Welcome to Author Services Australia, Tim Edwards, and welcome to our author interviews! If you could start by introducing yourself to everyone, let them know where you’re from and some of your interests and hobbies.
What inspired you to start writing?
It’s going to sound kind of cheesy but I feel like I’ve been a writer and storyteller my entire life. I started reading at a very, very young age and I was always surrounded by books. I have written stories every once in a while but this time, I’ve actually sat down and written out a full length novel for the first time. I’m 41 years old and I’ve had so many experiences and have met so many individuals with unique personalities that they were screaming to be made into fictional characters in a story. I draw on real life and the life I see. I am also a failed musician and photographer and it wasn’t until I quit photography that I realized I was meant to be a writer/storyteller all along.
What is your preferred genre to write in?
That’s an interesting question because I’m not tied down to one genre. In my bookshelf right now you’ll find a few biographies, fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, mystery and essays. But if I HAD to pick one genre, it would be fiction. Creating characters from scratch opens up SO many possibilities.
What is your writing process?
This is where it gets crazy. I was told by another author to give each character a background, write it all down and expand on that. I do give each a background but I don’t write it down. I just create it AS I write. I do also map out bullet point outlines. Bullet point one will have a one-sentence summary of a scene and then I take that scene and expand it as much as possible. Once that bullet point is done, I checkmark it and move to the next bullet point. I tease my friends saying that I use the ‘Jack Kerouac Style’ of writing. Just type out the story in a couple of Benzedrine taking, continuous sessions on one giant scroll. He did this with ‘On The Road.’
What is one thing you wish you knew now that you didn’t know when you started writing?
I hate saying should have/could have/would have because I’m trying really, really hard to stay in the present. However, this is an exception. I should have started writing and publishing 20 years ago. Sure, I wouldn’t have had collected as many experiences as I have now, but I also would have liked to have started younger so my audience can grow with me and see me progress.
Starting to write and get a reputation as an author at 41 is going to be very, very hard. Society lives seeing young people get there start and grow. Who wants to see a 41-year-old start from ground zero?
What was the hardest part of self-publishing?
Nothing has been published yet, unfortunately, but once I get there, I’ll share some horror stories.
Which book is your favorite and why?
Oh man, that’s a difficult choice. I would give you a top ten, and if I did, ‘Call of the Wild’ by Jack London would be number 1. One of these days, I should write an essay on why it’s number 1 but let’s just say that I relate to it more now that I’m older. Here’s a character (Buck) overcoming horrible obstacles, abuse, and fighting to survive, and I definitely relate to all of that. Again, I won’t get into details, but I can recall MANY times I’ve felt defeated, abused, and thrown in the gutter. Somehow, by some miracle, I’ve been able to rise up only to take more beatings and rise up from those too.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
That’s easy: Jack Kerouac, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Jack London, Bret Easton Ellis, Anthony Bourdain, Hunter S. Thompson, T.C. Boyle, Ray Bradbury, and more.
What are you working on right now?
It’s a novel called ‘The Suite in the Swamp’ Quick synopsis: a man is forced to go to a homeless shelter because of circumstances out of his control. He’s become so cynical and dismissive of his environment that he just wants the experience over with until he meets certain residents who show him that this is only one step towards something positive and healthy. How do you deal with a situation you were forced into?
What’s next for you as an author?
Once I’m done with my novel, I would like to write a collection of short stories. I love Ray Bradbury’s ‘The Illustrated Man’ and ‘The Martian Chronicles,’ and I want to bring back the joy of short story collections.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Both my novel and short story collection are both published and sitting on a table at Barnes and Noble. I essentially want to be a writer full-time.
If you could choose one superpower, what would it be and why?
Controlling the weather. Give Southern California (my hometown) many, many more rainy days—and actual seasons.
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Author Name: Tim Edwards (Pen Name: William Louis)
Genre/s: Fiction
Author Website: N/A
Social Media Links: Instagram and Goodreads.
Best Link to Where People Can Buy Your Book: N/A