This week, my interview is with Laura K. Anderson, author of “Foresight” and one of the editors of the anthology.
1. Where did you get the idea for your story?
It was actually a question I wanted to explore: Do we have any inherent legal right to our future? It was a discussion I had with my husband one day. After all, if someone can see our future and take it for their own, how many lawsuits will there be? I didn’t fully explore the idea in “Foresight” because that was a lot about exploring the world and learning about the drug, though.
2. Do you plan to write more stories in that setting or with those characters?
Possibly. I’m not entirely sure yet. I really like the setting, and I want to actually examine the idea of people having a legal right to their future. I’m not sure I’ll use the same characters, but I will probably use the setting.
3. What was the appeal of Sojourn for you?
Working with the community. My primary role in Sojourn was as editorial director, and my love of the Fear the Boot community was what prompted me to get involved in with Sojourn.
4. What was your favorite part about writing for the Sojourn anthology?
I have to choose a favorite part? Ryan was a fantastic editor who offered some great advice. But more than anything I had fun using my knowledge and skills to help the authors. Freelance editing is a part-time job for me because my favorite part about editing is working with authors who have no idea what they’re doing. I like it so much because I’m helping them learn about writing, learn about editing, and learn how this whole business works.
5. Did you learn anything while writing your story, if so, what?
I learned that I really enjoy science fiction. I used to think about science fiction and kind of grumble about it, imagining space ships and aliens. But I realized that science fiction encompasses more than space opera and that I could find things about science fiction that I enjoyed writing.
6. Is there any trivia or behind-the-scenes information about your story you would like to share?
The earliest drafts of this story were actually written for a class I was taking on writing science fiction. It was such a struggle for me, because I typically wrote only fantasy. This was a huge learning experience for me.
7. What was the biggest influence on your story?
Philip K. Dick. He’s my favorite science fiction writer, and he’s one of the authors who made me realize just how much I actually love science fiction. His stories are very different from my own, but he really helped influence my ideas of what science fiction is.
8. Is there anything else you would like to talk about?
Write for us! I can promise you, there is something exciting about holding that book in your hands for the first time and seeing this thing that you helped create.