Michael W. Greene Biography
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W. Greene Biography
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Author Bio
About the author... Greene's love of books began when his mom read him Dr. Seuss books while growing up. His favorite book of all time is Green Eggs and Ham... and he hopes to have children of his own to share it with someday, just as his mom did with him.
Greene was born in 1975. Among his non-writing hobbies are fishing, reading, watching football, and playing with his three dogs Nikita, Snickers, and Scully. Greene has been writing tall tales since 1985, and Smashing Doves is his first published novel. Greene and his wife, Suzie, live in the Midwest. Suzie has been Greene's greatest supporter, best critic, and best friend.
Smashing Doves, published in 2002, is Greene's first book. He hopes to be an award winning, best selling, totally kickass author by 2012 (give or take a few years).
Below are some of his influences, just so you can get a better flavor for the type of writer he is...
Movies
The top seven movies of all time. Seven? Why not 100? Why not five? This is my list... so don't worry about it and just read it.
7. At some point in the year of 1985, I saw a movie that would change my life. Some might call it a waste of film. But if you would like a legendary B-Movie, then you should see "The Last Dragon." This movie has trash talking, martial arts, some bad acting... yet I could probably watch it a hundred times. See this movie, and you'll see it in my writing.
6. A slightly better and more well known film is Spaceballs. Yes, I have seen Young Frankenstein... which many call his greatest work. But Spaceballs hit a special chord with me. My favorite part is when LoneStar and DarkHelmet get their "shwartz's twisted." That, and the "ludicrous speed" scene. My writing is not always over the top as is the case with Mel Brooks... but I try to push the envelope from time to time.
5. The Princess Bride is a movie closer to my style of writing. The comic scenes are a little less over the top than in a mel brooks film, yet still very funny. It has some memorable characters, such as Inigo Montoya... "Hello... you killed my father... prepare to die."
4. Yes, the movies are getting better. This is not the American Film Institute. This is Michael W. Greene's greatest films of all time. Next, a great film called "Back to the Future." This movie is very funny, and again... you can see it in my books. Very funny while dealing with cataclysmic problems.
3. Star Trek, The Wrath of Khan. I am not a die-hard Trekkie. I liked the Next Generation... but did not watch much of Voyager or Deep Space Nine. I know some are of the opinion that The Wrath of Khan is not the best of the series... and I know some are. I'm one of those who think it is the best. Why? Because it has a dynamic villain. Yes, Khan was a bad guy when he was first exiled to the planet... but then, the death of his wife polarizes Khan into a dynamic villain. I like dynamic villains.
2. Next, the Empire Strikes Back. I like the creativity of George Lucas. Some people say Star Wars: A New Hope is his best work. Others say Return of the Jedi. My favorite is The Empire Strikes Back. It has funny parts, it has good action, but most importantly... it has a dark feeling hanging over it the entire time, and the characters feel more developed in this than in the other two. The recent installments of Star Wars never really struck a chord with me. The special effects were cool, but... well, who knows. I just didn't care about any of the characters. Qui-Gon (sp-?) died, and I was like..."eh, okay"... But when Han Solo was put in the carbon freeze, I was like "son of a--"
1. The greatest movie of all time. Casablanca. What? How can "The Last Dragon" and "Casablanca" exist on the same movie list? Well, to be quite honest, Casablanca should be at the top of anyone's movie list. The character conflict in this movie is so good... and every character, big or small, has a storyline. Because of the strength of the characters, this movie is the biggest influence in my writing (and my favorite.)
I think this pretty much covers movies. ARRGH!! There's no anime in your top seven! Well, I had to make this list in terms of influences in my writing. I'd never seen anime until someone thought my story might make a good anime. And I was like, ani-what? So, although I am still watching anime... I am not properly schooled to make any kind of anime list yet. I know I like dragonballz, Akira, Ninja Scroll and am still watching more...
Dude, you left of Indiana Jones? Dude... you left off There's Something about Mary? Indiana Jones is awesome, but I can't say it influenced my writing style. My writing was already established by the time I saw There's Something about Mary...
But you also left off-- HEY!! It's my list. I will give Honorable Mention only to the following films.
Honorable Mention: Transformers the Movie. When I originally made the top seven, I'd forgotten about one of my childhood favorites. Despite the oversite, this movie would not have made my top seven. However, it does show influence in many stories I've written... therefore gets an honorable mention.
Big Trouble in Little China. I doubt Kim Cattrell keeps this on her resume, but I like this movie. This one just missed making my top seven.
Honoroable Mention: Indiana Jones I and III... Gremlins... There's Something about Mary... Romancing the Stone... Some Kind of Wonderful (a classic eighties movie)... G.I. Joe the Movie... The Lord of the Rings Movie (because the books influenced me)... Superman 1 and Superman II (the others sucked)... American Psycho (strong lead character)... and American Beauty (strong characters at every corner)... Field of Dreams (sappy feel good movie with strong characters dealing with paranormal influences)... and speaking of paranormal, Ghost Busters.
