Interview with David Williamson, #BlogBattle “Ride” Winner

Another week, another winner! 😀 Everyone, please welcome David Williamson of SonWorshiper to the blog today. He’s our “Ride” winner for last week’s #BlogBattle, and I’m pleased to have him here with us today.

It’s great you could come by, David. I hope you’ve been having a good time writing fiction for the battles, because we’ve sure enjoyed having your creativity in the mix.

Thanks for the opportunity, Rachael. And huge thanks to everyone who voted for my piece. I had a fun time with that one, even if I might have started off with the wrong word.

Not to worry. You were on the right track. haha (see what I did there? 😉 ) Okay, so QUESTIONS! 🙂

1) I noticed you’re a musician. What is one thing about music you think helps you improve as a writer?

I play piano by ear. I never really learned how to read tempo between notes on sheet music. Instead, I listened to my teacher play, figured out how a song was supposed to sound, and tried to duplicate that.

I’m jealous. I wish I could play piano by ear. I can read music at a very basic level, but I’ve never been able to do anything by ear with ease. Very cool. I bet that skill comes in handy, but I can see how it would be frustrating when wanting to play an unheard piece. Anywho, sorry I interrupted. Tell us, how does it relate to your writing?

I think that’s how I approach writing, too. When arranged well, words and sentences have a rhythm, a tone, a flow similar to music. That’s why one of my favorite pieces of editing advice is to read your work out loud. You pick up on what sounds “off” or doesn’t flow smoothly.

That’s a great piece of advice, and I love the correlation you’ve made between the two. 🙂

2) As a parent, you know all about how important it is to recognize your kids’ strengths, what they love, and encourage them in their endeavors. But as a dad, what is it about your family which gives you the courage and strength to go after your dreams and pursuits?

My wife is absolutely my biggest fan. She endures countless conversations about plot lines, character development, and mechanics of magic or technology in my stories. My teenage son is also a great sounding board and has come up with some amazing ideas I plan to incorporate into my books in the future.
My wife jokes that I’m raising four versions of “mini-me,” getting them interested in my hobbies and tastes in entertainment. I never set out to do that; I just shared awesome stories with them. When I see how much they enjoy good writing, it inspires me and gives me a goal to strive for: I’d love to write something that moves them the way our favorite shows, movies, and books do.

It’s amazing to have a supportive family who also helps us in the work of writing. I love the mini-me idea, too. Sometimes I see that in my own kids. It’s good when our excitement about something rubs off on them in a positive way. Someday, some time, there will be something you write that will move them. I’ve no doubt!

3) If an alien were to show up on your door and offer you the ability to never have to exercise again in order to stay in tip-top shape, but you have to give up coffee and all other caffeine forever, would you do it?

I would fight and defeat the alien, steal and use its technology, then market it as a service to make a living so I could spend my time doing what I love: drinking coffee, playing video games, and talking about writing without giving it an appropriate amount of effort. “WIP” for me is not work-in-progress, it’s work-in-procrastination.

Maybe you could just ask nicely? haha Careful, these aliens friends of ours have friends we don’t even know about. Of course, that sounds like the best sort of laid back life. You may find yourself in good company with that whole WIP issue. Procrastination is my middle name (along with a few other words not to be mentioned.)

That was so fun, David! Thanks again for coming by the blog and spending some time with us. We loved every minute of it.

And I’m so glad y’all stopped by to visit and get to know David a little better. Your input is appreciated, and we’d BE GIDDY WITH GRATEFULNESS if you go read this week’s “Reach” #BlogBattle stories. Read them all and make your voice heard by voting for your top three favorites!