The Bookie Monster Interviews Wade Garret, author of The Kingdom Come series.
Wade Garret is a student of history and anthropology, with a tireless passion for world-building and complex storytelling. His debut work is the first in a monumental epic series..
At 32, Wade Garret is the youngest of three children (theonly boy) born in NY, but raised in the southern United States. He’s married to a wonderful woman and has a convict for a dog. When not reading, writing or occasionally drinking at the pub, he can be found researching the latest comics or in the
chair of his favorite tattoo shop. Genesis is only the beginning for Mr. Garret’s epic Kingdom Come series.
Tell us a little about yourself, your work and how you got into writing.
I'm a writer trapped in a day-to-dayer's body. I do all the typical writer things, except I don't smoke. On top of that, I'm a kid at heart: I read comics, watch cartoons and so on. Aside from Fantasy and Science Fiction, politics, strangely enough, is another passion of mine...and to feed that, I watch a lot of the news. My work reflects all those things. The fantastic, w/e that is to you as the writer or reader, shouldn’t be as simple as when you enjoyed it as a child. I’ve always been a storyteller. Writing came later and I’ll always consider myself a better storyteller than writer; that’ll only change when my wife convinces me otherwise.
What five words best describe you?
Slacker. Argumentative. Thoughtful. Decisive. Cold
Are there any critiques in particular that you just can’t seem to shake?
1) Wordy. A reader asked why I didn't explain what something was. I said I did, by using the correct word and leaving it at that. 2) Compact: I put alot in to my sentences—subtext. 3) Finally, the one a friend mentioned to me, is I write without considering the readers ability to keep up. I tend to like that one the most. :)
How do you come up with the character names in your books?
Funny enough, I keep a book of Baby Names in my desk. Since my world is kinda based on ours, I simply focus my attention to those languages and areas of the world; maybe splice two together. I try my best to stay away from the complexities usually found in Fantasy/Science Fiction. Aside from that, if a cool one crosses my attention, I see if there's a way to make it my own. Lots of writers are really good at making theirs so unique though that this is really hard to do. :) *Tips hat
How many people have you killed off over your career as a writer? Ever offed someone off then
kicked yourself for it?
Since Genesis: Book One of the Kingdom Come Series is my first novel, the answer is, well, you'll have to read the book to see who dies. To your second point, no, I hope I never have to pull a Boba Fett or Darth Maul. :)
Do you write full time or do you keep a day job?
Day job. When I was working on my first book, I also wrote full time. By that I mean I wrote daily. Now, working on the sequel and promoting the first with my publisher, I get a hand-full of hours a week where I actually write.
When did you decide to make a career of writing?
Never. It was just a natural progression of things; however, I'll tell you when my bank account says it's really OK that this is my career.
What was your favorite moment when writing your book?
When a few of my beta readers cried or cheered aloud at a handful of particular scenes.
How long does it take you to write a book?
That's a loaded question. If you ONLY count the time typing and that equaling only things successfully left on the page when you're finished and ready to give to an agent or publisher...maybe 1yr+. Actual time is something, at least for this first book, that makes me frustrated when I consider it.
What do you do when you are not writing?
Working. Reading. Having a beer. Spending lots of time with my wonderful, amazing, fantastic wife.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?
Do you! Let everyone else figure it out.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
The same as given to me: Do you. I'll only add: Don't try and write something you don't love or that's fake, you'll know it when you write it and readers will see it when they read it. Better to have a small group of valued readers rather than no group.
What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?
What I think about the fact: Fantasy, Science Fiction—Comics splashed in-between— have spawned such great stories and characters that've changed the world, yet they all get downplayed in the great world of Literature.
Honestly, how does the Great American Novel compare to the impact of Conan, Sherlock, Batman and so on?
Honestly, how does the Great American Novel compare to the impact of Conan, Sherlock, Batman and so on?
Who are you reading right now?
