Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an American author from Puerto Rico with a love of fiction books, video games, and action-packed stories. Particularly, I’m a big fan of military sci-fi and cyberpunk, more so if they manage to work in a magic system that can go toe to toe with the sci-fi tech!
As for my writing career, I’ve been writing for years, since I was in middle school. Loved telling stories but I never thought anything serious about it. My goal out of high school was to go for Game Design in the hopes of getting to create worlds and bring them to life. My first job in the indie dev part of the industry ended up with me doing a lot of world crafting, writing short stories, and the overall narrative of the game so I decided to take writing seriously!
Twenty drafts later, learning what I was doing, and I’ve finally got my first book coming out on January 31st, 2021! Got a short story to go with it too but as of writing this, I’m waiting on the cover to release it. They’re great, action-packed stories and I can’t wait to get them in people’s hands.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Reclaimer: The Crucible
Funny story as to how I ended up writing this. You see, I originally set off to write a book after an apocalypse with characters from the prior world exploring the ruins of the old. But I wanted to explain how we ended up where we were. So! What was supposed to be a quick flashback blew up in scope to, originally, its own book, that after feedback has become the initial arc of the series.
Current events and future trends were the big things that inspired this story, along with my love for all things tech and militar. So I cranked up everything to eleven, broke off the knob, and set about writing the Legacy of a Dying World series.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not entirely sure how unusual this is but I layout timelines of my story with a small mountain of sticky notes on the wall. Recently though, I’ve been switching to software to do this because it looks just a tiny bit crazy and people can mess with the outline. It has definitely started saving me time in writing and clean up!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robert Heinlein, George R.R. Martin, Frank Herbert, Tolkein, and a lot of different books in the Halo and Warhammer 40k universe. There are just too many different authors and titles to list there.
What are you working on now?
Currently working on the sequel to The Crucible. The working title is Vanguard and things get worse for Gabriel and the rest of the 42nd Company.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m actively in the process of figuring that out! I’m hoping the Awesome Gang is in my top ten.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Embrace the suck.
Starting to write, making it to the end of the story, then editing? All of it’s hard and many authors feel like they’re not good enough. But keep going, keep polishing, find out where you have made missteps, measure what’s measurable, and keep improving your work.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Well, I just laid it out with embracing the suck but here’s another one!
Get your work in the hands of strangers as soon as it’s done. Even if it’s the roughest first draft in the world, they’ll be able to tell you where your story is working and where it isn’t. I don’t recommend family or friends because, in my experience, they tend to sugarcoat or avoid the truth.
What are you reading now?
Currently working my way through the Galaxy’s Edge series. I’m on Galactic Outlaws right now. Definitely, an easy recommendation if you like action-packed stories.
What’s next for you as a writer?
My plan is to finish the first arc of the Legacy of a Dying World series by years end and get started on the second one ASAP. You know, what I originally set off to write. Of course, I’ll be taking in the feedback of my readers and might start up some spin-offs ahead of schedule if they ask for them!
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?
Starship Troopers, Dune, Shadow of The Conqueror, and Cain’s Last Stand
Author Websites and Profiles
Waldo Rodriguez Website
Waldo Rodriguez’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account