Scott Reintgen visits Owasso High School
By Alivia Williams
Image of Scott Reintgen taken by Eliza Fultz
Science fiction and fantasy author Scott Reintgen visited the OHS west campus on Feb. 8 to discuss his books and comment on the writing process through an interactive Q&A session. Reintgen visits schools around the country to share his writing experience in hopes of inspiring students.
Reintgen is from North Carolina, where he used to teach English and creative writing classes. Reintgen decided to elevate his passion for writing to the next level when his wife was offered a job in Switzerland, eventually writing full-time.
History of Reintgen’s works
Reintgen’s first published book was “Nyxia,” the first of its trilogy. A year or so later, he released the second book and then the third shortly after that. He then released his “Talespinners” series and then “Ashlords'' books one and two. In 2022, he published the first book of his “Celia Cleary” series, with the second coming out this year. Reintgen is excited for his upcoming book, “A Door in the Dark.” He claims the new release will be his most mature book yet — best suited for young adults.
Reintgen’s writing tips
Following Reintgen’s introduction of himself and his books, he led a question-and-answer session in which students could ask about his works or for writing advice. Here are a few of his personal writing tips:
Being self-motivated is the first step to becoming a successful author.
Write first — lay everything out and worry about editing afterward because it will not be perfect the first time.
When writing about different cultures, take advice from others, do your research and treat the subject with care.
On a question about originality: it is good to learn from others and “steal” techniques. Your work will be unique because it’s your ideas, vocabulary, characters, etc.
Write things that fascinate you, ideas that you are passionate about.
Figure out what gets you through a slump/writer’s block (for Reintgen, it is his dog and chocolate)
When coming up with interesting characters, start with a character trait from a family member, friend, etc. and build upon that basis.
Biggest takeaway
Throughout Reintgen’s presentation, it was made clear that he wanted to emphasize the concept of failure. He shared that his books had been rejected many times by various publishers and that his willingness to continue caused his success. Humans fail every day in multiple facets of life, but he stresses that it is how one reacts to failure that matters the most.
Owasso lends a big thank you to Scott Reintgen for visiting our high school and sharing his experiences and advice.
If you are further interested in learning about Mr. Reintgen, here is his website: https://www.itspronouncedrankin.com/