Welcome to author, W.D. Kilpack! Thank you for joining me today!
W.D. Kilpack III is an award-winning and critically
acclaimed internationally published writer, with works appearing in print,
online, radio and television, starting with his first publication credit at the
age of nine, when he wrote an award-winning poem. As an adult, he received
special recognition from L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. He has
been editor and/or publisher of nineteen news and literary publications, both
online and in print, with circulations as high as 770,000. He is an
accomplished cook and has two claims he thinks few can match: cooking nearly
every type of food on a grill; and nearly being knocked flat when his grill
exploded.
He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from
Westminster College of Salt Lake City. As an undergrad, he double-majored in
communication and philosophy, while completing the Honors Program. As a
graduate student, he earned a master of professional communication with a
writing emphasis. He was also a high-performing athlete, qualifying for
international competition in Greco-Roman wrestling.
He is a communication professor and a nationally recognized
wrestling coach. He is happily married to his high-school sweetheart and is
father to five children, as well as helping to raise five step-children. He was
born in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he continues to live, coach and teach.
Honors and Awards
·
2021 Winner Firebird Book Award
·
Author of the Month: Sinister Soup Podcast, April
2021
·
2020 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book of the Year Runner-Up:
OnlineBookClub.org
·
Honorable Mention: L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the
Future
·
Editor's Choice x5: North American Open Poetry
Competition, National Library of Poetry
·
3rd Place: North American Open Poetry Competition,
National Library of Poetry
Website and social media pages:
Official Web Site: www.kilpack.net
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/W.D.-Kilpack-III/e/B07TT3RQYT
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19339956.W__Kilpack_III
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/w-d-kilpack-iii
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wdkilpackiii/
What is are your favorite genres to read and write?
I love science fiction and fantasy. I love to read it, write it,
watch it in movies, TV. I just love it!
What are you working on now?
I just had two novels published in December, Demon Seed, the
third book in the New Blood Saga, and an unrelated sci-fi novel called Pale
Face. So I’m putting in time marketing those, while I am making another pass on
book book for, Rilari, and cover art for it.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
I’ve been very lucky to be surrounded by people who have been
supportive and contributed to me developing my skills. My first publication
credit came when I was 9 years old, when my teacher, Ms. Adams, submitted a
poem I wrote to a contest. I didn’t even know she did it. Then the poem won
first place and was published.
In sixth grade, Mrs. Ferrin, who taught my Language Arts and
Gifted & Talented classes, let me write a new chapter of a novel for every
writing assignment in those two classes over the year, regardless of the actual
assignment. As a result, by the end of the year, I wrote my first novel. From
that moment on, my career goal changed to novelist. In eighth grade, Mrs.
Demond, who was my Computer Science teacher, read my handwritten manuscripts for
a sci-fi trilogy I had written, and pulled strings for me to be her student
aide, but my time was to be spent typing up my books, since I didn’t have a
computer at home. In ninth grade, my Honors English teacher, Mrs. McKinnon, was
extremely supportive, reading my stories to the class and persuaded the school
to laminate a bunch of maps I had been drawing when creating the setting for
that first novel I wrote when I was 12. In tenth grade, Mrs. Sawaya, who taught
my Journalism class and was the newspaper and literary-magazine advisor, really
pushed me to write. She read my work, got me to take part in newspaper staff as
a writer and cartoonist, until I was editor-in-chief my senior year. For
literary magazine, she selected a lot of my writing and art, and I eventually
served as editor for two terms.
In college, Dr. Fogo, who taught most of my communication
classes and was the newspaper advisor, really helped me raise my level of
writing to a higher level. That mentorship continued when I was getting my masters
with Dr. Hodgson.
My creativity has been encouraged throughout my life, dating
back to when I wasn’t even school age. I used to go to my mom and ask her to
feel my head because I was pretty sure that I was growing horns. She felt my
head with both hands and said, “Yep, I can feel them!” When I went back again,
she said she was sure they were bigger than the last time, and so on.
