Tell us about yourself.
Born with some defects, it was assumed I would not live so my young mother left me at the hospital. I survived and four years later was adopted. It is important to relate that information because it has influenced so much of my writing. An adoptee is disconnected from a sense of belonging and so we see the world from a less biased way. The bias of family or cultural loyalties.
But at age 50 the state released my birth records. While my biological parents were already deceased, I did find several biological siblings, including a 100% sister that was also adopted to another family. This reunion experience has further affected my outlook on life and worldview and this comes through in everything I write even though I write about much more than adoption experiences.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
Growing up in Indiana, or more specifically Indianapolis afforded me both the small town experience and a more rural lifestyle. I grew up in a time when you were still allowed to rake big piles of leaves to the curb and set them on fire to dispose of them. I walked to and from school as a child. School was 2-3 miles away. This was a time when most of your school mates lived in your same neighborhood and everyone knew each other.
What was your journey to getting published like?
I've always put pen to paper since I could write. Bringing words to life, whether a simple journal or a fictional story but the inspiration probably comes from presenting a sense of being; of existing. Writing creates a Descartes moment where the writing proves existence.
What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've ever been given about writing is that I should focus on the writing and not so much on the marketing. Writing is first, a labor of love. Of course making a living from it is good as well but hopefully that comes in time.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
My advice to new authors in addition to focusing primarily on the writing instead of things like marketing, is to not set out to write your magnum opus with your first book. Your first book should be what I call a throwaway book. Don't expect much traction with it. Just use it to learn the process then on your subsequent works, you can dedicate your efforts to the other areas.
What’s a fun fact about you that your readers might not know?
I have actually traced my ancestry unbroken back to 680AD in Norway to a man named Lutro. I am a certified Viking! LoL
What’s your guilty pleasure book or genre?
It is an assumption that authors are big readers, but a proficient author usually doesn't have much time for reading, at least not full books. I read a lot of content but mainly as research for my books. I believe that if an author is actively reading books, the authors content will be less unique and will start to mimic the work of what the author is reading. I want my work to be uniquely mine.
What’s your favorite quote about writing?
Write for passion, not to the market
When you’re not writing, how do you like to spend your time?
I live in the middle of a 450,000 acre forest in central Florida so a lot of my time is spent tending the grounds such as clearing brush, limbs, and planting and harvesting my garden and orchard.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
While not the first story, I recall being greatly impacted by Isaac Asimov's writings. They seemed so honest and took my mind on a journey like no other author I'd read.
What has inspired you and your writing style?
My adoption and reunion has greatly impacted me and my writing style. Further, reconnecting with my heritage as a Norse/Viking has greatly inspired my sense of belonging and exploration.
How do you deal with negative reviews?
When I receive negative reviews, I tell myself that this means someone actually obtained the book. Whether they read it or not will become obvious by what they say, positive or negative. I count actual reviews as positive even if the person is critical. I do not like reviews that simply say, "I liked it" or "I didn't like it".
How do you connect with your readers?
Unfortunately for me, I'm kind of old fashioned and prefer to interact with people directly and let the work find them. This probably is not the best way to market but it is organic. Social media figures prominently in promoting my work.
What’s next for you as a writer?
While I've produced a small 9 minute monologue film with an actor, I'd love to see some of my other books turned into movies.
Are there any Easter eggs or hidden messages in your work?
Actually yes. I'm glad this question was asked. All of my books tie back to parts and people in my own life. If someone reads all of my books, this should become obvious by the repeated names and place names.
How do you approach writing dialogue for your characters?
Most authors, at least of character-based writing try to use a subject to model their characters or they try to put themselves in the shoes of their characters. While I do have character-based fictional works that use those tones, I often write more nonfictional, informative works. There is a balance to not sounding lecturing or overloading the reader with too much irrelevant information. So, I often use audio read-back to determine if the writing captures the tone I intend.
If you could share one thing with your fans, what would that be?
Life is short. As cliche as that may be, it becomes truer every day. A person should focus on things that mean something. I'm not urging a person simply to live a life of pleasure or altruistic life as neither of those may ultimately be satisfying. While I do not like it when a person tries too hard to leave a legacy, it is sad when people pass on and are forgotten. Something must remain of their time here.
Roderick Edwards’s Author Websites and Profiles
Website
Amazon Profile
Goodreads Profile
Roderick Edwards’s Social Media Links
Facebook Page
Twitter
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YouTube Account
BlueSky
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
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