.

Kalkion: When did you start writing and what was your inspiration?
John: I started in the late 1970s, mainly because of a love of reading and the recurring feeling when I put down a good book that I wished I could do that.

Kalkion: Why did you pick science fiction over other genres?
John: I enjoyed SF from an early age, loving many of the Heinlein books as a young kid. I followed the advice of 'write what you know'.

Kalkion: What is the element in science fiction that caters to a particular emotion in us?
John: I like that SF appeals to all the senses, especially the sense of wonder. I get disappointed by books that forget there are other senses too, and could just as well be non-fiction, but there are many wonderful books out there that stir the sense of wonder as well as making us care about
interesting characters.

Kalkion. Most of the time science fiction seems to lack character development - is that correct? If yes, what are the factors which stop a writer to work more on character development than the plot?
John: It's true that a sizeable segment of SF skimps on character development, but it's also true that some wonderful SF treats the characters well also. For some of us, writing believable characters the reader can truly care about is more difficult than everything else, so the hardest thing to do is
sometimes neglected.

Kalkion: What kind of relation is there between fantasy and science fiction?
John: They share the appeal to those who want to see something they can't just look out of their front window to see, to escape, to dream of alternate places and possibilities. They diverge in how they treat the rules of the new world, but the best fantasy and SF set up their own rules and then
adheres to them.

Kalkion: What do you think of the current status of both the genres?
John: I have to confess that I'm not a good judge of the state of the art. Writing eats into the amount of available reading time, and in addition, for whatever reason, I find myself drawn to mystery/suspense more than SF lately.

Kalkion: What do you say about the world science fiction? Which regions of the world are quite prolific as compared to others and what are the reasons?
John:. This one is beyond my expertise.

Kalkion: How much aware are you with Indian Science Fiction?
John: Sorry, but no.

Kalkion: Have you heard much of Indian fantasy, which is quite rich in mythological stories/ epics? Has any of your work been inspired by mythological stories/characters?
John: Again, sorry, but no. I'd have to say my inspiration from mythology has been pretty minimal, but in Deep Quarry, I did play with the idea that the notion of creatures like vampires reflect long-ago exposure to aliens, and as a result, some of my aliens bear a passing resemblance.

Kalkion: How about mythology + science fiction or are you of opinion mythology vs science fiction? Should SF writers peep into mythology to get new ideas?
John: I think mythology is a fine source of inspiration.

Kalkion: Please tell our readers a bit about your latest novel?
John: Currently, I'm not at a point where it makes sense to comment.

Kalkion: Any major movie production planned on your stories?
John: A couple of possibilities exist. One producer is making efforts to sell Manhattan Transfer as a TV series. Another producer is working to make a series of webisodes from Naught for Hire.

Kalkion: The last question: what is your advice to young, greenhorn writers?
John: Persistence is key. I spent a fair amount of time wanting to be a writer instead of actually writing. I kept looking for large blocks of time to devote, and found much competition for that time. When I made the decision to spend at least fifteen minutes writing every day, I started getting
things done, and soon found it much easier to expand that daily time.