Zealot Script

I’m Ryan Skeffington and I’ve had a unique journey that has led me to the world of storytelling. My professional background is entrenched in the oil & gas industry but I have always been drawn to the arts, and my desire to create drives me to continuously try new things.

Writing is as much a creative outlet as it is emotional. I draw inspiration from the imagery and stories in movies, music, and anime. I explore the world by trying new things and this has led me down the rabbit hole of woodworking, photography, startups, golf, and most recently writing where I’ve found my voice.

Through my writing, I aim to transport you to fantastical worlds that explore the human experience.

What’s your favourite part of the lifestyle of an Author?

I enjoy the ability to productively daydream. No matter where I’m at and no matter what I’m thinking about I can find a way to channel my imagination into my world and characters.

What made you start writing?

I have always been creatively inclined and ventured into many different outlets, but it took me a while to give writing a shot. I had a lot of influences that gave me the nudge. From a college professor’s words of encouragement, to writing journals and technical papers, and a spark of an idea while on a fourteen hour road trip. Those all culminated in me thinking “I should write a book about that”.

Is there an Author that you consider your inspiration?

I wasn’t a big reader of fiction before I started writing so I didn’t really have anything to go off of when I began. Then I found the college lectures Brandon Sanderson put on his website and they jumpstarted my writing career by building a solid foundation from which I could stand. Samantha Shannon is also an author who inspired my prose for emotionally charged scene writing. She’s really helped me hone my craft for the moments that need to hit hard.

What’s your number one tip for an aspiring Author?

Write the story you can’t stop thinking about, the one that you daydream about, the one that keeps you up at night because you can’t stop chasing the rabbit. Writing is hard, and having an idea, world, or set of characters who pull you back to the keyboard every week is necessary until you build the muscle of a seasoned writer. Notice in the previous sentence I said every week and not every day. In the short term forgive yourself because you are human, but discipline yourself over a long time horizon and you’ll be able to create great things.

What type of book do you like to read and does this differ from the genre that you prefer to write?

If fifty fifty split on this answer because I don’t have a lot of reading experience but I know that I love things about all genres. I love space epics, and scifantasies, and things that are grand in scale and have huge battles. On the other hand I like romantasy and thrillers, and intimate stories that take you on a journey with maybe a handful of characters and you learn the details of their everyday struggles.

Which one of your characters would you most like to spend time with?

I would like to spend time with Kana, from my Infinite Existence series. She is the only person who willingly, and repeatedly will choose self-sacrifice over self-service. There is a kindness and compassion that she has that I wish was more prevalent in the world. It has given her a unique strength in my messed up, difficult world because no matter the obstacle she is the one who can find the light.

Which book do you consider a must-read?

Dune, I love it so much.

What’s been the hardest edit that you’ve had to make? Why did you want to keep the material in?

In the very first draft I had ever written of anything there was an omniscient view prologue that set up the world and explained how everything went so poorly for humanity. Similar to the scrolling text of Star Wars. And everyone hated it. They told me it was too long, there weren’t any characters, it was boring, etc… and it crushed me. I wanted everyone to have the history.

If you could live in a book, which one would it be?

From my childhood, I would like to live in the world of ‘The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles’. There is just too much fun and whimsy to choose anything else from adult fiction. I want to live in a world where kindness isn’t a weakness.

If you could pick an Author to write your biography, who would it be?

If I chose Patrick Rothfuss or George R.R. Martin does that mean I’d live forever? Just kidding! I think I would choose Pierce Brown. I’ve been told we have similar personalities, we’re close enough in age to have all of the childhood connections be made, and all around I think he’s a pretty cool dude.

Is there any conflict between what you want to write and what you think your readers will like?

I sure hope not! In all honesty, I write about the topics that I want and then try and make the story as ‘good’ as possible. There will be readers who don’t vibe with it but those that do are the exact readers that I want coming back time and time again. For the other readers who didn’t like the first trilogy maybe I’ll switch it up when I get other creative inspiration.

What effect can a review have on you, if you read them at all? Both the good and the bad.

Reading a good review is a joy that I have seldom reached in this life. It’s like hitting a homerun for all the world to see. When you can touch someones life in a positive way, there is no other feeling like it. When you get a bad review, it feels like a strikeout, and the first one hurt the most. You just gotta make sure you keep taking swings and the world will shower you with love for giving them what they came to read.

Can you sum up your life story in ten words or less?

Trying things relentlessly until I find out who I am.

What’s exciting you about your next project?

My next project has hope! I’m so excited to take the readers on a journey that lifts their spirits back up. There will be trials and tribulations but ultimately you’ll know that the characters in the story have grown and will be better for it.

And finally, you have one quote to be remembered by, what is it?

Think with relentless optimism, live with compassion in your heart, and treat every interaction as the opportunity to be kind.

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Please find me and reach out on Twitter!
You can buy Lost Souls, Book 1 of the Infinite Existence series on Amazon