Hello Friends,

Today I would like to introduce my husband, George T. Parker, to you.  He is also part of our local writing group called The Redding Writer’s Forum.  His main role in the group is writing their monthly newsletter, mailing it out, and posting to their website.  He has photographed some of their meetings along with others sharing in this responsibility.  He also includes writing from other members of the group in the newsletter.

In September he will be their first speaker of the year doing a presentation on writing memoirs.  He has been working on putting together his own memoir mostly focusing on the years that he was in the California Conservation Corps.  Here is a link to a great fictionalized story he wrote about something that happened in the C’s. http://reddingwritersforum.com

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So here are George’s answers to my questions for this post.  Enjoy!

1. How long have you been a writer and/or artist? 

I’ve been a writer pretty much all of my life, as far back as grade school. I wrote a lot of weird adventure stories, and even did some cartooning of stories. (Yes! I could draw back then!) My writing got more sophisticated in high school, with more sarcasm and wit. I also started writing Dungeons & Dragons adventures for my gaming group. I journaled a lot in the California Conservation Corps, and after the Cs, I contributed to my community college’s literary magazine, Bridges. Lately, I’ve been blogging about the CCC and D&D. The main project that I would like to finish and see published before I die is my memoir of life in the CCC.

2. What do you like to write about and/or create? 

I love memoir. The motto for my CCC blog is ‘Everybody has a story that deserves to be told.’ I believe that, and I love to help people tell their stories.

I love to help people see, hear, and feel the outdoors like I have experienced them.

I also love to make people laugh.

3. Who has been the greatest influence in your creativity?  (This could be someone you know or someone you admire but have never met.) 

I don’t know where to start. Certainly, John Muir comes to mind for any outdoors writing, or even memoir. Edward Abby’s Monkey Wrench Gang is the perfect blend of outdoors and humor.

Louis L’Amour really inspired me to write about places that I know first-hand. That’s what he did, and it showed.

Believe it or not, a primary influence for writing humor was Art Buchwald’s political satire of the 1960s and early ‘70s. I suppose that I should also include Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), Robert Asprin (The Myth-Adventures series), and Monty Python.

You can see more of George’s work at either of his blogs.  Here are the links.

https://grinningdwarf.com/

https://ccchardcorps.wordpress.com/

Thank you, George, for contributing your story to my series FOCUS ON CREATIVE ENERGY.   I enjoyed it as I am sure others will, too!

NOTE:  Unless I hear from other “creatives” who want to share their stories, George’s will be the last post in this series.  I realize it takes time to answer questions that perhaps you haven’t been asked in a long time, but just remember…it doesn’t have to be long!  Send it to larrytheleatherback17@gmail.com.  Thanks!

Have a wonderful day and give someone you love a big hug!  🙂