Hugo Negron's Blog - Posts Tagged "interview"
Interview with the Book Nymph!
This was a fun interview I did for The Book Nymph's November issue. It starts around page 55 - give it a read!
http://issuu.com/knlee/docs/november_...
http://issuu.com/knlee/docs/november_...
Interview with SPELLFURY director Travis Gordon!
Spellfury...
Dragons, Half-Elves, Thieves, heroism, villainy, comedy, fell creatures, and a tavern that hosts the most bizarre menagerie this side of a certain sci-fi movie…
Spellfury started in 2008. A live-action fantasy web series with drama, adventure, and definitely tongue-in-cheek humor. Official Selection Hollyweb Festival 2013 and Official Selection by Gen Con Film Festival 2013, Season One comprised 12 episodes, with Season Two currently ongoing. Searchable on YouTube, Spellfury is a comedic treat that cannot be missed. Travis Gordon is the writer/director of the series, and being a fan I had the great opportunity to interview him!
Hi Travis - thanks again for taking the time to be interviewed! Let’s begin with telling us a little bit more about who Travis Gordon is. When did you know that you wanted to be a writer/director?
TG: I’ve been making films since I was 14 but halfway through my 2 year Theater Arts Course in College I realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life writing and directing.
How did you develop the idea for Spellfury?
TG: I love the Fantasy genre, I wanted to make a show that I would watch. Spellfury is my crazy experiment to play around with fantasy ideas that excite me.
Which characters were the most fun to develop? Which were the most challenging?
TG: The villains are fun to create, Davinica (Played by Lisa Forrester) was brought in season 2 just to make it tougher for Druinia to achieve her goals. Fan reaction was telling me that they thought Kruskull was a little too goofy, I needed to bring in a villain who was no nonsense. The characters are very easy to write, the structure of the plot for future seasons has been challenging at times.
What are your plans long-term for Spellfury? Do you have additional/different works in mind?
TG: I took a break from Spellfury for a while but now I’m back on the project. I want to see how far I can take the show, I knew I would come back to it one day. I would also like to do a SciFi project in the future.
As an author, I have the challenge of getting the word out on my books. What have you had to do to win broader exposure and branding for your works?
TG: Promoting your own work can be difficult. It’s a job in itself, I find you really have to toot your own horn and never give up. Although it’s entertainment you’re still building a business so you have to treat it like that.
As an author, it’s sometimes difficult to finally say a product is finished, no matter how many times you review or edit. Is there anything you would go back and change in your concepts for Spellfury? Where there ideas you had in mind and then decided NOT to include?
TG: I was in a rush to create season one of Spellfury, I had a contract with Koldcast.tv (They’re not around anymore) to deliver an episode every month, it would have been nice to take more time with the episodes back then. Because it’s a web series I have more freedom story wise to try things out and see if they stick. The fans let me know if something is working or not. Ultimately it’s my decision if something stays or goes though.
I have a 5 year old son, and structuring time around him can be challenging! I’ve lost count of the times he nearly pressed the delete button on something I was working on…how do you find time to balance your many writing/directing projects?
TG: Great question, balance between family and work can be tough, I think everyone struggles with that.
Do you have a certain method you use when you write – i.e., a certain room, music, mood, etc., to help get you in the right writing frame of mind?
TG: Spellfury is the easiest project to write that I’ve ever worked on. Working on all the green screen shots and compositing is the toughest stage for me. I just have to drink a lot of coffee and work my butt off to get through it.
What are you working on right now?
TG: I always have a few projects on the go. I just wrapped a TV Pilot called Detective Bros. that we’re shopping around to networks here in Canada. I also have a documentary and 2 shorts in the pipeline. Although the next episode of Spellfury is what I’m working on right now, it’s already been shot.
Where can readers go to find out more about Travis Gordon and Spellfury?
TG: We have info about the show and all the episodes at www.spellfury.com
Thanks Travis, for sharing some of your time!
TG: Thanks Hugo, I really appreciate it!
