This week has been a Science Fiction oriented week for me
with my recent viewing of Star Trek Beyond ringing in my mind. With the
Enterprise warping through my brain I decided to sit down with Science Fiction
author Seth Eaves and ask him about not only his progress but what draws him to
write in this genre.
1.
Wile E. Young: Hi Seth, thank you for
agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your
background?
Seth Eaves: Thank you for
inviting me to do this, it is a huge honor. I am a writer looking to make an
impact in the literary world. My preferred genre in just about anything
(writing, reading, tv, movie, video game) is science fiction. I am a huge nerd
who fell in love with science, philosophy, psychology, history, and space
exploration at a young age. All my life I have looked up at the stars and
always wondered how many other races were looking down on me. I’ve always
enjoyed writing throughout my entire life and have been writing off and on
since I was in elementary school.
2.
Wile E. Young: When did you decide to
become a writer?
Seth Eaves: I can’t
really think of any specific time when I made that decision. Subconsciously,
I’ve always known that I want to write. I’ve always enjoyed entertaining people
and I’ve always enjoyed the art of storytelling, be it in written form or oral.
So, I don’t really have a moment in time where I had that ‘Aha! I want to be a
writer!” moment. There was just a moment when I was 22 when I suddenly told
myself “Well, you’ve wasted enough time. If you’re going to become a writer you
need to get on the ball.”
3.
Wile E. Young: What genre are your books?
Seth Eaves: My books are
mainly in the science fiction genre. For a brief moment near the beginning of
my fledgling career, I told myself I wanted to be one of those writers who
wasn’t held down in one genre but as I’ve grown as a writer and as a person
I’ve realized that I love being known as a ‘science fiction writer.’ Now,
different stories reach into different ends of the sci-fi spectrum. I have
military sci-fi, I have science fiction/psychological horror, I have cyberpunk,
I have steampunk, I have space western. My main goal is, if it falls under the
sci-fi umbrella, then I’m going to write in it.
4.
Wile E. Young: What draws you to this
genre?
Seth Eaves: The main thing that
draws me to sci-fi is how fantastical it all is. A sci-fi writer isn’t bound by
the confines of what is real and possible. If I want to write a future were an
entire continent no longer exists, I can do it. If I want to write an alternate
future where the Allies lost World War 2, it’s all good because science fiction
gives you the ability to alter history. It also gives you the ability to
project your hopes or concerns of what the future will look like. Will we
achieve a utopic future like we see in Star Trek, a world devoid of sickness,
money, starvation and homelessness? Or will we see a dark, bleak future full of
lawlessness, war and strife? It’s a perfect conduit into the mind of the
writer, their imagination, their creativity, their fears, their dreams, their
likes and their dislikes. Sci-fi is also the perfect marriage of science and
fiction. It’s even in the name. You can write a story that delves deep into
science, a story that heavily relies on science, but in the same vein is also fictional.
I also like the fact that, if I goof something up, I can just so “Eh, its
science fiction. I can change that according to my narrative and nobody can say
anything about it.”
5.
Wile E. Young: So, what have you written?
Seth Eaves: I wrote two novellas
that I self-published on Amazon’s Kindle. They are called ‘Within the Walls of
Chaos’ and ‘Operation: Empty Orchestra’ I have since removed them with the
intentions of getting them picked up by a magazine but I still leave open the
option for any friend who wants to read them to receive a free copy by email.
My number one intentions with them and the following shorts was for publicity
and spreading my name, not money. They are the building block of my ‘Dark
Legacy’ series, my magnum opus, the story line that I spent the most amount of
my life creating.
6.
Wile E. Young: What are you working on at
the minute?
Seth Eaves: I have many irons in the
fire at the moment. I am finishing the shorts that go along with my two
previous mentioned novellas to form my ‘Prelude to War’ book that opens up my
‘Dark Legacy’ series. I am also working on a few other stories, some shorts
hopefully for magazines, and three full length novels that I alternate my
attention on. One is a science fiction/psychological horror story called ‘The
Quiet Room’, another is a sci-fi story called ‘Imaginations From the Looking
Glass’ and the third is a still untitled space western. There is also the
collaborative project we are working on ‘The Thirteenth Sign.’ I also have
various other projects planned and lined up. One thing I am not lacking is
ideas.
7.
