Q&A with Mark Oshiro
/
“There’s a vibrant group of people who not only thrive in this space, but need it.”
Mark Oshiro has been of ours since the very beginning. Having met Mark through the Harry Potter fan community, we’ve seen them rise from the early days of Mark Does Stuff, to the debut of his novel Anger is a Gift. Mark’s encouraging nature knows no bounds. They do everything in their power to create space for enthusiasm and drive. They teach about craft and how to be critical of everything you encounter - and that’s what makes them such an impactful writer. They know what is up.
What part of the literature community do you think Wizards in Space fills?
As someone who has gone from self-publishing online to becoming traditionally published, I will always tout the need for smaller, independent publishers. WiS has a unique opportunity, which y’all are already taking advantage of, to change how we perceive creative writing, how it is presented to the public, and how it can be part of a more complex, enriching tradition. I think of Wizards in Space as a living, breathing thing, an organism that grows and expands with each new piece that is brought to the community. And because it is not produced by a major corporation, I believe that WiS can take risks creatively that we don’t often see in the mainstream. From genre-bending to messing with mediums, it’s a radical outlet for the imagination.
How have you seen the impacts of WiS affect its community and beyond?
I’ve been tangential to the growth and explosion of WiS from its early days, but getting to attend the open mic at LeakyCon 2019 showed me just how meaningful this community is to other people. I’ve been attending open mics since I was in high school, but more often than not, there’s not a unified community that is a part of it. There is a community, but they’re too often spread out and have their own goals and needs. The open mic demonstrated that there’s a vibrant group of people who not only thrive in this space, but need it. Getting to see people perform their work for the first time is always a privilege, but I think it speaks to the power of the Wizards in Space community that people feel safe enough to open themselves up to people who are largely strangers. That’s not easy. But WiS made it possible.
Where would you like to see WiS go next?
The obvious: more issues. Bigger issues. I love that prose can sit alongside poetry and that music plays a huge part in the open mic, for example. Medium is less important than creative intent, and I admire that.
I would love to see WiS move into the indie publishing arena. I’d love to see a short story anthology around a central theme or even novellas!!! (Sorry if that just gave you more work.)
What are you working on next?
Ah, the life of a writer! One thing no one ever told me about being a full time author is how deadlines can often stack up on top of one another. As of the time of this interview, I’ve got THREE deadlines I’m wrestling. I am waiting for the final round of edits on my second novel with Tor Teen; once those are turned in, the book goes to production. This also means I will have fulfilled my contract and my option kicks in, so I am actually working on a proposal for my third YA books, which I’m pitching as Good Omens meets The Good Place meets Dante’s Inferno. (Honestly.) Once I’m done with that, I have a deadline early next year for the first draft of my middle grade debut!!!
So: lots and lots of writing. SO MUCH WRITING. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.