Ask the Author: David Michael Williams
Answered Questions (10)
David Michael Williams
The Halloween party was a dream come true for Maya. Sadly, she'd never learn how the nightmare got loose.
David Michael Williams
This will sound incredibly egotistical, but I'd go to Altaerra, the setting of my fantasy fiction ("The Renegade Chronicles" and the forthcoming "Magic's Daughter").
I'd love to meet my characters as well as new people, explore previously unvisited areas, and maybe cast a spell or two.
And what can I say? I wanna meet a midge!
I'd love to meet my characters as well as new people, explore previously unvisited areas, and maybe cast a spell or two.
And what can I say? I wanna meet a midge!
David Michael Williams
All I can say is, right now, I have four books on my bedside table:
1) "The Sandman, Vol. 5: A Game of You" (reread) by Neil Gaiman
2) "Waiting for God" by Xochitl Dixon
3) "The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World" by Dean Hale and Shannon Hale
4) "Gates of Stone" by Angus Macallan
Whether I finish them before fall is another story...
1) "The Sandman, Vol. 5: A Game of You" (reread) by Neil Gaiman
2) "Waiting for God" by Xochitl Dixon
3) "The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World" by Dean Hale and Shannon Hale
4) "Gates of Stone" by Angus Macallan
Whether I finish them before fall is another story...
David Michael Williams
Yes. Yes, I do.
David Michael Williams
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)
David Michael Williams
I'm about to start the first draft of "If Dreams Can Die," Book 3 of The Soul Sleep Cycle. The idea for the series came from a random thought I had about a guy who thinks he recognizes a girl but can't place her. He asks her, but the question comes off like a bad pickup line. Only later do both of them realize that some agency or another has been taking control of their bodies while they sleep, and the action-packed dreams they only sometimes remember are actually happening.
After all, the best spy is the one who doesn't know he/she is a spy...
Many years past before I wrote Book 1, and the series ended up going in a different direction, but sleep phenomena, conspiracies, and the world of dreams all play a big part in The Soul Sleep Cycle. And who knows where the series might go?
After all, the best spy is the one who doesn't know he/she is a spy...
Many years past before I wrote Book 1, and the series ended up going in a different direction, but sleep phenomena, conspiracies, and the world of dreams all play a big part in The Soul Sleep Cycle. And who knows where the series might go?
David Michael Williams
In addition to The Renegade Chronicles, I’ve been working on a science fiction series called The Soul Sleep Cycle. The first two books ("If Souls Can Sleep" and "If Sin Dwells Deep") are under editorial consideration at a traditional publishing company, and I’m on the verge of starting the first draft of Book 3, "If Dreams Can Die."
David Michael Williams
Fortunately, I've never had to grapple with this most odious of beasts.
Oh sure, there are times when I get stuck in the plot, or my motivation fizzles, but I force my way through. My writing time is very precious to me, so even if I'm not in love with the words coming off my fingertips, I keep on typing, knowing that I can always go back and fix them later. (You can't edit an empty page, after all.)
More often than not, however, I have more stories floating around in my mind than I have time to express. What's the opposite of writer's block, I wonder?
Oh sure, there are times when I get stuck in the plot, or my motivation fizzles, but I force my way through. My writing time is very precious to me, so even if I'm not in love with the words coming off my fingertips, I keep on typing, knowing that I can always go back and fix them later. (You can't edit an empty page, after all.)
More often than not, however, I have more stories floating around in my mind than I have time to express. What's the opposite of writer's block, I wonder?
David Michael Williams
As a professional, I can't afford to wait for inspiration to strike. Once upon a time, I wrote only when my creative energy was high. I'd stay up until the wee hours of the morning, typing furiously. Conversely, if I just wasn't feeling it, I'd do something else. But these days, I write on a strict schedule, whether the muse shows up or not. That means on some days, the writing flows faster (and better) than others. Thank God for editing!
Having said that, there are activities that stoke the fire. Few things get my creative juices flowing like reading a book or watching a TV series that oozes imagination. Visiting other worlds is a great way to motivate me to ratchet up the stories that take place in my own.
Having said that, there are activities that stoke the fire. Few things get my creative juices flowing like reading a book or watching a TV series that oozes imagination. Visiting other worlds is a great way to motivate me to ratchet up the stories that take place in my own.
David Michael Williams
I include writing tips on my website (http://david-michael-williams.com)—mo... lessons I’ve learned along the way.
What I will say is I’m glad print-on-demand publishing was not available when I was in my early twenties. Self-publishing almost makes it too easy to put one’s work out there, and I’ve seen plenty of examples of writers publishing before they were ready. I fear that I would have been among them; I know if I had published The Renegade Chronicles before 2016, they would have been an inferior product.
My advice to young writers is to wait until you’re prepared to treat your fiction as a business before considering self-publishing.
What I will say is I’m glad print-on-demand publishing was not available when I was in my early twenties. Self-publishing almost makes it too easy to put one’s work out there, and I’ve seen plenty of examples of writers publishing before they were ready. I fear that I would have been among them; I know if I had published The Renegade Chronicles before 2016, they would have been an inferior product.
My advice to young writers is to wait until you’re prepared to treat your fiction as a business before considering self-publishing.
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