W.O. Torres interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

I'm a first-generation Mexican/American kid that was raised by my single mom along with my three siblings in a Northern California city that was more known for its homicide rate than anything else. 

Somehow, I graduated high school and avoided all the gang violence and drugs in my neighborhood, to which I credit my mother's attention and my deep love of comic books. 

I attended college in the San Francisco Bay Area where I met my biggest supporter, my wife. We make our home in Northern California taking our two brilliant daughters and our loyal dog on lots of hikes. 

I'm closing in on the end of a twenty-five-year career in Law Enforcement and applying to University to earn a teacher's credential so I can continue working with at-promise youth as a Teacher and Coach. When I'm not working or hanging out with my family, I love to write and consume all things Sci-Fi. 

When did your love of books begin?

I'm pretty sure it all started with my Grandmother. She moved in with us from Mexico when I was about six years old and would always put me to bed with a ghost story. Only they weren't made up, they were her real-life accounts of several encounters she had with the supernatural. She hooked me on stories and I couldn't find enough. But, it wasn't until Ms. Thompson's 9th-grade class when I read To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, that I realized books weren't just stories. She opened up the world of literature to me and had me thinking about characters, plot, and themes with every book I picked up.

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

In second grade, Ms. Gardner announced a writing contest in class, and I went home with no idea how I was going to complete the assignment. I sat at my desk in my room with the theme of Christmas and before I knew it, a story of Santa's origin bled onto the recycled paper from my Ticonderoga, number 2 pencil. I won the contest but more importantly, Ms. Gardner made me believe I could write.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

Extremely challenging. It humbles you and makes you wonder if you have any business putting your work out there and asking others to read it. But, that's what writing is, that's what becoming an author is, writing something and asking a total stranger to read it. It's terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time, and that's the way it should be.

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

Your first draft is going to be terrible, no matter what you are writing. But, somewhere around your eighth or ninth revision and after a dozen Beta Readers input, it gets better. 

Obsess over which POV fits your writing style and the story best. Don't "Fridge" your female characters. Use diverse people in your stories, just like in real life. Jot down your ideas whenever they come to you, even in boring work meetings. Be open to criticism no matter how painful. Basically, love your writing like a child and it will grow.

Tell us about your book/books:

Thanks for asking, I'm always so excited to talk about my debut novel, TOMORROW LIVES TODAY. 

It's a diverse character-driven Sci-Fi adult book about a twenty-four-year-old pro-skateboarder named Brody Rodriguez trying to figure out the whole adulting thing. 

Brody's chill life is quickly replaced by sinister spies, and a time-traveling granddaughter when a future tech weapon composed of Dark Matter is sent back and attaches to his body, giving him all kinds of dope abilities. 

His only ally in stopping an impending A.I. War is his Granddaughter, Isabella Rodriguez, who wields a tech secret of her own. 

Brody must convince his Barista, Destiny Jordan (and future wife, according to his Granddaughter) to stick around long enough to either watch him die or fall in love with him.

Superpowers and secret missions, taking orders from a teenage granddaughter, courting his future wife, all while being hunted by hundreds of assassins, is a pretty tall order for a guy who doesn't own pants. 

This idea came to me as I drifted off to sleep a few years ago. When I woke up in the morning I learned that my childhood hero had passed away, Stan Lee. I immediately began scribbling down as many bullet points of my idea as I could remember and spent the last three years expanding, organizing, writing, and editing what I hope will very soon be in readers' hands!

"Here is a rough sketch that I drew the day after I came up with the idea for this book. I hope I'm a better writer than an artist."

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

Oh boy, where do I even begin? I accidentally stumbled across the hashtag #WritingCommunity nearly a year after creating a Twitter account and my life has not been the same since. I learn SO MUCH every day by just reading tweets of what other authors are experiencing. I've had the most amazing one-on-one conversations about writing that I previously thought only took place at a grad-level writing course. AND the support is out of this world. Everyone has been so amazing to offer advice even when sci-fi isn't their cup of tea. We are all writers who love to write and once we start talking about it, we can't stop!

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

I think there are two reasons most people write, or at least I can speak for myself. The first is, I have to get these stories out of my head and writing allows me to do that. So, I write for myself. But, if I'm being honest, I'm also seeking validation. I'm in my fifties and I still get the same butterflies I had when I turned in my Santa Origin Story to Ms. Gardner in second grade that I get when I send my first three chapters to a Beta reader. 

So, I'm always going to ask readers, did you enjoy reading my book? I also want to know, what didn't you enjoy to gleam any criticism that can help me be a better writer.

Where can people connect with you?

I'm on Twitter and I use the handle @WOTorresWrites almost daily. I would love follows from readers and writers and feel free to DM any questions you may have and I will be sure to respond and I always follow back, unless, of course, you are a weird porn-bot (true story).

My dream is to one day be able to connect with readers face to face at a book store, or dare I say it out loud...Comic-Con! Ya never know, stranger things have happened. 

Thanks so much for taking the time to interview me and a special thanks to everyone who reads this. Happy writing and reading!