Please welcome with me author Nick Wilford to my blog. Nick’s latest book Reckoning is a YA Dystopian and #3 in the Black & White series. Reckoning was released September 20, 2022.
Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those early morning times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not working he can usually be found spending time with his family or wrangling his six adorable dogs. His first traditionally published novel, a YA sci-fi adventure entitled The Becalmer, will release from Creative James Media in August 2023.
In addition to writing the Black & White trilogy, a YA dystopian series, Nick wrote A Change of Mind and Other Stories, a collection featuring a novella and five short stories, four of which were previously published in Writer’s Muse magazine. He is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew. You can also find him at Nick Wilford, Speculative Author.
Stay tuned (after the interview) for information on where you can buy Reckoning. For now, read on to see how Nick turned my questions into interesting answers!
1. At what age did you realize that you loved writing stories?
Nick: Probably about nine or ten, but it was more like little bits of plays at first rather than fully fledged stories. I was into drama stuff all through school and had aspirations of being an actor. I realized I didn’t really have the confidence for that and preferred putting words down on paper rather than speaking them on stage!
2. Was there a favorite author who inspired you?
Nick: I’ve said this often elsewhere but I’m happy to keep saying it! Terry Pratchett is
my favourite author because he took aspects of our everyday lives and made them
fantastic through his world and characters. We can somehow recognize the people
and situations even though they might involve vampires, wizards, trolls and so
on. A rare gift.
3. Where do you find ideas for your stories?
Nick: All over the place! I pick things up from the news all the time, but they might not
spark a story straight away – two or more ideas will mash together in my brain and present something interesting. Other times they do just come out of nowhere, or maybe in response to something in my life. For example, with this series, we all have to spend so much time cleaning, and I was thinking how much easier it would be if dirt wasn’t a thing and everything just stayed clean all the time. Then that extended itself to no disease, and I was thinking how that could be achieved. It turned out it had a dark side, and it just went on from
there.
4. From the birth of an idea to the finish line, approximately how long is your writing process for each book?
Nick: It varies, but if you’re talking about the finish line being a final polished draft, then usually about eighteen months. I usually tend to take breaks before redrafting and so on and work on something else. Reckoning took a lot longer than that, but then it took me a long time to nail the ending, due to the predicament I’d put my protagonist, Welles, in!
5. Tell us how you determine the best title for the stories you write. Easy or difficult?
Nick: I used to really struggle with titles, but I think what I’ve learned is not to overthink it and not to put too much pressure on it. The right title usually suggests itself whether that’s during the first draft or much later. With Reckoning, it’s just one of my favourite words because it’s got a really nice portentous tone to it, so it seemed like a natural choice from pretty early on for this book’s themes of the judgement and trial.
6. If any, what challenge(s) did you have in writing your current book.
Nick: Like I said, the ending was a hard one to get right in terms of how this situation was going to play out, like how the Reformers were going to be punished and how Welles was going to get out of the misfortune that happened to him. Because everything’s gone against the people who are on the right side. I never wanted the process of the trial and justice to be easy, but I’ve kind of painted myself into a corner. I actually left it alone for a couple of years and went off to write another book – which is being published next year – and then with a bit of distance from it I was able to come back a bit more fresh and take stock of what I had. The final ending wasn’t quite the one I had in mind at the beginning but it seemed right in the end.
7. Do you have a favorite scene in your newest and why is it your favorite?
Nick: I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but something has gone wrong with the trial and public opinion has turned against the new leaders, Welles and Ez. Welles thinks he has got to the bottom of what is going on and is trying to put it right, but the situation then becomes infinitely worse when Welles himself is compromised. I suppose it’s my favourite because it gives that sense of jeopardy which is a turning point in the story. For some reason authors seem to enjoy putting their characters through hell, and I’m no exception!
8. Any hints on your next writing project?
Nick: Well, after my series, my next release is my first traditionally published novel, The Becalmer, which is due in August 2023. I’ve already started working on another project though. It deals with quite a controversial topic in an innovative way. Maybe I’ll cop a bit of flak for it, but I believe that as an artist you’ve got to keep pushing boundaries and pushing yourself. It’s the only way to move forward.
Reckoning The time has come for those who perpetrated wrongdoing and suffering on the land of Loretania to face their judgement. Lord Histender and the other members of the deposed Reformers’ Government are in jail awaiting trial for keeping that country in a state of disease-ridden deprivation, alongside other heinous crimes.
Wellesbury Noon and Ezmerelda Dontible, the kind and benevolent new rulers of Harmonia, are looking forward to seeing justice finally being done. But nothing is that simple. Lunkin, the psychotic former Chief Scientist, has one more trick up his sleeve and is wreaking havoc even from behind bars. Soon, Loretanians who have come to make a new life in Harmonia are falling victim to hate crimes and brutal attacks. And things take a turn for the desperate when Wellesbury himself becomes compromised.
Can Welles and Ez turn the tide of public opinion and secure justice for the people of Loretania before it’s too late? |
NOW for the bookkeeping part. Get it? Book…keeping because when you buy Nick’s book (or several), you get to keep it.
You can purchase:
· Reckoning, part 3 in the Black & White Trilogy, at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / Kobo Add it on Goodreads!
· The Becalmer from Creative James Media August 2023
Also available:
Black & White, part 1 of a YA dystopian trilogy
Corruption, part 2 of a YA dystopian trilogy
A Change of Mind and Other Stories
Don’t forget that you can download the first part of the series, Black & White for FREE at Amazon US / Amazon UK / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
Do you know Nick? Did you learn anything new about him? If you’re a writer, are titles the easy part of your writing or do you wait until the end to name it?
Comments
And how nice to find another Terry Pratchett fan. The world became smaller and darker when he left.
Elephant's Child - Thanks! And indeed we have lost something but he leaves a great legacy.
Deniz - Thanks! Hope you enjoy.
Natalie - Thanks!