Please introduce yourself, who are you and what do you do?
I am 28 years old and I live in Maryland. I have been a bouncer in Washington D.C. for many years and I am a college student studying political science. I retired from my career as an amateur boxer three years ago, and decided that I was going to focus on school and on completing my science fiction novel the star chronicles book I battle for earth. When I do have time to myself I enjoy writing, reading, being with friends, playing video games, or watching movies.
What first inspired you to start writing?
I have always been a big fan of storytelling in all forms. Be it movies, television, books, video games, etc. In particular, I am a big fan of books and movies, so I decided at the age of 21 to write a screenplay. At the time, I was a college dropout living in my parent’s basement, and I thought writing could provide me with a new possible career path and a more positive outlook on life. I wrote three feature length screenplays in that first year, but I quickly lost the allure of screenwriting, and decided to shift my efforts to writing a novel instead. Writing a novel gave me more creative freedom and allowed me to write without the limitations of screenwriting. I fell in love with the writing process for novels, and over a three year period (and several rewrites) produced a manuscript that I felt worthy of publication. Writing is my refuge. It lets me escape to a world of infinite possibility, adventure, and intrigue. And I get so excited about sharing my adventures with my characters, and of course with readers.
What drew you to science fiction?
Science fiction and post-apocalyptic are my favorite genres. What I love about science fiction is that it is the ultimate arena for creativity. An author can create an entire world or worlds even. A writer can create entire races of aliens, or completely alter the Earth as the readers know it. But what really appeals to me about science fiction is that while it can be a story and setting that is imaginary, good science fiction is very much rooted in the real world. I think it was this appeal of being able to let my imagination run wild, but within the context of reality, that is what really made me fall in love with science fiction. If I had to guess, my love of science fiction stems from watching star trek the next generation with my dad as a young boy. Science fiction is the ultimate escape, while also being able to say something about the human condition. And who does not want to escape and experience something meaningful and emotional every now and then as a writer or a reader? I wanted to create my own world as an author, and that is what I am trying to do with the star chronicles.
What do you consider is the best science fiction story ever written?
Battlestar Galactica (the tv series from 2004) is the greatest science fiction narrative I have ever experienced. I did not name a book because I have yet to read any scifi books that have blown me away like Galactica did. In my mind Galactica has no equal when it comes to science fiction. The Scifi books I have been most impressed with are: dune, the moon is a harsh mistress, starship troopers, and the alien years.
If you could write anyone’s biography, who would it be?
George Lucas (Since I am trying to create my own science fiction epic, I would love to get the real story of his creation from his own words and experiences. The trials and tribulations, if you will, of him creating a project, star wars obviously, that no one else believed in but him. How he did it, and the things he had to overcome to make his vision a reality, and eventually a success.)
What is your favorite song lyric?
Bob Dylan Got to serve somebody:
“You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls.
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.”
What advice would you give new and aspiring authors?
Get your story written! Writing a book is a process with several stages. It is a mistake to excessively obsess or second guess your work, that part comes in the rewrite phase. The most important thing is getting the first draft done, and in order to do that you need to get the story on paper; you can edit and revise later.
Also, if you are going to write a book, then it needs to become your job. In other words, you need to write every day. Set a daily requirement. Something like 1,000 words a day come hell or high water for example. If you do this you will be well on your way to completing stage one: the first draft. From there, you can learn how to rewrite, edit, expand, and so on.
What are you working on at the moment?
Right now I am fleshing out the second book of my star chronicles series. Between this and promoting Book I, which of course is available now, I am pretty busy. I do have other ideas for stories that I have notes on, but for now I am focusing on The Star Chronicles.
Tell us about your latest work and how we can find out more.
The Star Chronicles Book I Battle For Earth is available right now on amazon and bn.com . It is a cross between the post-apocalyptic and science fiction genres. It could also be classified as military science fiction. The Star Chronicles is a planned science fiction series that I have mapped out to include several volumes. You can find out more info on the web at: www.the-star-chronicles.com
Or on amazon under: the star chronicles.
Buy now from Amazon (US) | Buy now from Amazon (UK)
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