Today I’m welcoming John Marshall Davis to chat about writing, life, and his current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about Salvaging the Beast, the first book in The Fall and Rise of the Third Planet, a series of sci-fi novellas.
What inspired you to write this story?
The project started as a space western. I let the story take me where it wanted to go, rather than force it to stay inside the lines. The setting has evolved from a distant-future space opera in another group of star systems to a post-apocalyptic drama a lot closer to home. I wanted to make the story more immediate and relatable by incorporating history and politics that are familiar.
Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?
I identify most with Saul, a young salvage technician who is the most innocent of my point-of-view characters. He had a relatively stable upbringing and possesses a strong sense of empathy, finding the humor in almost everything. It’s not all positive, however. Saul gets distracted and he is not very organized. He can be easily persuaded, living in the moment rather than sticking to his guns.
What was the hardest part of writing this?
The fact that this was my first book made it difficult. That meant every other day I had to fight off doubts that I had any business writing fiction. Working on the second book in the series, I find much of that struggle is behind me now that I have one under my belt.
Choose a favorite line or short passage. What do you like about it?
Nearly ten minutes went by before Saul heard the telltale clatter of a double shot glass on wood. He turned around and noticed a bleary-eyed man with long, greasy hair sitting at a table by the back door. Scowling at his empty glass, the man demanded a refill from a broom that stood propped against the wall.
That line made someone laugh out loud while reading.
Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.
Critical feedback prompted me to publish a heavily revised second edition of Salvaging the Beast. With that out of the way, I am now free to focus on Dark Solutions, the next book in the series. The title is appropriate since many awful things must happen for arguably good reasons. I plan to publish in the spring or early summer, but my track record with self-imposed deadlines is spotty at best.
Other fiction projects I am developing include a space fantasy about goddesses ruling a planet, a more conventional fantasy about an abandoned war hero with a mix of magic and martial skills, and a sci-fi tale of a freighter crewman who fights off a pirate raid and takes their ship. I’m also kicking around a steampunk alternate history of World War II. And then there’s the top secret idea. I can’t talk about that.
Word Sprints
Plotter or pantser?
Pantser.
What’s your favorite movie?
Serenity.
What’s a charity/cause you support?
I have a heart for our troops and veterans. I’m also passionate about animal welfare.
As a kid, were you a Goody-Goody, or a Wild Child?
Goody-Goody.
Morning person or night-owl?
Night owl.
Are there any types of scene you find hard to write (action, love, death, etc.)?
I was going to write a rape scene, but I found I couldn’t, so I wrote around it creatively instead.
What do you do when you feel stuck (writer’s block)?
If I’m stumped in the middle of a passage I put it down and do something else. Coming at it fresh later or the next day helps tremendously. If the problem is just a blank page, the sooner I start putting words down the better.
How do you handle a story that doesn’t go as you planned?
I just roll with it. Sometimes it feels as though the story is telling itself and I get to be the first one to read it.
EARTH IS DEAD
…a victim of an unexpected collision with an unknown planet.
A mysterious object is discovered among the debris, raising suspicion about the death of Earth. One person whose life was touched by the artifact now faces it again. With new allies, he finds purpose and begins a dangerous road to discovery.
As refugees struggle to survive in the wake of destruction, the future of humanity is uncertain.
Earth has fallen. Will her children rise?
