D. Thomas Minton

Goldfish Grimm: If we could peek into your office (coffee shop, kitchen table, wherever you write), what would your writing process look like?

D. Thomas Minton: That’s hard to say, because I don’t have an office. I actually engage in my writing in a lot of places. I get ideas anywhere, anytime and jot them into my phone or on scraps of paper. I write in coffee shops, on my lunch break at the day job, and on my couch at 5 am before the family wakes up.

GFG: What is it actually like?

DTM: It may look chaotic, but I think my writing process is streamlined and organized. I generally don’t start typing anything until I have most of the story outlined either on paper or in my head. Then it’s a mad dash to the finish for the initial draft, and usually one major revision to get to something that is nearly finished, usually needing only minor additional work.

GFG: Was there anything in particular that inspired “Strand in the Web”?

DTM: I almost hate to say the inspiration because I don’t want to taint people’s reading of the story (so go read it first and then come back). My writing group, Hopefull Monsters (extra “l” isn’t a typo!), decided to do a writing prompt exercise, so we all proposed a prompt and then selected one. “Strand in the Web” grew out of this prompt: “My but it is lovely tonight. The pink elephants are dancing spectacularly.” Whenever I read the story, I see pink elephants dancing in the mist.

GFG: At a point about halfway through the story, Sandoval decides Boerstein would appreciate seeing the beauty of the C.I. Does he see himself in the ranger? Or, perhaps, a better version of himself?

DTM: At this point in the story, I don’t believe Sandoval sees himself in Boerstein. Boerstein doesn’t see the beauty that Sandoval sees because the beauty is not in your face. It’s hidden in the mist. The C.I. is like Sandoval: remote and difficult to access, which makes it difficult to see its worth. In many ways Sandoval is a part of the C.I. and by showing Boerstein the place, he is also showing a part of himself.

GFG: Do you have anything you’d like to plug or promote?

DTM: I have nothing specifically to promote at this time, but you can keep tabs on my writing by stopping by my website: dthomasminton.com. I provide updates on all my fiction, both published and in progress, and scribble idle thoughts about the writing business.