Author Interview: Dom Watson
What inspired you to write in the fantasy/sci-fi genre, and how does that inspiration reflect in your stories?
Pure escapism. I was born in ’77 so growing up there was always stuff to ignite the imagination. Star Wars, Doctor Who etc, and so from a young age if feeds that constant wonder about the world and its hidden tropes. The world can become quite raw and hurtful when you become self-aware. It can turn you inwardly. You see things a little differently. And seeing things differently is art at its foremost spectacular. It then becomes a blanket, a safety net for your ramblings. And if you have the will to drive it then you can create. A lot of the stuff I watched stayed with me in my childhood. And it gestated through dreams. Some of those dreams and the creatures formed within I still write about.
Why did you choose the indie author route to publication?
It offers a freedom I think. I’ve heard many authors curse about traditional publishing and the book they wanted to release isn’t the vision they had in their mind’s eye. I’ve never felt comfortable being constrained. Even in school I hated it. Being told what to do, and how to do it. I’m still a little bit like it now. You have to accept help later in life and criticism and I’ve learned to accept that but If I’m spending potentially two or three years on a project and I don’t recognise it at the finish than there is - to me - a problem. I don’t want my content watered down for the masses. There is too much of that going on in the world. Art needs to be visceral, sometimes hurtful, otherwise we don’t take anything away from the experience.
Can you share a bit about the world-building process in your series or novel? How do you balance creativity with consistency?
My recent novel, Smoker on the Porch blends the Suffolk (England) countryside with the threshold of a few magical places, so it was quite an easy time finding the creativity and factual consistency. It is almost autobiographical in essence, as I’ve lived and breathed the fields and forests for over 40 years. But it is nice having that juxtaposition of The House of Sweet Things and the realm of the Kali ‘el dahar breathing on the back of your neck. Suffolk has many ghost stories and cryptid tales so to me it was like I was writing from experience anyway. It is almost like fantasy and reality had a baby. My first novel (The Boy Who Walked Too Far) on the other hand is a complete ball buster in terms of creativity. Its 100 % creativity. It’s a commune at the end of time, so its aliens, gods, angels and monsters so the consistency is pretty much absent. It is an assault on the senses. It doesn’t let up. So, its consistency is dialled up to eleven. I always believe writing is like baking a cake. If the ingredients fit then it should taste nice. So, if you like the flavour and are having a good time with it the reader should.
What unique challenges do you face as an indie author in the fantasy/sci-fi genre, and how do you overcome them?
Primarily, is anyone going to read them? But, you have to start from somewhere. I remember finishing The Boy Who Walked Too Far and thinking what the hell do I do now? Luckily, one afternoon I was scrolling through Twitter and noticed SPFBO. Self-Publishing Fantasy Blog Off. It’s organised by the fantasy author Mark Lawrence. So, I entered it and it got to the semis. I didn’t think it would get that far, so that was a win. That gave me the start of a reader base. I think the other issue is cost. Doing it off your own back can be costly. You have an editor which you definitely need. Remember your eyes are the only eyes that have been looking at those pages for months on end. A cover designer, and artist. But there are ways and means, it depends on what you want, within your purse strings. Doubt, also, doubt in your capability, but it goes back to baking, If it tastes nice keep going.
Who are your favorite fantasy/sci-fi authors or works, and in what ways have they influenced your writing?
I remember in my late teens being a very introverted and troubled boy with no idea where my life was heading. So, one time at lunch while at college I went into one of the local bookstores and found Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show. The world seemed a lot less dark after that. It had lit a lantern I think. Weaveworld followed and I had my hero. My inspiration. But also, through the years, the late James Herbert, Alan Moore. To me, these guys helped a very scared lad come out of his shell and offered me avenues I never thought – for a second – would be open to some quiet little boy in Suffolk. That’s power.
How do you develop your characters, and who is your favorite character from your works? Why?
You just have to go for it. I never go into a narrative expecting to like ‘that’ character. I just breeze in with gusto and give it a 100% and then if you are lucky one character will outshine the others. In The Boy, I always expected it to be Xindii, the main character but he is actually a bit of a prick. He’s a hero, but a total prick, but it was writing for Xindii’s confidant, Doomfinger, where it seemed my heart warmed. He’s like Doctor Watson, but a Neanderthal, but he’s Xindii’s anchor. He’s all the good stuff Xindii should be so he can still be a wanker. With Smoker On the Porch, and again it wasn’t intentional my fave became Jude Hapstow, a police constable who gets immersed in the whole debacle. She flowered beautifully and became something I never expected. She’s my Holly Gibney. We haven’t seen the last of her.
