Monthly General Meeting
Saturday, October 14, 2009.
For time and location go to Members Only.
M to A to Z; How to Tell a Nonlinear Story
Peter J. Wacks
Second Paradigm, Peter J. Wacks’ first time travel novel, introduces a new literary structure. Time travel is not linear in nature and therefore cannot be written in a linear fashion. After six years in the works, Peter was able to develop a literary structure which allows his book to be read in several different orders, after designing and utilizing a unique 'spider web' concept as a new literary structure.
The human brain is wired to perceive things in a linear fashion. A leads to B which leads to C. Not only in the art of storytelling, but in everyday life, we stumble across nonlinear concepts (like the idea of time travel.) Peter will be presenting the 'spiderweb' and 'ghost' plot structures he invented to tell nonlinear stories
Peter, as a child, lived in Vermont, Arizona, and Germany with his mother, an elementary school science teacher. Between the ages of four and six, he learned to play chess, play the violin, took Judo lessons, and started writing his first short stories. By the age of eight he loved to read Plato and began staying every summer with his grandfather, a nuclear physicist.
As he grew into his tween years he developed a successful business restoring of comic books Now spending his summers in Julich, Germany with his grandfather, he traveled extensively and he sought out the hidden alleys and walkways of Europe and America that lead to book stores. Books served as the fuel to his imagination which led him to enter the University of Arizona, majoring in creative writing. Peter won numerous writing competitions.
Peter’s entrepreneurial career path found its direction in marketing and as an adventure game developer. In 2003, Cyberpunk CCG, a table top collectible card game designed by Peter was released as an instant hit. Games Quarterly, Inquest, and Scrye magazine published articles on Peter, some based on his approach to marketing in the games & hobby industry and others about the game itself.
As a marketing consultant, Peter has worked for many local, national, and international companies. Always developing new concepts and strategies, Peter has been a guest speaker presenting information on zero cost marketing and virtual marketing at various industries trade shows.
Today, Peter J. Wacks lives in Denver, Colorado, dividing his working hours between writing, marketing consultation, and speaking engagements.
Second Paradigm is available from Amazon. See the reviews.
For more information contact
Ed Schreiber, Programs Officer, 303-692-8535,
ed@schreiber.org
Denver Mensa Contact phone: 303-279-1730