Humans of Caltrain: Kris

“I take Caltrain every Thursday to travel down to San Jose for a writers’ group meeting. I’ve been a writer for four years and I mostly focus on short stories and science fiction and fantasy novels. The writers’ group is a great way to encourage each other. We’re all friends, and it gets hard to concentrate sometimes, with everyone going on, so the meetings are kind of a sacred time where we get together, drink some coffee and use the session as kind of a think-tank. If you’re stuck on something, people will help you get through it by asking questions or giving suggestions. I really enjoy world-building, which is why I like science fiction and fantasy. I love thinking about all the little pieces of society that we take for granted and don’t give any thought to, and kind of turning those ideas on their heads. So, you have a fantastical world that someone could get wrapped up in, but in that world you’re actually asking questions in a really subtle way about how people are treated in our society. The best authors get you to ask questions of yourselves—they’re not giving you answers.”