Welcome, Ben.
Tell us about your latest book. I’d Punch a Lion in His Eye for You
I’d Punch a Lion in His Eye for You follows the imaginary exploits of a father and son to adventurous locations. At each location, they encounter an alpha predator that attacks the son, but the father intervenes and saves him every time because the father loves his son.
Why do you write what you do?: I write action/adventure speculative fiction because it most resonates with who I am as a person. I love sci-fi and fantasy, and I’m developing a taste for horror as well. It’s the most fun set of genres there is.
What are you currently working on?: Currently, I’m working on a Christmas novella in which Santa has to save Christmas from Father Time. I can’t go into much more detail than that for the time being, I’m afraid.
How does your work differ from other work in its genre?: My work differs from other work in its genre in a variety of ways:
1. I usually try to buck conventions of whatever genre I happen to be working in.
2. I write with a unique voice.
3. I routinely try to twist the reader’s expectations of what my work should be.
How does your writing process work?: Generally, I get an idea and write down the idea. I write as much of that idea down as I can. When the idea is written down, then I try to give it some structure. I typically write stories that adhere to the three-act structure, so I pinpoint the key moments in my story where they’d be with the three-act structure.
After that, I begin outlining in more detail, usually on a chapter-by-chapter level. Then I save the outline separately and create a new document with the outline in it, and I begin writing. As I write the content of the outline in story form, I delete the outline notes in the manuscript. By the time I’m done, there is no outline left, but I have a story.
From there, I begin the editing process. I start by whittling down the writing by cutting unnecessary words and tightening up the prose. Then I have someone else look at it to check my writing for areas in which I’m weak (usually character stuff). I perhaps do some additions and tweaks, and before long, I’ve got a solid manuscript ready for pitching or publication.
Ben Wolf founded Splickety Publishing Group (SPG) http://splickety.com/
The goal of SPG is to meet the needs of busy folks like him: people who appreciate great fiction but lack the time to read. SPG offers three quarterly flash fiction magazines: Splickety (multi-genre), Havok (speculative), and Splickety Love (romance).
Ben’s novel Blood for Blood won the 2015 Cascade Award and is characterized as “bold…with nonstop tension” and “hard to put down.” It asks, “What if a vampire got saved?”
His debut children’s book, I’d Punch a Lion in His Eye for You, is a 2016 Cascade Award finalist.
Social Media and Blog:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=110400056
Twitter: http://twitter.com/1BenWolf
Instagram: @1benwolf
Website: www.benwolf.com
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1 Comment
I loved your book Blood for Blood. I was not going to read it due to some graphic content but I am so blessed that I did. I highly recommend it.