Ask the Author: Corey Wolff
Answered Questions (6)
Corey Wolff
I returned to this world to end what I had begun. After a thousand lifetimes, Oh, I’m, still not done.
Corey Wolff
There are so many wonderful things about being a writer. I like that my writing keeps getting better as I continue to grow and evolve as a person. I believe I have become more insightful as I have aged. I trust my intuition much more, and I can evaluate situations based on what my experience has shown me. I have become more spiritual in my understanding of the universe. I handle stress better. I don't get bent out of shape like I would have 25 years ago. I am more mindful and able to be in the present. All of this comes out in my writing. Also, I find writing therapeutic, since I can get my emotions out in a constructive way. And it offers me the opportunity to say something that I know to be important, and affect others positively.
Corey Wolff
Embrace the process. Writing requires patience, and revision. And it also requires many hours of you being by yourself fleshing out ideas. Our society rewards those who are extroverted. In a sense, being a writer requires that you do the opposite of what our society values. Most importantly, you need to be passionate about what you are writing about. You'll make mistakes. You'll write things that you will have to delete. You'll have to abandon ideas that you at first thought were great. And what will see you through the storm and chaos of all this is your passion for writing, and contributing something to the world which is meaningful.
Corey Wolff
I am currently working on several projects. All of them have the purpose of helping young people in some way. Mikey McMonsterson Goes to School is a picture book about a little monster who runs away from home and hides under a little boy’s bed. The boy and Mikey become friends, and they go to school together. It's a book about the power of friendship, and it shows children that monsters can be loving and kind, even when they live under their bed.
The Fantastical and Mysterious Tale of Sweet Pea of Monsterville is a project of experimental fiction mostly written as an epic poem. But it also has characters rapping in it, and it goes into prose on occasion. Sweet Pea, a monster who likes to be friendly, is criticized by his mother for not being a proper "scary monster". Throughout the story he goes on an inward journey, and when he becomes king of all the monsters, he promotes love, not fear. I'm working on a few other story ideas, but it's top secret right now.
The Fantastical and Mysterious Tale of Sweet Pea of Monsterville is a project of experimental fiction mostly written as an epic poem. But it also has characters rapping in it, and it goes into prose on occasion. Sweet Pea, a monster who likes to be friendly, is criticized by his mother for not being a proper "scary monster". Throughout the story he goes on an inward journey, and when he becomes king of all the monsters, he promotes love, not fear. I'm working on a few other story ideas, but it's top secret right now.
Corey Wolff
I let my unconscious mind do most of the work for me when it comes to conceptualizing. I’m patient, and give my ideas time to percolate. But I keep notes that I continue to update when an idea strikes me. I read a lot and consume a large amount of media. I get a lot of ideas as I learn, and I write them down.
Actually, The Journey of an Acorn took me a long time to write. About 14 years ago, I started taking notes for it when I had the idea of a small tree that was being stifled by a larger tree. But I wasn’t sure how to put it all together. I kept my notes and years later, I was moved my something that made me think back to that story idea. I went back to my notes and started to massage my ideas until I was happy with them. Now I had the added experience of fatherhood, and that was the missing piece I had needed to make the story work. So my advice is to trust in your unconscious mind to make connections for you, be patient, take notes, and keep reading, growing, and experiencing the world. The ideas will come.
Actually, The Journey of an Acorn took me a long time to write. About 14 years ago, I started taking notes for it when I had the idea of a small tree that was being stifled by a larger tree. But I wasn’t sure how to put it all together. I kept my notes and years later, I was moved my something that made me think back to that story idea. I went back to my notes and started to massage my ideas until I was happy with them. Now I had the added experience of fatherhood, and that was the missing piece I had needed to make the story work. So my advice is to trust in your unconscious mind to make connections for you, be patient, take notes, and keep reading, growing, and experiencing the world. The ideas will come.
Corey Wolff
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein inspired me and planted the seed in my mind for what would become Journey of an Acorn. What really made an impact was the parent - child relationship and how the power of a parable can be used to illustrate a message. Reading that simple, yet profound story started to get me thinking about how I could tackle complex subject matter in a way that is relatable to both adults and children.
Truthfully, the book is loosely auto-biographical. I wanted my children to understand my journey, the one which had begun before I became a dad. I wanted them to know how I came to be the person who is their father. But I also wanted to impart lessons which people, especially children, can use as a guide in their own lives. Additionally, I needed to put this book out into the world because it addresses emotional abuse of a child. It’s a serious issue which infects families across generations, and one which our society needs to do a better job of addressing. It’s important that children are able to recognize emotional abuse, as it is difficult to identify. Finally, I wanted to tell a tale of hope and to show that life is beautiful and people can overcome the trauma experienced from early childhood.
Truthfully, the book is loosely auto-biographical. I wanted my children to understand my journey, the one which had begun before I became a dad. I wanted them to know how I came to be the person who is their father. But I also wanted to impart lessons which people, especially children, can use as a guide in their own lives. Additionally, I needed to put this book out into the world because it addresses emotional abuse of a child. It’s a serious issue which infects families across generations, and one which our society needs to do a better job of addressing. It’s important that children are able to recognize emotional abuse, as it is difficult to identify. Finally, I wanted to tell a tale of hope and to show that life is beautiful and people can overcome the trauma experienced from early childhood.
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