I guess I’ve known Gail McAbee for a couple decades now. She wrote for our FADING SHADOWS magazines in the ‘90s, and later was the head editor for Novel Books, Inc. (NBI), and was instrumental in three of my books being published by NBI. Due to our friendship we never lost contact, even after NBI and FADING SHADOWS ceased publication. Early on I read her novels, “A Fine Impersonation” and “Escape The Past”, as well as her science fiction anthology created for Mystic Toad Press, “Port Nowhere”. While with Mystic Toad Press, she published my wife’s pulp anthology, “Tales of Masks & Mayhem V #1”. She is my strongest influence, and if not for her, I would still be an unpublished author.
Tom: When did you first begin writing?
K.G. McAbee:
First of all, let me correct some of Tom's seriously
questionable comments. He's MY strongest influence, and I'm completely beholden
to HIM for some of my earliest published work. I had a bunch of short stories
that appeared in his late and immensely lamented series of magazines, and the
mere fact of seeing my stuff in print made me what I am today. Whatever that
might be, hah!
But back to the question. I remember that I couldn't wait to
start reading, and once I did, I've never stopped. At first it never occurred
to me that writers were actual people, but more like amazing beings who created
even more amazing lands and people. Then I started reading biographies of
writers, and writers on the writing process, and thought maybe I could do this.
Life kind of got in the way, but in 1994 I wrote—well, finished;
I'd been throwing down paragraphs and sometimes actual chapters for years—my
first short story. Then another and another. Then I started researching what to
do with them.
And found Tom. And sent him stories. And, lo and behold, he
said, "Sure, I'll print 'em."
Thanks so much, Tom!
Tom: Did your experience as an editor help you improve your own
writing?
K.G. McAbee:
You bet! It's amazing to see different styles and ways of
attacking a story, and I stole every one I could! It's always hard to edit your
own work, though. I think it's because you see what you intended to put down instead of what's actually there.
Tom: You recently placed high in a Writer’s of The Future
contest, can you tell the readers a little about the story you submitted for
the contest, and will it eventually be included in one of their anthologies?
K.G. McAbee:
I'm not sure of an anthology deal; I'm pretty sure those spots
are reserved for 1st and 2nd placing stories, and mine
was a measly Honorable Mention—see how I capitalized that? Can you tell I'm
proud of my Honorable Mention?
The story is a steampunk/zombie mashup. I created an
organization called D.I.R.E.—which stands for Damocles Institute of Research
and Exploration—and filled it with famous Victorian scientists, writers and
explorers, like Sir Richard Francis Burton, Charles Babbage, Michael Farraday
and Edgar Allen Poe. But my main characters are Jonathan Blackthorne, a
magician, and his partner and beloved, the inventor Lady Rose Blakeney. And of
course, they run into zombies in the sewers of London, as one would suspect.
Much excitement ensues.
Tom: The SF Anthology, “Port Nowhere” was a fascinating concept,
and I’m surprised we didn’t see more volumes. Do you have any back copies
available? Where can they be ordered?
K.G. McAbee:
The old Port Nowhere has morphed into the new Tales from Omega Station,
with two of the earlier writers and a new one. In fact, the three of us—me,
J.A. Johnson and J. Kirsch, aka Gail, Jim and Jon—are going to be on The Book
Cave soon, to talk about Omega Station. We're way excited, as you can imagine,
though of course Tom is practically a regular there.
Tom: How did you come up with the idea for Port Nowhere/Omega
Station?
K.G. McAbee:
I pictured a distant outpost in the galaxy, kind of a dead-end
place in many ways—it's an airless planet where most of the inhabitants live in
caves and tunnels inside, though there are domicile domes on the surface—that
was still strategically important due to its location. The governing bodies
change sporadically, as various military cadres or corporations take control, but
most of those who live on Omega Station are there for life. It's very much like
a Western-in-space/space opera in a lot of ways: criminals, rich people, folks
in charge, ordinary people, all trying to survive. And cool aliens make up many
of the folks/people, of course!
Tom: For the new writers just getting started, maybe you can
help with this question. What do you find most difficult about your
work-in-progress? Plot? Characters? Beginning? Ending?
K.G. McAbee:
I'm awful with plots; ask my collaborators! I tend to start with
an image/situation, throw a character into it, and see what develops. Recently
I started a new novella set in a generation ship, and I didn't realize the
character who was talking was female until page four. Crazy, huh?
Tom: What do you enjoy most about the creative process?
K.G. McAbee:
There is nothing more fun than making things up! I tell people I
lie for a living. I've always been able to 'see' the things I imagine, so
getting to write about them and share them with others is the ultimate in fun.
Tom: You write many different genres, from SF, pulp, horror, YA,
Steampunk, et al. Where did you get your idea for these tales?
K.G. McAbee:
I think, because I love to read so many genres, that I can't
limit myself to writing in just one. If I'm reading a good fantasy, I want to
write one. If I just ran across a cool new scifi, I want to write one. And
mashups are fun too, like my D.I.R.E. novella: steampunk meets zombie. I love
comics too, so I've even tried my hand at them. And I've recently had my first
non-fiction academic publication: I've got a chapter in Breanne Kirsch's GAMING
IN LIBRARIES published by McFarlane Press.
Tom: Tell the readers about your latest release or WIP.
K.G. McAbee:
J.A. Johnson and I have an exciting new project we've been
working on. We've collaborated on a zombie novella based on an album by an
indie band called The Gifted Children. It's called THE REGINALD PANTRY: A
ZOMBIE CHRONICLE. We hope to have it available soon, plus we're going to have
links within the book to the music which inspired the stories. It's sort of a
book with a soundtrack.
Tom: What advice would you give to a person trying to get their short
story / novel published?
K.G. McAbee:
Write the best thing you can. Edit it and edit it again. Then
decide if you want to go the traditional route or self-publish. Then do it!
Then write something else.
Tom: Where may someone order copies of your books?
K.G. McAbee:
My stuff is available at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and
Amazon.
Thank you Gail. Along with all of your fans, I look forward to
each and every new release from your pen. Thanks for stopping by Pulp Den. Dino
(G).
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