Dragons, Half-Elves, Thieves, heroism, villainy, comedy, fell creatures, and a tavern that hosts the most bizarre menagerie this side of a certain sci-fi movie…
Spellfury started in 2008. A live-action fantasy web series with drama, adventure, and definitely tongue-in-cheek humor. Official Selection Hollyweb Festival 2013 and Official Selection by Gen Con Film Festival 2013, Season One comprised 12 episodes, with Season Two currently ongoing. Searchable on YouTube, Spellfury is a comedic treat that cannot be missed. Travis Gordon is the writer/director of the series, and being a fan I had the great opportunity to interview him!
Hi Travis - thanks again for taking the time to be interviewed! Let’s begin with telling us a little bit more about who Travis Gordon is. When did you know that you wanted to be a writer/director?
TG: I’ve been making films since I was 14 but halfway through my 2 year Theater Arts Course in College I realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life writing and directing.
How did you develop the idea for Spellfury?
TG: I love the Fantasy genre, I wanted to make a show that I would watch. Spellfury is my crazy experiment to play around with fantasy ideas that excite me.
Which characters were the most fun to develop? Which were the most challenging?
TG: The villains are fun to create, Davinica (Played by Lisa Forrester) was brought in season 2 just to make it tougher for Druinia to achieve her goals. Fan reaction was telling me that they thought Kruskull was a little too goofy, I needed to bring in a villain who was no nonsense. The characters are very easy to write, the structure of the plot for future seasons has been challenging at times.
What are your plans long-term for Spellfury? Do you have additional/different works in mind?
TG: I took a break from Spellfury for a while but now I’m back on the project. I want to see how far I can take the show, I knew I would come back to it one day. I would also like to do a SciFi project in the future.
As an author, I have the challenge of getting the word out on my books. What have you had to do to win broader exposure and branding for your works?
TG: Promoting your own work can be difficult. It’s a job in itself, I find you really have to toot your own horn and never give up. Although it’s entertainment you’re still building a business so you have to treat it like that.
As an author, it’s sometimes difficult to finally say a product is finished, no matter how many times you review or edit. Is there anything you would go back and change in your concepts for Spellfury? Where there ideas you had in mind and then decided NOT to include?
TG: I was in a rush to create season one of Spellfury, I had a contract with Koldcast.tv (They’re not around anymore) to deliver an episode every month, it would have been nice to take more time with the episodes back then. Because it’s a web series I have more freedom story wise to try things out and see if they stick. The fans let me know if something is working or not. Ultimately it’s my decision if something stays or goes though.
I have a 5 year old son, and structuring time around him can be challenging! I’ve lost count of the times he nearly pressed the delete button on something I was working on…how do you find time to balance your many writing/directing projects?
TG: Great question, balance between family and work can be tough, I think everyone struggles with that.
Do you have a certain method you use when you write – i.e., a certain room, music, mood, etc., to help get you in the right writing frame of mind?
TG: Spellfury is the easiest project to write that I’ve ever worked on. Working on all the green screen shots and compositing is the toughest stage for me. I just have to drink a lot of coffee and work my butt off to get through it.
What are you working on right now?
TG: I always have a few projects on the go. I just wrapped a TV Pilot called Detective Bros. that we’re shopping around to networks here in Canada. I also have a documentary and 2 shorts in the pipeline. Although the next episode of Spellfury is what I’m working on right now, it’s already been shot.
Where can readers go to find out more about Travis Gordon and Spellfury?
TG: We have info about the show and all the episodes at www.spellfury.com
Thanks Travis, for sharing some of your time!
TG: Thanks Hugo, I really appreciate it!
Interview with Edward Russell!
The interview beat continues while Book Six in the Forging of a Knight series gets a final polish from Erin my editor. Updates to that will be coming soon. In the meantime, I've had some great opportunities to speak with some great creative talents...witness Ron Shirtz' interview prior - and here is another!
Hi Edward – thanks again for taking the time to be interviewed! Let’s begin with telling us a little bit more about who Edward Russell is.
