Meet Bruce Golden | Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bruce Golden and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bruce, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
Most of all I’d like to be remembered as a good storyteller. Someone whose writings were not only creative but spanned genres and mediums. I hope my legacy is that I never kept doing the same thing over and over, and that I always strived to create something new–a new world, a unique character, a distinctive situation. Too many writers dwell solely on sequels, revisiting the same plotlines over and over. I’ve written plenty of humor, but also horrific tales. I created new societies and distant worlds with science fiction, and imagined stories that sprang out of fantasy. I’ve always tried to follow my muse wherever it took me–succeed or fail–and I’d like to think I’ll be remembered for that diversity, the audacity to be different, and the tenacity to keep at it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Well I’ve already stated that what I think sets me apart from other writers is my willingness to create different things–work in various genres. I’m proud of most of my books, even if some never received the readership I thought they deserved. And I’m very excited about the positive and enthusiastic reception my latest novel has generated. THE TOWER JOCKEYS is my first departure from speculative fiction, and recounts actual events which occurred in the early ’70s after I was drafted into the Army. It’s a fictionalized, satirical memoir–so it doesn’t fit neatly into any of the usual categories publishers and literary agents look for. I’ve been told it reminds some people of the books/films/TV shows M*A*S*H and Catch-22.
As for how I got to where I am today, I just kept writing what I wanted to write, even as fame and fortune eluded me. Rejection is a constant companion for a writer (unless you’re Stephen King or James Patterson), so the first lesson you learn is to accept each rejection as just one opinion and move on. That’s what I’ve always done–kept moving on to the next story.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As a huge baseball/San Diego Padres fan, I’d have to take any visitor to Petco Park–praised by most experts as the best ballpark in the country. You can’t come to San Diego without a visit to the zoo, and then there’s SeaWorld, the beaches, Balboa Park, and the Old Globe Theatre. I’ve always liked Sunset Cliffs and grew up in the waves of Mission Beach, where summer nights can be enhanced by a bonfire.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Writing is generally a very solitary enterprise, but there were a number of people and fellow artists who motivated, aided, and advised me along the way. Initially I was inspired to write by the works of Mark Twain, Robert Heinlein, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Howard, and Jim Morrison. A big shoutout goes to my radio news director, Mary Ayala. She gave me free rein to create whatever kinds of stories I wanted when others were saying I should stay in one lane. As I began to concentrate on my first love, writing speculative fiction, I was advised by a couple of the top writers in field–David Brin and Greg Bear. When one of my books caught the eye of a TV producer, they introduced me to a film agent and shared their experiences with the medium.

Website: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bruce-Golden/author/B001JP3CCI?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

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