Del's Delusional Ravings

The mad raving and reviews of Author Deliaria Davis.

Tales From Our Write Side Anthology Interviews: David Wiley

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Over the next several weeks I have the great pleasure of interviewing several of the authors from the new anthology from Our Write Side,  Tales From Our Write Side, a series of short stories by a troupe of amazing authors, some of them friends of mine! Today I have the great pleasure of having David Wiley with us. His work, The Portentous Passenger, is one of 17 featured in the anthology. I’ll go ahead and let Davis introduce himself!

My name is David Wiley and I love to read and write. Growing up I always could be found with my nose in a book, graduating from Dr. Seuss to Goosebumps to Redwall and then into the broad realms of Science Fiction and Fantasy. As the years have progressed I have gained a love, in particular, for the works of Tolkien and for Medieval literature such as Beowulf. Books will undoubtedly remain a piece of who I am until the day I die.

Writing, on the other hand, has an on-again, off-again relationship with me. I go through streaks of intensive writing and thoroughly enjoy those times. I go through equally-intensive stretches where I struggle to string together a few paragraphs because my interest gets pulled in other directions. But, like Tolkien, I am a sub-creator at heart and love to tell stories and imagine characters and worlds and my hope remains that, one day, something I write will capture the imagination of a reader and transport them to a world they have fallen in love with.

Del: If you could meet any one person, who would it be and why?
David: If that person could be anyone throughout history, I would love to meet J.R.R. Tolkien because he has been my biggest influence and inspiration as a writer and as a scholar. Not only would it be fun to meet the man who created Middle-Earth and helped shape the genre of fantasy as we know it, but it would also be fun to sit down and discuss the Anglo-Saxons and Beowulf and other great works from the Medieval time period. If I had to choose one person who is currently living, that is a bit harder. I think that I would have to choose Brandon Sanderson, just to find out how he manages to write out so many great books in such a short span of time.
Del: Why writing? What drove you to pursue it as more than a closed hobby?
David: I am a storyteller at heart. A lifetime of vivid imagination, immersion in fantasy worlds, and playing of Role-Playing games all fueled this passion within me. While I struggle at times to fit my style into more conventional standards, I still enjoy letting my imagination run wild and hope that any readers come to appreciate that in my writing. And really, the reason why I pursue it is with the hope that some reader, somewhere, if able to enjoy being transported to different worlds and experiences that they might never get to have in their mundane lives.
Del: Is there anything you refuse to write about? Why?
David: At this point in time, I steer clear of sex. I just don’t view it as a necessary scene to include in my writing, plus my novel I’m working on is for a young enough audience that it just wouldn’t belong in there in the first place.
Del: You get stuck on a deserted island, what do you take with you? You can pick three things.
David: Clothing, the TARDIS, and the 10th Doctor. I won’t be stranded on that island for long, but rather would be heading on adventures through all of time and space. Probably starting with a visit to J.R.R. Tolkien!
Del: Why did you chose to do an anthology? What were the big benefits for you?
David: The greatest thing about anthologies is the sense of discovery as you read the collection of authors and their differing stories. Even when they are all tethered together by a common theme, each story has its unique stamp by the author. It is one of my favorite ways of discovering a new author to read because an anthology allows you to get a sample of their writing and see how well they can weave shorter tales. And that, ultimately, is always the biggest benefit for me personally. Not only do I enjoy discovering those authors, but I hope to have one or two readers who walk away after reading my story and want to find out what else I have out there that they could read.
Del: How do you relax?
David: My wife and I play a lot of board games. Not the ones you grew up with like Scrabble, Monopoly, or any of those. But epic games like War of the Ring (based on the Lord of the Rings books), Agricola, Small World, and many others. It has become my favorite hobby, perhaps something I have started to enjoy even more than reading because it gives me interaction with my wife and, as he gets older, my son. We’re that strange couple who rarely watches television because we’d rather play games together.
Del: What is your favorite genre to write?
David: I have always loved fantasy, and my favorite to read is epic fantasy although I’m not sure I have the talent and organization skills to tackle a massive series and do it justice. So I term my own writing in as character-driven heroic fantasy. I also dabble some in Science Fiction, although it would be light Sci-Fi, and would love to eventually try my hand at Steampunk.
Del: Where do you get the ideas for your writing from?
David: There is a small wardrobe in my imagination that I must walk through backwards while reciting an incantation in Old English. That transports me to a large cavern where a golden dragon sits atop a horde of story ideas. I sneak into there, careful not to wake the dragon, and snag an idea and then sprint back to the portal that will return me back to my own world. Satisfactory answer? :)
Honestly, I’ve always had an imagination for the whimsical and fantastic, probably because I grew up reading books, watching fantasy movies, and playing RPGs.
Del: Favorite book series and why?
David: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. The vast depth of the characters, the worldbuilding, and the ever-present tension makes these books (although technically they should have been just one book) the peak of fantasy literature. They have inspired so many writers, myself included, and I imagine they will continue to do so for generations.
Thank you for your time David! I appreciate it so much! You can follow David at any of the following:
Check out his website/blog.
Like his Facebook Author Page
Follow him on Twitter
Follow his author page on Goodreads
And check out my author page on Amazon, where you can find ways to purchase his writing.

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