WRITER THINGS
How long have you been writing, and what are your preferred genres and settings?
I wrote my first short story when I was about 16, but didn’t start writing for publication until the mid-1990’s and sold my first story in 2000. I have fantasy and horror stories published, but the vast majority of what I write is science fiction.
Who or what originally inspired you to try your hand at writing?
Reading vast amounts of fiction when an adolescent and teen caused my brain to start fabricating my own stories. For a long time I simply fleshed out the ideas in my head, detailing them, working through snags etc., so by the time I actually started trying to write them down I was a fair story teller.
What lengths of stories do you prefer, i.e. short stories/flash fiction/novels? What formats do you like to release your work in, i.e. e-book, paperback, audiobook?
Writing short stories was my first love and even though I write novels now as well, shorts continue to be my favorite medium. My novels have been released in all three of these formats, though most of my short stories have appeared in print or online magazines.
What’s your publishing method – trad or self – and are there any companies, agencies, or platforms you really like working with? Are there any that you absolutely will not work with?
My work has all been traditionally published. Interstellar Flight Press is an excellent small press out of Houston and they have published the print and ebook versions of my novels and my short fiction collection, but my novels were first published as audio books by Audible Originals and I sold a lot of copies that way.
What does your writing environment look like? Are there specific or unique features to your drafting and writing process that you feel are interesting?
I have a desk that converts to a standing desk, in a dedicated study with science fiction artwork and old 1950’s and 1960’s SF movie posters adorning the walls. I work most productively in coffee shops, but I only do that twice a week. The rest of my writing is in my study, mostly in the mornings.
What are your thoughts on pen names?
I don’t use a pen name, but I can see the appeal. Sadly, due to the world we live in, I would totally use one if I were a woman.
MEATY THINGS
What, if any, social issues do you feel like you address the most in your work?
I love to play around with ideas related to post-capitalism and post-scarcity through the use of technology.
Are there any marginalized populations represented in your work, and how do you relate to those populations?
I try to include marginalized characters in my work, but seldom use them as my protagonists since I don’t think as an old, cis white dude I could write authentically and truthfully from their perspective. That said, I want to represent the world around me so I have included developmentally challenged characters, mobility challenged people, most races, genders, and sexual orientations.
What kind of material or social impact would you like your work to have? What would you like your literary legacy to be?
I want to make people think of better ways to deal with the world. In particular, governments, resources, the environment, and the importance of caring for other people.
How do you think fiction that takes place in future contexts influences or describes either the present or how we collectively might turn out in the future?
We can show futures that are both much better or much worse than our own. Despite some people who moan about science fiction being too politicized, it has long been used as a lens for showing how things could go very badly if we continue down some paths or how it could be much better if we chose a different fork in the road.
What kind of social critique of the present or the past (pessimism, optimism, nihilism, etc.) do you think attracts people to write historical fiction?
I think some of the best historical fiction explores known events from a different perspective and possibly makes the reader challenge the preconceptions.
PROMOTIONAL THINGS
What works are in your current bibliography?
The Killday Series (Level Five, Level Six and Level Seven) about AI, nano-tech, human evolution etc.
The Long Fall Up and other Stories (my collection of short fiction)
The ongoing list can all be found on my website.
Which one(s) are you the most proud of?
The Long Fall Up and other Stories. As I mentioned before, short fiction is my first love.
What stories do you have coming out soon that we can look for?
The print and ebook version of Level Seven will be coming out from Interstellar Flight Press early next year. The audio version is already out through Audible Originals
Do you have any social media channels that you’re especially active on? Where can people follow you (in socially acceptable ways)?
Facebook – www.facebook.com/william.ledbetter
 |  |  |  |