Copyright - Clancy Tucker (c)
Quote of the day:
"Life is a gamble ... so roll the dice!"
G'day guys,
Today I'm pleased to introduce a very talented man - Raphyel M Jordan, an author and graphic designer who hails from Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Raphyel is a talented writer and creative designer who shares some insights into his past, present and future. Welcome, Raphyel.
Raphyel M Jordan -
Author and Graphic Designer
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR
WRITING JOURNEY.
I remember being able to draw as far back as 3. When I got the basics of writing
down, around age 6 or 7, I started making stories out of my drawings. My
parents were always supportive of my creativity, so I got a BFA in Visual Arts.
WERE YOU A GOOD READER AS A KID?
Oh boy, the embarrassing part. I hated reading. LOL! Comics? I could read those no
problem! Books? Not so much. Then again, when I look back at it now, I note how
much I enjoyed reading sci-fi the most when I had required reading in school.
WHEN AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A WRITER?
I was always pretty serious about being a visual artist, and as I said, I did do some stories here and there. But it wasn't until I was 19 and I started writing about this alien girl fighting in a war that I started taking writing just as serious.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
Definitely the world building. That's one of the reasons why I prefer writing sci-fi. You
get to make everything from scratch. From galaxies, planets, all the way down
to the biomechanics of creatures. I love having that freedom to go off into a
world no one's ever seen before.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
That would be the behind-the-scenes stuff that the average person doesn't think of
when they think of a writer. The blogging, the marketing, even the networking! All of that stuff that doesn't involve writing a scene but is vital to a successful career. Still, I said it was the hardest part, not the least enjoyable.
WHAT WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A WRITER?
Um, past life? I'm only 27! People still say I'm a kid! LOL! I don't have a past life
because, for all purposes, real life is just starting out for me.
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WRITING ACHIEVEMENT?
Easy. Finishing my first story. I've been told by countless individuals that in order to be a successful writer, the first thing to do is write and complete a story.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
A prequel to my first novel.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Living and watching other people in similar situations like mine - not back down from
life's constant hardships.
WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?
I mainly focus on sci-fi with a bit of a fantasy sub-genre.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR NEW WRITERS?
Write. Write. Write. Write! Also, don't let others tell you how much of a waste of
time your "hobby" is. Make that "hobby" of yours turn into a legit form of income to shut the haters up . . . and then, you write some more. ^_^
DO YOU SUFFER FROM WRITER’S BLOCK?
Only when I'm worrying myself too much. Beyond that, not really. I get drawing
blocks more than writer's block, and even then, there should always be
something worth creating. One just has to tear down the walls of his/her own
self limitation.
DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE?
I prefer getting all of the nitty gritty business aspects of being an author out of the
way first. That way, I don't have the other to-do items lingering in the back
of my head as I type away. I want to make sure that I don't have any distractions.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE WRITING PLACE?
Oh boy, here comes the introvert side of me. I prefer my bedroom, where I can be isolated from everything. No distractions.
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN WRITING?
Sharing an idea that others can enjoy. It always makes my day when someone tells me
that they read my book and actually liked it. Even now, it's like, "No way! Seriously?! You like something that I wrote?! Me?! Cool!"
WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY?
Orson Scott Card. "Ender's Game" was the first sci-fi novel I read. At the
time, Wiggen was around my age when I read it, and it was so cool seeing
another kid being entrusted the way he was.
WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER?
Hmm. Someone said that they were iffy about reading a story that didn't have humans,
but she was pleasantly surprised how relatable they were.
WHAT WAS THE WORST COMMENT FROM A READER?
LOL! The ironic opposite to the latter. Another reader didn't really like my
protagonist, who I put a lot of my own personal experiences into. So, it was
almost like someone was saying they didn't like me. LOL! Oh well. To each their
own.
WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS
THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?
All the time. We're encouraged to write what we know, after all.
HOW MANY BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED?
Just one, so far, but I'm working on changing that.
HAVE YOU WON ANY PRIZES OR AWARDS?
Nope.
OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?
Video games, anime, drawing, football, actions movies where things go boom . . . yeah, just the typical guy dork.
DID YOU HAVE YOUR BOOK / BOOKS PROFESSIONALLY EDITED BEFORE PUBLICATION?
I DID indeed! Sadly, I wasn't too satisfied with my current edit, so I'm looking for someone new to take care of my future stories. Regardless, I think having one's work edited is the best financial investment an author can put into his/her work.
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY.
Get up, read some scriptures (Bible), jog, draw for 2-3 hours. Go out to a park or
cafe. Listen to some live music. Get home in time to beat traffic. Write for
4-5 hours. Stay up for the rest of the night either watching Netflix or playing
Mass Effect 3.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
I'm hoping to place myself in a position where I can truly help people. I want aspiring
writers to miss some of the bumps I made in the road when I first started out
by giving them pointers. I also want to help young people who have the
potential for greatness get a chance at it, even when society says they'll
never get that chance just because they don't have the proper finances.
Contact points for Raphyel:
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/raphyeljordan
@RaphyelMJordan
Raphyel is a graphic designer specialising in: Print, Adobe Creative Suite, Painter, Visual Arts, Corel Painter, Illustrator, Graphic Design, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustration, Dreamweaver, Logo Design, Web Design, Mac, Digital Illustration, Creative Writing, Art, Brochures, Adobe Acrobat, Graphics, Microsoft Office, Layout, Advertising, Typography, Drawing, Posters, Branding & Identity, Blogging, Mac OS X, Microsoft Word, Catalogs, Business Cards, Color Theory, Flyers, Writing, Drawing,
Raphyel, many thanks. Now, kickback and play some video games. Love ya work! CT
Keep writing!
I'm Clancy Tucker.
McGrath Foundation book tally
Clancy Tucker - Victoria x 1 paperback
Jasha Levi - NJ, USA - x 3 eBooks
Kim Stedman - Western Australia x 1 paperback
Kathleen O'Dwyer - Western Australia x 1 paperback
Peter Frederick - Victoria x 1 paperback
Sylvia Massara - Sydney - multiple eBooks
Errol Broome - Victoria x 4 paperbacks
Cindy C Bennett - Salt Lake City, USA - multiple eBooks
M. C. V. Egan - USA - multiple eBooks
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