Could you discuss the role of magic/science or fantastical/sci-fi elements in your stories? How do you create rules and limitations for them?
In The Boy the magic system is primarily made up of the prophecy of another realm verging on the boundaries of ours. For centuries we have slept and yet out of all that dreaming an intelligence has formed and so the forces there are driving the dream waters outward and there are some who can tap into that, like Xindii. They can wield dream like a rapier or make a rapier from that aether. I call them Mappers, those who want to map the unattainable, for now (exclusive). The powers in the Smoker on the Porch are a precursor to that. Jake. The MC is the only one who has that power and Biggot (antagonist) wants it. Jake is a Scribe, he can create portals through his dreaming which derived through the Inkling, a realm where old gods shed there skin. But his power is in its infancy, so it doesn’t drive the story. Biggot sees that power and he wants Jake at his side. It’s almost groom like, which is creepy but open to interpretation. But you can’t let the magic system rule the narrative. I wanted Jake to have the snifter of a power but not let it overwhelm him because then I’d lose his humanity. Xindii, like I said is already arrogant with it but there are times within his past where those powers have been denied to him. I think it is important that you should show the failings of a magic system to. It then gives credence to drama.
How do you approach the plotting and planning of your series or novels? Do you prefer to map everything out beforehand or let the story evolve as you write?
I usually set some markers. I just go hell for leather for the start and then steer toward the middle. Then have the ending I have in my head which I then try and navigate to, which sometimes doesn’t work (laughs). It’s trial and error sometimes, although I have the ending of A Stage of Furies (Xindii 2) already mapped out. So, I think sometimes it’s best to go with the flow.
What is a theme or message you hope readers take away from your work?
I wrote The Boy in deep depression which is quite significant as I could hardly do anything, and so the antagonist became my depression. So, finishing the book and releasing it became my balm, my tincture, it was like I had exorcised it to print, which again is quite odd because that villain has its place literally in literature. So, it all is quite fitting. Smoker on the Porch again deals with some hefty issues. I was bullied quite harshly as a wee nipper, and I wove that nightmare fuel into the story for a chance for me to exorcise that woe too. There are some heady bits in there, recollections of dark days and numerous tears so for me to face them and have my laptop as counsellor is quite cathartic. We face demons everyday so if you can take anything away from these tomes is that you are important no matter what anyone else tell you. Flip adversity and its many guises the finger and hold true to yourselves.
In what ways do you connect with your readers, and how has their feedback influenced your writing?
The feedback I have had back has been pretty positive, but those readers were essentially bloggers. It is hard to gain a following via indie publishing so you have to keep churning out the writing. I have had a few peers and friends comment on my writing which is positive. The one thing that bugged me was the fact that The Boy was pretty info heavy. There are a lot of made-up words. Not that that is a bad thing. It got awesome reviews. But for Smoker I dialled down the world building and bizarre magic system terminology and gave the readers a more street level piece of prose. I just wanted to prove I could write for my Mum and Wife without them scratching their heads (laughs). They wont read the next one. We are going heavy again.
As an indie author, what advice would you give to aspiring writers wanting to publish in the fantasy/sci-fi genre?
Just enjoy yourselves. Once you’re done and don’t know where to go next get online. X is renowned for its self-publishing community. We are all on there, egging each other on, talking about pants and the weather. But be nice, be kind, and take advantage of the knowledge. But foremost enjoy the writing journey and give yourselves credit.
What are the biggest challenges you face as an indie author?
There are a lot of us. So, standing out really. You can easily get smothered in the community. Confidence also. You can always doubt that because you are always on your own. But hold true and write your words. They aren’t just words on a page they are the workings of you. So, take some pride in the things you are creating. They may ignite a fire for a young and troubled soul. THAT, is good.
Links : THE BOY WHO WALKED TOO FAR: THE XINDII CHRONICLES eBook : Watson, Dom: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
Smoker On The Porch: Amazon.co.uk: Watson, Dom: 9798873431649: Books