So several movies got an honorable mention, but only seven made it onto my list. Of the above listed movies, only American Beauty was a serious contender to make the top seven. However, it didn't really influence my writing because my writing was already set by the time this movie came along. In ten years, I expect this movie to be in my top seven, because hopefully my writing will evolve and get better.
Television Shows
The following shows qualify because they were either creative, and/or the plots sometimes didn't make sense, and/or they had strong characters. These shows are not listed in any particular order, simply because I don't really watch them like a normal person. I basically sit down and watch 12 episodes in one weekend on my vcr or dvd. The only tv I actually watch like normal people is pro-football. Rah!!!
X-Files. In the seasons before Mulder departed, this was the best show on television, bar none.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I didn't watch the one and a half seasons of the show. I was in a protest mode, because it was a television series that was based on a very bad movie. One night I was flipping through the channels and saw it on, and watched it. I didn't realize it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer until I'd been watching it for a few minutes, and by then I was hooked. Later, I watched the first season on DVD. Very, very cool show.
Star Trek: The Next Generation. I never really got into the original television series. I know they did some incredible things, but I was never a Kirk fan. I think I liked the Wrath of Khan so much because of the villain. Anyway, I will say the reason I paid attention to TNG was for three reasons. 1.)This was well done, and I liked the storybuilding principle where they made reference to events in past episodes. 2.) Q is one of great, great villains in television lore. 3.) Data
Mad about You. For about three seasons, this was the best written, best executed shows on tv. Unfortunately, it was bounced around the time slots too much. But in my opinion, it was good for only about three seasons, maybe four. One of the problems, I thought, was that they did a brilliant episode, and then the next show was 'so-so', and then another brilliant episode.
Dungeons & Dragons (the old Saturday morning cartoon from the 1980's).
The Twilight Zone (black and white version)
X-Men, the five part series where Jean Grey becomes the Phoenix. I liked the comic when I was younger, and then when I was in college I watched the cartoon. But after the phoenix series, I stopped watching. Not because I didn't like it, I just became too busy.
*Seinfeld will get an honoralbe mention. I don't know how, but I'm sure something about his show influenced my writing... even if it means that my stories are about nothing. But I was never one of the people who worshipped this show. It was very well done, and very well written... but I think my problem was that I couldn't identify with any of the characters. Maybe that's a good thing, because who wants to admit they identify with George or Kramer?
If you could somehow throw all these elements into one pot and simmer for six months, then throw it onto the written page, then you will see my books at this stage of my writing career.
Notice any reality shows on here? I tried to watch Survivor, but after ten minutes, I couldn't do it anymore and had to change the channel. Reality shows just aren't my bag baby. I understand the concept... but I deal with real people enough in my everyday life. Maybe that's why I can't watch a reality show. I'm burnt out on real people, and just want to see Mulder and Scully bust some government conspiracy with a calm and cool collectiveness that no real person could ever employ under such stress. Too much bitching and whining on the bits and pieces of reality shows I've seen. When I come home, I've normally heard all the bitching and whining I can handle. Give me Tommy Lee Jones calmly leading a team of marshalls after a fugitive any day.
Adding to that note, there aren't any talk shows on my list either. I've watched enough to make sure I'm not out of the loop for these cultural phenomenons (sp-?), but they're just too boring.
Role Playing Games
When I was younger I was into role playing games, and read some of the Dungeons and Dragons books.
I also play the computer games my wife plays like Baldur's Gate and Heroes of Might and Magic. But I'm really bad at the computer version of the games.I was much better when it was just dice and paper. I have not played for a while... because I suck incredibly bad at the computer version. I do really well at Tomb Raider and also Command and Conquer... so you would think I would be good at Baldur's gate or Heroes of Might and Magic. But no. Alas, I am terrible and have no idea why. However, my wife is amazing at them...
I read the Dark Walker on Moonshay (sp?) series and some others. I own about three copies of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. But now I'm starting to talk more about books, so...
Books and Authors
Green Eggs and Ham. Dr. Seuss you say? Of course. Green Eggs and Ham is the book that made me want to be a writer. After I read it when I was three or four, I literally wrote a six page book, fully illustrated and bound with staples... which I gave to my mom. I never stopped writing since that time.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein is one of my favorites. I've read it over and over again, and some day will read it to my kids.
I'm not listing a single book here, but I will simply put Neil Gaiman. His imagination sometimes gets in the way of his storytelling, kinda like my books... and his stories sometimes don't make sense, kinda like my books.
I've read a little of Piers Anthony's work.
Frank Perretti's "This Present Darkness." I like this book because it deals with spiritual warfare... there are a lot of things going on that the humans in this poor little town don't understand.
Michael W.
Greene is a pseudonym.
