Kurt Kirchmeier’s story, Penny Wise, appears in the Art Issue of Shimmer.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORY:
Where did the idea come from?
It was inspired by a piece of John Picacio artwork, which very much had the feel of childhood about it.
How did the story change as you developed it?
My first few attempts at writing this story unraveled on me because I hadn’t gotten to know Ellsy or Harkyn well enough yet, so I guess the biggest changes came in the form of characterization. As soon as I got that down, the rest of story flowed quite smoothly.
You know the advice “Sometimes you have to kill your darlings.” Was there a scene or line that it really hurt to cut, but cutting it made the story stronger?
There were a couple scenes involving various other spells being performed, but I ended up deleting them because I felt the story already had enough in the way of magical imagery. Unfortunately, all such scenes have been purged from not only the story, but also my hard-drive, so I can’t include one. I can, however, say that one depicted a quarter spell, and that it ended in a flurry of silvery feathers.
How is this story like your other work? How is it different?
It’s similar to a number of my previous stories in that it’s contemporary fantasy, told from the perspective of a youth. It’s different in that it relies more heavily on character interaction than a lot of my stuff does.
Questions About Writing:
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I loved writing stories as a kid, and used to create comic book characters complete with personality profiles and extensive background info (my first foray into characterization, I guess you could say), so I suppose on some level I always had an inkling that I’d like to be a writer. I didn’t know for sure, though, until after I started writing in earnest, which was roughly three years ago.
Who do you write for? Yourself or someone else?
Most definitely myself. That’s the only way to fly, so far as I’m concerned.
Who’s your favorite living author?
I honestly can’t narrow it down to just one, so I’ll name a few of my favorites instead:
Ray Bradbury
Guy Gavriel Kay
Charles de Lint
Robert Charles Wilson
Favorite book read when you were a child?
The Outsiders, though I believe I was twelve or thirteen at the time, so not really a child, I suppose.
Random Questions:
Do you believe in ghosts or the supernatural? Why?
Yes, I most certainly do, but at the same time I’m very skeptical of such things. Part of me demands proof, while another part of me wants to believe simply because life is so much more interesting with a dash a mystery thrown in.
Favorite restaurant?
The Cave. It’s actually designed to resemble the inside of a cavern (stalagmites, stalactites, running water—the whole bit), with each table getting personal maps in the form of placemats (so you don’t get lost for all eternity, as it’s rumored one customer did). It’s pretty neat the first time there, and the food makes it worth going back. Mmm, charbroiled ribs.
Do you have a secret skill that you never get to show off? (i.e. ambidextrous writing, blood-curdling screams, etc)
I could muster up a pretty impressive witch cackle when I was a kid, but since I grew out of that many moons ago, no, I don’t suppose there’s anything left worth bragging about.
Watch much TV? What’s good these days?
The only shows I make a point of never missing are Battlestar Galactica and Heroes, but I do enjoy the occasional episode of CSI and Scrubs, and the occasional documentary as well.
Do you check your horoscope?
Once in a while.