Mark interviews Patrick MacPhee, teacher and Writers of the Future award-winning author about his love of reading, writing, and helping to inspire students.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor.

This episode's sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report.

In the interview, Mark and Patrick talk about:

• Patrick's experience reading Fellowship of the Rings when he was rather young and how it impacted him in a profound way
• The impact on the mind and imagination when reading something really slowly
• How when you're a kid you play in a specific way when experiencing new things
• Seeing speculative fiction as having that additional special spice that enhances a regular dish
• The five-book epic fantasy series that Patrick mapped out years ago (and which he recently finished writing book one of)
• Being influenced and inspired by Neal Stephenson's writing
• Patrick's Writers of the Future Award-winning story "Thirty Minutes or it's a Paradox"
• How the inspiration for this short story came from something Patrick was intimately aware of as a teacher
• Some of the previous stories that Patrick has had published in semi-pro magazines
• How Patrick learned about Writers of the Future and some of his submission history with the contest
• Getting the call from Joni about Patrick's finalist position in the contest
• Patrick's thoughts about the experience being in Hollywood and seeing the rendition of his story illustrated by Cam Collins
• How Patrick got into teaching and an important thing that he learned in that vocation - What Patrick is going to be doing next
• Advice for other writers
• And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on a few of the things he discussed with Patrick.

Links of Interest:

• Patrick MacPhee Website
  • Free Short Stories by Patrick
• Writers of the Future
• Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link)
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Mark's YouTube channel
• Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)
• An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
• The Relaxed Author
  • Buy eBook Direct
  • Buy Audiobook Direct
• Publishing Pitfalls for Authors
• An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores
• Wide for the Win
• Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books
  • This Time Around (Short Story)
  • A Canadian Werewolf in New York
  • Stowe Away (Novella)
  • Fear and Longing in Los Angeles
  • Fright Nights, Big City
  • Lover's Moon
  • Hex and the City
  • Only Monsters in the Building
• The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard
• Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

In addition to being a writer, Patrick MacPhee considers himself very luck to spend the past twenty years helping young people become better versions of themselves in his role as a teacher. He has learned that almost every part of the curriculum has room for a little humor — sometimes a lot of humor. We talk about that as well as his writing, and what inspired him to write the Writers of the Future Award-Winning story "Thirty Minutes or It's a Paradox."

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0