An Interview with Writefest 22 panelist William Ledbetter

WS: What genre do you write in? Why?
WL: Science Fiction. My love for the genre started when I was kid watching those old black & white monster and science fiction movies on TV, then by the age of 10 or 11 I had made the jump to books and was hooked.

WS: What is your favorite book or writing craft book? Why?
WL: My favorite writing craft book is "The 10% Solution" by Ken Rand. It's a very small and rather simple book, but it changed the way I thought about sentences at a critical point in my development as a writer.

WS: What fears do you have about your writing?
WL: That I will bore readers.

WS: If you could have dinner with any famous author (dead or alive) who would it be?
WL: Kurt Vonnegut           

WS: What are your tips for submitting writing?
WL: Don't get in a hurry. Let stories simmer. Tweak, polish and edit. Most editors can tell if you just pounded out something in a few hours and sent it out.

WS: What's the best (or worst) writing advice you've ever received?
WL: Don't find time to write. Make time to write. Or in other words, be serious about your writing. Don't treat it like a hobby.

WS: What inspires your writing?
WL: People. Most of my stories are about average, regular people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances and have to rise to those challenges.

WS: Where are you from and does that place ever enter into your writing?
WL: I'm originally from Indiana, and oddly enough I don't think I've ever used Indiana as a setting. Though I've lived in Texas nearly thirty years and Texas has been the setting for a lot of my work.

WS: Do you do research for your writing? If so, what are some unexpected resources you've found?
WL: I like to ask experts about the topics I'm researching. I even wrote an article about that topic for the SFWA blog. https://www.sfwa.org/2014/08/19/scientist-next-door-approach-experts-research-questions/

WS: Drop any links or promos for your recent work, include your social media links
WL: You can find me at https://www.interstellarflightpress.com/levelfive.html