Interview with Sci-Fi Author Margaret Treiber

Margret Treiber resides in Southwest Florida and is employed as a Systems Analyst. When she is not working with technology and writing speculative fiction, she helps her birds break things for her spouse to fix.

Her short fiction has appeared in a number of publications. Links to her short fiction, novel and upcoming work can be found on her website at http://www.the-margret.com .

Interview with Margaret Treiber

What cool and exciting things have been happening in your life recently?

I was fortunate enough to be included in the anthology Challenge Accepted: A Charity Anthology which benefits the Special Olympics.


Is your recent book part of a series? If so, can you tell us a bit about where the story is heading?

My lasted collection, "Japanese Robots Love to Dance" is a rough prequel to "Sleepy Time for Captain Eris." The stories take place in a fairly dystopian near-future with superpowered individuals and a few AIs. I plan to add more stories and characters in future installments. Most of my characters are flawed antiheroes.


Can you tell us about what you're currently working on?

Currently, I'm working on a novel which I can't identify. What I mean is that this thing built up in my head, until I had no choice to write it. I'm not sure what it is, but it takes place in a space fleet with strange undisciplined people. I'm in editing now. Maybe I'll figure it out soon.


Do you write under a pen name? If so, can you tell us why?

Nope, well, er, I do have one I once wrote cell phone porn under. Yeah, I figured it needed to exist. It's called "Your Outlet or Mine." It's pretty bad.


Have you ever written characters that you truly despise? Why or why not?

Nope. I write complicated broken people. Some I really don't like, but I have pity on them. They all have reason for being asshats.


What do you like best about the books you read? What do you like least?

I like humor, sympathetic characters, and plots that don't make me want to kill myself at the end. I can appreciate a bad ending, but I don't like feeling worse about life than my baseline if I can avoid it.


What is your biggest pet peeve in storytelling?

Present tense and third person narration.


Really? I'll steer you clear of my Homestead Hunts stories, then...

Were you “born to write” or did you discover your passion for writing later in life?

I started as a kid, wrote through college, quit in my twenties and started again in my late forties. I lost a lot of time.


Where did the idea of your story come from?

Some weird place in my head.  All of a sudden, something generates in my consciousness and won't stop screaming at me until I write it.  I'll get very depressed if I'm unable to get it out, but then I feel really empty after I do.


What did you edit out of your book?

Usually the smut. I write it. It embarrasses me. I take it out.


If you were to write a non-fiction book, what might it be about? Why?

Not clicking on things in email and pissing off your IT department.


Are you an early bird writer or night owl? And do you have any must haves like coffee, chocolates, wine, music or something else required for your creative process?

I'm an "anytime I can fit it in" kind of writer. As long as people don't screw with me, I can write almost anywhere. All I need is a comfortable word processor and keyboard. But there is a high incidence of people screwing with me. I also can't write when I'm sleeping. I can come up with plots in my sleep though.


Do you have complete control over your characters or do they ever control you?

It's a mixed bag.  Some of them are me.


A lot of authors are frustrated by readers who don’t understand how important reviews are. What would you say to a reader who doesn’t think his or her review matters?

It's like getting a bad review at work by your boss. Your career can be sunk and as a result, you make less money and your reputation suffers. Only in this scenario, everyone on the internet is that boss who can destroy your career.


What kind of impact do you want your book(s) to have on readers?

I want them to be entertained.  I don't expect them to achieve enlightenment or personal growth. I just would like them to enjoy the read.


What, in your opinion, is the worst mistake an author can make?

Give up. Hold onto your dream.


Do you have any advice for new authors?

Prepare for rejection, but know we all suffer through it.

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If you could have a dinner with one fictional person, who would it be? Why?

Kahn, because I suddenly feel fatigued.


If you could go to any fictional world, where would you go? Why?

The "Venture Brothers" universe. I belong there and would hench for life.


If you could have one (real life) skill that you don’t currently have, what would it be? Why? How would you use it?

Being fearless. I let my fears hold me back too much. If I were fearless, I would take more chances and achieve my goals or fail with grace.


If you could have one magical ability/superpower, what would it be? How would you use it?

There are so many good ones. Definitely NOT telepathy. Yuck. Flight's cool but so limited. Super strength/invulnerability, awesome, but not me. Maybe something like telekinesis. I think I would dig smacking people with random objects.


What might we be surprised to know about you?

I don't have a police record.


What are three things you think we can all do to make the world a better place?

1) Don't be asses to our people. Remember their life is as shitty as yours is.
2) Give people the benefit of the doubt. They may not have meant to obnoxious.
3) Feed your coworkers. They are hungry.


What creature is better: dragons, zombies, or aliens?

Definitely aliens. Dragons hang out with stupid elves and zombies need a freakin clue.

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Connect with Margaret!

You can find Margaret on:
Her website
Facebook
and her blog, Alien Stoner .