I had the pleasure of interviewing a great friend of mine, William. He has written many novels and has written pretty much all his life. Check out what he had to say here:
Using five sentences, tell us who YOU are, the writer.
William: Who
I am as a writer is an interesting puzzle. I am the Cheshire cat that speaks in
riddles. I am the ancient storyteller that captures your mind. I am the sun on
your face on a perfect day. I am, to put it simply, a writer.
Do you currently have any books out for purchase? If so, what are
the names, what’s it about and where can we find them?
William: None
of my books are available for purchase currently but I am a regular contributor
to the magazine Bohemia. It is available digitally or in print and can be found
at http://www.bohemia-journal.com
Are you currently working on something? Tell us about it!
William: I
currently have two projects I am working on. I am participating in NaNoWriMo.
That is National Novel Writing Month for those of you who are not aware. I am
endeavoring to write a dystopian fantasy novel inside of 30 days. I am also
working on an anthology of short stories based on a central theme for later
publication.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what THREE things could
you not live without?
William: My
Wife (we love to motivate each other in writing), my laptop, and an unlimited
supply of Pepsi.
When is your most creative time of the day?
William: My
most creative time of day is not day. I am most likely to write late in the
evening or the middle of the night.
What motivates you to write? Music, movies, pictures?
William: Life
motivates me to write. For me writing is like breathing, like eating. It is not
something you choose to do, it is something so much a part of me that I cannot
ever see myself not writing on something. As for what motivates a story for me,
it can be a song, a picture, or even simply an idea. When I start to write, I
usually have only one character and one scene in mind. The rest evolves
organically.
If you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who
would it be and why?
William: Living
or dead…that is actually a very tough one as there are so many options. I would
have to say in honesty though it would be Mahatma Gandhi. His background and
education gave him so many doors to choose from, it has often made me wonder
why he chose to take the path that he did. I think if there was only once
chance, I would like to ask him about that.
What authors inspire you? Why?
William: Poppy
Z Brite, Torie James, and of course, my wife, Kaitlan Blackrose.
As
for why, they all inspire me because the write for the love of the written
word. Not for money, or fame, but because of their love of words.
What started you on the journey to write?
William: I
have been writing since I was about ten years old, had my first piece published
before my thirteenth birthday and have never stopped. I would create stories
and tell them to friends even before I wrote them. So I guess, to answer the
question…life started my journey. I do not know of a time where I was not
creating stories.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve come across being an author
or a writer?
William: For
a while, life got very difficult and as such, I was tempted to give up writing.
As I have said though, to me writing is as natural as breathing. Sometimes I
think creating my stories was what helped me push through those hard times.
How has becoming a published author
(independent or traditional) changed your perspective on life and is it
everything you expected it to be?
William: Being published is nice. It is like a pat on the
back and an ‘atta boy’, but that is not what is important to me. It is nice,
but the fact of creating something that was not previously there is more
important to me than recognition. That goes for publishing and other ways as
well.
How do you stay motivated and get through writer’s block?
William: I
keep more than one iron on the fire, so to speak. I have a little notebook I
keep close that has various ideas for new stories in it, just in case they are
needed.
What keeps you focused and ‘in the zone’ while writing your
novels?
William: Perhaps
the better question would be what could pull you out of a zone. Once my mind is
locked in a story, it is being created in my head constantly until it is done,
even if I am not actively typing it in.
Do you have a technique or style of writing you prefer? Do you
write in order or skip around and piece together later?
William: I
like to let the stories come organically. Sometimes the last scene or lines of
a story come to me before I am half done with the novel. If that happens, I got
it down and keep going.
When your dreams come true, what do you do?
William: I keep writing.
To all of us aspiring authors, struggling, or newbies, what is the
best advice you can give us?
William: Never
give up. Write what your passion is. Don’t give a damn what others say. Passion
is what makes a book good, not price.
Where you can find more of his work:
Websites:
