I was lucky to get an interview with W.D. Kilpack III, the author of Crown Prince, one of this year’s #SPFBO9 entries.

Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
I am an internationally published writer from Utah in the United States. I have five books in print, the epic fantasy New Blood Saga, and my sci-fi novella, Pale Face. Between them, they’ve received 17 book awards, including the International Firebird Book Award, The BookFest Award, and special recognition from L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. I’ve been editor and/or publisher of 19 news and literary publications, both online and in print, with circulations as high as 770,000. I am also a partner in Safe Harbor Films, LLC, where I do the screenwriting and oversee marketing efforts.

I received both my bachelor's and master's degrees from Westminster College of Salt Lake City. As an undergrad, I double-majored in communication and philosophy, while completing the Honors Program. As a graduate student, I earned a master of professional communication with a writing emphasis. I was also a high-performing athlete, qualifying for international competition in Greco-Roman wrestling.

I love to cook. I have cooked nearly every type of food on the grill, although I also love non-grill cooking Cajun, Greek, and Italian food, and have been getting better with Asian cuisine. I was a communication professor and a nationally recognized wrestling coach. I am happily married to my high-school sweetheart and father to five children, as well as helping to raise five step-children. I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, where I continue to live, coach and teach.

Why should I buy your SPFBO9 entry?
My entry is Crown Prince, book one of my New Blood Saga. I would describe my style as "realistic epic fantasy." Magic is more subtle. The characters have doubts and everyday concerns, on top of the more traditional plot elements. To quote a podcaster who read Crown Prince, the characters are “living real lives, even though it’s fantasy.” The main character, Natharr, is Guardian of Maarihk, an ancient role, rooted in his Firstblood, giving him Sight to see the future and the past. He and his father have spent two generations preparing for the overthrow of the king, so the newborn crown prince could be saved and kept safe until he is ready to regain his throne. He is faced with crushing responsibilities, faces incredible challenges, endures pain and emotional anguish, then grits his teeth and keeps going. One professional reviewer came up with something interesting to describe Natharr: a blend of Aragorn, Alanon, and Teddy Roosevelt. The most common comment I’ve had from readers about the New Blood Saga is that it’s like a blend of George R.R. Martin and Tolkien. A writing coach/consultant who was once a close friend of Robert Ludlum compared my work to Heinlein and Asimov. Both are huge compliments that are incredibly humbling.

What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been writing and telling stories. Before I learned how to write, I would draw pictures of spaceships, then act out the battles, drawing in the laser blasts and explosions after erasing parts of the ships that were blown away by enemies. I’ve blown up the U.S.S. Enterprise 10,000 times. I originally wanted to be a cartoonist and start my own line of comic books. I loved superheroes (and still do!) and would draw the comics, as well as write the stories. My first comic-book character was Super Mouse, created when I was 5 or 6. He was pretty much Superman, but a mouse, and he beat up cats. It was very serious stuff, not Tom and Jerry. That was my dream until I wrote my first fantasy novel, when I was 12. I was first published when I was 9, when a teacher entered a poem I wrote into a contest without my knowledge. It won and was published. I was first hired as a professional writer when I was 15, as an editor for a sports publication. Funny thing, the sports publication rescinded the offer to be an editor and changed it to a reporter position when I told them I didn’t have a driver license. I was editor-in-chief of both my high school newspaper and literary magazine, and editor of my college newspaper.

Since I wrote my first novel, I always had pencil and paper with me, so I could jot down a few ideas when the need hit me. Since publishing four novels, it’s amazing how many people I grew up with who mention my red, three-ring binder I carried around with me, loaded with lined paper, so I could write down my thoughts as they came to me. That compulsion persists to this day, although I’ve since updated for the computer age.

Have you participated in the SPFBO before and where did you hear about the competition?
No. This is my first time entering this competition. I heard about it through EPIC, which I would not have known about, had it not been for Rune S. Nielsen.

It’s important to spread the word about the great SPFBO competition :-)

Why did you choose to write fantasy?
I have always loved fantasy! I love to read it, write it, watch it in movies, and on TV. I just love it! By the end of 3rd grade, I read every book on mythology in the library at my elementary school. I read The Hobbit when I was 10, the Lord of the Rings trilogy right after. Movies like Beastmaster, Dragonslayer, Highlander, and Willow all really spoke to me. I also started playing Dungeons and Dragons when I was 10, and still play!

In fantasy, one of the primary tools used is distortion: magic makes certain elements bigger, sometimes larger than life. That makes the human condition more poignant and can really lead down a rabbit hole in terms of specific ideals. I love that!

As far as subgenre, I didn’t choose one. I’m just writing. Other people told me the New Blood Saga is “epic” fantasy, while others said it is “high” fantasy, others that it’s “heroic” fantasy, and even some that said it’s “sword and sorcery” fantasy. I wouldn’t choose one of those, because I think the New Blood Saga is all of them. It also does a little genre-blending with a bit of the paranormal and horror.

