Interview With Author Nathaniel Malabonga
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have only written one book so far, which I recently self-published. I’ve always been a bookworm, but never thought that I would be an author. That’s why I’m so late to the field (I only recently turned 50).
Apart from my interest in books, I’m also a tabletop RPG player and I’ve also played computer games, though not as much as before. I also enjoy watching anime and reading manga/manhwa.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, and my only book to date, is One Plus One Is Not Equal To Two: Finding Meaning When Life Doesn’t Add Up. As to what inspired it, I think at some point I decided that I wanted to leave a little bit of myself in this world. Something that would endure even long after I’m gone.
After all, I never knew what my great-grandfather was like. There were no pictures, no diaries, nothing that would let me know what he thought or what he believed in. And as I aged, I realized that just a few generations down the line no one would remember the same things about me unless I actively did something about it. And that’s where the thought of writing a book came in.
In terms of influencing my book, I saw The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson as a template to follow because, like him, I wasn’t an expert on anything. But from his experience, I learned that there is something to contribute to society just by sharing what one has learned in this life.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think I really differ from other writers in this aspect. Writing inspiration tends to pop up at the most unexpected moments and sometimes I can’t sleep easily because of something I thought up in the middle of the night. But again, those are things other writers probably go through. What I did try to do, though, is to write something every day, even if it’s just to edit a sentence, to avoid writer’s block.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Strangely enough, Gone With The Wind was the first full-length novel that I read (apart from the Bible), simply because it was one of the books that one of my two older brothers owned. After that, Isaac Asimov’s works introduced me to the world of science fiction, while Tolkien introduced me to serious fantasy.
From there, I’ve read many books by authors such as David Drake, David Gemmell, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, the duo of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, and more.
Some books made more of an impression on me than others in the same series. Examples include The Walrus and the Warwolf by Hugh Cook, The Witches of Wenshar by Barbara Hambly (some parts gave me goosebumps and made it difficult for me to sleep at night), The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks, Pawn of Prophecy (Belgariad series) by David Eddings, Count Zero by William Gibson, Flash by L. E. Modesitt Jr., and The War Machine: Crisis of Empire III by David Drake and Roger Macbride Allen, as well as the whole Foundation series by Isaac Asimov. His Robot series is also fantastic, especially The Robots of Dawn. I’ve re-read those books at least twice because of how much of an impression they made on me. Of course, I’ve re-read even more, but those are the ones that come to mind.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m focused on promoting my book.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m in the process of trying to discover that myself because I’m doing all of this for the very first time, and I’m learning as I go along.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you have even the germ of an idea, just run with it. Waiting to perfect the manuscript before publishing it is how it remains unpublished even 10 years down the line. With so many online resources, it’s possible to self-publish even as a newbie. Maybe not perfectly, but at least you’ll get it out there.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Not exactly advice, but more of an observation. My dad once said that it’s the people you’re with that will either make a journey enjoyable or terrible. And it’s so true. It made me realize that I should carefully choose who I should be with if I want to enjoy myself.
What are you reading now?
Neal Asher’s Agent Cormac series. Pretty interesting because the setting of the story is in the Polity, which is practically an empire ruled by AI. It’s interesting because of all the developments and worries about artificial intelligence right now.
What’s next for you as a writer?
For now, just trying to promote my book and find my legs as an author. I’m still not sure if this is going to be a one-off or if I’ll come out with future works. Either way, I’m happy I was able to come up with the book that I wrote.
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?
Probably something from Tolkien’s works, like The Silmarillion. His worldbuilding and lore are so deep that you could immerse yourself and not notice time passing.
Author Websites and Profiles
Nathaniel Malabonga Amazon Profile
Nathaniel Malabonga’s Social Media Links
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