Written Interview
Tell me about yourself. What do you like to do outside of writing. What is a day in the life like for you?
I work as a pharmacy technician. Most mornings, I ride my bike into work, and I go home to either read, watch book and movie reviews on Youtube, play Dungeons and Dragons, or write, as the inspiration strikes me.
A few years ago, I was hit by a car while riding from work, and since then, writing has also become a sort of therapy for me, allowing me to lose myself in another world and momentarily forget the suffering from my lingering injuries.
What inspired your first novel? What was the thing that got you into writing in the first place?
The idea for my first published novel actually rose from a school project. During
my senior year in high school, I took several electives, including a video game
design class. I never had a serious interest in designing games, but even then, I’d
developed a taste for telling stories, and I poured that into our final project: where we had to design a board game.
I ended up paired with people not particularly interested in doing much work, so I took the lead and made a Candy-Land style game set in a land called Sun’s Reach, based on some ideas that had popped into my head. There, I solidified a few key aspects of worldbuilding and characters that would be significant in the series. That idea stuck with me until my first year of community college, when the overwhelming urge to write struck me. I spent every free moment in the computer lab, popping in when I had half-an-hour between classes, and lingering there for multiple hours after my classes had concluded for the day.
I emerged a month later with the first draft of Everything Under the Sun.
That experience was far from my first flirtation with writing, my first and only love. Cringe-worthy though they were, my first ever writing projects were fanfictions of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, written to entertain my father while he was in the hospital. Later in middle school, I started dabbling in…well, I hesitate to call them original. Let’s say unlicensed fantasy projects. First was a story told from the perspective of young dragons going on a fairly generic fantasy adventure. At the end of middle school, and leading into my Freshman year of high school, I delved into creating my first true fantasy world: Elyuneria, the story set in which has since been rewritten six times over the years, and is heading for its seventh, and hopefully definitive version in the near future.
How do you come up with characters? Are they spontaneous or meticulously planned?
I prefer to view myself as a scribe and seer more than a creator. Ideas come to me without warning, interrupting other thoughts and impressing themselves among my consciousness, and it is my duty to write down these glimpses into fantastical worlds. I plan very little of my novels in advance, rather diving into my character’s heads and letting them guide me where they want to go.
I actually woke up the other day, struck by an idea for a centered around fae
courts, and spent every free moment on the bus to and from work the next two
days writing, until I had a three-thousand word story, which I posted on my
Reedsy blog.
What are some of your favorite genres to read? Are there any books you’d recommend to first-time readers or people looking for something new?
I almost exclusively read fantasy, though I enjoy a wide range of fantasy sub-
genres, including dark, epic, low-magic, and even young-adult fantasy. I tend to
avoid adult fantasy, as I’m not much inclined to read graphic romance scenes,
though one of my favorite series of all time does include a pretty significant
romance angle. I will always recommend Mercedes Lackey. Her Enduring Flame trilogy is a huge part of why I started writing. I’ve read that series probably five times already.
I also cannot praise Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse highly enough. That series is
astounding, I normally don’t enjoy literature involving guns or politics, but the
gradual advancement of technology within the series, and the cunningly crafted
political relationships between the nations of that world are top-notch. The
magical system and character interactions are extremely engaging, and she has a
way with comedy that makes every scene where characters are just talking into an absolute delight.
If you have a taste for something more adult-centric, I offer the Symphony of Ages by Elizabeth Hayden. That 9 book series, while peppered with a considerable amount of erotic scenes, contains of the most engaging and fully-realized fantasy worlds I have ever encountered.
What’s the most difficult thing about being a writer?
For me, it’s not the paucity of ideas that has become known as writer’s block, but rather an overabundance of ideas. My glimpses into the fantasy worlds I write about are so prolific, I find myself bouncing between projects or paralyzed trying to decide what to tackle next..
What is your process for completing a novel from outline to final product?
