Lloyd Willey interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

I am Lloyd from Essex in the UK. I currently work in marketing and as a video editor and love with my wife and two young children. Outside of writing (and reading) I enjoy fishing, art, and watching sport. Being a nerd, I am a TV and film buff. Previously I would also include video games as well but having two little children and very few games suitable for young eyes, I do not get much time to game.

When did your love of books begin?

From a young age I loved books and luckily had parents who encouraged it and took us to the library. It just continued to grow from there.

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

Even as a child I was often writing short stories. The first idea I had for a novel came when I was around 12-14 years old, I cannot remember exactly how old I was. That first idea developed for a long time but not much materialised. Around 10 years later, I lived with my brother and we started talking one day about ideas for books and I brought that idea back to life and that started my wish to be an author.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

Initially it took a long time to go from wanting to be an author to feeling like I was becoming one. My first novel took over 10 years from the initial plans to the released book. Since I self-published the book the process has been much smoother. I have really enjoyed it and learnt so much from publishing the book and in the last two months or so I have almost finished my first draft of my second book.

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

Just do it. Whichever route you want to take, be it self-publishing or traditional, you are the one who makes it happen.

Get that idea down and start writing it. A few things I have always found helpful are to start with a plan and then divide the story into a chapter list, then summarise each chapter and use that plan to write the book. It changes and evolves over time but that initial plan is what helps me start. Two, on the first draft make sure you write start to finish, don't stop, after the first word goes down do not look back over the writing until that last word is written. Otherwise, you just end up forever editing and never finishing. Three, for those who are self-publishing, when you are happy that the book is finished and edited. Get it out there and hit publish. You will possibly be nervous but the feeling you get once the book is live on websites for people to buy is amazing.

Tell us about your book/books:

My first novel, Wizards Passage, is about three wizard friends who move into the "biggest apartment in the world" but soon find it is a standard sized apartment with a black hole in the lounge floor. The cosmic anomaly torments them to begin with but one day it offers then a contract and challenge. If they complete the challenge that consist of seven tasks then it promises them the answer to the meaning of life. The novel follows their attempt to complete the challenge.

My second book is the first of a trilogy that follows a 15-year-old who meets the monster under his bed. The monster offers him a chance to escape his world and go on an adventure and travel through mirrors to alternative realities. It starts as an adventure story but ends as a murder mystery, with a bit of love in the middle.

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

I have found the community on Twitter to be more engaged than other social media platforms, but that might be me using it incorrectly, but on the whole I have found the writing community to be wonderful. It is extremely supportive, full of advice and lots of encouragement.

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

I hope you enjoy the book and if so, you tell others. If you don't enjoy the book then feel free to keep that secret to yourself and drop the book off at a charity shop :) 

Where can people connect with you?

People can contact me on Twitter and Facebook using then handle @LloydWAuthor or on my author page on Amazon by searching Lloyd Willey.