Ask the Author: Brandon Stephens
Answered Questions (7)
Brandon Stephens
I treat alternate realities the same way I treat any other cause/effect scenario. Everything that happens creates ripples. That's part of what makes writing fun. I always outline my stories, but I often end up deviating from the outline anyway because... well, because I tend to change my mind a lot, LOL. "What if" is my favorite question in the world and, with all the moving parts I put into my stories, its REALLY easy for me to stray from the intended path. It usually turns out for the best. I'm sure the original outline for The Light at the End of the Wormhole would look nothing like the final product. Most of the nonessential plot twists were thought up along the way, then I go back during the editing phase and add foreshadowing, so it's not out of the blue.
Brandon Stephens
The Light at the End of the Wormhole actually began as a fantasy short story, set in a future world where humans were on the verge of evolving into beings of energy. It sounds far out, but was basically Ghostbusters meets Blade Runner, with a bounty hunter-esque main character tracking the humans who had transcended their corporeal body.
I never finished that short, because I realized the idea was too big for the medium. I expanded the world and lore, peppered it with characters who'd been loitering in my head for years, and a novel was born. The short story was going to cover an ordinary day in the life of a Hunter. I still wish I'd included something like that in the novel. Clyde's encounter with Brock Mason in the first chapter can hardly be considered "ordinary," but that's about as close as the novel comes to demonstrating what he does for a living.
I never finished that short, because I realized the idea was too big for the medium. I expanded the world and lore, peppered it with characters who'd been loitering in my head for years, and a novel was born. The short story was going to cover an ordinary day in the life of a Hunter. I still wish I'd included something like that in the novel. Clyde's encounter with Brock Mason in the first chapter can hardly be considered "ordinary," but that's about as close as the novel comes to demonstrating what he does for a living.
Brandon Stephens
I draw inspiration from just about anything. Movies and video games fill my head with all sorts of ideas (for better or worse). I have always felt that I'm more of a "storyteller" than a "writer;" I just chose this medium because it's easier (relatively speaking) to use words than direct a cast or code a game. After I get ideas, I let them marinate for weeks, or sometimes months, then begin to write. "What if" is my favorite question in thw world and is the womb from which nearly all of my stories were birthed.
Other writers also inspire me; reading arms me with new tools to express myself. I'm not just a storyteller; a firm grasp of the English language is necessary to tell the stories I have in my head and the best way to achieve that is to obseve how others wield it.
Other writers also inspire me; reading arms me with new tools to express myself. I'm not just a storyteller; a firm grasp of the English language is necessary to tell the stories I have in my head and the best way to achieve that is to obseve how others wield it.
Brandon Stephens
I am now writing The Gallery of God's Wrath, the second book in my Infinite Charter series. If the first book is about the birth of a revolution, the second is about the hijacking of the same. The history and lore of the Infinite Charter plays a greater role, as most of the conflicts in the second book have been decades in the making, but are only now exploding to the surface.
The title is a reference to Mars, which astute readers may know "accidentally" got wrecked by the Solarans 150 years ago, and is now a hotbed of anti-Solaran redicals -- sort of a "Third World planet," if you will. Nearly every surviving character returns, along with some very interesting new faces. Look for it in late 2015.
Meanwhile, I have two other projects on the backburner, still in early planning phase, which are very different from what I'm currently producing. But I'm a one story type of guy, so those will remain in the shadows until The Infinite Charter is completed. Just letting you all know I have other plans after Clyde and his crew have run their course. ;)
The title is a reference to Mars, which astute readers may know "accidentally" got wrecked by the Solarans 150 years ago, and is now a hotbed of anti-Solaran redicals -- sort of a "Third World planet," if you will. Nearly every surviving character returns, along with some very interesting new faces. Look for it in late 2015.
Meanwhile, I have two other projects on the backburner, still in early planning phase, which are very different from what I'm currently producing. But I'm a one story type of guy, so those will remain in the shadows until The Infinite Charter is completed. Just letting you all know I have other plans after Clyde and his crew have run their course. ;)
Brandon Stephens
Keep writing. Other than that, there's no one-size-fits-all advice I can give to everyone. Different people write for different reasons. I suppose the one other piece of advice I would give is know why you write. Someone who is writing to be a bestseller will approach this very differently from someone who is writing purely for the love of it, or someone who is writing because they have something to get off their chest. I'm still new at this, but I think I've found my place and, with it, comes a lot less second-guessing, dithering, and indecisiveness. Stay focused.
Brandon Stephens
At risk of sounding cliche, I will say Ihe readers. Since I'm a new writer, I don't have many of those yet, so I cherish every reader I can find. Whether they love it or hate it, I'm just glad to have them. Anyone who takes the time to read my stuff has my respect and admiration and I like to hear what they think.
Brandon Stephens
Honestly, I don't. In the past, I would try to power through it -- "just keep writing, just keep writing" -- but that usually leads to awful writing that gets baptised in red ink when it comes time to edit. These days, I just take a step back and find something else to clear my head. Usually, "writer's block" is just another word for "I'm stuck." Mashing the accelerator pedal will just dig you in deeper; it's usually better to back out and take a different road... which usually leads to a more interesting destination anyway.
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