Jay Goldberg,

Author of Mundane

 

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

I'm 18 years old and I've lived in Florida my whole life, which is nice. I just finished high school which I'm enthused about. I'm starting at Florida Atlantic University in the fall.

 

What inspired you to start writing?

Boredom plus creativity. I'm anti-social so I used my copious amounts of idle time in school to read, write, and/or draw.

 

Who is one of your favorite authors?

Chuck Palahniuk. I've read all of his books and he's been a big inspiration.

 

What are some of your favorite books?

Chuck Palahniuk's books as well as The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Slaughterhouse Five, 1984, and Brave New World. Also I'm a huge fan of Jhonen Vasquez's comic books which have been a large influence on my creative works. Also, "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "Dune".

 

Give us a one sentence description of your winning story.

A Mexican teenager deals with hostile co-workers at the Chinese food restaurant he works at.

 

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

I draw/write a webcomic called Freedom Fries which is a lot of fun and lets me release my creative energy. You can check it out at http://freedomfries.keenspace.com . I also play computer games and watch movies frequently.

 

Are you a gamer? Any favorite games?

I've always had a deep passion for Blizzard games like the Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo series. I spent way too much time playing Diablo II and Warcraft III, and now I mostly play World of Warcraft.

 

What is your favorite type of music?

I'm constantly listening to Nine Inch Nails when I'm drawing, writing, playing games, or in the car. It's kind of embarrasing that I only listen to one band but at least it's a really good band!

 

How long have you been writing?

I've always had a knack for writing, although I confined my talents to school assignments for a long time. I've been drawing comics since I was about eight though. My first short story was "LIGHTS" which was followed by "The Life of an Artist" and "The Wheels on the Bus" and finally "Mundane" which is the contest winner. I wrote those all in the 11th grade when I was 17. I worked on another story in 12th grade called "Daydream" but I didn't finish it and instead put my efforts back into my comic for which I started a website in February 2005.

 

What kind of stories do you most enjoy writing?

I like stories that are very personal and focus on the inner struggle of an individual. Although I also enjoy writing humorous material that's spontaneous and over-the-top. Really anything where I can be creative and express myself through another medium. I don't like writing non-fiction or writing about myself, although I'm enjoying writing this interview.

 

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

I generally think of the characters, the setting, the problems they face, and then decide how the story ends. Once I've got the beginning and end planned out, the rest is just filling in the middle. I like knowing how the story will end as I write it because it lets me slip in subtle foreshadowing in places. Often I'm stuck at a part in the story and then suddenly I get an idea and then all of a sudden I have several pages written.

 

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

I think reading stuff by good authors helps a lot. High school was also a big push because it filled me with a need to express myself and it heightened my disillusionment with society. There's a lot of anger and depression that filters directly into my creatiions.

 

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

I'd like to thank you again, Jason, for choosing my story and I hope it gives inspiration to other writers around the world.