This week we are chatting to Sean Fletcher author of I Am Phantom.
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
I (unexpectedly) can't think of anything unexpected about myself. Um…I write all of my books (even the 350+ page ones) by hand first. It helps me think better than staring at a screen. We all do that enough as it is and paper notebooks don't run out of battery or have internet like electronic ones. Your pen just runs out of ink.
What kind of books do you write?
I write in the Science Fiction/Fantasy realm, mostly on the fine line between middle grade, YA and adult. I love writing stories for younger readers that have a depth that adults can love and appreciate too. I've also written contemporary stories, and a smattering of horror and short stories. Practice, mostly.
What inspired you to write?
My parents got me into reading when I was just a wee lad, and I've always had an overactive imagination. When I was fifteen I got tired of merely daydreaming and decided that books and writing stories would be a good outlet that. That eventually turned in to wanting to be paid to do it. I suppose there are grander stories of coming into writing, but that's what I got.
What makes your writing stand out from the crowd?
The voice of my characters tends to be unique, because it's mine. I'm also pretty good at creating deep, relatable, likable characters and imaginative worlds.
What is the hardest part of writing – for you?
My biggest strength is also my biggest weakness. I love creating worlds, but I tend to jump straight into writing before I've fleshed the world out enough. Then it's a matter of family and friends telling me they need more description/setting/etc and me filling in the spaces to create a truly immersive story.
Writing a book can be hard, absolutely. Anybody who says it's easy has obviously never done it. That being said, there are days that feel like work, like every word is forcibly pulled out of you like a cactus spine in your heel; but then there are days that the writing comes effortlessly, and you leave the page feeling like emerging from a wonderful dream. That sounds poetically campy, but it's those days I live for. It's what makes writing worth it.
Where do you like to write – what is your routine?
My routine is that I don't have a routine. I travel a lot and I move a lot and I like change when it comes to writing locations. I've written in pretty much every coffee shop, library and bookstore within a hundred mile radius of where I live. Since I also backpack and bike I've written in forests, tops of mountains and on the banks of rivers. That's the bonus of writing first drafts by hand. You can take it everywhere without worrying about battery life. Only about it getting soaked by a late afternoon thunderstorm or tumbling into a swollen river.
I'd say the most ‘routine' I have is that I like writing in the morning when my brain is fresh. I'm an early riser. I workout/bike/hike first thing to get my blood moving and brain awake, then use that energy to write/edit. Days are spent working at my job, and nights are for typing my books into my computer or working on marketing/social media/pitch letter/selling my books. All the things that require a little less brain power.
What do you do when you are not writing – do you have a day job?
Yes. And I'm fortunate to have a day job I love doing almost as much as writing books. I'm a developmental (story/content) editor for an agenting/editorial business in the city I live.
I also co-agent a few authors to publishers, speak at writing conferences, writing workshops, and teach writing classes. All in all a lot of writerly stuff so I have to be careful not to get burned out.
But it's better than what I used to do, which was work at a vet clinic cleaning up dog and cat vomit and you-don't-wanna-know-what-else. I started on the path of veterinary medicine before graduating with a wildlife biology degree. That wouldn't be a bad job to fall back on 'cause at least I could be outside, but I prefer what I do now much more.
Do you work with an outline or just write?
Both. The first book I ever wrote I just sat down and wrote because I didn't know what I was doing and that was fine. The end result was an imaginative mess. The content was great but it lacked structure. Since then I've refined (and still am refining) my ‘process' regarding world building and concept before I start writing. I get the basic idea of a story down, the characters, places, point A to point B, and rest I fill in organically since by then I'm usually so impatient I just have to start writing.
I find having a general idea of what you want keeps you story on track, while allowing for the freedom of imagination and not sticking to a rigid outline allows for WAY more imaginative scenes, characters and situations you may not have found if you stuck to the confines of an outline.
What advice would you have for other writers?
Write. Sounds simple. And it is. And isn't. I've had many, many friends and family tell me they wish they could write a book if only ‘Fill in Favorite Excuse Here'. You'll never ‘have' time for writing, you have to ‘make' it. I come from a highly competitive athletic background so the concept of practice, practice, practice and knowing you need to do something even when you don't want to is heavily ingrained in me. Because of that I'm extremely driven, almost to a fault.
Write a lot, and learn from what you've written, don't just dive right into the next thing.
Study other authors, not just those in your genre. You write fantasy? Great. Read a thriller. A fantasy book with only elements from other fantasies will be generic. A fantasy book with components of a thriller, mystery, horror, romance, will include the best of all worlds.
Finish stories. Don't just leave them halfway through. Find an idea you are truly passionate about and finish it. You'll learn best that way.
Travel. Collect experiences to fuel your writing. Try new things. Get in trouble. Get out of trouble. Do things that make you uncomfortable. Expand your horizons. Meet new people. Go off alone and meet yourself (you're probably nicer than you think!). Don't just let those experiences wash over you, but harness them, learn from them, truly live them, and then direct them into your writing.
And finally, get active. This sounds kinda random, but doing some sort of physical activity, whatever it is, keeps your body and mind in tip-top shape. Healthy body and healthy mind make for healthy (and hopefully successful) writing. There's more but what works for me may not work for you, and I've blabbed enough.
How important is marketing and social media for you?
As an indie author, very. Even for traditionally published folks social media and marketing gets books sold. I still am learning so much about marketing, and always will be, but my platform is growing a little every day.
What's your next step?
I've got a self-published series I'm working on for a little side money and to build my platform. I'm also working on a Sci-Fi series I hope to get traditionally published. Beyond that, building my platform, writing more books, gaining momentum.
I Am Phantom by Sean Fletcher is available here.
If you are interested in book promotion, please visit http://yourbookpromoter.com
