RMFW Spotlight on Chris Devlin, Colorado Gold Writers Contest Chair

This month we’re shining the light on Chris Devlin who is coordinating the RMFW Colorado Gold Writers Contest. If you want to know more about the contest which opened for submissions on April 1st, just scroll down to yesterday’s special post or visit the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers website contest page.

Welcome, Chris, and thanks for all you do to help unpublished writers get their work recognized.

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1. Tell us what you do for RMFW and why you are involved.

I’m the Contest Chair of the Colorado Gold writers contest. I volunteered for the position a few years back because I’ve been a member of this august organization since the 80s and I felt like it was time to give back. From the beginning, I’ve been surrounded by hard-working and dedicated members who gave their all so RMFW could be the great group it is and I thought–why not me? Commitment, involvement, engagement…it sounds like I’ve sort of grown up, or something. Scary.

2. What is your current WIP or most recent publication, and where can we buy a book, if available?

I’m afraid I’m among the pre-published, so no promos here. I’m currently working on a young adult urban fantasy series about alchemy in a Catholic boarding school. The biggest challenge is shutting up and cutting the word length so it’s not the War and Peace of YA novels. Check back for progress reports.

3. We’ve all heard of bucket lists– you know, those life-wish lists of experiences, dreams or goals we want to accomplish– what’s one of yours?

I’d love to fly on an airship someday. I have this thing about dirigibles. Of course, I’ll have to overcome my terror of flying and also transport back in time to before the Hindenburg disaster…

4. Most writers have an Achilles heel with their writing. Confess, what’s yours?

Procrastination. Lack of discipline. It takes me forever to finish anything and that’s just not cool.

5. What do you love most about the writing life?

The moments late at night when I sink into the other worlds I’ve created and I get to experience the depth and texture of having a rich inner life. I’m rarely ever bored because there’s always my imagination to keep me occupied. That, and other writers. We’re all nuts, but what a fun ride.

6. Now that you have a little writing experience, what advice would you go back and give yourself as a beginning writer?

Commit yourself to this life and stop being distracted by outside drama and/or trying to save the world.

7. What does your desk look like? What item must be on your desk? Do you have any personal, fun items you keep on it?

These days, because of a bad lower back, I do most of my writing in a recliner with a laptop ironing board across my lap for support. It’s tragically middle-aged. My formal desk mostly has my cats on it now, as they love to step on the keyboard and turn the screen on. Cats. What can you do?

8. What book are you currently reading (or what was the last one you read)?

The last fiction book I read was a bargain edition of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova that I bought at the Tattered Cover. It’s about Dracula and traveling by train throughout Europe. Good book and at 700+ pages long, it made me feel better about my tendency to overwrite.

Thanks for letting me spout off, Pat, and thanks for the RMFW blog!