Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up between the SF Peninsula and Hawaii, where I spent several years of my childhood. I'd say that Hawaii influenced the way I deal with people a lot more than it did my writing, but in terms of my writing, it fostered a sense of individuality and imagination which I am sure could not have blossomed on the mainland. And the SF Peninsula in the late sixties-early seventies was a very fervid cultural and counter-cultural environment, and all those things were definitely a big influence on me. It was the de facto capital of the world, or at least the West Pole, for a number of years.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
I like to write and would write even if there were no commercial impetus to it. I like to create stories I would not mind reading myself. If others enjoy my writing then, I am gratified. The act of creation itself is personally more meaningful than monetary concern, although of course that IS a factor. But I write for the same reasons I make music-for the love of it. It's a life, if not a living .
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