Who the hell is this guy?
Graduating from The Ohio State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Sean Gregory loves too many things and lacks the time to do them. Whether hiking western Pennsylvania, visiting Guilded Age mansions in Rhode Island, body surfing with his wife in Anna Maria Florida - who are we kidding? It’s more likely he is sitting on the beach reading and catching rays while his wife tells him to put on sunscreen so his Irish/Scottish skin doesn’t get sunburned on the first day - skiing the bunny slopes at Seven Springs trying not to end up in the trees (true statement), or sitting around enjoying an Old Fashioned while playing video games with friends, he is always up for a good time.
A new author, Sean is currently developing two new series of books: the hardboiled, modern world, mixed-genre detective series Case Files of Miles Ward, set in 1940’s Hollywood, and the multi-generational fantasy epic The God Killers. He anxiously awaits their release (more truthfully he is frantically implementing the latest round of editor’s notes for the first book, The Growing Darkness, in preparation for release).
A lover of all genres, Sean’s first love was the Hardy Boy’s Mysteries, which fueled his love of mystery, detective stories, and all things Agatha Christie. Later, thanks to the nightly reading of The Hobbit by his father, David, he became enthralled by the world of Tolkien. He followed that bakru trail and soon discovered the Dragonlance Chronicles, in his teen’s, which fueled a lifelong love of fantasy, science fiction, and speculative fiction.
As his reading tastes evolved he discovered W.E.B Griffin, Tony Hillerman, Robert Ludlum, Vince Flynn, Michael Connelly, N. K. Jemisin, Martin Turnbull, and, of course, Brandon Sanderson (to name a few).
This love of reading always left a desire to write, finding words on a page brought the best sort of relaxation. After many failed attempts, Sean finally finished drafting two books and is in the editing process with a professional editor.
Whether fiction, historical fiction, or non-fiction, Sean reads daily. When he isn’t reading or writing, or enjoying one of the many idiosyncratic passions he as developed (and later will abandon), he can be found hanging with his awesome wife Jill and their annoyingly adorable Puggle, Sweaty Betty the Spaghetti Yeti, in their 100 year-old home in Pittsburgh, PA.
TIDBITS
It all begins with an idea. Something that moves you. You can’t sleep because of it. Eventually you have to succumb to it. It demands to be written. And then you hope others want to read it.
Walk with me as I take this journey. Endless rewrites, moments of inspiration, recriminating edits, and deadline crunches abound.
Dream it
You have the idea, can see it clearly in your mind. It percolates with an incessant voice.
Don’t worry about how it comes out in the beginning. It’s just the first step. Just write it.
Build it
Have you built the origins? How did the world, as you see it, come to be? How did your characters get where they find themselves in the beginning? How did they all meet? What do they most desperately want out of their lives? From others? Build the world and the events. Let your characters evolve as they navigate the two.