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Interview – Shane D Hughes

The Patriarch Saga

– When did you start writing stories/novels, what moved you to start writing?

High school. Our English teacher was also the school librarian and often gave us short story writing tasks. At the end of the year she took me aside and asked if I’d consider a career as an author. I said “No way! I want to be a rock star!” That look on her face will stay with me forever. I came around… eventually. Started by writing comedy memoirs/parodies based on my experiences on the live music scene, since unsigned and delusional music artists are so hilarious to be around on any given day. It quickly turned into a weekly serial that I emailed out to friends and followers who couldn’t get enough of it. Seems truth is way funnier than fiction, let alone stranger. I tried my hand at novels after that, but nothing too ambitious. It was a warm-up for the main event.

– In what genres do you write? Do you plan writing in other genres?

Influenced by the great filmmakers and classic sci-fi fantasy epics such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien, Lord of the Rings, Avatar, The Matrix and others, my first serious project, The Patriarch Saga, fits perfectly into the sci-fi fantasy adventure genres. I’m also working on an edgy FBI crime thriller spin-off series, and there’s three other stand-alone novels under way—a paranormal thriller, an apocalyptic survival adventure, and then something in the horror genre. All these elements can be found lurking in The Patriarch Saga, by the way. It’s quite a mash-up. Then for something completely different, as a multi award winning studio engineer, I’d like to produce a plain English instructional book on professional audio engineering for musicians and novice recording enthusiasts, cutting through all the jargon.

– Tell us about your novels. Why should everyone buy them?

“The Patriarch Saga” is an ambitious, sprawling adventure spanning a half century of tumultuous change and evolution for the wayward human race. Rather than set this story in a galaxy far away, I wanted to tell OUR story—now and into the future, exploring not only our obvious failings as a species, but what we might become if we could wash away all that is inherently wrong. To create this epic new saga, I was first tasked with the bewildering inception of an extraordinary new mythology, which remarkably, evolved by itself throughout the writing process like it was meant to be. But to make it all truly work, I also had to go back and re-write human history to a certain degree, which in itself was very intriguing and makes for some mind-blowing reveals. The story focusses on five unique, unassuming individuals who have absolutely no idea who they really are or what the universe has in store for them. Amidst a series of harrowing ordeals and spectacular occurrences, they soon discover the startling truth about life and death and the world they thought they knew, and that’s just for starters. At its core, the series is a unique and extreme new type of superhero adventure, but like nothing you’ve ever read or seen before. As the story unfolds, they’ll traverse the length and breadth of the galaxy, unearth the very origins of the human species once and for all, and often cross over to other planes of existence to ultimately discover the secrets of our physical existence, the universe, and what lies beyond. It is truly epic, on a scale that has rarely been done before. And I have years of sleep-deprivation to prove it.

– What is your all-time favorite novel? What makes it special?

If I had to pick only one, it would be The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. What makes it special is that it was the first time—on a grandiose bestseller scale—that someone truly raised a middle finger to the accepted historical narrative and gave everyone something to really think about, despite it being a work of fiction. And boy, wasn’t it controversial at the time, remember? Like it or not, that’s great storytelling.

– Tell us a bit about your writing process.

Improvised, mostly, like a lead guitarist improvises a guitar solo. I’ll have a vague general outline, a few big ideas to somehow work into the plot, and maybe an approximate ending if I’m lucky. Then it’s just a matter of applying butt to chair and allowing my fingers to do the talking. My brain goes on auto-pilot. My subconscious throws in its own two cents’ worth. And then the story literally writes itself, joining all the dots until such time as there is a complete picture. Then like a sculptor, it’s progressively re-shaped, revised, re-imagined, re-written—repeat. It’s left alone for a few weeks. Then I come back to it with fresh eyes. If it doesn’t thrill or delight me, or elicit a genuine emotional response, I dump it and start over. And I’m never afraid to make those hard decisions. You have to be ruthless. Content is king.

– What author would you love to have dinner with?

Veronica Roth. For the most part, I really like her work. I have the Divergent box set of hardcovers and enjoyed it immensely.

– Tell us about your hobbies and passions other than writing.

Being first and foremost a musician and songwriter, as well as a recording engineer, when I’m not writing novels I’m usually in my studio either writing music, recording all kinds of audio projects, editing video, or rocking out with one of my guitars screaming through a face-melting Marshall Amp stack.

– We have many followers who would like to start writing a book or are already writing their first novel, any advice for these brave people?

Invest in the most ergonomic, comfortable, yet firm office chair you can afford. Build yourself a dedicated soundproof room in which to work, modestly decorated without distractions. Then have a sign made to hang on the door outside with the word “DON’T” written in large blood-red letters. Other than that, I’d say strive to find your own unique voice and be proud of it. It’s YOUR novel. But always remember, content is king.

– How often do you write, daily, every other day or?

Only when the mood so dictates, otherwise it can often be a false economy. But when I’m in the zone, I’ll write for fifteen hours straight or even longer. I do my best work at night while everyone is asleep. Bliss.

– Do you keep a notebook with ideas for your novels? If so, do you carry the notebook with you so you won’t forget any ideas?

Not really. I have an iPad Pro and sometimes jot things down in the Notes app. But otherwise it’s in my head, simmering away for later. Again, I like to improvise as much as possible. Great things can happen when you do.

– How important is research when writing your books?

A little research goes a long way. However, I don’t think it’s all that important when writing fiction—it’s all fantasy plucked from thin air, mostly. The more real-life accuracies you can reference, though, will help make your story feel believable.

– What are you reading at the moment?

A.G. Riddle’s ‘Pandemic’ as well as James Patterson/Marshall Karp’s ‘NYPD RED 4’.

– Certainly, you have had some interesting episodes as an author, fans related or others, share one of them with us.

One of the best things I did recently was start a Twitter account. Previously, I had no interest in social media but for some reason it rapidly grew from zero to well over four thousand real followers in just a few weeks. And it continues to grow organically. People are responding very well to the content. One particular reader in the UK has purchased the second book immediately after finishing the first and is now craving the third. Others are following suit and several chat with me almost every other day. Genuine fans, can you believe it? Who would have thought? Give it a go if you haven’t already.

– A final message for our circleofbooks.com readers.

I’d like to thank everyone for taking the time to check out my books. I’m in this for the long haul and there’ll be many more to come. Visit my website at www.shanedhughes.com for more information and the full series synopsis. And happy reading.

Thank you Shane D Hughes. We at circleofbooks.com wish you much success!

Click here to visit the author’s page here on circleofbooks.com

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