ALL PULP PAGES

Friday, December 10, 2010

NINE FOR THE NEW-Interview with Pro Se's MEGAN SMITH!

NINE FOR THE NEW (New Creator Spotlight)
Megan Smith-Writer/Creator

AP: Megan, welcome to ALL PULP! First, can you tell us about yourself, some personal background?

MS: I would love to. I was born in Jonesboro, AR in 1990. A momentous day for the world :) I technically have 3 brothers and 2 sisters. 3 step and 2 whole. I grew up in Batesville and absolutely love it here! I hope to stick around for a while, but who knows which direction the wind will blow. I never really wrote through high school much. I had a friend who loved to write and him and I occasionally got together and jotted things down. Poems was about as far as I went with writing. But it is a huge passion of mine. While I don't have as much time to dedicate to it as I would like, I fall more in love with it every time I do.

AP: As a writer, what influences have affected your style and interests the most over the years? Do you have a particular genre/type of story you prefer to write?
 
MS: I have always been a video gamer and honestly, I think those above anything else are what have influenced me the most. My mom has always wanted to write a book so I think I got some of my ambition from her. My dad writes all the time so I'm sure some of it came from him as well. My favorite genre is Science Fiction. I have always loved it. Anime is also tied for first place. You might notice that from the art in Perry Lell. 

AP: What about genres that make you uncomfortable? What areas within pulp are a little bit intimidating for you as an author?  
 
MS: I get uncomfortable when I write anything "realistic". I realize there is a level of realism in every story, but if I were to have to write an "true story" I think it would be a huge challenge for me. Pulp has been extremely intimidating for me, but I have had a lot of support along the way. I think the fighting part of pulp is the toughest for me. Since it is Pulp, fighting is a common occurrence and I've had to accept that and learn how to incorporate it into my stories.

AP:  Are you a pulp fan?  If so, how has that affected you as a writer of pulps?  If you aren’t a longtime fan, then why pulp?
 
MS: I haven't been a longtime fan actually. I didn't even know it existed until it was introduced to me. But the moment I learned what it was I knew I wanted to write it.

AP: What do you think you bring to pulp fiction as a writer?     I know the art used in my stories is completely different than the art everyone else uses. My style is a little bit different than the Pulp styles I've read too and I think the art lends itself to what I do. Good or bad, I'm not sure, but it's different.

AP: You’re the writer on PERRY LELL, GIRL OF A THOUSAND EARTHS for Pro Se.  The title sounds great.  Tell us about Perry.  
 
 
Perry Lell, Girl of a Thousand Earths
Art by Alex Shear
MS: Perry is a character and concept created and sometimes co-plotted by Tommy Hancock.  Perry is a teenager who every time she falls asleep, she wakes up in a new world. Sometimes more than one a day. The Perrys in all the parallels are dying and it's her destiny to save them. As time goes on she learns that there's more to earth dancing than she thought and sets out to save the world.

AP: Do you think it helps that a young woman is writing PERRY LELL, a story about a young woman?  If so, why?  
 
MS:You know, I don't really think age has much of an issue in this. Even if the author was a little older she could still remember what it was like being 17. I think gender does have something to do with it though. I think because I am a girl I can tap into her emotions a little bit better because she's a girl too and most girls tend to be alike in that area. I also read a lot of stories that follow a young girl on an adventure, so this is right up my alley.

AP: You are developing your own idea coming soon to Pro Se. Care to share a little about that?  
 
MS: I am working on a story about elves who save the world from the fairies. It's a little bit out there, but thats what I enjoy writing.

AP: Any future projects from you you want to talk about with us?
 
MS: I have one that I have been working on periodically about a girl who's aunt turns the entire town into vegetables. I am hoping to have it out at some point in the near future. It may not be pulp necessarily when it's done, but it's a project dear to me

AP: Megan, ALL PULP appreciates you taking the time to visit!