Just something I was asked to do for my writing about writing class.
The Other Side of the Page
Welcome to “The Other Side of the Page” where ideas and creativity are developed into the written word. We have with us the person that makes this all possible Greg Van Brackle.
Hi, this is odd as I am usually on the other end of this.
We understand and we will get back to that thought later. What we are here to talk about is you as a writer so let’s dive right in. While the act of writing is a necessary part of everyone’s life, there are those that write or produce content beyond the necessary and the needed. What got you started as a writer?
I think what got me started as a writer was that I grew up in an environment where the there was a lot of respect for language. Almost everyone in my family whether they thought that way or not, used language actively for more than general conversation. My father was a salesman. He sold medical equipment to hospitals. His skill with language was necessary for success. My mother was a Child advocate, a civil rights activist, did public relations for the mayor’s office. All those jobs required a special command of the language as well. My Grandmother was a prolific letter writer. She worked as a secretary for the Commander of the Brooklyn Navy Yards. As a Black woman in the 50’s and 60’s she wrote many letters of truth to power regarding the treatment of her and her fellow employees. She was a graduate of Oxford and was ranked nationally in Scrabble. She was the bar that we all had to reach when it came to language. You ask yourself what that has to do with me. School may have taught me letters and words. My family taught me about the power of the English language. My Grandmother would have me write letters of apology to people if I got into trouble. When my mother was the President of the NAACP Jamaica branch, she would have me proofread and type her letters and correspondence. I was always surrounded by language used for a purpose. The act of writing is far from foreign to me. It is the culture of my family. For me not to be a writer of some type was the bigger issue.
A solid foundation, you wrote a lot for others, what got you started writing for yourself?
I am a Science fiction and fantasy geek. I have a large collection of comic books, I watched so many TV and movies I could give The Internet Movie Data Base a run for its money. I love good stories, but they never seem enough. I am always thinking what if? What if this character was in this show? What would they do different? What if that person had hesitated a few seconds missing the train doors? What would I have done? How could the story be better? I enjoy telling stories as well. When I was 12 I was into movie special effects. Star Wars and Star Trek The Motion Picture were the movies that sparked it. I had was very curious about the magic behind the screen. I had learned a lot of tricks that were not hard to duplicate. That was when I wrote my first screenplay “Space Hunters” not an original name. The characters and plot had every effect I wanted to try. One of the best experiences of my childhood. Somewhere in my mom’s garage, in all its Super 8 glory sits my first produced story. I could tell stories and people liked them. At the end of that summer the same friend I made the film with gave me my first taste of Table-top Role playing.
Table-top Roleplaying?
Yes, role-playing games is entirely intertwined with my drive as a writer. It was an outlet for storytelling. In these games as the gamemaster, I am the antagonist, and the surrounding world. As a player, I am the protagonist. Looking back at the many years of gaming, every session could have just as easily been part of a workshop on storytelling. Gaming has provided me with good fiction writing skills.
What fiction writing skills did you get?
I am good at character creation and development. One of the techniques I use to help when I get stuck on a character is to play out an interview like this one. I am not used to being on this side of the page.
That is why this is “The Other Side of the Page”. Please go on.
I am good at worldbuilding. Creating people, places, and things t for the characters to interact with makes for more immersive stories. I do tend to create these massively grand scenarios as well.
What types of stories do you like to write?
If you haven’t guessed by now, my favorite genre to write is Science fiction -Fantasy. I mostly write superhero stories, high magic fantasy, and galaxy spanning space opera. I haven’t done too well with horror or cyberpunk.
Is there anything else you like to write?
Over the years, I have tried journaling and free writing whatever was on my mind. I must have a half dozen “blank books” and pads with rants or observations. I write for some tech forums and gaming sites. Some reviews.
We know that good writing doesn’t come out of a bubble. Who are some influences on your writing?
My primary influences are good storytellers. For humor I like Douglas Adams. He wrote Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Robert Asprin, author of the Myth Adventures series. Joss Whedon, best banter in the business. and Shakespeare, of course for writing dialogue. For epic worldbuilding J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth and Frank Herbert’s Dune cannot be beat.
In the living day to day of your life, how often do you get a chance to write?
Good storytellers are always telling little stories to themselves as they go through the day. When I am doing something repetitive or that doesn’t require a lot of thought, I think of stories or journal entries in my head. Some of them are very entertaining in the moment, but few will see the light of day on a page. I want to set up a time for myself to write down some of the ideas and stories in my head. Maybe one day I will get to it.
We know you like to tell stories. There are so many ways to do that. The question is why do you write?
The short answer is release. My mind is usually working and thinking faster than the events around me. I solve problems, so I am constantly picking out variables and running down the lines of what if? Writing helps relieve the stress that causes. I have stories and events that I feel need to be documented. Writing for me can be a frantic stream of consciousness when inspiration strikes. Even in the stumbling of working and pulling to get words out I find gratification. I write because the very nature of who I am is a storyteller, and educator. I write so that I may learn about myself. Each word I write helps define who I am as a person. I write because I examine and study others, they have stories that they may not be aware they are telling, so someone should. I write because there are ideas that will fly away and disappear if I don't capture them on a page. I write as a form of expression. I write to outwardly form identity of self. I write to entertain. I write to create worlds where I am the one in control. I write to see the differences of how the world is versus how I feel it should be. I write to shout out injustice and horrors of people against people. I write because there is a need to be heard when no one is listening. Writing is a form of therapy. Writing is safer than depressants and anti-anxiety meds. Writing is peace.
With that, Thank you, and we’ll see you on “The Other Side of the Page”
