Author Interview~Lance Conrad (Author of The Price of Creation)

Hello Lance! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog for an interview!

Hello! Thanks for having me on your blog, I appreciate it.

Lets start with the interview! My first question is:

What made you decide to become an author?

I had been writing as a hobby for years while I went through a lot of jobs. It ended up like a person who has gone through seven or eight divorces, there comes a time when they have to ask "Could it possibly be me?" After ten to fifteen jobs (always quit, never fired), I had to ask myself that question, and the answer was "Yes, it's you, you dolt!"

I would always get bored and wander off to the next thing. I needed something I couldn't get bored with and that was writing. Writing is infinite. There will always be new worlds, magics, and technologies to be created, new characters to be given life.

In the end, saying that I was an author was more of an admission than a choice.

Is there a message in your book that you want your readers to grasp?

Absolutely. Even the bloody titles are an invitation. I would hope that each of my readers would ask themselves, "What is the price of creation?" "When are we justified in securing our own success at the expense or neglect of others?"

Questions like that don't always have simple answers. Questions like that take a story to understand.

Do you base any of the events in your book on your own life experiences?

I wouldn't say any, I'd say all. I dress it up in symbols and broad stories and I shatter myself into lots of characters; but at the end of the day, all of these stories are personal. They are reflections of things I have experienced and want to share with my readers.

Do you have a blog of your own?

thehistoriantales.blogspot.com is my personal blog. I occasionally talk about writing and books, but more often it's my own mad ravings.

If you could do it over again, would you change things about the book?

Oh yes. It's strange, but the other books I've written felt complete, but this one was my first, so I always feel some discontent about it. I think I could go the rest of my life rewriting it and never feel like it was complete.

One example right off the top of my head would be Sadavir's mother, Lauria. In my head, she is a very powerful and vibrant character, but her role in the book is quite minor and most readers I've talked to didn't really relate to her at all. So if I could go back, I'd flesh that character out more.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers?

I can't tell you how much power my readers have over my world. I know it shouldn't affect me so much, but whenever someone tells me they liked my book or were inspired by it, it puts a smile on my face for days. I hope that my readers realize how much they matter to me on a personal level.

Any advice you would give to new or aspiring writers?

Build an inner circle for yourself. You can't reach your full potential on your own, people simply aren't built that way. You also can't release your writing to a mob, to be nitpicked and shredded until there is nothing of you left in it.
You must handpick a few people whose opinion you trust and who will be honest with you. They will help you refine your writing, find your voice, and even get you past your writer's block. This is your inner circle, and your choice of who to include will impact your writing deeply.
Choose wisely.

Do you ever plan on writing outside your current genre?

I actually have plans for a couple sci-fi books in the Historian Tales series. I also have sketches for some historical fiction and even a murder mystery. We'll see if I ever get around to writing them, but they've been stuck in my mind a long time.

Is there a character in your books that you relate to closely?

I see myself in almost all of my characters, even the bad guys, but there are a few that hit especially close to home. One of those is the Historian himself. He is controlled by compulsions he doesn't understand to witness stories he never truly feels a part of. I feel a lot of those same fascinations, as well as the detachment.

Are you writing full time, or do you have another job as well?

I don't have another job, though lately I've been spending more time promoting my books and speaking at schools than writing. A writer in today's market must wear many hats.

How do reviews, positive and negative, affect you?

Truly a lot more than they should. I've been lucky so far that almost all of my reviews have been positive, 5-star reviews. I've got a couple 4-stars that I'm ok with. Then there is that 3-star review, and it haunts me. When the day comes that some reader rips into me and gives me a 1-star review, I'll probably curl up in a ball and cry for a day or two. I know it shouldn't be so personal to me, but it is.

How important are character names? How do you choose yours?

I can honestly say that every character name is meaningful to me in some way, though I don't think I could explain why for most of them. One example where I can is my main character in The Price of Creation, Sadavir. It is an East Indian name that means Courage.

Are there any types of scenes you have trouble writing?

Travel scenes. I often skip them altogether and have the party already at the new destination and cover the trip there in a flashback or something. For some reason, writing about the mundane logistics of travel irritates me. I always feel like I put in too much detail and made it boring, or I don't put in enough and made it unrealistic.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Stop wasting time. I knew I wanted to be a writer for almost ten years, but I never believed I could make a living doing it. So instead of chasing my own dream, I spent my time working on other people's dreams and chasing the illusion of security.

That is great advice! It was a lot of fun having you on the blog! Thank you!

For more information about the author and his books here are some links:

Goodreads ~ Author's Blog ~ Amazon

Books by Lance Conrad: