Ask the Author: Rod Pyle
Answered Questions (7)
Rod Pyle
Hi David, I'm sorry I missed this question before now. I met Anatoly at Spacefest in 2014. I had, of course, known of his work long before. He's been a profound influence with his writing about the Soviet space program, and an invaluable resource!
I'm glad you enjoyed "Amazing Stories of the Space Age," and I have two sequels in the works that I'll announce here once they get moving.
Very much appreciate your comments!
Rod
I'm glad you enjoyed "Amazing Stories of the Space Age," and I have two sequels in the works that I'll announce here once they get moving.
Very much appreciate your comments!
Rod
Rod Pyle
It was always a passion of mine, but fear and uncertainty held me back after college. I tried a half dozen other career paths, some of which I was good at, and others that were a terminal mismatch. I moved tentatively back into writing in documentary television, and was once again hooked. As a rather gifted actor friend once told me of his choice to abandon a high-flying legal career to resume his first love, "It's the only thing I've ever done that made sense." Well said.
Rod Pyle
My personal "sleuthing," though I hesitate to use that term for something so personal, was to unravel a lifelong puzzle concerning my father. This was not resolved until shortly before his death in 2007. It concerned a taboo subject in our home--my father's service in World War Two--a story of great heroism in the vast Pacific Theater near the end of the war. Central to this saga was a torpedoed PT boat, two survivors struggling to survive the night adrift in the ocean, and his struggle to overcome injuries both physical and emotional in the years afterward. Unfortunately, none of it was true--it was a fabrication born of self-doubt and the need to find his inner hero. My fascination with that conflict, and idolizing of his role in it, played a key role in my childhood and early adulthood. The truth emerged only as his mind began to slip away near his death, culminating in an incredible evening we spent together near the end, re-living moments in 1945 as the roots of the story unraveled. That evening, and the chronicle of his amazing and blessed life that led up to it, is the subject of an upcoming book, "Goodnight Father."
Rod Pyle
Lifestyle lifestyle lifestyle! While writing as a profession has been greatly challenged in the past decade--it's a bit like living in a house that's coming apart due to an ongoing landslide--it's still the best "job" I've ever had (and I've had a lot of them). My bosses, for the most part, are a continent away (don't get me wrong, I love 'em). Schedules are flexible. The commute is about 35 feet. Etc and so forth. If there are downsides, the include the financial strains of the freelance lifestyle, the working solitude, and the endless self-promotion--something I do not take to naturally. I suspect this echoes the sentiments of many here.
Rod Pyle
Well, I could say my ex and myself, since we are not currently a couple (we're great pals thought). Probably Zeus and Hera, since together as a couple, they remind me of the worst sides of myself. A good reminder of why one should always strive to behave better--though the thunderbolt-tossing would be great fun.
Rod Pyle
Hi Crissy--I am a big fan of SpaceX. It's like good fiction... young guy (okay, a billionaire, but still) goes to USAF and NASA and says, "I'm going to build rockets to launch your payloads!" Industry says, "That's nice sonny." Ten years later he's doing so. Musk has accomplished much, with infusions of his own money, outside investment and NASA funds. Regarding Mars, he has a long way to go, and admits it. It's a huge undertaking, and he will need lots of help--again, he stated that he welcomes cooperation with other entities. His end goal is to create a new and parallel civilization--a backup of us--on another planet. No real business case there, just raw desire. I think that's fantastic. And, also like good fiction, I can't wait to see how this story ends!
Rod Pyle
I've never had to. Writer's *procrastination* is another story altogether--sometimes it's caused by anxiety over the material, other times it can be simple laziness; there are still other causes. But true writer's block is something I've never experienced. I am, however, a big fan of write once, edit many--so sometimes it's a matter of turning out pages whether you like the results or not, then coming back later to edit without mercy.
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