Which other author has had the biggest influence on your writing?
I love Homer, of course. Other huge influences on me are Robert Adams, Piers Anthony, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Terry Brooks, Steven Brust, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Stephen R. Donaldson, David Eddings, Robert Holdstock, Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin, Anne McCaffrey, Elizabeth Moon, Melanie Rawn, S.M. Stirling, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Eric Van Lustbader. Aristotle’s writings are awe-inspiring because he was writing in 350 B.C.E., they’re still relevant and the basis of so much in society. I love William Shakespeare’s poetry and plays (MacBeth is my favorite), and my favorite poet is Robert Frost. For screenwriting, I love James Cameron, Aaron Sorkin, Steven Spielberg, and Quentin Tarantino.

If you were to win the SPFBO, what impact do you think this would have on your writing career?
It would be that much more exposure for my books to what appears to be a die-hard fantasy audience. So far, critics have been amazing! I hope that experience will continue here and that I will make some new friends and establish some new relationships. So far so good … I just want to continue on the course and be able to make a living doing what I love.

What challenges did you face during the writing or publishing process, and how did you overcome them?
Since entering the realm of an indie author, the elephant in the room is that everything is on my shoulders. I have a strong marketing background. I’ve worked at every level at companies ranging from family businesses to Inc. 500 to Entrepreneur of the Year. But this is me, my product, my passion, my life. On top of that, there are only so many hours in the day, I have a limited budget, and I still want to be able to spend time doing the thing that I really love: writing. So there’s a whole new level of pressure, a whole new kind of weight on my shoulders, not only in terms of wanting to be successful, but also because I want so badly to share my dreams with people. I love these stories. I love these characters. Some I love to hate. It’s on me to help people be able to share in those things.

How am I overcoming these challenges? One step at a time. I wrestled for 12 years. I had opponents who gave me some of the worst beatings of my life. Next time I wrestled them, the beating wasn’t so bad. Next time, I didn’t get pinned. Next time, I lost a close decision. Next time, I pulled out the win. Then they never beat me again. I’ve applied that work ethic and drive to everything in my life and it’s worked out so far. Next move may not work out, hopefully, it will be less painful of a fail, I’ll learn something from it to apply the next go-round, and so on.

Do you have any tips or an author app, tool, or resource that you can really recommend we try?
The best advice I have for new writers is write, write, write. You see a movie and a line of dialogue has you going down another path, write it down. You hear a song and a lyric strikes you, write it down. The best advice for someone wanting to be a writer is just that: start.

Three online resources I have been using more and more are RhymeZone (it’s not just about rhyming,) Hyhenation24 (sometimes, you have to go in manually to make things right, or your italic text might be outside the printing area on Amazon,) and the Online Etymology Dictionary. However, two books that I think everyone should have on their shelves are The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White, and The Elements of Editing by Arthur Plotnik.

And now it's time to yank out your Palantir! Let’s talk about the future. What new projects are you working on?
I have 26 novels in the bullpen right now, of various levels of completion. I want to get them all into print and be able to make a living doing it.

I am also involved with Safe Harbor Films, a production company for TV and movies, where I have written 24 episodes of a sci-fi mini-series that we want to see on one of the streaming services. Feedback has been amazing! And it’s already allowed me to meet some people who made an impact on my life acting in some of my favorite movies and TV shows, as well as some of my favorite bands! One of my books was recently greenlit for development into a movie! That’s very exciting.

Apps that are based on artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGTP and Midjourney, along with apps aimed specifically at authors, have caused quite a stir. Do you expect these new technologies will make your life as a self-published author easier or harder, and do you expect that they’ll mean you’ll earn more or less?
The idea of an AI author is both horrifying and amazing. Scary, because that’s what I do for a living, and why put me to work and pay me, when a piece of software can be purchased once and then used forever? That’s aside from the philosophical questions about inspiration being a solely human characteristic. If a computer starts doing it, then so much for that.

At the same time, I love science fiction. I love the stories with androids, where they transcend from machine to something more. Blade Runner is a prime example of this, and it’s one of my favorite movies of all time.

As far as affecting me directly, they won’t. I won’t use them. I do my own writing.

Do you have any dreams you’d like to share?
I want to make a living writing. I don’t ask to be wealthy, just to not have to worry about paying bills. I want to be able to travel to some of the places that I read about. I want to enjoy good food and experience cultures other than my own. I want to see my wife experience those things, because she has such an appreciation for life that it helps me remember the good things.

Anything else you would like to say before we close?
All you readers out there, let’s do this together! Read my stories, tell me what you think, interact, participate, and have fun! The communication hub for my hopes and dreams is www.Kilpack.net. It has information about my books (including purchase links for Amazon, NOOK, Kobo); links to interviews; photos sent to me by readers holding my books; videos of people who joined the Knights of Ril (which you can also do on the site), then videoed themselves reciting the vows of a Knight of Ril and sent them to me; links to my author pages and social media, and other information. It’s been pretty amazing, and certainly unanticipated, to have people sending me photos and videos. Very cool!

Thank you for some very interesting answers, Bill. I wish you the very best in the SPFBO. I do hope a lot of readers discover those great books of yours.