#INDIESPOTLIGHT #8 featuring T.C.C. Edwards, author of Far Flung.

12/9/2017

Indie Spotlight: Where upcoming Independent Authors flaunt their work...

Greetings Readers,
This is the eigth profile on fellow Independent Authors, Artists, Creatives and their new releases. I am a firm believer that promoting and supporting the Indie community is the most effective way to produce a vibrant, lasting culture of reading, artistic expressions and cultivating appreciation of the arts in this and future generations. Thus I hope that this series expands the Indie reading community and connects it with the creatives minds of the burgeoning community of Independent Authors, Artists, and Creatives. So let's get to the next profile on #INDIESPOTLIGHT...

Introducing T.C.C. Edwards: Author of Far Flung

About the Author

TCC Edwards has too many names, so just call him Chris. He comes from Waterloo, Ontario, and has been enjoying the life of an expat teacher at a university in Busan. He lives just outside Busan with his wonderful wife and two young sons.

He helped edit and wrote short stories for the Busan Writing Group’s publications Convergence and Peripheral Portraits. He also wrote a one-act play for Fleeting by the Daejeon Writing Group.

He has had his work published by eFiction Magazines and Every Day Fiction. He is currently working on the novel Far Flung, with preview chapters available at Inkshares. He has a writing blog, writeorelse.com, where he muses on the life of an author.

About Far Flung

In 2169, five massive colony ships are filled with volunteers and employees of the Ulysses Space Corp. Each ship has a faster-than-light jump drive and can cover the 12 light years between Earth and the Tau Ceti system in the blink of an eye. Supplies, colonists and crew are loaded, and the five ships make the jump across the light-years. Only four of them, however, arrive at the destination.

This is the story of the ship that vanished.
Left alone in a strange new galaxy, and with only their wits about them, the crew must journey through a galaxy of hostile aliens in a desperate bid to survive and recolonize, all while seeking a way to reunite with the human race.

Follow T.C.C. Edwards on Social Media

Getting to know T.C.C.

I asked T.C.C. a series of questions about himself and his latest work Far Flung. His answers did not disappoint! Take a look for yourself...

Who is your favorite Superhero? Why? I like Spiderman because he had to learn how to best use his power before he could truly be a superhero. He made a big mistake, which led to the loss of his uncle, but then committed himself to doing right. That makes him one of the more relatable and respectable heroes in my book.
How about favorite movie? How about favorite book? The Fellowship of the Ring stands out as my favorite movie. It’s a near-perfect adaptation of the book that uses established artwork and interpretations of Tolkein’s locations and characters, while also presenting its own unique take. While Fellowship is also a great book, I’d have to go with Fahrenheit 451 as my favorite. As my first sci-fi novel and introduction to the genre, its elegant prose and storytelling stands out in my mind.
When and how did you know you wanted to be a storyteller? When I was finishing elementary school and I realized I was getting to old to play with action figures and toy cars. I was so reluctant to leave those playthings behind, and I realized why – I was still using them to tell stories to myself. I soon realized I needed a better, more “age-appropriate” way to create stories!

Check out Far Flung on Inkshares

How often do you write? Are you a planner or a panster? Not nearly often enough and both! I write sporadically, and I shoot for weekly goals rather than daily – as long as it averages out to a certain number of hours spent writing per week. For short fiction, I usually work from a vague mental plan and keep writing and showing it to my writing circle friends until something I’m happy with comes out. For a novel, I’ll write the rough draft of the entire thing without much planning. Once the first drft is out, that’s when I break it down, separate it into storytelling “events”, and draw out a plan for the rewrite based on the events and characters that I like the best.
Where do you draw your inspiration from? TV and movies mostly. My ideas tend to take shape shortly after I’ve seen a great movie. I think I get ideas from reading sci-fi and fantasy as well, but I’m not as aware of which ideas my mind has latched on to. The way it usually works is that I’ll watch the latest Marvel or Star Wars movie, or see an episode of Star Trek, and I’ll retell the story to myself. I’ll think up better ways to solve plotholes and other minor nitpicks. Eventually, this retelling process leads to new ideas for stories.
Let’s talk about Far Flung, When did you get the idea to tell this story? Far Flung is an idea I’ve had for a very long time, and has gone under many revisions. I was watching Star Trek: Voyager and the mix of good and not-so-good episodes presented in one of my favorite storytelling universes. The “lost in space” aspect of Far Flung was heavily influenced by, well Lost In Space and Voyager. Over time, ideas from other franchises have seeped into the story, along with my own insistance that the characters of Far Flung will not have things quite so easy as those Voyager characters in their pristine uniforms and usually spotless ship. I think that Far Flung has now grown far apart enough from its inspiration to be enjoyed as a new adventure on its own.

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What sort of person is your main character? Would he/she be your friend?
- William Flynn, Rookie Reporter
- Male, 29 years old
- Charming but naïve, sometimes tries too hard to make others like him

Flynn, a rookie reporter, is ecstatic when he gets the chance to be on the UASD Tereshkova colony ship when it launches. When the Tereshkova jumps into unknown space, however, Flynn finds that he is the only one who can communicate with an alien being trying to assist the colonists. Separated from his fiancé and thrust into the role of ambassador for humanity, Flynn must use his quick wits and his newfound communication skill to help the crew survive. I think I’d like Flynn a lot. His sense of humor and charm would make him a great drinking buddy!

Do you draw your characters from life or from the imagination? Yes! While some of my friends may see one or two characters in my stories based on them, none of my characters are 100% based on any real people. Imagination fills in the gaps in what I don’t know about my friends, and I end up with characters who aren’t really anyone I’ve met before.
What is the one aspect that differentiates Far Flung from similar fiction? I’d like to think my focus on entertainment sets my stories apart. I’ve embraced the ‘pulpy’ nature of my writing – I think my stories don’t use a lot of colorful language, metaphors, or allegories, but instead focus on being accessible and easy to read. Perhaps this is a drawback, but I work to use it as a strength – if my stories can entertain the reader, I can layer in more meaning and metaphor as I gain confidence and skill.

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What lesson do you hope your readers grasp from Far Flung? Far Flung is all about the search for home, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Earth. While the characters onboard the lost spaceship will look for a way back, they also have to look forward, to establish a new home. Sometimes you really can’t go back and have to find or make a new place for yourself.
Do you ever learn from your characters? What sort of relationship do you have with your fictional children? My characters always start out as very rough impressions of people. It’s only through rewriting that I’m able to add the details that make them more ‘real’. Telling and retelling the story forces my ideas about the characters to expand, and it feels like the characters are in my head, telling me how to write more about them. When I finish the final edit of a story, I feel like the characters have been with me through the writing, teaching and learning more about themselves.
Any juicy details you care to share about a sequel or your current WIP? The best place to see the juciest details about my story is at the page on Inkshares here: https://www.inkshares.com/books/far-flung The preview chapters there offer an idea of the challenges face by the characters and the world they inhabit. I’d also like to plug my guest post about Far Flung on the Apotheosis Studios blog: http://apotheosisstudios.com/blog/2017/9/4/far-flung-by-tcc-edwards-guest-post Readers will get a story with characters who adapt, improvise, and grow as they communicate with new lifeforms and search for a place among the stars. There are plenty of dangerous battles and cool technology along the way, as the reader discovers more about this uncharted new territory.

**Pick Up Your Copy of Far Flung Today!**

In 2169, five massive colony ships are filled with volunteers and employees of the Ulysses Space Corp. Each ship has a faster-than-light jump drive and can cover the 12 light years between Earth and the Tau Ceti system in the blink of an eye. Supplies, colonists and crew are loaded, and the five ships make the jump across the light-years. Only four of them, however, arrive at the destination. This is the story of the ship that vanished.
Left alone in a strange new galaxy, and with only their wits about them, the crew must journey through a galaxy of hostile aliens in a desperate bid to survive and recolonize, all while seeking a way to reunite with the human race.

Stay tuned for the next #INDIESPOTLIGHT and #CREATIVECONVERSATIONS

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