When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?
Oh at an early age, grade school. I would see or hear something and think I could change it to make it better. Which really meant more entertaining to me. When I was growing up there was no internet and only 3 channels on the television so there was less distraction and I would write really bad adventures.
You’ve written in some different genres, from horror (The Dead Infested) to fantasy (Dungeon Crawlers), to compiling anthologies (Stone Tails) – I will also add here your specific story in that anthology, Garden War, focusing on a gargoyle statue and some garden gnome sculptures, was my favorite! How did you develop your ideas for these books?
For me it generally starts with a conflict. In the story you referenced I found a massive gargoyle for free on craigslist and the first thing my wife asked me was where I thought I would put it. Well to get it at the front of our house we had to move some garden gnomes and the story just grew from there.
Which of your works is your favorite? What characters were the most fun to develop? Which were the most challenging?
I do not really have a favorite, I love all of my stories. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses but they are all special to me. As far as characters go I have the most fun with the villains. Heroes typically have a set of rules they live by but villains can do anything they want and how they want. I enjoy trying to come up with a reason for why they do what they do. Now without question the choose your own adventure books are the most difficult to write because the narrative has to be very brief and putting everything together to maintain a coherent journey requires more organization than I naturally possess.
What are your plans long-term for your writing? Do you have additional/different works in mind?
I have taken a few years off from writing (fell in love and go married) but I am starting to get back into horror. Now it is darker than my previous books. I am nine chapters into a story that is by far the most violent thing I have ever written.
As a self-published author, I share the challenge of getting the word out on my works. What have you had to do to win broader exposure and branding for your books?
I started with social media but I really hate just shouting “buy my book” so I have moved away from that. I like going to conventions and just meeting people and letting them know what my books are about if they show some interest. The downside to that is that most people really prefer to get their books electronically, and I understand that I’m the same way, but its nearly impossible to make enough kindle sales to cover the cost of a table and hotel at a convention.
This question will start off sounding like an old joke – a person walks into a bar (or convention or bookstore) and bumps into Edward Russell – what would be your elevator pitch to showcase your work?
I wish I had a decent answer to that. When pitching I try to find out what a person likes and see how that matches up with what I have written.
As an author, it’s sometimes difficult to finally say a product is finished, no matter how many times you review or edit. Is there anything you would go back and change in your stories? Where there ideas you had in mind and then decided NOT to include?
Yes I agree in some ways a project never feels fully finished. Every time you go back through it you find places to improve and places where you wonder just what you were thinking before. As for ideas or thoughts I ended up not making the page, yeah that happens. As you know once you really get into a project it takes on its own rhythm, characters move in directions you never expected. Sometimes there is a part of the plot or a scene that you thought would be critical but turns out to be little more than a distraction. Those are the kinds of things I try to leave out.
I have a 5 year old son, and structuring time around him can be challenging! I’ve lost count of the times he nearly pressed the delete button on something I was working on…how do you find time to write your stories?
At my “real job” I get two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch, that is when I write the bulk of a story. It is a true escape for me to get away from the day for just those few minutes and go into my own world. I get a lot done in that hour. Now I get up at an obscene hour each morning and spend 30 minutes on the treadmill and another 60 weight training. During that time I think about what I am going to write that day and most of the time when I sit down to type it flows pretty well.
Do you have a certain method you use when you write – i.e., a certain room, music, mood, etc., to help get you in the right writing frame of mind?
If I write at home I turn on instrumental music. I cannot do radio because lyrics get stuck in my head. When I write at work I am generally able to tune out the other noise and focus on my project.
What are you reading right now?
Right now I am reading All gain no pain by Bill Hartman. It is a guide to getting fit for people over the age of 40.
Where can readers go to find out more about Edward Russell?
Probably my amazon author page
https://www.amazon.com/Edward-J-Russe...
Thanks Ed, for sharing some of your time!
Thank you for having me! It was a lot of fun
Hi Edward – thanks again for taking the time to be interviewed! Let’s begin with telling us a little bit more about who Edward Russell is.
