Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with William Z. Stone

What inspired you to write “Cyberblade”?

Stone: I started writing Cyberblade after the bushfires that swept through my area. Something about the weather forecast stating how unsafe it was to leave the house each day, as ash blackened the sky, really made an impact on me, leading to my preference shifting from fantasy to dystopian fiction. At the time, I felt as if trapped in a giant engine, with fumes and gas gushing outside, and turned that inspiration into the 'enginestates' used in my world-building, where the largest population centers of Neo Mars are constructed in huge holes that stretch down to the planet's core.

As a big fan of Cyberpunk 2077 (even years before it was released), I was also eager to take inspiration from the concept art, along with my personal passion for the Greek mythos, which wove together into the characters and setting used in The City of Five Skies. But of course, as I have a background in supernatural and fantasy writing, I was also eager to add supernatural elements that provided a a new dimension to the genre.

How did you come up with the names of your main characters?

Stone: Lex (Alexandria), is derived from the city of Alexandria, whose famous libraries had been a fount of knowledge in the ancient world. Her mother, Aesera, was named after Aesera of Lucania, the author of 'On Human Nature', a scientific work that pioneered the use of observation in the building of physical and spiritual knowledge. Other characters are also related to Greek philosophy, although many are sourced instead from the Greek mythos, or were popular names during the classical period of their respective cultures.

When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?

Stone: Ever since I was little, I’d come up with little stories in my head. While a teenager, I transitioned that into a form of storytelling like Dungeons and Dragons, where my friends would tell me what they wanted to do, and I’d adapt the story as we went. Since then, I started managing campaigns as a Dungeon Master and went through a phase where I published two chapters a day to a web series called ‘Hero Scout’ that got a few hundred thousand reads. Altogether, I don’t really get writers' block, as I have a pretty extensive history of coming up with stories on the fly.

My issues are more related to making the best story possibly as while I can write and write and write, it takes several drafts before I settle on the plotlines I’m most happy with. On another note, I look forward to having kids one day so that I can read them a new story every night from an empty page. Sounds like a fun challenge.

Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?

Stone: I’d absolutely recommend writing garbage. Garbage is great! You already know it's bad so there’s absolutely no pressure at all, and you can just grumble on until you hit the end, by which time you will know exactly what needs changing to make your story ten times better. If you ever get to the end of your re-drafting and don’t know what to do anymore, then you’re probably ready for a developmental editor.

My second tip is to see if your local community offers writing grants. It’s a slim chance, but hey, getting paid by a council, foundation or your country to write can be a great gig if you get lucky, and submissions are free.

What is your favorite book, genre, and/or author?

Stone: I really like Brandon Sanderson for weaving together epic, multi-book tales, and Christopher Paolini, who used standard trope fantasy in an epic way, and proved that nothing is too stale to be re-imagined. Together they hold up what I want to be, an author with an inter-connected world of books, and who is also able to take up old tropes and breathe fresh life into them.

What are you working on next?

Stone: As I’m a fan of pumping out 8,000 words a day and culling what I don’t like, I’ve already finished the first draft of several books. Most won’t see the life of day, but a few have really taken hold.

My next book is going to be set in the Cyberblade universe, in the enginestate neighboring Troezen, where a supernatural plague has created zombies with guns and their own little psionic civilization. It’s been super fun so far thinking of how the cybernetic warriors from my first book can fight organized armies of the undead, and I think I’ve continued to expand the overall story of the planet nicely in preparation for my biggest work that’s coming after.

Because once my next book is out, I want to have the finishing touches complete on the third book, which will be the first part of a multi-book series that will expand on the content of the first two and build a larger narrative with even greater stakes and far larger battles for the future of the human race.

Learn More About the Author and Cyberblade here:

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Website: https://www.livebookpublishing.com/

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