Interview With Author Will J Fawley
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve always been a dreamer, loving to live in other worlds. I was a voracious reader from a young age, reading everything from fantasy to contemporary novels and non-fiction. Since my head is always half in this world, half imagining another, I’ve always gravitated toward books that blend fantasy and real world settings. Animorphs really scratched that itch when I was younger, and today I find that same joy in the urban fantasy genre.
I’ve written a good six or seven novels, ranging from contemporary to fantasy, but only published one so far. I have published several short stories in magazines and anthologies as well.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first and latest novel is City of Stars and Shadows. It was inspired by a dream I had about a goblin factory. I thought, how could this place exist? The gears started turning and I had the first idea.
But that was just the plot. The first spark that got me thinking I wanted to try my hand at a novel like this was David R Slayton’s White Trash Warlock. I saw a place for strong gay fantasy characters in this book, and realized I had a story in me that needed to be told. I wanted to explore a character who grew up rural and gay, moved to Washington DC to start a new life, and then was forced to go home to face all the problems he thought he’d escaped from.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My day job is in the technology field, and software is often developed in short bursts of work, usually lasting two weeks at a time. I tend to get tunnel vision and focus on one thing, and burn out after about two weeks, so this methodology is perfect for my writing. It helps me focus on, say, drafting x amount of chapters in two weeks, doing a full edit focused on x subplots or elements I want to pay closer attention to, etc. Then when the two weeks are up, I can take a break if needed, or focus on the next chunk that I think will take about that long. It really helps break up what could be an overwhelming challenge.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Like I mentioned, David R Slayton’s Adam Binder series is a huge one, also K D Edward’s Tarot Sequence, N K Jemisin’s Great Cities series, and Daniel Jose Older’s Bone Street Rumba series.
As for genres outside of urban fantasy, you’ll notice my work often has a playful and philosophical side to it, which has been inspired by writers like Tom Robbins and Kurt Vonnegut.
What are you working on now?
I’m letting my brain play with ideas for the sequel to City of Stars and Shadows. I have a trilogy mapped out in my head, and am trying to figure out how much chaos I want to cause in book two, while still saving some fun for a third book. I can’t stop jotting down notes, which is one of the most exciting stages of the process for me. Anything is possible, so I let myself explore until the characters start shouting at me to let me know what they need to do.
I’m also working on revisions of a quirky literary novel about sloths in Brazil. That one’s also in a playful stage of literally re-visioning the shape of the novel, so more on that one to come…
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I enjoy interacting with readers on TikTok and Instagram. I also love doing giveaways. Who doesn’t like free books??
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read what you enjoy, and write what you love. Don’t force anything, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. The ideas will flow when you’re ready for them. If you feel stuck, go back to reading books that inspire you, whether something new that caught your eye, or an old favourite.
Writing a novel can seem daunting. If it’s too intimidating, write a short story and have fun with the structure of writing a complete plot. When you’re ready to write a novel, take it one step at a time. Get to know your characters, and when you know them well enough, they will speak to you and your job is to follow them and write down what they do and how they feel.
And perhaps the best advice I can give is to get your writing out there, and yourself. Join a local or online writing community, swap stories or ideas with a friend. Get feedback on your work. You don’t have to take it, but it can help a lot to see your story from a reader’s perspective. Writing can be a lonely pursuit, but there is a huge community of writers out there who are waiting to support and befriend you.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing should be fun. If you’re not having fun, you’re not going to write something readers will enjoy. You’ll spend years working on a project that feels like work and doesn’t give you energy. It will feel like work. Writing shouldn’t feel like work. It should give you energy, let you play, entertain you, excite you, make you smile. If your writing isn’t doing that, find a new angle or make something happen in your story that you can’t wait to write.
What are you reading now?
I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advance reader copy of David R Slayton’s next book, Redneck Revenant, which is fantastic.
What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next is continuing to enjoy connecting with readers who enjoy City of Stars and Shadows. That’s the best part, connecting with people through books and writing. I also plan to attend some festivals and conventions to meet other readers and writers.
Meanwhile, I’m going to roll up my sleeves and get to work on drafting the sequel, and continue revisions on my sloth novel.
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?
This sounds like a luxurious retreat if I get to plan my ideal books ahead of time! I would bring:
Jitterbug Perfume, my favourite book of all time, which I can read time and again and always find something new to love. (Re-readability would be key in this scenario)
Ulysses, because I’ve always wanted to read it but always find an excuse or get distracted, and that wouldn’t happen on the desert island. (I would probably still struggle to get through it and regret this pick, but I like to think it would be the perfect time to get through it.)
This is cheating, but the Adam Binder series. (I’m imagining there’s an all in one volume collection so it counts in this hypothetical scenario 😉 )
And then some massive book, like maybe the second book in The Wheel of Time series, because I read the first book recently and it took me nearly six months. I found it to be a cozy read that I had to pace myself for, which would also be another asset in this situation.
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