I
wrote the rough draft of Tournament of the Worlds one and two in
three months. It took me another three months after that to ensure I
had a coherent story. It was edited no less than three times before
publishing which took an entire year. So I completed not one, but two
books in a year and a half.
What
do you think makes a great story?
For
me it's putting the reader in one of the characters shoes, no matter
how different they may be. If that reader can relate to one of the
characters and that makes them feel emotion whether it be joy, fear,
hostility or even sorrow, it has the potential to become a great
story.
Which
writers/books inspired you when writing Tournament
Of The Worlds?
I'd
have to say George R.R. Martin and his Game of Thrones series. That
man has such a talent for doing what I explained in the prior
question, his works bring a range of emotion from triumph to
heartache.
What
are your ambitions for your writing career? Full time? Part time?
Most
defiantly full time.
When
did you decide to become a writer?
It
didn't come over me until college. I'd often find myself writing
until sunup, sometimes twenty or thirty pages at a time. After I left
school I'd written three tome sized novels, all different genres.
While I wouldn't consider publishing that material, accomplishing it
while attending college courses was incredibly satisfying. It was
pretty much the sign I needed, that I'd be doing this with my life.
When
writing Tournament
Of The Worlds
did anything stand out as particularly challenging?
No.
While I'd love to find something, besides some minor character
interactions this book had come strangely natural. I'm not saying my
books are perfect, or that everyone will like them, but this book is
a part of me. The most challenging thing was getting it going, when
you dream as I do, deciphering your visions can be extremely
challenging and exhausting.
How
did you come up with the story of Tournament
Of The Worlds?
I've
always been naturally imaginative, so I'm sure that had something to
do with it , but as previously mentioned I'm a dreamer, and every
piece of this book was a reoccurring dream.
What
do you like to do when not writing?
I
love golfing though I'm awful, fishing which I'm an expert at, skiing
which makes me feel like a child, jet skiing which makes me feel like
an adult, and traveling which I never have time to do. My harsh
reality is I work, I'm a workaholic.
They
can purchase my first book by going to my website www.totwweb.com. I
do have a low key Facebook account and a budding Instagram, but I'm
not by any means some social media genius. I'll leave you with those
links and a thank you for your interview!
https://www.instagram.com/travis_j_thompson/
https://www.facebook.com/travisjamesthompson/