J.W. Webb
Interviewed By: Ms. Nita Samantaray
J.W. Webb was born in
northern England in 1961. Throughout his childhood he loved reading books and
imagining stories. Among his favourites at that time were The Hobbit and the
Chronicles of Narnia. Throughout his teens J.W. Webb went on to read lots more
fantasy books and dreamt of one day penning his own. This he finally achieved
back in 2001 and ever since then has been honing his craft. After serving in
the British Army, travelling the world and working as a truck driver for twenty
five years, and after losing is first wife to cancer, Webb crossed the
Atlantic, remarried and set himself up as a full time writer in 2014. J.W. Webb
now has four books out and is working on two more, which will conclude his epic
fantasy series -- Legends of Ansu.
Lets have a glance on what he has to say on my Questions:
Nita: Hi Webb, I welcome you to ‘’All about an Author’’
Webb: Thanks,
it’s very nice to be here.
Nita: Tell me a bit about yourself.
Webb: I’m
an English author living in Georgia USA. I’ve been working on my fantasy
series, Legends of Ansu for two decades, but only last year released the first
three books. After many years driving trucks and working in construction,
moving to the US enabled me to follow my passion, and set myself up as a full
time writer.
Nita: When and how did you start your journey of writing?
Webb: Way back in the 1990’s, I’ve always had a wild imagination and I came up with
this image of a character - a warrior
type - whilst people-watching in English pubs when I was staying far from home.
The character (Corin) wouldn’t leave me alone. Others joined him, I drew maps,
and slowly a world - Ansu - was born. Over the years it evolved and grew as did
my list of characters.
Nita: What inspired you for writing?
Webb: I’m
a storyteller, it’s a natural as breathing for me. I needed to get those
stories down on paper. By doing that I became a writer, learning the craft of
weaving words so they make sense and are a measure to absorb. Also, reading
fantasy in my childhood/teens. Books like The Lord of the Rings, The Broken
Sword,(Poul Anderson) and the Narnia Series charged my imagination.
Nita: Is there any specific genre that you prefer to write
or read?
Webb: I
write fantasy, it’s where I’m comfortable. That said, I’ve written a ghost
story novella called the Haven, set in Cornwall, England. Its based around one
of my late wife Rae’s paintings. She so loved ghost stories. I do plan to write
in other genres, I like historical fiction, so I think I’ll have a go at that
in the future. But first I’ve a score more fantasy epics to pen :)
Nita: How will you explain your books?
Webb: They
are epic fantasy, no social message, just wonderful stories fusing magic and
myth with grit and fast-paced action. I pitch my work halfway between Tolkien’s
grandeur and the addictive realism of the characters in Game of Thrones. I also
weave a wry humor into my characters - they have a lot of issues and like to
talk about them, usually at the worst possible time.
Nita: How was your book publishing journey?
Webb: Oh,
its been a voyage of discovery :) Long… I had an agent for a while over ten
years ago. That led to a lot of excitement but petered out with little result.
I made the decision to become an indie author, thus had to learn the tangled
ropes of marketing, promotion etc — a whole new world. I have learnt a great
deal and now consider myself reasonably savvy.
But I’m discovering new stuff every day. It’s a steep slope and a lot of
work. The world of books is changing so fast it’s hard to keep up!
Nita: Is writing your passion or profession?
Webb: I’d
lie if I said - It’s pure expression, it’s about the art and I’m not worried
about making money. Certainly I want recognition and the rewards that come with
that. I believe a good product deserves a good return, and my books are a very
good product. That said, passion wins every time. I cannot not write (forgive
the double negative :) And there are far easier ways to make money than
writing. My stories come from deep within and burst their way out. My greatest
pleasure comes from reading the reviews of people who have enjoyed them. That’s
the high-octave fuel that keeps this ocean liner rolling over churning waters.
Nita: How did you manage time between your full time
profession and writing?
Webb: I
worked shifts, nights and long hours but found time to scribble during my
downtimes. Sometimes I wouldn’t write at all and at others I would spill out
huge chunks. For me it has always been organic rather than organized, though I
like to think I’m more structured now. As I said it’s been a long process.
Nita: Best piece of writing advice from you?
Webb: Read,
read and then read again. I don’t read anywhere near as much as I should these
days. Words lead to words, you need to swallow old ones to spill out the new.
Follow you're heart, don’t be dissuaded by naysayers. Learn all you can, listen
and engage, but do your own thing. Keep going, its a marathon not a sprint.
Don’t Give Up! - as Kate Bush sang in Peter Gabriel’s 1980’s
hit
Nita: Something personal about you people may be surprised
to know?
Webb: ?
I sailed the Tasman Sea south of Australia in a brigantine during the 1980’s. I
also caught venomous snakes for surveying whilst aiding the South Australia Wildlife Fund. It’s where I met my second wife, Joanne. I once hitched from
Alaska to Key West Florida via California, a trip that took three months and
left me with just five dollars. I enjoy music and quality wines, I’m an avid of
Norse/Celtic mythology and I used to practice martial arts.I occasionally shoot
a longbow in my fields. I once served in the Queen’s Guard in London.
Nita: Do you have any upcoming books or plans?
Webb: I’m working on two books at the moment. The Glass Throne
and The Reluctant King will conclude the four book series about my roguish
character Corin. I’m self-editing at the moment before sending on to my editor.
When she’s done I’ll finish up and aim to have them both out late this year.
They are very special as they all feature beautiful sketches by Tolkien artist,
Roger Garland, who I know from my days in Cornwall.
Nita: Any message to your fans?
Webb: Thanks for being there, and please keep reading!
There’s a lot of great stuff on its way. You’re the best!
Nita: I would love if you will give me some suggestions for
my blogs ‘’Your Book Our Review’’ and ‘’All about an Author’’
Webb: I write a blog most weeks on jimrae90.com Lately I’ve been focusing on mini stories surrounding my
dubious cast of characters. These serve as tasters that allow folk to dip into
the world of Ansu and see if it’s for them. I think story blogs are fun.
Anything about the writing process, imparting advice, sharing trials and
tribulations is good.I read a lot of blogs about self publishing, some are
brilliant though some a touch dry. I think blogs should be short, informative
and witty. I think your blogs are great, Nita!
Thanks for having me on!
You can reach Author J.W. Webb through below link:
Facebook Page
Facebook Page
You can get his book through below link:
''I am really thankful to Author J.W.Webb for sharing his thoughts. It was really nice interacting with such a great and dedicated Author.''
Nita Samantaray
All about an Author
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