Jack Holloway author

AUTHOR INTERVIEW 

A little introduction:

Hello, I'm Jack Holloway (or rather I'm not, this is a pen name!) and I write dystopian novels and shorts set in a 'just before the end' leading into a 'universal apocalypse' setting called 'Ice Age in Scarlet.'

When did your love of books begin?

This is a 'when I was young' sort of question answer. Although I've always loved books and had the benefit of an upbringing with a lot of books around (mainly 60s and 70s paperbacks in a mix of genres set in stand-up bookcases around the house) my real love of books began due to an attic where I'd lurk on visits to my grandparents being a pretty asocial sort of person. My grandfather had worked for WH Smiths in the 50s and 60s and acquired lots of remaindered and unsellable books and I read through those at quite a clip, whilst eating a ploughman's lunches prepared by my grandmother, I absolutely refused to eat anything else at the time!

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I think there's always been an urge to get the things bouncing around in my head out there. I had an initial burst of enthusiasm whilst during the summer holidays between two years in my degree course. I'd work at whatever temporary job I could find (£3.50 per hour from memory, and moving between catering, cold stores and a chemical factory producing scented products) and come home to conduct a word dump. End result was a 120k nightmare of SFF gibberish that I printed out to edit and lost chunks of, over time. That sort of put me off for a decade or two. But here I am, once again. 

Though the books tend to be shorter.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

I have no difficulty getting words down on a page, and as I've helped put out books for other people dealing with D2D and Amazon is something I have some experience with. 

My two 'process' issues tend to be getting over a mental brick wall over editing and accepting criticism. I am never going to go mainstream publishing (if they'd want me) as the idea of having someone telling me how my books should be altered makes me spit nails. Editing is a pure mental block. I don't want to re-read my work and when I do manage I'll tend to obsessively edit the same part over and over unless I manage to get a clear day or two and run through the lot in one sitting. 

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Do it. Get those words down on paper and get some people to read through them. If you want to make money you'll need to write to market, and you'll also need to consider how you're going to get your book out there. For me, this is fun. Making a living off writing requires a heap of luck. There's a chapter in 'Black Swan' - by Nicolas Taleb that's on point. Publishing is one of the key 'Black Swan' industries. There's thousands of books out there, and any one of them (given a market, writing, a good cover and editing) could be the next Harry Potter or whatever. It's highly unlikely but... it could be you! And if it isn't you've still written a book (that's amazing as of itself) and the royalties could cover a bill or two every month. That's not to be sneezed at.

Tell us about your book/books:

Two basic series, both in the Ice Age in Scarlet setting. 

The first are prequels to the main series where you get to see the world slowly going to hell, and in the background to each, a dark force pushing it that way (if you look hard enough). The prequels set up the main factions that exist in-universe - magic infused reality, but with a much stronger and more organised set of human powers than you'd usually find in this genre, whilst introducing characters who turn up or are referenced in the main series. Mr. Brooker is a particular favourite of mine, a relatively junior member of the UK's Arcane Investigation's Agency in the first book who gradually acquires more and more power in pursuit of a borderline admirable goal and who in the main series discovers that the end point of his path is not what he wanted at all.

The main series follows the Catastrophe set up in the prequels. The sun is blotted out by massive volcanic eruptions, and then something happens which makes things much worse and puts mile long monsters in the air. The various factions put their plans into action and generally come to grief, and the survivors then must find the beauty and hope in what could otherwise be a depressing setting. The first book is near the end chronologically,  Master in his Tomb is the story of a Vampire master locked away well before the Catastrophe waking into its aftermath and bringing his slightly warped curiosity to the table about what's happened since he was imprisoned by his own people for being... well. Albie is Albie.

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

What's not to like? There can be some cliquish stuff going on in particular corners of the community but that's generally defensive - if people talk down about your genre you'll often get pretty defensive if it's challenged. It's understandable. The positive side of this is the support that's available through the community to keep you writing. Get the right people around you and you're going to be able to watch their publishing and reading journeys play out. And best of all you're going to be introduced to a heap of great new books you'd never have seen as they're getting buried under the avalanche of tosh that makes up most people's amazon suggested reading list.

However, there is always room for more community among both writers and readers and more importantly, between the two groups!

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

Thanks for giving my books a try and remember that most of the characters therein are utterly unreliable, so take everything they say or believe with a generous pinch of salt!