Monday, April 2, 2012

Announcing the arrival of....

Aubrey Hansen!!



So, Aubrey, tell us a little bit about yourself?

Howdy!  I’m a twenty-something homeschool graduate from Wisconsin.  I write both scripts and novels, and I’m a moderator on holyworlds.org.  Animated movies, Pepsi, and dinosaurs are some random things I like.  When I’m avoiding my writing, I like to crochet, color with markers, and clean.  Reorganizing your desk is a very productive way to procrastinate.

What is your favorite homeschool memory?

I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday, but I still remember writing a fairytale for a school assignment.  I got on a roll and wrote well over the page limit – and then didn’t touch writing again for years.  I still remember that story – it is, in fact, about the only school assignment I remember – and my mother thinks I should revise it sometime.  Perhaps one day I will.  Besides that, my most vivid homeschool memory is the time a family member hid a rubber snake in Mom’s stack of books.  (It wasn’t me.)

What got you interested in writing Christian Sci-Fi?

My first “real” novel was sci-fi – fanfiction, actually.  I was fascinated with the futuristic world involving slick metal buildings and intelligent robots, and that fascination has never died.  I love the endless possibilities that exist with sci-fi settings, and it’s a perfect playground to explore with Christian characters.

What is Red Rain about?

Red Rain follows the adventures of a (formerly homeschooled!) teenage girl as she fights against an oppressive futuristic society.  The government has taken away the right to homeschool, the freedom of religion, and her mother’s life.  What happens when the government wants to send her father to Mars – and force her to stay behind with complete strangers?

Where can people get it?

The ebook is available on Smashwords.com and Amazon.com.  There is also a paperback edition available on Amazon.  If you want to read my book for free, you can listen to the entire audiobook on my website!  

What is the best piece of writing advice you have received?

“Omit needless words.”  I heard this advice first from Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style, but it wasn’t until I started screenwriting with the help of my film mentor that I really learned how to apply it.  If you use concrete words and precise details, you can create a vibrant picture in fewer words – and your writing is often more powerful as a result.  Cut the excess, and you might be surprised at how fluidly your writing flows.

Do you have any final thoughts?

There is a great need for well-written Christian fiction in our society – and that includes fiction about homeschoolers.  How many books have you read that feature accurately-portrayed homeschoolers?  I encourage all the other homeschooled authors out there to consider featuring homeschoolers in their books.  Your characters don’t have to go to public school to have an adventure!

5 comments:

  1. Good interview.

    I agree that all homeschoolers should consider writing about homeschoolers.

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  2. Thank you so much for having me, Sarah! I really enjoyed it.

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  3. WHOOH! Go Wisconsin homeschool graduates! It was great meeting you, Aubrey! (Yes, I know I overused the exclamation point. I just got excited.)

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  4. I love science fiction too! Your book looks really cool. And you're right, homeschoolers can be quite interesting--especially that family member of yours with the rubber snake! :D

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  5. Awesome interview! :D I love your favourite homeschool memory. ;)

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