I once read an interview with George R.R. Martin where he suggested that, for his writing style, outlines are a creativity killer. I’ve always believed much the same thing, and as such, I never write outlines. I usually get a glimpse into what my characters are doing later in a given story, and build towards that, allowing the characters to guide me to their ultimate fate.
What’s the most unhinged thing you’ve written in your novel? Don’t worry, we don’t judge here.
My most unhinged writing? I’ve got a dark little nugget for you, but it’s not connected to my published work. Her name is Faye Souldancer. I haven’t yet tackled the project of turning the events of her life into a story, but let me assure you she’s had it rough. Faye Souldancer lives in the Estrevairen Empire, where the spirits are revered. Despite being born connected to an air spirit, her life was changed drastically as a child, when her parents hoped to use her as a vessel to destroy a phenomenon caused by an evil spirit called the Maho, the spirit of blood. They succeeded, but not without sacrificing their daughter to the whims of the malicious blood spirit. Unable to die, and cursed with power reviled by all people, her life is a series of tragedies that has yet to be resolved. She’s one of my favorite characters to think about. I have already turned her origin into a short story, but the rest is yet to come.
What’s one thing about being a writer that absolutely drives you up the wall?
The constant need for improvement. Like many writers, I have developed a powerful sense of imposter syndrome. While it has driven me to improve my projects (I’m currently rewriting my first book, for example) it does make it difficult to look at my old projects.
What does being a successful writer look like for you? What type of life do you want to live as a writer?
Unlike many writers, I don’t really dream of going big. I have three books published, and that’s huge for me. I don’t need to be a NYT bestseller. I’m more than happy to write what stories impress themselves upon my mind, and share them with a small audience. I write mostly for my own enjoyment, and I’m content with a life where I write when I can and dwell in these fantasy worlds I’m fortunate enough to glimpse.
Describe your writing journey. If you had to write a story centered around it, do you think you could pull it off?
Ha. No. I do not enjoy writing about anything centered in reality. For me, having a story take place in any real-world location is an instant turn-off. I much prefer to dwell in fantasy and let those worlds drag me in. If I could describe my writing style in a sentence, I’d say I’m chasing a high of sorts. There’s nothing more enjoyable for me than when a story grabs the reins of my brain and drives it until the road concludes and the story lies behind me.
Follow and Connect with Spencer Steeves
About
Enter the realm of Spencer Steeves, a modern-day bard weaving tales of wonder and adventure that transport readers to realms untouched by mortal foot. From the quaint streets of a small Connecticut town to the far reaches of Keylis and Terranae Chit’l, Spencer’s journey is one of boundless imagination and relentless creativity.
It all began with a young boy, armed with nothing but sticks and boundless dreams, who carved out kingdoms in his backyard and waged epic battles between heroes and monsters. But as the years passed, Spencer’s imagination soared to new heights. Inspired by the likes of Brandon Mull, John Flanagan, and Lisa McMann, he embarked on a quest to craft his own worlds, each more enchanting than the last.
From fan-fiction fantasies to original epics, Spencer’s pen knew no bounds. Yet it was during his first year of college that the spark of destiny ignited. With the fervor of a true adventurer, he delved into the depths of a universe born from a high school game design class, giving birth to his first novel: “Everything Under the Sun.”
But Spencer’s journey was far from over. With the ink still wet on his debut novel, he set sail for uncharted waters, discovering new lands and civilizations on the distant planets of Keylis and Terranae Chit’l. Each word penned, each sentence crafted, was a step deeper into the unknown, a testament to the power of the human imagination.
Now, as he stands on the precipice of greatness, Spencer Steeves invites you to join him on his odyssey through the stars. So, pack your bags, dear reader, for the adventure of a lifetime awaits. In the worlds of Spencer Steeves, anything is possible, and the journey is just beginning.
Social Media
Amazon Profile: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08HJ48TBQ
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/steevesliterature
Leave a comment