Author Michael Seeley - Official Website

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." — C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves             As I work through my first big writing project, the question of why I'm writing comes to mind. It's one of those big questions that people tend to ask. It fits with the "Why am I here?" and "What's the purpose of life?" genre. As such, there's many weighty answers to be had. Some people write in order to prove that they existed. After they've died, their writing lives on, a permanent record that they affected the world in some small way. Others write in order to display some theme that has taken hold of their lives. Be it the viciousness of poverty or the wickedness of Latin verbs, these people write so their opinions can be taken on by others. And there are many other reasons for writing.             For me, writing is an extension of my b

            I've always been told to write what I know. Teachers, friends, books have always said "What topic have you studied? That should be what your writing focuses on."             Not to break with tradition, but I disagree. Completely.             Writing what you know is an acceptable formula for textbooks and nonfiction; in those areas, it is essential to know the material down to the minute detail. Otherwise, the entire work loses credibility. In fiction, however, this is simply not the case. To limit one's writing to what they know eliminates countless plotlines and innumerable stories.             Personally, I know very little about being a mother. I'm a male; I also have no children. Yet, " Dulce et Decorum " is one of my favorite pieces I've ever written. In it, a mother loses her only son to the horrors of the Wars against Napoleon.             J. A. Konrath, one of the most successful indie writers out there, broke