Author Interview: William Julius Long III
What inspired you to write in the fantasy/sci-fi genre, and how does that inspiration reflect in your stories?
As a child, I was raised on some of the best genre fiction of all time. From Star Wars/ Trek and Dune to Alien Nation, They Live, and Doctor Who, the stories being told all had an impact. I have always wanted to tell my own tales in the genre, to shape new worlds for others to lose themselves in the same way I lost myself in the Greats.
Why did you choose the indie author route to publication?
Children of the Black is my first novel, and I did initially publish it with the help of a relatively small publisher, but we parted ways (amicably). After that, I decided that I should probably go it alone as other publishers are not likely to republish a book initially released elsewhere, especially if you’re an unknown.
Can you share a bit about the world-building process in your series or novel? How do you balance creativity with consistency?
For me, the concept is key. I am lucky in that Children of the Black is set many thousands of years after Earth loses to alien invaders and takes humanity across the universe as a slave labor force (among other things). The idea leaves our world behind completely, letting me restructure the universe in which our stories take place with nearly endless freedom.
I do keep the lines tight once they are drawn, but aside from the general laws of physics and biology, I get to do what I want so long as it's interesting and believable within the confines created on the page.
What unique challenges do you face as an indie author in the fantasy/sci-fi genre, and how do you overcome them?
While I have been writing since grade school, I have only ever done so semi-professionally as a screenwriter. In fact, Children of the Black is an adaptation of a screenplay I wrote quite a few years ago, expanded and modified to make its new book form.
There were quite a few challenges involved with taking a story designed for a visual medium and reworking it for print only. A great deal of attention was paid to descriptions and voice, two things that are largely designed to be absent from screenplays.
Who are your favorite fantasy/sci-fi authors or works, and in what ways have they influenced your writing?
At the moment, Patrick Weekes (Rogues of the Republic) and Marko Kloos (Terms of Enlistment) sit among my clear favorites with Melissa F. Olsen (The Old World series). All three hinge their novels on vibrant and instantly likable characters, and through them, they paint their worlds. I enjoy their novels immensely because of that, and tried to keep that common thread in mind when crafting my own.
How do you develop your characters, and who is your favorite character from your works? Why?
Usually, I build a character around an event, sometimes more than just one, but something powerful. My favorite character in this novel/series is Vision, an eleven-year-old, Psionic girl struggling with her rapidly expanding abilities as she gets older. I won’t spoil the defining event that gives birth to this particular character. However, I will say that throughout the series, it continues to affect and define her in new, interesting, and sometimes dramatic ways.
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 a universe built atop alien technology, there are few initial limitations. I do impose more than a few, largely through human nature. There are some things humanity simply doesn’t understand about the Zephiar. Some factions strive to understand and emulate their former captors, while others carry so much hate toward them that they reach backward, seeking whatever they can find of their Homeworld to build upon, creating significant divides depending on which side of the known universe our characters fall.
Beyond that, I’m a big fan of comics. So, I firmly believe that there is no strength that does not give birth to a weakness. Fantastic abilities and tech all possess drawbacks that must be accounted for by the user. Nothing comes without a cost, and in that way, the universe and characters are forced to limit themselves or face potentially devastating consequences.
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 tend to sit somewhere in the middle. Of course, there is an overall structure the series will take. I see the end, but the route we take to get there is malleable.
The overall plot of Children of the Black was very much established before I ever typed the first keys of the novel, but as I closed out that story, the plot for Book 2, The Hound of Greyvor, began coming into tighter focus.
Now that I’m finishing that book, I am also building the skeleton Book 3. Leapfrogging myself in the editing process helps me layer in details that I hope will reward readers with a sharp eye and make rereads just as enlightening in regards to the character and world as the first time someone goes through the book.
What is a theme or message you hope readers take away from your work?
I don’t sit down to write because I have a statement to impart. I write because I have questions, and they are always intensely personal. In the case of this book, I had questions about being a good father, about how one learns to trust the people closest to them and respect their choices even if they make mistakes that you think are obvious and easily avoided.
I hope that readers take from this book something just as personal to them, and beyond that, my greatest wish is that they are entertained. That is, after all, the primary purpose of a good novel.
In what ways do you connect with your readers, and how has their feedback influenced your writing?
So far, my primary source of connections with readers has been reviews. I have read them all, though aside from a like on Goodreads, I tend not to speak directly to them. My social media profiles are always open so long as the messages are respectful of me as a person (the work can be savaged).
As a working-class guy on a tight budget, I’m currently building a website and looking into a newsletter once tax returns arrive. So I’ll be soon announcing those formally.
As an indie author, what advice would you give to aspiring writers wanting to publish in the fantasy/sci-fi genre?
There are a million reasons the world will give you not to do this, and they’re all worthless. The only thing that matters is whether you have a story to tell and whether you’ve got the will to tell it. If you do, go for it. Every book has a fanbase, even if it’s just you.
What are the biggest challenges you face as an indie author?
Currently, my issue is marketing. There are few ways to do it effectively for free, and I’m not yet at a place where the books pay for themselves. Beyond that, forcing myself out of my shell to chase down opportunities to put Children of the Black in front of people is always a challenge, but I aim to overcome it.
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