Interview with Brian Beam

Brian Beam

Interview Date: 4/1/2012

Biography:

Brian Beam was born and raised in Kentucky and is a proud husband and father. He holds degrees in marketing and nursing, following his passion for writing in his free time.

Having the pleasure of being a stay at home father for the latter part of 2011, he took the opportunity to write his first book, The Dragon Gem, between diaper changes, feedings, and playtime with his pride and joy.

His writing has been influenced and inspired by some of his favorite authors including Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, Jim Butcher, Patrick Rothfuss, and Terry Goodkind.

Feel free to like Brian on his page at www.facebook.com/brianbeamauthor
or shoot him an email at bbeams32@gmail.com


When did you start writing, and was there a significant event that prompted you to do so?

I started writing sometime in second or third grade. My parents had these friends who had published books and I thought that was the coolest thing in the world. I promptly sat myself down at a gazebo in their yard and continued to write my first story of length(an entire 4 pages!) called "The Scary Halloween".

Then as I hit my awkward middle school to teen years, I got into fantasy books and found that my passion lay in writing fantasy.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be? (Assuming said power would be reasonably "powerful.")

Hmm...that's a tough one. I'm going to go with telekinesis since it could allow me to be super lazy and mess with people when I'm bored :).

Kev's response:  Oh, my goodness.  I'm loving it - hearing someone not afraid to come right out and say they want to mess with people!  :)

Do you have a favorite superhero from novels, comics, or movies?

I have to go with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I have to give honorable mentions to Spider-man, Batman, and X-men(in general).

Where do you get your inspiration for writing? What motivates you?

Part is just an inner passion. Part is a general stubborness. When I go out jogging and I don't have anything to distract me(other than muscular pain, heavy breathing, and iPod songs), my brain typically decides to go wild with ideas.

Do you pre-plan your stories, or are you a by-the-seat-of-the-pants style writer?

With my first novel, The Dragon Gem, just released independently on Amazon, I only have one finished book to base this on. In that case, I'm a tad bit of both. I come up with a general idea in my head(no outlines) and then just run with it. Case in point, The Dragon Gem was supposed to be the first of a series of short stories. My first short story started ballooning into a novella...and then a 140,000 word novel.

Kev's response:  Big publishers would likely have hated you - they want new authors to be right around the 100k mark for a novel!  Of course, the freedom to write MY novel, my way is one reason I love self-publishing as well.

 

Do you write only when inspired, or do you have a set schedule where you sit down to write?

I'd love to say I have a set schedule, but when I'm not feeling it, I just can't do it. When I stick to when I'm inspired, I'm much more productive and have way less "writing for the sake of writing" content that I just have to fix or cut out later.

Do you have a favorite genre to write in? To read?

I'm a big fantasy nerd. I pretty much only read and write in that genre.

What do you enjoy the most about writing?

Being able to tell a story that has built and expanded in my mind. It just feels good.

Is there any part of writing that you don't enjoy?

There's always parts of a story that are just not that fun to write. They may be absolutely crucial to the story, but writing them feels like just an obstacle to getting to the part you're excited to get out.

Can you tell me something odd about yourself?

My DVD collection has waaay more cartoons/cartoon movies/kiddie movies than is normal...and very few were purchased after the birth of my son. That and I am a slave to video games.

Kev's response:  *Cough*  Well, hmm, I'm a fan of the vast majority of digital movies, such as those Pixar comes out with.  So if people begin throwing rocks at you, I'm running with you.  I might even trip you to get ahead and buy myself more time from the horde!

 

Do you write one story at a time, or do you have several novels in the works at one time?

One at a time. My brain doesn't have the ability to take on more.

Where do you see the future as far as paper books versus digital e-books?

A year ago I would have said that paper books will always win out. I would explain how I love the smell and feel of a new book and the fun I have in going to a bookstore to search out my next read based on cover and synopsis alone...but now I have a Kindle and buy all my books on it. I feel that if I was swayed to the e-book side, then it has a strong pull on readers in general. I don't feel that paper books will ever be obsolete, but I feel that the popularity of e-books is just going to grow and grow. Just look at the growth of downloadable music in the last 10 years.

 

Kev's response:  Interesting analogy, I've not heard anyone bring up the downloadable music thing before - and indeed, I haven't bought a CD in many years.  I buy it all online as MP3's now.

What are your current projects?

I'm in the beginning stages of the sequel to The Dragon Gem. Title's a secret for now. I'll let you know in a year or so :)

Do you have any advice for others about self-publishing?

Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. There are so many resources online that can help in marketing yourself. Don't just throw your book onto the market and expect it to become a best-seller without a some heavy work.

Do you have any online sites where readers can find out more about you (and your books)?

http://www.facebook.com/brianbeamauthor

http://www.amazon.com/author/brianbeam



Kev's response: Brian, I'd like to thank you for the interview. Good fortune on making it away from the angry horde - oh, and the books, too!

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