Scott was indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine. He devoured her library, but as he grew up, he wondered where all the people like him were. He decided that if there weren’t queer characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends.
What got you into writing your own stories?
I've always been a writer. I wrote my first one in fourth grade - a crayon-illustrated Jetsons rip-off that won a University of Arizona contest for elementary school authors, and might still be there to this day! I've loved science fiction and fantasy since I read The Lord of the Rings in third grade (and bawled my eyes out over the death of Boromir), so writing it seemed like a natural extension,
What genre do you write?
Science fiction, fantasy, sci-fantasy, and magical realism, with a touch of (usually queer) romance and diverse characters. My work is almost always hopeful.
Tell us about your WIP.
I'm actually working on three. I know, crazy, right? The first is the initial book in what I call the Middle Trilogy - the generation ship saga that starts with The Ariadne Cycle and ends with The Oberon Cycle. I'm also finally writing the second book in my magical realism/circle of friends series River City, tentatively titled Down the River. Those will be appearing on my blog as a serial and then in published book form later. And finally, I'm also about to start on Coredivers, book two of the Redemption Cycle that started with Dropnauts.
How would you describe your writing style?
I tend to write epic, multi-character hopepunk, often in the sci-fantasy space, mixing sci-fi with fantasy with the conceit that things are all going to work out in the end.
What comes more easily, plot or characters?
Oh, plot, definitely. When I first started writing, I was notoriously weak on characterization, and have had to tech myself how to create interesting, complicated characters. I thinkI've gotten better with each book, and am very proud of my three main protagonists in the Tharassas Cycle.
What is your "writer's den" like?
Um... perpetual chaos? I share an office with my hubby, Mark, and my desk has its own shelf for all the cool little knick nacks I've picked up over the years. Otherwise it's stacked with papers, office supplies, and three office babies - a moose, a bear, and a sock monkey - which were gifts from various friends over the years, and who watch over me as I write.
What would be the greatest achievement for you to aim for as a writer if anything were possible?
I just want folks to read and enjoy my work, and remember me fondly when I'm gone. Of couse, a million-copy bestseller wouldn't hurt... :P
Has a real-life experience informed your writing? Share the scene it inspired.
Yes. In The River City Chronicles, which is set here in Sacramento where I live, I vased almost all the characters on people I know - loosely. This backfired rather spectacularly when the character I based on my husband made some racher dicey life choices (total fiction)... and I ended up having to create a second character to show off his many positive qualities. Interestingly, the two end up getting married to each other!
Do you read fellow indie authors' works? Why or why not?
Yes. My reading diet is almost all indie or small press. There are so many great lesser known writer folk out there, and I do what I can to boost their work.
Is there an author who inspires you?
Sheri Tepper. Though she has left us now, her work never failed to leave me thinking about it for days and weeks at a time after I finished one of her books. They were always such a treat. It may be time to go back and re-read some of them again.
Give us three fun facts about yourself.
I am in the "peeps are better stale" camp.
I had my first published book when I was twenty, a non-fiction tenn/parent book called Raising Each Other, with five other authors.
My mom once literally ran into Carl Sagan at a thing called Planetfest '81 in Pasadena. I was there with her but did not get to witness the fateful "meeting."
Connect with J. Scott Coatsworth here.
Featured Book: The Hencha Queen
Coatsworth has created a richly painted world that is both beautiful and sinister, evoking landscapes that are as much science fiction as Tolkienian fantasy. There is as much emotion as action in the narrative as we watch the essential players for the final book gather. We, as readers, see more of the picture than anyone else, because we have met the Death-Bringer.
Why would you like to feature this book?
It's my latest sci-fantasy title.
Who was your favorite character to write and why?
I loved writing Silya, the titular character. She was based in part on Lorelei Gilmore from thr Gilmore Girls, and her heart (and snark) were fun t capture on the page, even as she grows over the arc of the four books.
What was the spark that started this book?
The series came about because of another tale, The Last Run, which was inspired by my friend Jim Comer's insistence that Faster Than Light travel was impossible. The story centers around a once-a-quarter-century delivery to the colony, and featured semi sentient plants - the Hencha. And so it began...
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