Graduate student to publish first novel

Being a graduate student can be stressful for most, and finding an stress relief outlet can be helpful.

For Matthew Moffitt, a clinical psychology doctoral student, writing a novel served as his escape from the stress of school.

Moffitt, originally from Kentucky, will be a published author in January with his science fiction novel, “Moon to Joshua.”

“The novel kind of takes this premise of Australia as if you took all your inmates and put them on an inhabitable land,” Moffitt said. “There’s these different types of people – some who just want to go home, the characters who want to adjust to their new civilizations and the people that just like being criminals.”

The main protagonist of the story is one of these exiled inmates. There is no economy on the island; all exchanges are completed through bartering. The protagonist accepts a deal from a woman to find her missing family and begins a journey to an abandoned land. The only thing he finds in the land is a set of footprints which he decides to follow, and thus the story begins.

Moffitt gained part of his inspiration for the novel two years ago at the state penitentiary where he conducted violence risk assessments for inmates. Moffitt’s placement at the penitentiary was a requirement for his graduate program. He said he learned a lot about inmate culture, which influenced his writings.

“I tried to channel my work into my novel almost as my own form of therapy,” he said.

[notification type=”success” title=”Learn more”]To learn more about Moffitt and his novel, visit his website http://www.polarbearscanwrite.com[/notification]

When it came time to wanting to get published, Moffitt began to send out his novel to publishing houses.

“When rejections would come, I had to remind him that not every novel gets published,” said Euodia Chua, Moffitt’s wife.

Chua not only served as Moffitt’s main support while he was writing and trying to become published, but she also provided him with a differing perspective.

“Being a psychologist, it was interesting to look at the different aspects of the characters and give my response,” she said.

Moffitt eventually submitted his novel to EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. After seeing the first 30 pages, EDGE asked for the entire novel and that lead to the beginning of Moffitt becoming published.

Moffitt said “Moon to Joshua” will be available digitally as an e-book in January.

Duncan Barlow, a literature lecturer at USD, has been helping Moffitt understand how to promote his novel after EDGE picked it up.

Barlow, who runs the Astrophil Press at the University of South Dakota, has helped Moffitt make new contacts, advised him on advertising and is even writing a review of the novel.

“The novel delicately blends the best elements of science fiction with a western,” Barlow said.
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