The greatest part about publishing my book was all the amazing people I have met since. Justin has been a lot of help to me since Everlasting was released, and I am so grateful for his help. He has written many books and over come many obstacles to do so. He is an inspiration to me, and I am honored he agreed to do an interview with me.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
When I was sixteen, whilst living on the Far South Coast of NSW, Australia. I found myself being inspired by things I saw and experiences I had, and couldn’t think of any other way of releasing my inspiration to the world.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
That is a tough one, but if I had to narrow it down, I think it would be placing in lyrics to songs as if characters are singing songs to do one of three things: pass the time, calm themselves down after a severe battle, or to cheer each other up. I can’t say I’ve seen many other authors do that.
When did you write your first book and how old were you?
Oddly enough my first ever book was written when I was seven years old, back at public school. That was 20 years ago now, and I still remember that book. I called it ‘Hank the abandoned car’ and it had been published as a school memorable, but not an official published work. Still, that was what got me going.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I usually play computer games such as Minecraft or Portal, and when I’m not doing that, I am drawing comics on Microsoft paint, as I haven’t got the best art style admittedly. I like to go out and socialize as well, and I love to explore new things. So I’ve been rock-climbing and abseiling and bush-walking, among other physical activities. I also go to the gym, though mostly to try and lose weight.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
I learned that it’s surprisingly easy, for me at least, to get devoted to characters I create in my own imagination. Sometimes I will even ‘talk’ to my characters as if they are there and try and work out the best solution for situations they get in. Mind you, that can be awkward when I have to kill certain characters off.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I have written many books, but only published two so far. If I had to put a total on how many books I have written in my life so far, it would probably be close to thirty. My favourite one so far, of all of them, has to be the second book in my Freiyon Fables trilogy; entitled ‘The Rochester Runes.’ Mainly because I wrote that at exactly the perfect age I wanted my audience to be when they read it, so I had a good mind-set for what should happen, how characters should talk, and where to take them.
Do you have any suggestions to help others become better writers?
A big thing that helped me with my writing was actively reading other authors, particularly in the genre I was aiming for. I certainly recommend that. I also recommend trying to socialize a bit, don’t be afraid to ask questions or do research about places. Sometimes the best detail in writing is ones where you can feel that the writer knows what they are talking about.
What do you think makes a good story?
Relatable characters and a flowing narrative. It’s very tough to follow a story when the characters aren’t someone people could relate to, and it’s almost impossible to keep interest in a story if the narrative doesn’t flow the correct way. Again this comes back to trying to make sure you have a good relationship with your characters, and have a good amount of research for your specific genre.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Oddly enough, before I wrote my first book at the age of seven, I actually wanted to be a dentist for a while. I think my young mind liked the idea of seeing people come in and smiling at me, since I loved seeing people smile. I have given up on that now, since I now realize it would require a lot of focus and getting into people’s mouths too.
How did you come up with the idea for Fed On The Stars (upcoming Science Fiction)?
When I first came up with the idea for ‘Fed On The Stars’, I was actively thinking of an actual situation where engineers could create a real machine that would be able to use stars from space to give oxygen to astronauts in order to save fuel. I fiddled around with the idea in my min for some time, and I eventually came up with a fictional invention which is the crucial plot point to ‘Fed On The Stars’: a special robot that could suck energy from stars and convert the stars into oxygen to keep an astronaut alive. this, of course, raised a few concerns for the narrative. Are there not side effects for having long exposure to this, and what would those side effects be to an astronaut forced to be in a situation where he HAD to survive by using this technology for a long period of time. That is why I called the story ‘Fed On The Stars’, because it is literally about surviving through this strange and possibly dangerous way, and the events that happen due to the effects of exposure.
Thank you so much, Justin, for taking your time to do this for me. I have enjoyed learning more about you. Check out the links down below.
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