About Ben Wan

Ben Wan is a cancer survivor who’s been making the most out of his second chance at life. Aside from writing, he’s a former musician who’s performed in Carnegie Hall, a black belt in Kung Fu San Soo, and a coach for Become Sharp in helping introverted clients succeed succeed with dating, confidence, and social skills. He’s currently the co-host and “Man Who Knows Too Much About Batman” for the podcast Superhero Stuff You Should Know, where his cat Alfie makes cameo appearances.

www.benwanwriter.com, @SuperHousePod

Ben Wan’s story “Shortcut to Happily Ever After”
in Metaphorosis Friday, 7 April 2023.
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A question for Danny Menter

Q: Are you an outline or discovery writer?

A: A little bit of both, to be honest. I generally start with an image or scene, then work outwards from there. I’ll have a general idea of where the story is headed based on the characters, and plot, but I almost never outline specific scenes. Most of the fine tuning comes later, when I see the fleshing out that characters need, or if there are any glaring plot holes. Especially in a first draft, I like to see where the story wants to go on its own with as little guidance from me as possible, although lately I’ve been playing with prompts and other constraints as a way to prime the engine. Being able to bounce ideas off some kind of boundary, whether that be a word limit, plot detail, or form, can be a lot of fun.

Danny Menter’s story “Pain Eater”
in Metaphorosis Friday, 24 March 2023.
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A question for Michael Barron

Q: What tools do you write with?

A: I do most of my writing early in the morning (it’s not that unusual for me to wake up around 4:00). My typical writing setup is, a mug of black tea on my left, my long-haired orange cat (usually still asleep) on my right, my laptop on my lap, often with the lofi hip hop radio station playing in the background. Also, I need to acknowledge all the authors who have inspired my recent writing: T. Kingfisher, Becky Chambers, Stephen Graham Jones, Chuck Wendig, as well as countless others who have been published in all the sci–fi / fantasy collections I have read.

Michael Barron’s story “River’s Song”
in Metaphorosis Friday, 17 March 2023.
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About Danny Menter

Danny Menter grew up in Central Florida, fled to Madrid after graduating from Florida State University, and currently lives outside of Chicago, Illinois. He is a teacher by day, and is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction.

 @MenterDanny

Danny Menter’s story “Pain Eater”
in Metaphorosis Friday, 24 March 2023.
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A question for Harold R. Thompson

Q: Is there a specific environment you find most conducive to writing, and is it different for different kinds of scenes?

A: I write on a laptop, so I change venues quite a bit. It doesn’t really matter where I go. That being said, I do most of my writing, and certainly my best, in the evening, or in the middle of the night. The silence, the lack of distractions from work and family, really helps, but my brain also slips into a more creative mode in the wee hours. It doesn’t matter what kind of scene I’m writing. If I get stuck, the place that helps me get unstuck is… the shower. Some people sing in the shower, but I think. Maybe something about that environment helps me focus, again shutting out everything else, but it always seems to work, like magic.

Harold R. Thompson’s story “My Little Sister Brigid”
in Metaphorosis Friday, 10 March 2023.
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About Michael Barron

Michael is the vice president of the North Baltimore Chapter of the Maryland Writers’ Association. He is a member of the neurodivergent community, and his experiences inspire his writing. When he is not writing or reading he is either training for a marathon with his wife or working as a librarian at the Baltimore County Public Library, where he teaches creative writing classes. He has also undertaken a never-ending quest to find the world’s greatest hot sauce.

michaeljbarron.com, @Barron_Writer

Michael Barron’s story “River’s Song”
in Metaphorosis Friday, 17 March 2023.
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