James Rumpel is a retired high school math teacher who has greatly enjoyed using his newfound additional free time to rekindle his love for science fiction and the written word.
How long have you been writing and what got you started?
This is kind of a trick question for me. The easy answer would be that I started writing about a year ago when I retired from my career as a high school math teacher. However, a more accurate answer would be that I have been thinking up stories and idea for my entire life, I just didn’t start writing them down until recently.
If you could go back and find yourself five years ago, what advice would you give yourself?
I would tell myself to start writing and not wait until I think I have the time. The time is always there and the endeavor is well worth the effort.
What is your favorite type of fiction and who are your favorite authors?
I have always loved science fiction and fantasy. I have been reading short story anthologies for as long as I can remember. My favorite author of all time is easily Larry Niven. His short story, ‘The Convergent Series” is and always will be my favorite story.
How do you measure success when it comes to your writing?
I tell myself that I am writing for myself. I feel very satisfied when I manage to take some idea from my mind and successfully put it onto paper. I do like when something I wrote is published and I know that other people have the chance to read my work.
What tips do you have for finding time to write?
Retire. Seriously, I never found the time to write when I was working and helping my wife raise a family. Once I retired and started to play around with writing, I realized I should have been making the time to do it all along.
Are you an outliner or discovery writer? Or somewhere in between?
I usually have most of a story written in my head before I ever put anything down on paper. Once I have it written, I spend most of my time going back and finding ways to improve the work one paragraph at a time.
How do you deal with rejections?
I have no problem with rejection. As long as I maintain that I am writing for myself and that anything beyond that is just gravy. I’ve always thought of submitting a story as being like the lottery. I buy my ticket expecting to not win, but embracing that little bit of excitement that comes with knowing there is a chance.
Do you ever get criticism from family or friends who don’t understand your passion?
My family and friends have been very supportive. I suppose they figure that I’m keeping out of trouble. My wife has been happy to let me have a few hours of time to write. She understands my passion, she just doesn’t understand most of my stories.
What are your writing goals for the next twelve months?
I want to just continue to improve as a writer. I know it is a very difficult endeavor and want to learn all I can.
What are your writing goals for the next five years?
I hope that in five years I am still able to come up with story ideas. The first year was relatively easy in that regard. I have had fifty years of ideas and thoughts to draw on. As time passes, I hope to be creative enough to still find inspiration and stories to tell.
