UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A little spark can often ignite a big fire, and for one Penn State alumnus, some creative sparks have done just that, igniting a fire resulting in nearly three dozen short stories.
Michael Danese earned his bachelor’s degree from Penn State in 1977 as a film/TV major and worked for than 30 years as the manager of the video department at a Fortune 200 company.
After Danese retired in 2017, he wanted to continue with an activity that challenged his creativity. He wrote, produced, directed and edited video programs throughout his career, and he got the idea of writing short stories in 2008, prompted by his daughter telling him about a person who escaped from a mental hospital.
He regularly finds inspiration in hypothetical scenarios and everyday situations and turns those into short stories.
“My writing comes from sparks that I may see from my everyday experiences and observations,” said Danese, who grew up in Drexel Hill and now lives in Macungie.
Danese said his writing process consists of observing the world around him and turning it into “What If?” scenarios. He thinks about how situations could have different outcomes.
“I can go months without writing a story, but once I get a spark I can write a story over a couple of days,” Danese said.
Danese said his writing process is sacred because it is a way for him to express his creativity. He will have moments where he may write only an outline, or the story may flow naturally toward completion once he starts typing on his computer.
Once written, Danese shares his stories with his old college roommate, Kevin McCaney, who makes suggestions and identifies any grammatical errors. Danese consistently appreciates how his Penn State connections impact his life, career and now his post-retirement activity.
In Danese’s most recent short story, “Bedlam at the BnB," the main characters meet a group of guests at a bed and breakfast in a small town. As a microcosm of society, the guests in each room are all on their own journeys with their individual challenges and experiences. However, they face an incident that brings them together and impacts their lives.
Danese also wrote a full-length musical with two musician friends. It is a zany, fun adventure with a strong environmental message that includes over 25 songs that have been professionally recorded and performed. The show, “Off on a Holiday,” was recently highlighted at a showcase in Philadelphia.
Danese’s stories may be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Smashwords and his personal website.