I’ve been writing for a long time, and I don’t think I could ever write about completely fictitious characters …

Derek Warmington – 31 December 2015

The Back Flap

TSTS is a book of poetry. TSTS is a book of compassion. TSTS is a book of beauty. This collection of poetry is about love, truth, life, and light. Four words everyone seems to live for. From the kings and queens of the world all the way down to the beggar on the street. All is a part of a living organism. It is of the wise soul who remembers his or her intrinsic personal philosophy while treading down the dark roads into the unknown.

About the book

What is the book about?

The book is a story in which the main character learns how to live a life that’s true to himself. He goes through many disappointments and periods of mania as he searches for his purpose in life. It has elements of romance. It’s 86 pages of magical storytelling.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing the book sometime in late 2015. Maybe the month of October 2015.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took me about two-and-a-half months.

Where did you get the idea from?

It was written after a breakup. I began writing the book after a moment of insight. I was going through the most depressing year of my life. The motivation behind the book being written was love.

So many things have happened to me this year, that something snapped inside of me. And I just started writing poems. It wasn’t a breakup, per se, but someone didn’t answer the phone, and in that moment I literally just said, “I’m going to write a book of poems.”

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

It was difficult creating a story from my vast amount of poems. I had to create a way for my poems to tell a story, from page one to page eighty-six. And then to explain myself to the reader, in a way that wasn’t poetic, but completely practical.

I also had trouble knowing exactly when the book was finished. Because I thought it was finished about two-thirds of the way through. But I continued to write. And I kept writing until my pen wasn’t saying anything anymore, and the music had died. The words stopped rhyming, and things stopped being poetic.

What came easily?

The poems are about real life so there’s nothing I couldn’t write that didn’t happen or wasn’t happening in real life.

I started rhyming, and I read back the poems, and I just realized that I was working on something amazing. So it was like vomit, or diarrhea of the mouth, when I was just writing and everything was coming together eloquently; amazingly.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

After I had written about, IDK, a good amount of the book, I read back everything, and I realized I was writing about myself. I’ve lived a very sporadic life, so the guy in the book is many different things, and he could be a little bit of other people, but it’s mostly me. Just like in real life, we’re all like different people sometimes. Something rubs off on you, from other people, or things you experienced, even though it may not be who you are completely.

And the other characters in the book, especially the love interest, are real people. I’ve been writing for a long time, and I don’t think I could ever write about completely fictitious characters, even though I could and can and do sometimes write about like, IDK, a “fictitious” scene. But if I’m honest, I don’t think I could ever write fiction.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Well, I read a lot of philosophy. I’m very influenced by Plato, Socrates, and the other generations of philosophy. If I’m reading a book, I’m usually reading it for information. Or something like that. Non-fiction is a good word, it’s relevant. This book is an anomaly. It’s not something I planned to happen. What I usually read is nothing like what I wrote.

Do you have a target reader?

I don’t have a demographic I’m aiming for. The book combines both poetics and philosophy. I want to target anyone who is interested in poetry or philosophy. It’s meant to be a book that people can read when they’re in the mood for daydreams. Poetry that fills the soul. Words that are healing by nature. And storytelling on top of all of that.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

TSTSATSTWAP is a reverie of philosophical adventure. That’s what it felt like during the writing process. Everything came naturally. I was going through my past, in my head, all of the experiences I’ve been through, and translating that into words. The words just happened to rhyme and be poetic. So after finishing the first couple of poems, I really knew I had something.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I write outlines for projects outside of the book, almost always. But for TSTSATSTWAP I wrote no outlines. I did do chapter headings. But by the time the book was finished, the chapters had become completely different. I started with basic themes, like Truth, or Hope, or Pessimism, things like that. And I gathered however many poems I could vomit. And like I said, I had to make a story from that. And so the chapters changed.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

For my poetry book, there was no editing involved. There was nothing to really edit. For my other books, I can say that I’ll write a sub-chapter, of about 1,400 words, and then edit it. Once I edit it, it’s there to stay, for the most part. I haven’t really finished my other books, so I really couldn’t say.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I edited everything myself. I’m a professional writer so it wasn’t really a big deal. And it’s poetry…

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Definitely. I like to listen to Godspeed You! Black Emperor when I’m writing, more than anything else. Because their songs are usually over 20 minutes long. And there’s really nothing else out there like that band. I find their complete lack of song structure, and use of crescendos, etc, to be amazing for writing.

Other than GYBE, I’ll listen to my regular list of post-rock bands. The only thing I do all day is listen to Post-Rock. And I work on my projects. Well, that’s a lie, but it’s not far from the truth. …Of Sinking Ships, Signal Hill, Explosions In The Sky, The Mercury Program, Do Make Say Think, If These Trees Could Talk, are all bands I listen to regularly everyday. And I’m either writing, or working on a business idea, or blah blah blah. So that’s the answer!

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I will in the future. I’m not sure what you mean by “agent,” I mean, I know what an agent is. I just figure when I’m ready to look for a publisher, I’ll probably send out some emails. Having an agent would be cool, but only if I have like, IDK, five published books or something. Then it would dope to have someone handle business.

I’ve never submitted my work to an agent, to answer your question.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

Well, it all started about three years ago… when I started writing. And up until this point, I never thought about seeking a publisher, because I never had anything to publish. It was a goal of mine to publish this book, because it was just an amazing manuscript. So I self-published.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

I did it myself. I was going to hire someone, but with all of the options available, the best thing for me to do was to make the cover myself, because I’ve made graphics for other things in the past, and I’m no stranger to the whole process. I knew I could make a decent illustration. One with more feeling and passion than I could pay someone to make.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

Well, it’s a little of both. I go with the flow, always. And I set goals.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Set goals, then set sub-goals, and work towards your goals everyday. Learn how to set effective goals. This is the key to life!

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Cypress, TX. It’s a suburb of Houston, TX.

Where do you live now?

I live in Houston, but by the time you publish this interview, I’ll most likely be in Austin, TX.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m 26 years old. People say I’m brilliant. I published my first poem at the age of seven. I’m planning to publish another book entitled Ruminations: Truth, Evolution, & Existentialism. I’m living my life by the first couple of pages in the book, i.e. philosophy / self-actualization. Abraham Maslow defined self-actualizers as people who are “devoted, working at something, something which is very precious to them– some calling or vocation. They are working at something which fate has called them to somehow, which they love.” That’s me in a nut shell.

What are you working on now?

I’m starting a company called “Dear Drama.” You can follow me on Twitter @DWarmingtonn. I really consider myself more of an innovator than a poet.

End of Interview:

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