Wayne Brown, From Texas, 142 Fans, 197 Hubs, Joined 5 months ago
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SilverGenes Interviews Wayne Brown
A Certified Baby Boomer Explores a Multitude of Perspectives on HubPages
1. Wayne, you have had some truly extraordinary life experiences, from serving in the USAF as a flight instructor and in overseas conflicts to research and development with a major corporation. This alone could result in some pretty exciting writing but you?ve taken it beyond and into some truly diversified territory. Please tell us a little about Wayne Brown, something we don?t know from reading your profile.
I am certified “baby- boomer” born and raised in central Mississippi and transplanted to Texas in the '70s. I am married to my best friend, Barbara, for 13 years now and we have four kids, two boys, two girls between us. All of them are out of the nest now. We have two dogs, a Shih Tzu named Calamity Jane Lucille (“Callie”) and a Yorkie named John R. Cash (“Cash Money”). I have always had a knack for expression and really began to attempt my hand at writing about five years ago. Once my sister saw some of it, she began to encourage me to do more. My sister is probably more responsible for me being here on Hub Pages than anyone. I have been here on the Hub now about six months and I still remember the butterflies that I had when I posted my first article. And yes, Wayne Brown is my real name.
2. Who would you say has been your greatest influence in life?
Both my mom and dad certainly played big parts over the years especially after I became an adult and began to appreciate what they had taught me. They always taught me to go my way, think for myself, and to be a leader. I also have a very close friend back home where I grew up. He introduced me to the world of books and the power of reading and knowledge. When we hung out together, he would always relate items to me from things that he had read. In a way, it was kind of like hanging out on the Johnny Carson Show...it was just always interesting. He is the one person who impressed with the idea that I could mold myself just about any way that I wanted. He helped me gain a lot of confidence in myself. From that point on in life, I have been a reader of fiction, history, and non-fiction type writing. I switch around a lot and feed whatever hunger itches. I truly believe that it is the single most important thing we can do to exercise the mind, the imagination, and challenge our thought processes. I will always be grateful to my friend for showing me that world. We are still great friends to this day too.
3. Your white hat has served you well in many ways and it?s easy to identify you as one of the good guys, but you?ve written some very dark pieces as well. What inspires you to explore the dark side and can we expect more?
Well, let me say up front, I have a black hat as well! I sure hope that you can expect more. This is a side that is difficult even for me to understand. I think a large part of it comes out as a way to challenge my writing skills and grow.
In several instances, all I have is a single thought to work with when I start and it just grows out of that. Most of those that I have published are about me trying to insert myself into the mind of a totally different person and capture their thought processes. You can see that in “Henry?s Last Letter”. I attempted it in other ways in the “Conversation Pieces” series attempting to get into the head of a man facing execution in one and a potential child molester in another.“Contemplation” is another one in which I used vignettes to represent a host of darker situations. “Buried Soul” for me was the one that took me in a “Poe-ish” direction. This is probably the most exhaustive writing that I do because I have to work so hard at the thought processes to emulate the other person. It drains me for a while when I do it. I also never really know when the idea will hit me but when it does, I normally have to just stop and work with it right away if I am going to capture it. I also think it is the one area in which my imagination can totally run free in developing the story... that part feels good. This is an area that I cannot turn on and off at will most of the time... it has its own mind.
4. Sometimes you are able to post several hubs within a day or two. How do you manage to create such complex hubs in such a short time?
I think that has come about more with me journeying into the poetry arena. I can turn out the poems much quicker than an adventure story or a dark tale.
But then again, I don?t fancy myself much of a poet in light of the talent that I have seen here on the hub, so in that respect it is less difficult. I did hit a snag at about the 30 hub level and I almost dropped out at that point. My readership was low and I began to feel like I was wasting my time.
I received some very strong encouragement from Stan Fletcher to hang in there and keep writing. That?s when I realized that I needed to expand my circle in terms of what I write. I then began to write more political commentary and poetry. Things really picked up for me at that point and I grew a lot in terms of my writing. I think it is important for a writer to continually challenge their limits, to get outside the circle, to feel the pain of the stretch. I think it is a great cure for writer?s block.
5. Many of your short stories read like film. Have you ever considered creating screenplays from them and who would be starring in them?
