Chanda Zimmerman Creative Writing

My Creative Writing

I write as I read, across a wide variety of stories and writing styles, however, I particularly enjoy fantasy and mystery. Since I study history, I enjoy both historical and contemporary stories — particularly modern stories that connect with history (although I'm not really into time travel stories.) I prefer stories that show how the past has influenced the present, or how characters respond to memories and consequences of past actions and situations.

Another area that interests me is children's books. I collect illustrated story books from the turn of the century and later, and am interested in illustration for children's books. Some favorites are Graham Oakley's The Church Mice series, Stellaluna, Miss Bianca (basis for Disney's The Rescuers), Lloyd Alexander's fantasy series, and many more.

I am also drawn to what is called in some circles “Scottish Fantasy,” in which the ordinary may or may not be supernatural or inexplicable. One is never quite sure, because it's difficult to see beyond the veil of this world. A friend said his Scottish grandmother called it "the thin places" where the worlds are closer together.

Favorite Authors

Some of the authors I like include C.J. Cherryh (primarily her Foreigner Series, which I love), J.R.R.Tolkien, Ellis Peters, Elizabeth George, Robert Holdstock, Diane Mott Davidson, and Katherine Kurtz, Nancy Springer, to name a few. Truthfully, I prefer to curl up with a good old book, since many new ones leave me cold. Most are either soap operas (like a lot of TV) or written in a simplistic, journalistic style that provides no emotional depth to either characters or story. I want to read about a character working through their feelings, but I also want a story that moves along and faces the future.

Awards and Publications

While I don't get to spend as much time as I'd like on fiction, scripts and essays, I'm developing a body of work and have some accomplishments I'm proud of.

2nd place in the Cave Hollow Press Short Story Contest in 2005 for “Perchance to Dream,” which appeared in CHP's Triskaideka: Murder, Mystery, Madness, Magic and Mayhem II, an anthology. Both Triskaideka and “Perchance to Dream” were listed in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror for 2006.
Won at Southwest Writer's Workshop twice for genre categories and twice at Colorado Gold Conference for The Alician Stone and The 5th Reisix (see samples; both fantasy).
Author of a children's nonfiction book, Detroit, first published by Dillon Press (Minneapolis) and later by Simon & Schuster.
A finalist at Trinity University's Director/Actor/Playwrights Festival with a one-act play, Sister Kate.
The Knights of St. John, Shade Tree Studios, a documentary on the history of the Knights of St. John, first broadcast on EWTN.
“Ghosts,” essay, Sweetgum Press Online magazine.

Selections from My Work

To read selections from some of my writing, click on the samples to the right.