Ask the Author: Will McIntosh
Answered Questions (14)
Will McIntosh
Hi Alison! Thanks so much for your kind words. It always gives me a boost to hear when someone reads one of my books, and likes it enough to seek out others.
I always seem to have a few projects going on at once these days. I released Unbreakable in June, and have a new book coming next summer, titled The Future Will Be B***S*** Free, about a group of teens who invent a portable, foolproof lie detector that someone desperately doesn't want them to release. I also have a middle grades book, Watchdog, coming out next month. At the moment I'm writing a SF technothriller, and another young adult book about popularity in the near future.
Thanks for writing.
I always seem to have a few projects going on at once these days. I released Unbreakable in June, and have a new book coming next summer, titled The Future Will Be B***S*** Free, about a group of teens who invent a portable, foolproof lie detector that someone desperately doesn't want them to release. I also have a middle grades book, Watchdog, coming out next month. At the moment I'm writing a SF technothriller, and another young adult book about popularity in the near future.
Thanks for writing.
Will McIntosh
Thanks, April - so glad you enjoyed it! I don't have any immediate plans to write a sequel. It could happen, but I've always got new ideas I want to pursue. Stay tuned!
Will McIntosh
Hi Rob, So glad you enjoyed Love Minus 80! Let's see...if you don't mind something darker, I'd suggest Soft Apocalypse. Otherwise I'd probably say Hitchers. Although most similar to Love Minus is definitely the book I'm working on at the moment, tentatively titled Neuropunk. Thanks for reaching out.
Will McIntosh
So glad to hear it! It's a strange premise, and I'm curious to get some early reactions. Hope you enjoy the rest.
Will McIntosh
It hasn't been released yet. The big day is February 2! Thanks for asking -- I hope you enjoy it!
Will McIntosh
My wife worked in a bio lab, and they used to store specimens at minus eighty. She suggested the title, and I never thought to double-check whether that was the temperature for ALL bio-storage. Evidently not! You're the first person to point that out to me.
Will McIntosh
The most important thing is to keep writing. Don't expect your stories to be wildly successful, it definitely takes time. I wrote about 20 stories before I sold one (and I wasn't young when I started). Next, get feedback. The easiest way to do this is by joining an online writer's group. Critters.org is a good one. Revise your stories based on feedback from other writers. Pay special attention to writers who have been at it longer and have found some success. Then, start submitting your work to magazines. If you're interested in SF and Fantasy, check out Ralan.com for a list of all the venues that are out there. If you're writing novels instead of short stories, you submit your novels to agents (check out agentquery.com). You can also go the "Indy" route, which is posting your work directly onto Amazon, etcetera. I hope that's helpful!
Will McIntosh
Hi Eric,
The comic strips were drawn by a cartoonist named Scott Brundage. I had the idea of including some actual comic strips in the book, and the editors liked it and sought out an artist who could create them. He worked from descriptions I provided. I'd love to see the strip become a real thing, but I doubt it'll ever happen. Thanks for the question!
The comic strips were drawn by a cartoonist named Scott Brundage. I had the idea of including some actual comic strips in the book, and the editors liked it and sought out an artist who could create them. He worked from descriptions I provided. I'd love to see the strip become a real thing, but I doubt it'll ever happen. Thanks for the question!
Will McIntosh
I *think* it's lie-ten. I've never been able to find the correct pronunciation online, and given that Luyten is a real star, someone out there must know for sure...
Will McIntosh
Hi Eric! It was a cheap shot, but also signaling that Kai is a player who sometimes goes with his gut instead of the odds. I watched video of a rant by a professional poker player who shall not be named to get a flavor for how this sort of conflict might sound.
I used to play low-stakes poker all the time, but haven't played in about five years. I enjoy watching professional poker on TV.
I used to play low-stakes poker all the time, but haven't played in about five years. I enjoy watching professional poker on TV.
Will McIntosh
Thanks, Dinnie! I appreciate the kind words. A terrific screenwriter is adapting it into a screenplay right now, so there's a chance it might one day become a movie.
Will McIntosh
Burning Midnight came from a short story I published in Asimov's magazine six years ago. In fact, four of the five novels I've written began life as short stories.
Will McIntosh
Write a lot. At first, don't get too hung up on whether what you're writing is good. Instead, get feedback from other writers, and insist they tell you as clearly and honestly as possible what's NOT good about your work. Feed off that criticism; CRAVE it, especially the bits that ring true. Use it to keep improving. Be patient. It takes a long time.
Will McIntosh
At the moment, I'm between projects. This is the most difficult time for me, where I go back and forth among half a dozen ideas and try to decided which would make the best novel. Lots of false starts, long walks, hours spent staring at the computer screen. I recently finished a young adult novel, titled Burning Midnight, and I'll have BIG NEWS on that front soon.
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