If you asked me to write a screen play today, I would not have the first idea how to begin, but maybe that is an area that I should explore. I try to write as if I am experiencing the situation first hand through my own eyes. I also have trouble explaining how I do it in the manner like the superstitions that baseball players have about their habits in the game. It does not seem magical to me. I just see what I imagine through my own eyes and play it out from there. That?s the way I get the dialogue step to work. In a way, I am afraid to analyze it too much for fear that I will ruin the ability. In my story, “Sonny Wilkes: Bushwhacked”, I developed that character around the image of my friend back home who I alluded to earlier. I could see a young Tom Selleck in that role, maybe a Kevin Costner. Robert Duvall is a big favorite with me so if I wrote a western screenplay, you can bet he would be in it. The female side is a whole new ballgame. I?m not sure I understand women well enough to write from their perspective. If I did, I would lean toward Michelle Pfeiffer, Holly Hunter, or Jaime Pressly, possibly.
My sister is definitely pushing hard for me to develop the “Sonny Wilkes” character. I have promised her that I will try but I get distracted from it and go off writing something else. It will happen someday I am sure.
6. Many hubbers have trouble with that blank screen from time to time but you never seem to be at a loss for words. How do you do that and what motivates you to write?
I think that depends so much on the individual. I have been blessed all my life with an extensive imagination that runs from dark to humorous. I also have an imagination that will really take off if I take the bridle off it and let go. I also pointed out earlier that I think it pays to write across a spectrum of subjects in that it frees you from that one box. Poems serve me well when I block on story lines, they give me a break and allow my mind to relax a bit.
I am motivated much like a songwriter; tidbit of something here and there, a word or phrase that catches me. Sometimes it comes from a comment one of my fans will leave that gives me an idea. Believe me, it is not all easy for me even if it looks that way from the other side.
I know hubbers who agonize on almost every word and I admire them for their diligence but I also believe you can over-think it and psych yourself out in the process. I think a lot of the poets do this crafting their poems like a fine piece of furniture. I use to shy away from certain areas of writing because I did not think that I could deal with the tedious process of being “technically correct”. I later learned that is not necessarily the case. If you write a strong story, the enjoyment will override that issue for the reader and thus forgive your technical indiscretions. So cowboy up and try something totally new for a change!
7. What advice would you give a new hubber?
In many ways, I am still a new hubber myself but I have learned a lot in the past six months that I will share. First off, I would advise that you understand why you are here. People are here on the Hub for many different reasons including a sincere desire to make money, some want to just learn and hone their skills, some are very skilled and want to expose their work, others are looking for acclaim. There are many reasons. Once you understand that aspect, you must understand that it matters little why you are here if you do not turn out a quality product. If there is one thing that you should do well here that is to maintain the quality of your work, don?t compromise quality for quantity, fan base or points. Ultimately, it will not serve you well if you ignore that singular item. Be patient and work steady, if you do things in a quality way word will get around. Read as much as you can of your fan?s and other?s work. Make comments and give feedback. All these things worked well for me. There are some really great and talented people here on the Hub just waiting to help you make it!
8. Now the unfair question: whose hubs do you rush to read as soon as they?re published and why?
I have a bit of a routine when I go on the Hub. First, I “check the traps” as I call it or look at the “comments” that I have received. I answer those and then I look to see if there is anyone on the “48 Hour Published” listing. Then I go to my fan list and try to work through a portion of it
and catch up on new things. One thing that is a real challenge is to get around to reading everyone as your fan base grows but I try.
I read just about everything that Charlie Campbell writes (ralwus). Charlie is teaching me poetry (LOL!). Actually, ralwus launched my intrigue with poetry. I am always amazed at his ability to interject the humor or sensual into a poem. Stan Fletcher normally catches my eye with some of his patented humor and always leads me back to my funny bone and makes me want to write a bit of humor. Saddlerider1 writes with depth and honesty. Here?s a big guy who is really in touch with his feelings and not afraid to share it. He just gets better and better. I read the four sisters, Ladyjane1, Whidbey Writer, Rose56, and GeeGee77 because it intrigues me to know they are sisters yet each is such an individual as a writer. Sunflowerbucky makes me laugh with her situational humor and just in your face funny. CJV123 and rkhyclak get my political juices moving with their scrappy approach to politics and government. Lalesu writes really deep poems that have me working to solve the meaning. Blake4d comes up with concepts that keep me from becoming arrogant about my own intelligence. TimBryce, Steele Fields, Pabst Penrose, Julie McDaniel, and KFlippin because they are just dang unique in the way they write.
Last but not least, I am a solid fan of SilverGenes and read your posts regularly because you write like “butta” and I thoroughly enjoy everything you post. And there are many more that deserve mention if space only allowed. This is the beauty of the Hub, lots and lots of talent in one spot.
Let me close out by thanking SilverGenes for honoring me with this interview and spotlight. I really appreciate the opportunity.
Thank you!
WB
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