Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Whitney Metz, and I live in West Virginia, with two pigs I adopted after interning with Farm Sanctuary. I am currently writing a series of magical realism books, called Black Magick. The first two books are available now, from Amazon, and I am working on the third, which I hope to release in the fall of 2021. I also wrote a book of poetry, but I don’t necessarily count that one, because it was a long time ago, and I was young and a bit melodramatic.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent book is, Myths & Music: Black Magick Book 2. This series was inspired by my fascination with the supernatural, and my desire to explore all the possibilities that emerge, when you embrace the idea that there is much more to our world than that which we experience every day.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not entirely sure what is usual, or unusual, but a habit I have developed, that kind of surprised me, is building scenes around pieces of dialogue. When I first began writing this series, I found the idea of writing dialogue very daunting. I had predominantly written nonfiction, in the form of articles and blog posts, and poetry, before this, and I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to write conversations in a way that felt honest and realistic. Then I started to have these bits of dialogue pop into my head, and I would feel compelled to write scenes around them. Several times, I have even developed a whole character around a particular line. I ask myself, who would say this? What is this person like? What is their mindset? I have found that one interesting statement can lead into a deep understanding of someone’s personality.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like to think that every book I have ever read has influenced me, in one way or another. I don’t think I have ever read a book that didn’t have some impact on me, either personally or as a writer. The books that have had the greatest effect on my work though, are Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, Stephen King’s Dark Tower Series, and the Hellblazer comics. I also read a lot of nonfiction books, on mythology, magick, and various spiritual belief systems, which (I hope) helps my stories to have a more solid foundation beneath them.
What are you working on now?
I am currently editing the third book in the Black Magick Series, and recording what will hopefully turn into an audio version of the second book. I also write a weekly blog on my website.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion has, thus far, been the most difficult part of the entire process for me. I still haven’t quite gotten a handle on it. At this point, I am just trying to share quotes from my books, and information about my work, on as many social media sites as possible, as well as running regular Facebook ads.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
This may sound kind of silly, but use the read aloud feature on your word processor for editing. I have an incredibly hard time catching typos in my own work, and I’ve heard other writers say the same. I can honestly read the same paragraph ten times and still overlook some really obvious mistakes, because my brain just registers what I meant, rather than what is actually on the page. I didn’t think to try the read aloud feature until my second book, and it made the whole editing process so much quicker, easier, and more reliable.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The entirety of Neil Gaiman’s “Make Good Art” speech. I first heard it when I was just starting to try to get into writing fiction. At the time, I was attempting to write short stories, and I don’t know that I ever would have had the courage or motivation to write a whole novel, let alone a series, if I hadn’t listened to it.
What are you reading now?
I am almost always reading two books at once, one for enjoyment and one for research. Currently, I’m reading volume twenty-three of the Hellblazer collection, and Craft of the Wild Witch, by Poppy Palin.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Right now, I just want to keep going with my Black Magick series. I’m planning for, at least, two more books. After that, I’m not sure. I’ve grown pretty attached to my current characters, so I may continue to follow them, after this particular story is finished.
What is your favorite book of all time?
I’ve read many books that resonated deeply with me, but American Gods would have to be my favorite. It captures everything I love about reading, and writing. The way Gaiman blends this supernatural world into our own world, so smoothly and believably, is incredibly enjoyable to read, and something that I aspire to, as a writer.
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