During the month of September, I am hosting a series of author interviews to celebrate Self-Published Fantasy Month. For full schedule and more information regarding Self-Pub Fan Month please click here. Today I am sharing my interview with author Tony Johnson.
To start, would you please introduce yourself to our readers? Let us know a little about you and your published work.
Hi, my name is Tony Johnson. I’m the author of an epic fantasy series called The Story of Evil. So far, two books in the series have been released: A Hero’s Downfall and Companions’ Crusade. The next book should be out in 2021!
Who or what prompted you to begin writing fantasy?
I’ve always been drawn to fantasy. When I was six years old, I saw a commercial for a Fisher Price castle and desperately wanted it. Luckily, my grandparents got it for me for Christmas and got my brother the companion pirate ship set. I spent countless hours playing with those toys, making up story after story. I think that’s where my love for fantasy began and it was only added to by the fantasy books, movies, and videogames I read, watched, and played as I grew up. For my whole life, I’ve enjoyed works of fantasy across all mediums, so I think when I decided to start writing, it naturally ended up being the genre I gravitated towards.
What other authors or books have influenced your writing style?
I believe the first fantasy books I ever read were the first seven books in the Dragonlance series. They definitely got me hooked on fantasy and led to me reading Eragon, The Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, Rangers Apprentice, Forgotten Realms, and many other series. I think my writing style is influenced by each of the authors or series I read.
What part of the writing process do you find most challenging?
The hardest part of writing is when life gets too busy and you don’t have time to sit down on consecutive days and write. As someone who is going to college full-time and works full-time, lack of time is a big issue. When you’re able to write for consecutive days or weeks, the story and characters almost live in your subconscious and you’ll randomly have characters conversations or battle scenes pop into your head. To me, this is the part of writing that is so much fun, and it’s challenging when distractions come up.
Why did you decide to self publish?
In 2009, I had been working on some ideas for a story just for the fun of it. I had no intention of turning it into a novel, but one day I was heading out the door to go to college and I saw a news broadcast about a kid who published a book through a website called Createspace. When I got home, I went on Createspace (now called Amazon KDP) and saw anyone could publish a book, so I started writing. Four years later, I surprised my friends and family with the first book in my fantasy series. Eventually, my goal is to become traditionally published, but for now I enjoy self-publishing and having control over all facets of each of my books.
Has your writing changed since your first publication?
Yes, and it’s changed drastically for the better. I would be embarrassed if I went back and looked at the first edition of my first book. Writing is a craft, and it’s one you gain experience in the more you work at it. Think of it as leveling up and increasing your talent little by little over a long period of time. I’m better now than I used to be at some of the fundamentals of writing: exposition, character development, prose, and world-building, and I know that the more I write the more I will improve.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
If you decide to self-publish a fantasy book, or any book for that matter, make sure you hire a professional editor and cover artist. In the over-saturated market of indie books these two things will help you stand out amongst the crowd. More than anything, enjoy the process and the challenge of writing. You, as an author, have the power to put words on a page that will inspire and entertain people. It’s incredibly rewarding to get emails from readers saying how they resonated with one of your characters or how they stayed up all night because they couldn’t put your book down. Writing is hard work, but the more you do it, the better you’ll get. Good luck!
Thank you so much to Tony Johnson for taking the time to answer these questions. Make sure you follow him on Twitter @mightytonyj and click the links below to purchase books 1 & 2 of The Story of Evil.
Buy Book 1, A Hero’s Downfall on Amazon
Buy Book 2, Companions’ Crusade on Amazon
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