When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?
Oh at an early age, grade school. I would see or hear something and think I could change it to make it better. Which really meant more entertaining to me. When I was growing up there was no internet and only 3 channels on the television so there was less distraction and I would write really bad adventures.
You’ve written in some different genres, from horror (The Dead Infested) to fantasy (Dungeon Crawlers), to compiling anthologies (Stone Tails) – I will also add here your specific story in that anthology, Garden War, focusing on a gargoyle statue and some garden gnome sculptures, was my favorite! How did you develop your ideas for these books?
For me it generally starts with a conflict. In the story you referenced I found a massive gargoyle for free on craigslist and the first thing my wife asked me was where I thought I would put it. Well to get it at the front of our house we had to move some garden gnomes and the story just grew from there.
Which of your works is your favorite? What characters were the most fun to develop? Which were the most challenging?
I do not really have a favorite, I love all of my stories. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses but they are all special to me. As far as characters go I have the most fun with the villains. Heroes typically have a set of rules they live by but villains can do anything they want and how they want. I enjoy trying to come up with a reason for why they do what they do. Now without question the choose your own adventure books are the most difficult to write because the narrative has to be very brief and putting everything together to maintain a coherent journey requires more organization than I naturally possess.
What are your plans long-term for your writing? Do you have additional/different works in mind?
I have taken a few years off from writing (fell in love and go married) but I am starting to get back into horror. Now it is darker than my previous books. I am nine chapters into a story that is by far the most violent thing I have ever written.
As a self-published author, I share the challenge of getting the word out on my works. What have you had to do to win broader exposure and branding for your books?
I started with social media but I really hate just shouting “buy my book” so I have moved away from that. I like going to conventions and just meeting people and letting them know what my books are about if they show some interest. The downside to that is that most people really prefer to get their books electronically, and I understand that I’m the same way, but its nearly impossible to make enough kindle sales to cover the cost of a table and hotel at a convention.
This question will start off sounding like an old joke – a person walks into a bar (or convention or bookstore) and bumps into Edward Russell – what would be your elevator pitch to showcase your work?
I wish I had a decent answer to that. When pitching I try to find out what a person likes and see how that matches up with what I have written.
As an author, it’s sometimes difficult to finally say a product is finished, no matter how many times you review or edit. Is there anything you would go back and change in your stories? Where there ideas you had in mind and then decided NOT to include?
Yes I agree in some ways a project never feels fully finished. Every time you go back through it you find places to improve and places where you wonder just what you were thinking before. As for ideas or thoughts I ended up not making the page, yeah that happens. As you know once you really get into a project it takes on its own rhythm, characters move in directions you never expected. Sometimes there is a part of the plot or a scene that you thought would be critical but turns out to be little more than a distraction. Those are the kinds of things I try to leave out.
I have a 5 year old son, and structuring time around him can be challenging! I’ve lost count of the times he nearly pressed the delete button on something I was working on…how do you find time to write your stories?
At my “real job” I get two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch, that is when I write the bulk of a story. It is a true escape for me to get away from the day for just those few minutes and go into my own world. I get a lot done in that hour. Now I get up at an obscene hour each morning and spend 30 minutes on the treadmill and another 60 weight training. During that time I think about what I am going to write that day and most of the time when I sit down to type it flows pretty well.
Do you have a certain method you use when you write – i.e., a certain room, music, mood, etc., to help get you in the right writing frame of mind?
If I write at home I turn on instrumental music. I cannot do radio because lyrics get stuck in my head. When I write at work I am generally able to tune out the other noise and focus on my project.
What are you reading right now?
Right now I am reading All gain no pain by Bill Hartman. It is a guide to getting fit for people over the age of 40.
Where can readers go to find out more about Edward Russell?
Probably my amazon author page
https://www.amazon.com/Edward-J-Russe...
Thanks Ed, for sharing some of your time!
Thank you for having me! It was a lot of fun