What would you say are your strengths as an author?
Productivity. I am the most prolific writer I know. I can sit
and write for an entire day and often do. To give it a bit more context, I once
worked at a company as the technical writer, and the marketing manager heard
that I had a journalism background, so he asked me if I could help him meet a
deadline for a press release. He told me what he needed, I left, then came back
about 15 minutes later. He looked up and asked, “Do you have more questions?” I
said, “No,” and handed him the press release. He was in awe. Then he asked me
if I could help with other projects. By the time I left that company, I was
writing about 95% of everything that was produced, regardless of the department
or the audience.
How often do you write, and do you write using a strict
routine?
I do not outline my books. I know there are some out there who
would say that I’m not a real writer because of that, but it doesn’t mean that
I don’t have an idea of where the stories are going. There are times when I
have to sit and write; I really don’t have any choice. So I write at least a
paragraph to nail down the idea, although that usually goes from one paragraph
to two, then three, then often into twenty pages.
Another reason why I don’t outline my books is this: when I’m
putting in concentrated work into a novel, when I surprise myself, then I know
it will surprise others. So, if I sit back and say, “Whoa, didn’t see that
coming …!” I’m positive others will have the same response, and that’s my goal.
I want people to be surprised, to have an emotional response.
I don’t have a set number of drafts before a book is “ready.” I
always try to knock out a first draft while things are flowing. However, on
Crown Prince, I decided to try something new. Each time I sat down to write, I
would go back about 10 pages and revise them, then go right into writing fresh
copy from there. It made for a much cleaner “first” draft. With Crown Prince, I
also started reading my books to my wife at night; she called them her
“bedtime” stories. That allowed me to get a wave of editing in by reading them
out loud. Incidentally, I think reading your work out loud is the most
effective way to edit your own work.
All that being said, with the New Blood Saga, because it was
flowing so well, I planned on future waves of edits while writing the first
wave. I knew that something would need more fleshing out, so I would give it a
quick, not-as-specific pass, then I might further develop that same concept in,
say, book four, and come back to flesh it out. So, in essence, I was (and still
am) writing and revising all eight books concurrently.
I am also still tweaking here and there. For example, with Crown
Prince, I needed to make an edit because I just learned that, in Medieval
times, they didn’t say that hair was “braided.” They said it was “plaited.” So
I went back and tweaked that.
Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a
writer?
Hopefully, doing well enough off the New Blood Saga, Pale Face, and the other
novels I have waiting in the bullpen, that I can delegate some of the
business-type jobs to others, leaving me to the creative process. That's the
real joy in this: creation.
DEMON SEED
Despite
growing power of the forces of chaos, there is a glimmer of hope as Natharr
realizes that there are also forces of order in play. It is made plain when he
and his comrades escape the faceless realm and Natharr’s Sight is released. It
reveals just how strongly the world needs the Guardian of Maarihk and the
return of the legendary Knights of Ril to the land where Mankind was created.
Racing for home unwittingly leads to unearthing an ancient force created by the
Olde Gods, believed lost aeons past.
Meanwhile,
Darshelle and the crown prince struggle to make the most of their lives without
Natharr’s protection. Forced to make their own way, the fruit of Quiet One’s
efforts comes fully to bear, as Nathan and his summoned companion reawaken the
animus of the ancient wood. The ramifications are horrible and far-reaching,
changing their world forever.
To Buy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NRG4WD3
PALE FACE
Hector
Whitehorse did not belong — not here, not anywhere.
Born
on a New Mexico reservation, but educated in the white-man’s school, Hector was
part of two worlds, but at home in neither. It only got worse when his
entrapment went from a feeling to a reality: trapped between Earth and
someplace else.
Hector’s
close encounter nearly cost him his life. The repercussions could make him wish
that he had not been so lucky.
To Buy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NRD8F5V
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