Fantastic Metropolis

Gabe Chouinard: I know you don’t like to talk about your personal life, but come on; comic books, role-playing games… you’re just a geek like the rest of us. So, for all the aspiring writers out there (and you know they’re reading), what kind of advice do you have?

Matthew Woodring Stover: Yeah, you caught me. I’m a geek. SF, comics, RPGs… I was a little old by the time the really cool computer games came out, so I missed that particular addiction, but otherwise, I admit it.

In fact, I’m proud of it.

Because there’s no such thing as “just” a geek. I, for example, am a hardcore geek—and I’m also a 6’1” 210-pound superheavyweight kickboxer. Which means I can not only argue Nietzschean themes in superhero comics from Siegel & Shuster to Alan Moore, I can take you outside if you start to get lippy.

So here’s one piece of advice: take care of your body. You don’t have to run a marathon or study karate, but your mind can’t be healthy for long if your body isn’t. Mind and body aren’t two separate things, no matter how much some of us would like to pretend they are. A lot of intellectuals disdain physical exertion. It’s a mistake. Whatever you can do to make yourself healthier, do it. And make it something fun; taking care of yourself should never be a chore.

My only other piece of advice for aspiring writers is this: Tell the truth. Whatever you’re writing, make it as real as your skills permit. We pursue one of the most privileged trades in the world: we get paid to tell the truth. How many others can honestly make that claim?

Gabe Chouinard: Well, from a rock-climbing, kendo and fencing practicing, hardcore hiking canoist geek… thanks for your time.

Matthew Woodring Stover: My pleasure. FREE FLASH GORDON!