Did you know that I write technical articles for my day job? In addition to being a writer, I am also an engineer, and when I write technical sections, I do a lot of research. It gives me a foundation in technology so I can write a solid work that engineers, scientists and other technology experts will enjoy. I want to help readers better understand the components, materials and devices they use and allow for some creativity and crossover from one industry to another.
In the technical business, this is called technology-transfer, meaning that when an aerospace engineer reads about technological breakthroughs in the medical field, he immediately applies what he has learned in their current projects. Whenever I can lead readers in that direction through article details, it’s even better.
My interest in technology, history, biology and a host of other topics (I am very curious about many things) also leads me to read magazines like Discover, ID, Popular science, And American Scientific; And watch TV shows on Discovery Channel and National Geographic. Not to mention all the business magazines I read for work.
All this information fills my mind with possible plot lines for my fiction. And that’s why I keep a notebook nearby. Sometimes while sitting quietly, or even while watching TV, I will peruse my notebook. Always, I come up with ideas for novels, short stories or poems. Sometimes for other technical articles I might want to write. The world is full of inspiration.
Writing novels and stories allows me to use all the technical information I read, research and write about. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to talk to people at NASA and SpaceX, Disney and Universal Studios, as well as students and professors at major universities. I can push these ideas a step or two forward into the future, and create a story around this technology where characters communicate with science. Pushing technology forward is fun. Making sure the technology in my stories is as close as possible to the right is great, although sometimes I spin things around enough to fit To the story and to be creative for the sake of creativity.But it will not be possible without having real science at its core.The proverb about knowing the rules before breaking the rules is appropriate here, and I take advantage of it whenever I have the opportunity.