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
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