Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I’m Julian. My early years amounted to one giant, protracted game of transatlantic ping pong in which my family served as the ball. We lived in many different places, and I learned a lot about people—their differences, similarities, commonalities. As a kid, I could never imagine how profoundly that exposure to multiple languages and cultures would inform who I am as a person and my perspective as a writer.
Currently, I’ve written around 30 books, of which I’ve published 20. I started with fantasy, but since then I’ve expanded my repertoire to include horror & paranormal, action & adventure, historical fiction, poetry, and post-apocalyptic fiction.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a young adult futuristic urban fantasy entitled *The Rave,* the first in The Aelfraver Trilogy. I drew from a lot of different yarns to tie this particular tapestry together: *His Dark Materials* by Phillip Pullman, *A Wizard of Earthsea* by Ursula K. LeGuin, Andrzej Sapkowski’s *The Witcher* series, and more. Generally, I tore through a lot of young adult books featuring strong female leads, like *Children of Blood and Bone* by Tomi Adeyemi. And, of course, if you’re going to write young adult dystopia, *The Hunger Games* by Suzanne Collins is inevitably going to end up on your to-read list. As I read, I was (consciously or unconsciously) taking notes for my own main character, Alina K’vich. As much as possible, I wanted to tell a story in a fantasy setting that moved away from the traditional Medieval European-inspired backdrops, themes, and symbols. I suppose that I built my world of El out of the mashed bones of everything I like.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, can’t think of anything particularly unusual. I write whenever I have time, always keeping a notebook handy, using any scrap of paper I can grab if needed. I listen to music – mostly chillstep and other melodic ambient stuff – which acts as a kind of tuning fork for my brain to get me in the zone.
I also, whenever possible, toss my phone into a different room to limit distractions. Other than that, I block out time to write whenever I can. My favorite time to work would be Friday mornings, in front of my PC, all my chores and other responsibilities out of the way. A little bit of music thrumming in the background. My dog and cats napping quietly beside me. Maybe a cup of coffee, if I’m feeling greedy.
And, of course, I routinely summon my eldritch familiar Melchiezer the Baleful to dance the flamenco on my head while I type. Helps me think. So, no, nothing especially out of the ordinary.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to name, but I’ll hit the big ones that shaped me from childhood, and send my apologies to the countless others I’ll fail to mention here: my favorite author of all time, Terry Pratchett, and the dozens of books by him that I’ve read; Neil Gaiman’s *Sandman* graphic novel series, *The Graveyard Book*, *Coraline*, and my personal favorite short story *The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains*, which I highly recommend; Ursula K. LeGuin’s *Earthsea Cycle*; Susan Cooper’s *The Dark is Rising*; J.R.R. Tolkien’s *The Lord of the Rings*; Phillip Pullman’s *His Dark Materials*; Steven Brust’s *Vlad Taltos* series; Andrzej Sapkowski’s *The Witcher* series; China Mieville’s *Perdido Street Station*; Diana Wynne Jones’s *Howl’s Moving Castle*; and, I could and should keep going, but I’ll leave it there before you burst into tears, begging me to please just please enough already quit while I’m ahead.
What are you working on now?
I’ve got a few projects going right now, some farther along than others. First, I’m working on the second installment in *The Aelfraver Trilogy* — *The Rebel*. I’m putting as much thought, energy, and oomph as I can into making it a great standalone novel in addition to the necessary middle step of a three-part epic. I’m very excited but shall mysteriously say no more on that topic for now.
My frequent co-author and lifelong friend Silas Jackson and I are also collaborating on a trilogy of comedic fantasy books following a young goatherd on his foolhardy quest to become the plaything of Amazon-like pirates. He’s very lonely, and not particularly thoughtful, so he believes this to be an excellent idea that definitely won’t present him with a plethora of opportunities to die. Along the way, he meets equally colorful buffoons. Think high fantasy *Three Stooges* meets *Norsemen* (the show on Netflix).
