I am turning 30 tomorrow, June 24th, 2015 and with my first novel being out there and published, I wanted to share more insights into my crazy mind and thoughts behind this first project.
The novel can be found at: CreateSpace or Amazon
Since publishing my first novel last Wednesday, many people have reached out with some of the same or similar questions. So, I figured I'd share my answers with everyone.
FAQ with Brandon S. Stec about Hostile Takeover: A Novel
1. Why did you decide to write a novel? What was your motivation?
As a kid, I would read books on top of books every summer and as often as I could during the school year. I loved suspense and mystery books and as I've gotten older, I've become an even bigger reader. In high school, I took an elective class for creative writing and loved it. It's one of the few classes I remember positively from high school. On December 31st, 2012, instead of going out and partying, I stayed in and spent time relaxing. It was that night I started writing Hostile Takeover. I decided my New Years Resolution that year was to write a complete first draft of a novel. I finished it in six months. My motivation was a pursuit for a creative outlet where I could share my thoughts and passions through this story and it developed into a hobby and then a more passionate pursuit. I had a lot of fun with it.
I never thought I'd be publishing a novel and putting it available for sale online.
2. Why did you name the MC Callan Wyss? Any significance behind the name?
Well...Chris O'Donnell plays G Callan on NCIS: LA and they call him Callan on the show so that was where the first name originated. One of the episodes was on in the background as I was conceiving the character names. There is no significance to Wyss either. Instead, I just liked the unique spelling of a semi-common last name.
3. Who is your favorite character? Favorite character name?
Ellis Merced is my favorite character. Favorite name is Mercury Peligroso, but he is a minor character. A more involved character name would be Nala Richards.
4. Why set the story in LA when you are a Midwesterner?
I wanted to experience the same unfamiliarity as my characters. None of them were very familiar with their scenery, so it was a learning experience for the both of us.
5. Which scene is your favorite? Hardest scene to write?
My favorite scene is a difficult question because there is a collection of many diverse and thought-provoking scenes and some that are hilarious (in my mind at least). I'd have to go with Callan's sprinting through the soccer field scene because for the first time in the novel Callan is feeling something real and is expressing himself in his own way.
The hardest scene to write was the shooting in the alley scene, but without giving up too much information, I'll just say it was an emotional experience to delve into the different factors involved.
6. How did you come up with the idea?
The idea spawned from a conversation about the state of technology in our lives during an episode of a brief television show called Revolution. I was convinced that without technology our society would crumble and suddenly I had an idea and started writing down all these scatter-brained thoughts. Hostile Takeover was the result.
7. Where did you find the time to write an entire novel and then edit it?
It became simple once I got into a system. I'm a night owl, so I spent some late nights and spent my weekends enjoying a cocktail on occasion and scrubbed through the novel multiple times.
8. What was the hardest part of writing your first novel?
The structure and organization of the novel was my biggest challenge. I could blabber on forever but unless I reached my end goal, it was all for nothing. I found it easier after reading a few really great writing books, one being Stephen King's On Writing. The one thing that I feel I need to work on most is outlining. I know that now for future novels.
9. Which character is the most misunderstood?
Nala Richards is the most misunderstood character. She starts as a determined rebel and changes quickly when realities are revealed that conflict with her original beliefs. Nala is a strong woman who takes control and develops into a fun supporting character.
10. What's next?
Well...One would assume I have a plan, but really the promotion of Hostile Takeover and learning from the experience are the primary immediate goals. I have two novels I want to work on next and both need lots of work. Most likely, I'll use this experience to better prepare my second one for potential publishers and agents. Both of the novels I have to work on are very close to my heart and are based on life experiences in some sense.
I'd love to hear people's feedback, good or bad, because the only way I can do a better job of telling the story is to hear all the necessary opinions from readers. I will be looking for beta readers for my next one to get more opinions before going to publishers. If there are other questions, feel free to email me: brandonstec@gmail.com
Thanks!
Brandon S. Stec
