How much do you think that your writing education played into your ability to pull off such awesome writing? For other authors looking to mimic your success, would you say a degree in creative writing or an MFA is a necessity? JS: That sounds similar to my process, though I often have to go back and update the outline to make sure I’m not going off on a crazy path.

Then I just kind of sat down and let words come out. I had a one-page brief outline of the plot before I started writing, and then as I got to know the world and the magic system a little more, I expanded the outline. When it comes to writing, do you have a method to the madness? I wouldn’t like that guy in real life, so I decided to tell the story from a slightly different perspective. Namely, that the hero who miraculously inherits all of his power is usually a pretentious, self-focused jerk. The essential idea for the plot came from a frustration I’ve always had with fantasy novels. In the universe of the Traveler’s Gate trilogy, that’s a superpower. The magic system came from a little fantasy I’ve had for years: sometimes, I just want to step into my own little world where no one can get to me. In terms of House of Blades specifically, I had several different core ideas for the plot, world, magic system, and characters. The trick is sifting through all those little pieces and putting them together in a way that makes sense. I collect bits and pieces of a story from everywhere: song lyrics, bumper stickers, desktop wallpapers, Reddit. Will Wight: For me, the ideas have always been the easy part. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you came up with this amazing idea for a trilogy? As you know, I love your books and your writing style. Justin Sloan: Will, thank you so much for agreeing to speak with me. The result of his drive to write was that he did not have to find a mediocre desk job like many of us have to do in order to pay the bills-he is a writer who pays his bills through his writing.

Will went straight into an MFA program from undergrad, published the first book of his trilogy, and has had some success working as an author. So treat yourself to some Christmas magic and pick up electronic copies of both of our books and enjoy some wonderful reading this weekend. To add extra candy to the stockings, my book Creative Writing Careerfeatures his interview and many more, and is also on a Christmas sale for $0.99. It makes sense for me to share this with you all today, because Will is offering a Christmas discount on the second book in his trilogy, The Crimson Vault. He also has his next series coming out soon, and the cover looks amazing ( Of Shadow and Sea). As a Christmas present to all of you, I would like to share my interview with Will Wight, the author of the Travelers Gate trilogy.

The traveler's gate trilogy