With two of my friends, I’m also writing a script for a comedy podcast set in an extremely silly fantasy universe. When we get to the recording part of the production, I’ll be voice-acting a 7-foot-tall, muscular dog man chef. I’m having a fantastic time developing these characters in such good company.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still experimenting with paid advertising and all those avenues – my first time jumping into that pool. However, so far, my best success has come from connecting with people on Facebook groups, Reddit threads, and similar social media sites. Connecting with people gets them invested in your work, and helping each other while showing that you care generates word-of-mouth in the digital arena. And, word-of-mouth (whether in-person or remotely) has been the main source of all my sales and downloads. It’s a cliché for a reason.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be afraid. Be very af—No, really, I would say it’s both harder and easier than you might think to be a writer. My grandfather, a lifelong art teacher, used to say, “If you can write your name, you can draw,” and that sentiment applies here as well. Any story you put on paper, using whatever medium you prefer, makes you a writer. I’m not someone who wastes time questioning people’s credentials: if you write, you’re a writer. So, *becoming* a writer is easy.
*Remaining* a writer is the hard part. There will be times when you’ll doubt yourself so thoroughly and convincingly that you’ll want to quit. My first piece of advice is “sleep on it.” Don’t trust your late-night, staring-at-the-ceiling-in-the-dark-doubtful-self: that’s not really you. The occasional doubt can help you grow, but too much will stifle. Do something to take your mind off things, go to sleep, wake up in the morning, and then examine your thoughts and feelings. If you still find any joy in creating through writing, keep writing. Write what you love, and the rest will follow.
My second piece of advice is, “what others think matters only as much as you need it to.” Sure, if you want to make money writing, you’ll need to have good reviews and other forms of external validation. But, more important than any of that is the sense of enjoyment you derive from the creative process. Do you like what you write? Do you like to write? Well, then that’s it. Take the criticism that is useful, the critiques that will help you grow in the direction you wish to; listen to, and then forget, everything else.
My third piece of advice is “live your life.” Filling your mental tank with words and ideas requires life experiences. Whether you write epic fantasy or non-fiction, the observable world is the greatest and most varied source of inspiration you’ll ever find or need. Read a lot, be interested in as many different aspects of our world as you possibly can be; watch people, and then write about what you’ve seen—literally or figuratively.
My fourth piece of advice is to learn to accept failure. Invite him into your home with open arms. Bake him a fresh loaf of bread. Slice it, and slather it with garlic goat butter. Put up your feet and brew some tea or crack open a beer (or whatever beverage you prefer). As with anything you do in life, as a writer, failure will be a frequent visitor in your home. I’ve gone so far as to install a doggy door for him—he is, after all, small and sneaky enough to get in whether I like it or not. By anticipating his arrival, by making him welcome, I prepare myself to better hear and internalize the lessons his presence imparts. Ultimately, his purpose isn’t to hold us down, but to remind us of the worthiness of our work. Few tasks worth doing are easy. We don’t need to love failure, necessarily, but we do need to save a space for him at the table and roll out a cot for him when he needs it.
Lastly, and most importantly, take all advice with a grain of salt.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Everything in moderation, even moderation.”
What are you reading now?
*The Magician King* by Lev Grossman. I enjoyed *The Magicians* years ago, so I have high hopes.
I just finished Brandon Sanderson’s *Mistborn* trilogy, which were real page-turners, so I may try more from him soon.
I’ve also been hearing great things about *The Sword of Kaigen*, which I’ll be getting my hands on shortly.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish the podcast, publish the comedic high fantasy trilogy, begin the first draft of *The Rebel*, and continue to get my name out there when I can. (Thank you for the interview, by the way. Very kind.)
What is your favorite book of all time?
Easy: *Night Watch* by Terry Pratchett. So funny, heartfelt, clever, exciting, philosophically interesting, and fabulous. I love it. I mostly focus on reading new things, always new things, but this is the only book I’ve read 4 times. And, so help me, I’ll do it again! And every time, I’ll absolutely love it.
So many great Vimes.
That’s an in-joke, and a really bad one at that. Go read the book now so you can tell me exactly how pointless and bad my joke just now was.
Such a great book, though!
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