Will Macmillan Jones

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m a fifty something lover of blues, rock and jazz, who is lucky enough to live in the myth and mist (well, more like rain!) haunted country of Wales.

Originally I set out to write a traditional High Fantasy some years ago, and it didn’t work. In fact it was awful, as the characters kept getting into funny scrapes and telling the most awful jokes: so I gave up and let them get on with it. Now I have a collection of humour filled fantasy novels instead, under the series title of The Banned Underground. There’s six stand alone novels in the collection now, with two more under way for 2015.

But there’s more! I’ve a children’s series starting, about a girl who meets a new friend on her eighth birthday. As he’s a dragon, she can’t introduce him to her parents though…

And there’s a well received horror book which is begging for a sequel too. So little time, too many books to write.

I’ve recently started doing some stand up comedy and performance poetry as a way of attracting attention. And abuse, of course.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Have Frog, Will Travel is the latest in The Banned Underground collection and I think it shows a little of the direction I’m taking: not just about telling gags anymore, I’d like to be a bit more philosophical. After all, I’m sufficiently interested in that concept to make sure that I can spell it now.

In this book, a major series character is confronted with an ethical dilemma, when the servants of The Dark Lord try to convert her from the paths of Good, and she goes on a journey of discovery. Witches, Vampires, Frogs and Teenagers all offer their unique perspective on her dilemma to help her decide.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual for me, or unusual for writers? Who are, as a group, as mad as a box of frogs in my experience. Actually, yes, I have one odd habit for a writer: I don’t post cat meme pictures all over Facebook.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
How long is this to be? Well, not widely known enough now is Alan Garner’s The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, an absolutely brilliant YA fantasy written in the 1960s. That book sent me off to try and write myself, which I suppose makes him responsible… It also introduced me to the world of Celtic myth and legend, the wellspring of so many truly great fantasy books, so probably that book was the most critical in my development as a reader.

What are you working on now?
Oh lord, right now I have two part finished books in my fantasy collection, the second in my children’s series only awaits the cover artist’s work before it is released and a second dark fantasy/horror book called The Picture will be into first draft by the end of January 2015. I’m addicted to writing, and just cannot stop, you see.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m useless at promotion, to be honest. So my favourite method is to go to the Traders tables at fantasy/scifi/book conventions and actually meet people direct. During the summer I had the great experience of selling well at Worldcon in London, then at a later convention having a chap who had bought a couple of books from me at Worldcon turn up and buy one of everything else I’d released to date! Wow….

As I said, I’ve started doing some performance comedy (stand up) routines based on the gags and material I write, and it’s good fun: it also helps as a way of road testing new jokes!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write more. Then write some more again. And never ever listen to anyone who tells you that you can self edit. You cannot. When you have something you are happy with, hire an editor, whatever it costs, it will be worth it for you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The advice I’ve just given…

What are you reading now?
Currently I’m reading Ben Aaronovitch’s ‘Rivers Of London’ series. It’s urban fantasy with a twist, and if you liked The Dresden Files you’ll almost certainly enjoy this too. Highly recommended.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing more, of course! My publisher told me last year: keep on writing. One of your books will take off: and when it does all your catalogue will follow it, so better get a catalogue going before that happens!

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?
Lord of The Rings, of course. I can re read that and get a little more out of it each time. When I do some performance & spoken word gig, I sometimes do Durin’s song, and it always goes down well.

Then The Mabinogion: the collection of Welsh legends, and source material for more books than you could count.

Finally Roger Zelazny’s Lord Of Light, to remind me that writers can sometimes achieve something amazing and to inspire me to try harder!

Author Websites and Profiles
Will Macmillan Jones Website
Will Macmillan Jones Amazon Profile
Will Macmillan Jones Author Profile on Smashwords

Will Macmillan Jones’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account