I'll tell you WHAT I'm reading, as again, that's more important to me than WHO:
The Secret of Abdu El Yezdi: A Burton and Swinburne Adventure. Arguably. The Count of Monte Cristo. Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia. Chronicles of the Lensemen. The Complete Sherlock Holmes. The Sisterhood of Dune.
The Secret of Abdu El Yezdi: A Burton and Swinburne Adventure. Arguably. The Count of Monte Cristo. Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia. Chronicles of the Lensemen. The Complete Sherlock Holmes. The Sisterhood of Dune.
OK, so, what’s next, do you already have a new project in the works?
Yes. I'm slowly working on the sequel to Genesis: Book One of The Kingdom Come Series; which means I'm going to be going to Conventions in and nearby my state. Aside from that, I'm also thinking on trying to get some of my short story ideas up and running.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
We all do. Sometimes I fight through it. Other times, I let it work itself out. It just depends. Another way is I reread any related work from start to finish to see if that inspires new ideas...things I've overlooked or forgotten that I wanted to go back to.
What tools have you found most successful in advertising/marketing yourself and your books?
Twitter I think is the most successful. FB is good and needed in your utility belt, but twitter is best. If you can find a way to link them all, so you post one place and it goes everywhere, that's key. Keep in mind though, you can spend a lot of time in media and not really get much out of it.
Did any specific author(s) motivate you to begin writing?
No. Their work inspired me in what I wanted to write, but not to be a writer. Realizing I wanted to be a writer came from my love of Gaming: being (like) the characters in those books or comics, but making them my own. That allowed me to be a storyteller. From there, I did a lot of writing and it just caught from there.
What kinds of challenges did you face when you were writing the series?
Length and not like in everyone's favorite The Hobbit where the characters are lost in the forest for chapters at a time. It just kept going and going, new places and characters. I revised several times. Rewrote several times. Finally, after jumping through hoops, it became what it is. Which, when I look at Fantasy/Science Fiction as a whole, isn't really that big compared to other Firsts in a New Series.
You are hosting a dinner party and must invite 3 famous people. Who would you choose and why?
The President...duh!
Diane Nelson: President of DC Comics...duh!
Neil Degrasse Tyson: Cause he's a badass!
Diane Nelson: President of DC Comics...duh!
Neil Degrasse Tyson: Cause he's a badass!
What kind of research did you do when you were working on your novel?
Off the top of my head: Monomyth; History; Anthropology; Philosophy; Religion; Lots of Science; Steam/Diesel-punk subgenres specifically since I really enjoyed the growth and potential in those areas; Lots of practice writing, reading about writing, rules.
In ten words or less:
· Biggest fear?
o Losing control of my mind/body.
· Favorite TV Show?
o All Time: Rome; Now's a tie: W-Dead, T-Dectives, B-Sails.
· First item on your bucket list?
o Going to Ireland. DONE!
· Happiest moment in your life to date?
o Seeing my wife walk down the aisle...2nd) Getting published.
· If you were a Star Trek® character, which one would it be? Why?
o Data. He's just awesome.
· If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
o Batman!!! Yes, that's a Super Power.
· If you could choose your last meal, what would it be?
o A never-ending-buffet.
· If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
o Steak and Potatoes.
· How would your friends describe you in 3 words?
o A drunken Irishman
· Last thing you dressed up as for Halloween?
o Not a Thing. A Who: The Question.
· Quirk that annoys your spouse/friends?
o Love to debate; mostly choose opposing viewpoint for fun.
· What is one thing that you can’t live without?
o Guinness
· What is the craziest thing you have ever done?
o Jumped from a prefectly good plane
· What is your biggest pet peeve?
o People using the word "literally"
· Who is the most famous person you have met?
o Jason Mewes
Where can readers stalk you?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wadejgarretTwitter: https://twitter.com/wadejgarret
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18334420-genesis
Website: http://wjgarret.blogspot.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=Wade+Garret&search-alias=books&text=Wade+Garret&sort=relevancerank
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Genesis-Book-One-of-The-Kingdom-Come-Series?store=allproducts&keyword=Genesis%3A+Book+One+of+The+Kingdom+Come+Series