Interview with Neil Smith

Published 2017-12-07.
What is your writing process?
I write short stories. For my short stories, I usually sit down and write in a day; everything, or I spread it out in parts over a couple of days. There's no point outputting that much and stressing your self; the quality of work suffers if you don't give developmental time to hash things out. After the story's done, I turn to editing and proofreading, and let me tell you, they are integral to writing just as breathing is to living. I look for mistyped words, words out of order, misspelling, and grammar structuring. When all is settled and done, it's set for publishing.
What are your favorite books?
That's easy. Animal Farm by George Orwell and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I have a soft spot for talking animals in stories. I like Animal Farm because it deals with perilous political change within a farm, and I like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for its witty characters, content, and writing style.
How did you get started writing?
I started writing seriously in high school, and a teacher helped me by editing my stories, which also taught me how to edit properly. I self-educated myself on grammar with Grammar Girl Presents the Ultimate Writing Guide for Students by Mignon Fogarty. I would recommend that book for anyone who needs help understanding grammar.
What are your thoughts on being an author and ebooks in general?
I've enjoyed small success with my free stories and I'm not complaining. If people like your stories, they will show up again when you make another. Ebooks are the future to the independent writer without support. It's important to check your stories, and make sure you carefully read through them to see there are no errors, because when I first released Tales From The Abyss Volume One, it was as you imagine by a first time author - marred with a bunch of misspellings and grammar errors. So I try not to make the same mistake again.
What do you want to be known for as a writer?
I wasn't the best writer when I first started - I had a tendency to repeat in my writing, so I've had to work hard to get my writing style to where it is now. I'd like to be known as a stylist, rather than a content writer, because I've used different styles of writing each time.
What's with all the different genres you've written?
I don't think a writer should stick with writing one story, the same story, for the rest of their life. They are much more capable if given the chance to explore and experiment. And for most readers, if they've read an author's work, then they've read the next hundred stories by that author. It's sad to say, but there's little to no new direction being taken in the book market, so all stories become predictable.
What's it like being a critic?
I only got positive things to say. The point of criticism is to improve. So far I've rated on five stars alone for everything free I've read. I could be much harder, and judge things if they've bored the living heck out of me, but I don't do that. Writing takes a lot of inner strength from the writer. I just try to make sure the grammar and spelling is all in order before rating something. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. No big deal. I don't need to trash on other people to feel good about myself. But I do feel everyone gets an opinion. Maybe one day I'll lose my cool and really throw the wrecking ball at some poor story with no forgiveness. Until then, I'll remain upbeat and bathe in the stories as they are released.
What are your beliefs?
I'm anti-gun and anti-violence. I don't believe in any violence, it creates disparity between humans when they should solve their problems with words, rather than bullets. Guns are a specific thing, meant to kill. The less we have of them, the better. Any fool can pull a trigger and take a life. I'd put greater value on the life being taken than the fool pulling the trigger, since guns are just use and discard while a life is a precious long term thing. If all guns were gone, then we could truly live out our natural lives as intended.

I'm distanced from my Christian upbringing, favoring a more personal view of things, rather than having someone tell you how things are, I just decide for myself and expect everyone else to exercise their own freedom of choice.
What's something interesting about you?
I believe ghosts are real. When we die, our spirit doesn't leave the Earth. There must be many of them. These spirits are left on the streets deprived of their money, home, and whatever life they had. The supernatural exists, and we should get in touch with it, because humans aren't of a limited nature. I don't like to think that this is all life has to offer, so I'll keep on thinking there's more to it.
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