Interview with James Byous
Published 2017-06-25.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Being able to create colorful stories with hidden philosophical meanings in a sense of metaphorical context.
Who are your favorite authors?
Too many to list. Piers Anthony, Garth Nix, H.P. Lovecraft, Christopher Paolini, Alice Hoffman, C.S Lewis, Anne Rice, Jonathan Stroud.... Thats all just fiction. I read non-fiction too. Mostly history, philosophy, theology, and ethics
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Knowing that each day will be a bit more pleasant than the last as I slowly improve myself
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Meditating, exercising, reading, cooking, gardening. I am a simple man
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Haha yes, it was an adventure tale about a wanderer and a local wizard going on a journey to defeat an evil king. Not very imaginative for a fantasy work, but I was young. Sadly its been lost.
What is your writing process?
Planning, planning, planning, followed by intense periods of writing with breaks of varying intervals based on how I feel. I write my best when I really want to go at it.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I started reading before kindergarten and was finishing War and Peace by 5th grade. I was college level in elementary. I cleared entire libraries, so I do not really remember.
How do you approach cover design?
I use cropped photos of my oil paintings. Im not the best, but its always unique
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up near black water wildlife reserve in a small neighborhood surrounded by lots of woods. I spent alot of my childhood exploring the forest so I have always been connected to nature.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
Well after finishing the circles in infinity trilogy, I will likely at some point follow my real intentions of becoming a buddhist monk.
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Books by This Author
The Birthing of Worlds
by James Byous
In a distant world three races grow from the once empty planet. The Land dwelling Undu'ari, the sea dwelling Endulil, and the reptilian Alukai. Soon at war, it is up to one hero to rise and defeat the evil threatening their very existence and the freedom of the universe.