Wile E. Young: Give us an insight into
your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
Seth Eaves: I think, one of the
things that makes my main characters special is they are completely broken
individuals. Never will you find a person in my stories who has it all
together, there is always something flawed about my characters. But they don’t
let those flaws hold them back from their purpose. My characters are always a
huge testament to the indomitable human will. Regardless of what is causing
them to be broken, they always struggle to do the right thing, even at the cost
of their own lives. Now, that doesn’t mean that all of my main characters
possess moral compasses that always point due north. A lot of them exist in a
morally grey area but usually out of a necessity, never out of wickedness.
Because they act questionably out of a personal need they still have that
chance at redemption and at the heart of it all, that is what many of my
stories are about: the human will and our chances at redemption. Plus, a lot of
my main characters have very dry, wicked, sarcastic senses of humor and I think
that is a nice draw.
8.
Wile E. Young: Which actor/actress would
you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
Seth Eaves: I think, if I ever had
the opportunity to have one of my books turned into a movie, I would want to
take a chance on a relatively unknown and try to give him his big break. It
only seems fair if I had been given a chance to live out my dream that I turn
around and give someone else the chance to live out theirs.
9.
Wile E. Young: How do you think you’ve
evolved creatively?
Seth Eaves: I believe my writing has
become more focused. I use to be pretty bad about rambling on, still can be at
times both in writing and in real life. Since the beginning though, I’ve become
much better at keeping myself on track, having a clear goal and endgame to work
toward and making sure that absolutely nothing is in my story that isn’t
necessary. I’ve also become better at questioning myself and ensuring that what
I am putting out is quality work to be proud of instead of just settling for
whatever my end product is. I have also learned to take the time to develop
every inch of my story and the world it takes place in beforehand instead of
just throwing the ideas in the air and letting them rest wherever they lay.
10.
Wile E. Young: What is the hardest thing
about writing?
Seth Eaves: For me, the two hardest
things about writing are: 1.) Settling on what to write. I have writers ADD.
One day I want to work on this story, the next day I want to work on that
story. It can be frustrating at times because it hinders my productivity. 2.)
Balancing the time in my days. Unfortunately, writing isn’t paying the bills
just yet so I have to balance a regular, 40 hour work week along with spending
time with my wife and kids and my various responsibilities at church.
11.
Wile E. Young: Do you have a special time
to write or how is your day structured?
Seth Eaves: During the school year I
have a window from the time I get home from work to the time the kids get home
from school and that is usually my time when I can sit down and focus on
nothing but writing. I try to do about an hour of writing before I go to sleep
as well. Thankfully, my family is real good about when they see me at my
computer with my headphones on, they don’t disturb me unless it is an
emergency. Once I get in my zone and really get to cranking, I won’t stop until
I type a couple thousand words or type for a couple hours. Then I take a break,
depending on if I feel I accomplished enough, maybe come back and write more or
not. Then the next day I start off by going over what I wrote the day before
and ensuring it fits right in the story and making minor adjustments here or
there before starting the process over again.
12.
Wile E. Young: Do you write every day, 5
days a week or just when you are able?
Seth Eaves: I would love to say I
write everyday but sadly, this is not the case. I strive to write everyday but
that doesn’t always happen. I generally manage about 4-5 days a week, on a good
day.
13.
Wile E. Young: Which writers inspire you?
Seth Eaves: 13. I’m going to go ahead
and start by saying you of course. Your imagination just blows me away at
times, not to mention your outspokenness and confidence. Those are two
characteristics I try to emulate personally. I’m also largely inspired by some
of the sci-fi greats like Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Orson Scott Card. I
am a HUGE fan of Timothy Zahn, Kevin J Anderson, David Weber, Stephen Baxter,
Greg Bear. Outside of sci-fi, my two biggest influences are Stephen King and
Tom Clancy. The list can go on but those are the names of the greats that
influence me and cause me to want to better myself as a writer on a daily
basis.
14.
Wile E. Young: What advice would you give
to your younger self?
Seth Eaves: First thing I would say
to my younger self is ‘Get your crap together. Stop playing around and get more
serious about writing.’ Then I would work with me about being more outspoken
and confident and to learn to trust my instincts more.
15.
Wile E. Young: How can readers discover
more about you and you work?
Seth Eaves: Really, the main way to
learn more about me is on Facebook. I have my main profile where I rarely post
much but I have my author page where….I rarely post much either but I focus on
my writing projects on there. My main goal is to spread my name and get more
notice and attention so those are the best places to interact with me and, if
interest is shown, gain access to some free stories.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/setheaves87/?fref=ts
A huge thank you to Seth Eaves for being my
first Interviewee on my blog and for allowing me to pick his brain apart for
his views on the Science Fiction Genre, it was much appreciated.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.