Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a full-time writer, collaborator, and editor. I’ve written 14 books, including fiction, popular theology, and drama. I have also co-authored 3 books with Josh McDowell, 1 with Michael W. Smith, and ghostwritten or collaborated on almost 20 books for several popular authors. I also do content editing and consulting on manuscripts with several publishers.
I was formerly an illustrator/designer of over 2000 book covers. I’m an avid reader and a “C.S. Lewis nut.” My portrait of Lewis hangs in the Wade C.S. Lewis center at Wheaton College. I spent 14 years as art director for Word Publishing before turning to full-time writing. My wife, Faye, and I have 3 married daughters and 8 grandchildren. We live in Dallas, Texas.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latests book is a novel, The Trial of Vanessa Anderson. It’s a novel set in the near future about a young Christian schoolteacher who is put on trial for violating a newly passed law that represses her Christian belief. I wrote the book in response to my concerns about the growing repression of Christian freedom in America and where it might lead.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Perhaps one, though I would not have thought it unusual before discussing it with other writers. I treat writing as a 9-to-6 job. I work so many hours per day as if I had a boss looking over my shoulder. Don’t get me wrong; I love my work and get drawn into it. But I don’t wait for “inspiration” or tolerate writer’s block. I sit down, get to work, and complete my daily hours.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
By far my most influential author is C.S. Lewis. I’ve read all his books, fiction and non-fiction, and have written 3 books about Narnia (Thomas Nelson Publishers). I have also been greatly influenced by G.K. Chesterton, George MacDonald, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
What are you working on now?
I am in the final throes of completing a biblical-historical novel about the woman taken in adultery and brought to Christ in the book of John.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m afraid I’m a poor promotor of my own work. I do have a website, and I’ve posted my current ebook on several reader websites. But since all but one of my books have been published by major Christian publishers, I generally leave promotion to them.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t stare at a blank page, and don’t tolerate writer’s block. Write something, even if it’s wrong. When your fingers start interacting with the keyboard, thoughts will begin to flow. Write fast at first. Don’t think about grammar or even complete sentences. Get the ideas down. You can fix, change, and refine later.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When I was beginning my first novel, one of my friends was the head of the editorial department for a large publisher. We often lunched together, and I asked for his advice on how to write fiction. His answer: “Just tell the story.” That seemed trite, incomplete, and insufficient to me. But when I asked for expansion, he would do nothing but repeat that phrase, “Just tell the story.” I thought he was just blowing me off, but later as I was writing my novel, I found that every time I came to an impasse in the plot and wondered where to go nextt, his advice sprang up: “Just tell the story.” And it always saved the day and got me moving again. “Just tell the story” is probably the best advice I ever received.
What are you reading now?
I am reading and enjoying A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m not sure. I have several plots outlined and waiting. I’ll pull one out and tackle it when my present novel is finished.
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?
The Bible. Lewis’ Perelandra and That Hideous Strength. George MacDonald’s Lilith or perhaps Chesterton’s Orthodoxy
Author Websites and Profiles
Thomas Williams Website
Thomas Williams Amazon Profile