William is 24 years old and grew up in Virginia. In school, he always had a hard time paying attention due to his head being in the clouds. Once he found his favorite story, he was able to refocus his mind and fight his dyslexia, turning his ever-wandering mind into a source of stories and magic.
What got you into writing your own stories?
Ever since I was a child, I loved creating games for my friends and I to play. When I was 18, I went to my friend's apartment where we and three others first began playing D&D. It was during my frustration with the rules that I decided to write my own rules creating my own guide altogether. From that I learned how much I actually enjoyed writing. I began from there to allow the stories of my mind to spill out on to paper, though it wasn't until I was 22, I began writing my first book, "Last of the Usurpers."
What genre do you write?
Fantasy, all day and forever, fantasy.
Tell us about your WIP.
Currently, I am working on the second book of my series, "Last of the Usurpers" this is the second of the trilogy I am writing and expect to be done before 2025.
How would you describe your writing style?
My writing style is strange, the stories just pour from my fingertips, I can be just as surprised as everyone else as to what comes out. I tend to write each chapter from the mindset of the character of which the chapter is from the prospective of.
What comes more easily, plot or characters?
Funnily enough this question is harder to answer than either of those things, at least for me. Characters just ARE in my mind, once they have a name, they become themselves and I can't help but let them come out when I write as them or for them. On the other hand, the plot is something that comes to me before I even begin to write, while the story comes to me while I write, I already know point A and Z, I just need to get there!
Do you cross over genres or do you only stick to one?
I am intending on sticking to mostly just fantasy, though I two of the series I want to write might not be strictly fantasy.
What is your "writer's den" like?
My writer's den is me in my room, sitting in my gaming chair with my bed directly behind me. My desk is right next to a window and my bookshelf, it's all pretty small, but comfortable!
How do you get into the flow for writing? Do you have any rituals?
Taking a shower to try and get my mind going, eating, and finding the right music.
What is your personally most significant achievement as a writer, and why?
Definitely starting the book in general. My dyslexia always made me afraid I wouldn't be able to do it, but my love and belief in my stories is what pushed me through.
What would be the greatest achievement for you to aim for as a writer if anything were possible?
I want to write one hundred stories before I die. I want to give stories to the world that people love, something that brings the comfort and an escaped from even a moment of stress and hardship.
What are you most grateful for as a writer?
I am beyond grateful for the infinite love and support I receive from my friends and family, without whom I would never have been able to push through.
Do you have a day job? What is it?
I used to work at a factory, unfortunately a series injury to my left arm has left me incapable of doing a lot of heavy physical activity. Now I stay at home working on my books while hoping to recover.
Do you read the same genre you write? Why, or why not?
Absolutely, I love seeing the magic inside of other people's mind and want to support and promote all of them I can. I personally can't stay interested in anything that isn't fantasy for too long.
Do you read fellow indie authors' works? Why or why not?
I would, but while I write I can't read or else it completely distracts me.
Is there an author who inspires you?
A bit of a stereotypical answer, but J.R.R. Tolkien. He truly had a love for his story, and that alone is true beauty to me.
Give us three fun facts about yourself.
I am dyslexic
I am created my own tabletop role playing game
I am entirely left-handed.
Do you have any hobbies?
Other than writing I am creating my own games like card games, TTRPGS, and wanting to make my own YouTube channel where I talk about my friends and I's experiences playing out the TTRPG I made.
What's your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving, good food and family is everything I could want.
What's your favorite season?
Spring, I was born in April and love the fresh smell of blooming flowers and rain.
Connect with William here.
Featured Book: Last of the Usurpers
This book is the first of many series I am writing. I want people to see the love I have for fantasy and the values I hold. I want to give people characters that they can love and watch grow.
Who was your favorite character to write and why?
My story took the perspective of three characters: the father, Argent, the daughter, Sylphaya, and the man who took her, Taymesh. I loved all of them, but for the first book I enjoyed writing Sylphaya the most. She is innocent and has bad things happen to her, I think this made me feel a strong sense of love and a desire to protect her like I wanted others to feel.
What was your favorite scene to write and why?
I personally loved writing Chapter 31, a chapter where you get to watch an extremely important weapon get forged by a Seer smith. Something about writing that chapter made me feel like I was there, I could feel the weapon, hear the hammer on the anvil, and I knew exactly what it looked like.
What was the spark that started Last of the Usurpers?
I was talking with my friend in the car and our conversation switched to the stories I like to tell. From there I just let the story pour from my mouth till suddenly I have the book I wanted to write.
What was the most interesting random fact you researched for Last of the Usurpers?
Well, I ended up researching a lot of random things like size comparison, wing sizes, tree heights, dead body decomposition rates. It's hard to choose, but I will say I ended up researching castle room sizes and enjoyed that quite a lot.
What's the message you worked into Last of the Usurpers?
Family, even if you aren't blood related, is the most important thing and that letting love into your heart will and does change the foundation of the world.