Imagination led to fantasy, sci-fi writing for former resident

"I always enjoyed reading, I plundered the local library when I was a kid," said Max Florschutz.

Florschutz, 35, lives in Utah but grew up in Wrangell. He moved away to attend college at Bringham Young University in Provo, Utah, in 2004, and later decided to stay in Utah, he said, but continues to make regular trips back to Wrangell to visit friends, family and the library.

"I do come back and visit Wrangell, I was actually there a few weeks ago," he said. "I was absolutely thrilled during my most recent trip back to be able to go back to the library, and they've got two of my books. ... I was thrilled to be able to go in and sign them!"

He makes his living as a full-time author.

Growing up in Alaska did wonders for his imagination, Florschutz said. He heard from teachers and friends a lot growing up that he was a good storyteller. In high school, he dabbled in writing with short stories and one or two attempts at novels.

Going into college, he wanted to develop video games with his knack for telling stories. He took several classes to help improve his writing abilities.

While waiting to break into the gaming industry, Florschutz said he started writing again. People then began to say they really enjoyed his work and would be willing to pay for it. He published his first novella, "One Drink" in 2013, and sure enough he discovered that people were willing to pay for his stories.

"Getting into the gaming industry wasn't quite working out for me, and I thought, 'I could just do this, couldn't I?'" Florschutz said.

He now has seven books to his name, as well as a story included in the fantasy anthology, "A Dragon and Her Girl." His most recent work is a young adult fantasy, "Axtara – Banking and Finance," about a dragon that wants to become a banker.

"I've had people read Axtara in Wrangell go, 'Yeah you know how small towns work,'" he said.

The science-fiction and fantasy genres have been the main focuses of his work, Florschutz said, but added that is a wide domain. Sci-fi and fantasy can cover numerous topics. There are several aspects of the genres he likes. With sci-fi or fantasy, he said you can approach big, serious topics in an easier way. But you can also look into the funny details of "what-if" scenarios, such as the problems of a werewolf digging through someone's garbage.

Whether serious or silly, he said people are still people whatever the situation. Whether the character in a story is going to a wizard or a vet to help their sick pet, he said, they're still just worried about their pet.

"Science fiction and fantasy lets you be really real," Florschutz said. "I enjoy tackling the funny."

Florschutz has several future projects. These include returning to the supernatural mystery world of "One Drink," and also finishing up his sci-fi "Colony" trilogy. He'll also be writing a sequel to "Axtara" in the future, as well.

Anyone interested in Florschutz and his work can find him online at maxonwriting.com. Not only does he share free examples of his work, but he also has a weekly "being a better writer" article where he gives advice to anyone interested in becoming writers of their own.