In January 2021, three micro-grants of $1000 each were granted for a new, original short work, for writers over 18, residing in New England and creating for adult readers/audiences in any genre. Works could be multi-arts and the theme was "Summer in New England", which could be interpreted in a variety of ways.
The following is a short interview with James O'Hanlon on the finalisation of his speculative, short fiction collection.
The following is a short interview with James O'Hanlon on the finalisation of his speculative, short fiction collection.
Author James O’Hanlon's micro-project involved writing a short science fiction story set in the New England tablelands in the summer, about a budding young zoologist who has an unfortunate run-in with the so-called Tablelands Panther.
This story will be the final in a collection James has been writing, science fiction with a comic twist.
This story will be the final in a collection James has been writing, science fiction with a comic twist.
Tell us about your short story collection
This short story collection could best be described as a series of 'close encounters' with otherworldly creatures. One is about a battle for humanity that just so happens to take place inside a small kitchenette between a musician, a scuba diver, and a rather impolite octopus. Another tells the story of how brain sucking parasites take over the world using red tape and focus group meetings. The final story that this grant supported is about a scientist who has an unexpected encounter with the tablelands panther.
This short story collection could best be described as a series of 'close encounters' with otherworldly creatures. One is about a battle for humanity that just so happens to take place inside a small kitchenette between a musician, a scuba diver, and a rather impolite octopus. Another tells the story of how brain sucking parasites take over the world using red tape and focus group meetings. The final story that this grant supported is about a scientist who has an unexpected encounter with the tablelands panther.
The grant helped you write the final story in this collection. Tell us what inspired you to write it?
The story follows a scientist on the hunt for a rare and endangered animal. I've spent many years working as a research scientist in similar situations where you can spend months, even years, trying to find the plant or animal that you are researching. After a while you begin to question what you are doing, whether the thing you are looking for actually exists or whether you are essentially on the search for bigfoot. I got to thinking about how being a real zoologist can start to feel like being a fake cryptozoologist and this is essentially where the idea for this story started. I wanted to tell a story about a scientist who makes the leap into being a full blown tin-foil hat wearing cryptozoologist.
The story follows a scientist on the hunt for a rare and endangered animal. I've spent many years working as a research scientist in similar situations where you can spend months, even years, trying to find the plant or animal that you are researching. After a while you begin to question what you are doing, whether the thing you are looking for actually exists or whether you are essentially on the search for bigfoot. I got to thinking about how being a real zoologist can start to feel like being a fake cryptozoologist and this is essentially where the idea for this story started. I wanted to tell a story about a scientist who makes the leap into being a full blown tin-foil hat wearing cryptozoologist.
Can you tell us a bit about the story?
Dr Rebecca Mills spends an inordinate amount of time searching for endangered regent honeyeaters as part of her research. One day, while she is out in the bush she stumbles across an old fellow known simply as 'Jim' who is also on the hunt for a very rare creature... the tablelands panther. Obviously Dr Mills is not one to believe in such fantastical creatures, that is until she sees the tablelands panther with her own two eyes and realises that it is not a panther at all, but something much, much stranger.
Dr Rebecca Mills spends an inordinate amount of time searching for endangered regent honeyeaters as part of her research. One day, while she is out in the bush she stumbles across an old fellow known simply as 'Jim' who is also on the hunt for a very rare creature... the tablelands panther. Obviously Dr Mills is not one to believe in such fantastical creatures, that is until she sees the tablelands panther with her own two eyes and realises that it is not a panther at all, but something much, much stranger.
What did you learn when writing it?
That I had probably bitten off more than I can chew. I had an idea for what I wanted the panther to actually be but it was quite a weird concept and is pretty hard to describe.
That I had probably bitten off more than I can chew. I had an idea for what I wanted the panther to actually be but it was quite a weird concept and is pretty hard to describe.
What surprised you most about the story / characters / process?
How quickly the story came together. I started with a crazy idea of what I wanted this panther creature to be but had no idea of how I was going to get to that point in the story. As I started typing though it all just came together and I ended up getting to where I needed to be.
How quickly the story came together. I started with a crazy idea of what I wanted this panther creature to be but had no idea of how I was going to get to that point in the story. As I started typing though it all just came together and I ended up getting to where I needed to be.
Where are you going next with your speculative writing career?
Down the publishing gauntlet! I have a few finished pieces sitting on my hard drive now so I need to avoid the temptation of starting yet another story and find the time to get a few pieces published. I'll need to give them each a real tough edit and send them off to as many places as possible. I'm not looking forward to the inevitable 'thanks but no thanks' letters but I guess that's all part of the fun :-)
Down the publishing gauntlet! I have a few finished pieces sitting on my hard drive now so I need to avoid the temptation of starting yet another story and find the time to get a few pieces published. I'll need to give them each a real tough edit and send them off to as many places as possible. I'm not looking forward to the inevitable 'thanks but no thanks' letters but I guess that's all part of the fun :-)