Interview With Author John Wells III
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! My name is John Wells III. I love long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners— Okay, I am only joking—Well, not about the long walks on the beach… Or the dinners, actually.
I am the award-winning Author of The Last Angel Warrior (Feathered Quill Award; Best Books Award), The Heir of Ambrose (Global E-book Award, Gold Medalist), and The Invisible City (Coming this spring). I have also written two short stories, The Forbidden World and They Call Him Destroyer. I am a San Diego Native, so naturally, I love the beach and would probably go to questionable lengths for a taco.
I am a self-proclaimed nerd with a wild imagination. I love fantasy and the supernatural. And telling stories in all formats: books, plays, movies, etc. I have been obsessed with fantasy since grade school when I had a difficult conversation with my parents about dreams and expectations. They told me that becoming a superhero when I grow up is not an obtainable goal (I’m still not convinced).
Since graduating college, I have worked full-time in live theatre, public speaking, and education. And when I am not writing, I speak in school assemblies, visit writing conventions, and try to resist eating too many sweets. I have not been successful, but one can hope.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is the third of the Kalib Andrews Chronicles, The Invisible City, expected this spring.
Considering it is the third in the series, the inspiration came from the proceeding books. However, I am especially excited about this book; I believe it will be the book that defines the series.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
An unusual writing habit that I have recently adopted is a simple one. Just keep writing. I know that is something that people say often, but now I have forced myself, during my first draft, not to stop to think. Just type, and if I get stuck on a technical aspect, I summarize what I think should happen in the scene, but I will not stop to work it out. Not during the first draft, this helps me get the draft on the page, and when I go back during my second re-write, I know where the story is going and what the scene needs in order to push the story toward the end.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Loaded question alert. There are two tiers to this question. First authors that have influenced me. Then the people in my personal life who have influenced me. As a kid, I was influenced by J.K. Rowling, as were many who are of my age group. Then I discovered Rick Riordan, and with Rick, who is now my favorite author, it was a slow burn. It wasn’t until I started to see how he truly tried to represent everyone in his writing that I really started to respect the guy, don’t get me wrong, I always liked his books, but this added element brought him over the top for me. I was also influenced by Sherlynn Kenyon and her Chronicles of Nick Series. And a few honorable mentions: K.A. Applegate, without whom I would never have started reading. C.S. Lewis, Ted Dekker, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
There are also people in my personal life that have influenced my love of writing. Let’s start from the very beginning. My mother! She used to read stories to me, and I always loved how she acted out the characters. I remember specifically reading George Orwells Animal Farm with her and having intense intellectual debates after each chapter.
An English Major herself, my mother always had very high standards for me and my sister. I always joked that she was trying to raise a genius and failed. When I was in high school, she forced me to take these extracurricular classes that no one had to take, like logic and foundations of government, and this one class called Inklings. The original Inklings was an informal literary discussion group composed of literary enthusiasts who praised the value of narrative in fiction and encouraged fantasy writing. The most notable members of this group were C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams.
My mother made me take THIS course. I am uncertain what she wanted to get out of it, but she forced me to take it, and I was expected to read a different book a week and write a five-hundred-word reflection paper due on the teacher’s desk at the top of each week. Well, one day, my teacher, Mr. Anderson, pulled me aside and asked me if I had actually done the reading. I hadn’t. I used Sparknotes and wrote my reflection paper on that.
“I don’t want to spend my time reading someone else’s work,” I complained. “I just want to write my own!”
And his response was the impetus that sent me on my writing journey; he said, “John, you will never be a good author if, at first, you don’t read.”
Something so simple. Something so obvious. But his admonishment changed my life. Anyway, that was a long-winded way to say a lot of authors have influenced me for different reasons. But Rick Riordan has influenced my style the most. Also, I recently discovered Adam Silvera and have much respect for his writing.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the final drafts and rewrites of the Invisible City. And then I might push out another Short Story before diving into Book 4.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am still discovering this. Right now, I have a Facebook ad. And TikTok has been great for getting exposure. I am excited to try Awesome Gang.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Let go of perfection and just keep writing! It is the most basic advice you can receive but the easiest to forget. Don’t edit while you are writing. Let go of the need for the first draft to be “good” it doesn’t have to be good; that’s not the purpose of the first draft. The purpose of the first draft is to get the story out of your head and onto paper. Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. So just get the story out of you. True magic is made during the rewrite, but before you can uncover those hidden jewels, you must first write the story. So write!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That’s a good question! I am not sure. I have received so much advice in the past four years that I think most of what I do is based on the advice that I’ve received. I guess the most prevalent one for me was what I said above. Just keep writing. When I was able to let go of perfectionism, I found a freedom that I hadn’t known before.
What are you reading now?
I just finished Spare, by Prince Harry. It was a book that I really enjoyed.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I believe that I will be in the Kalibverse for a very long time. I have so many stories to tell in this world. And I can’t wait to share them all with you.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take the New Nico Di’Angelo series Rick Riordan just released. I am very interested in seeing how those stories develop.
Probably the Heroes of Olympus
Infinity Reaper by Adam Silvera
And Spare by Prince Harry, (I just want to read it again.)
Author Websites and Profiles
John Wells III’s Social Media Links