Andrew Cabell,

Author of The Jester's Life

 

Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background.

My name is Andrew Cabell, and I was born and grew up for the most part in New Hampshire, but spent five years living in Boston after which I went to high school at Northfield Mt. Hermon in Western Mass. I am currently a sophomore at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, probably majoring in history, Classics, or English.

What inspired you to start writing?

I started writing mostly because I discovered that I liked it and then just kept going on my own.

Who is one of your favorite authors?

G.K. Chesterton has been one of my favorites for a long time.

What are some of your favorite books?

The Man Who Was Thursday, Dune, Lolita, A Confederacy of Dunces

 Give us a one sentence description of your winning story.

Bored youth with power and the consequences.

 Besides writing, what are some of your hobbies or interests?

I play ultimate frisbee, read, play the banjo, and juggle pretty seriously.

 Are you a gamer? Any favorite games?

I don't play as much as I used to, but Morrowind, Starcraft and Civilization 3 are up there.

 What is your favorite type of music?

I listen to lots of kinds, but I guess I would have to say indie rock.

 How long have you been writing?

Seriously since I think eighth grade, making it about five years now.

 What kind of stories do you most enjoy writing?

So far it's been mostly short SF stories.

 When you sit down to write a story, do you know where you are going or do you “see where the pen takes you”?

With most of my pieces, I know pretty much where they're going, but this one was started with a prompt, so I had no idea when I began. I think it turned out pretty well, though.

 What has been your biggest learning tool or experience as far as writing is concerned?

Practice. English classes have helped with grammar, etc. but analytical papers are different from fiction, so just writing on my own has helped an enormous amount.

 Is there anything else you would like to add? (something interesting about yourself or an interesting experience you’ve had)

This is the first time one of my stories has gotten any sort of recognition, so it's pretty exciting, though it's not the story I would have expected would win anything.