Jeff Schnaufer

Bewildering Stories biography

to Bewildering Stories bibliography

Ever since Jeff Schnaufer was a child, people have been telling him stories. Whether he liked it or not.

Even when he wasn’t paying attention, some folks just rambled on and on about their lives, their loves, the places they went, the people they killed and... you know. Just stuff.

So he finally started paying attention. He took notes. Then he started writing stories. Articles, you might call them. For places like the Los Angeles Times, People Magazine, Playboy, and In Style. Hundreds of articles.

Then one day he decided he would like to write some stories for himself.

He took some fiction writing classes, got a ridiculously expensive college degree, sat down at his desk and waited for inspiration to strike.

And where did it come from?

All those stories he heard throughout his life, right?

Wrong.

The classes and the college degree, then?

Nope.

The stories came from those daydreams he was having while other people (including his college professors) were yakking at him. Daydreams of what ifs? and why nots? set in the past, present and future of alien worlds and right here on our own, tragically human planet.

And it paid off, too: he co-wrote the story for an episode of Star Trek Voyager with another daydreamer like himself. Now he’s focusing on short stories, novels and teaching writing to others at community colleges and writing groups.

And yes, all of his students are required to daydream in class.