Meet Author Wesley CP
Short story: PBI: Poor Bloody Immortals
Apologue of the Immortals
Tell us a little about your background and what led you to writing.
I started getting into writing when I was in junior high but didn't produce much besides some short little openings. For several years I've been working on novels, self-publishing my first story in the summer of 2021.
How or when did you realize you wanted to be an author?
I've wanted to be a writer since I was a kid and started to find fantasy as a gateway into reading. Tolkien made me want to read, McKinley made me want to write. I didn't really understand what that meant in terms of work and the entire process from idea concepts to publishing until the past few years, but the journey has been well worth the effort and seeing my stories shared across the world.
What is your writing process like?
I am always writing in some ways, there is rarely any time that goes by in the day I am not listening to the character's voices in my head telling me their stories. Plot points and details will be mulled over in my mind for several days before I write them down, I'm constantly backed logged on the things I have to write and the time I can actually get them down on paper. When I actually write I usually focus on a scene that's been very loud in my mind to try and get it down on paper, adding additional details and language as I go to expand out a scene. After I have several scenes I start working to create the connection to other scenes together. This often leads to new scenes being created and working to make sure there aren't any plot holes.
What inspires you to write?
When I was a kid I was diagnosed with dyslexia and my parents were told that I would always be in special education, despite the fact that I was intelligent. My mom spent many nights reading books with me introducing me to fantasy and it opened my mind up to what writing to do. I want to write stories that others can discover and find the value of shared stories and the joys that can bring into their lives.
What part does writing play in your life?
It's always there, even when I don't write anything for days. The stories and ideas never stop coming.
What are your aspirations for your writing journey?
Right now I am focused on working on my self-published urban fantasy series and submitting short stories to vendors to get some hands-on experience. I have stories I am also working on that would be episodic serials for something like Kindle Villa, and would like to eventually have an agent to help push my stories to wider markets.
What is something you know now about writing you wish you knew when you started?
Setting realistic expectations of what is within my ability to do rather than try and meet the expectations others are able to set.
Describe your favorite character (you created). Why?
Parenting cop-out: but they're all my favorite.
Which author(s) inspires you as a writer?
J.R.R Tolkien, Robin McKinley, Ellen Kindt McKenzie, Jim Butcher, Katherine Kurtz, Brian Jacques, Anne McCaffrey.
What advice would you give newly aspiring authors?
Write when you can, rest when you need; it's a marathon, not a sprint.
What works can your readers expect to see in the near future?
Book 2 of Soul Wizard is hopefully going to be available in the summer of 2023 along with a Kindle Villa serial I am working on.
How can your readers find more about you and your works?
weswritesfantasy.com for all the newest stories, book links, blog posts, and more!