William Henry Forester

Author/Writer Interview:

1. What inspires you most to write?

The world is full of small, shimmering truths—an old lighthouse window catching dawn, a story overheard in a village shop, a memory stirred by the scent of pine on salt wind. I write to catch those moments before they slip away. Inspiration, for me, is rarely a thunderclap; it is a quiet tapping at the door.

2. What is your favorite genre?

Folkloric mystery—those stories where the uncanny brushes against the ordinary, and the truth is found somewhere between hearth tales and half-forgotten legends. I like fiction that carries the echo of old worlds into new ones.

3. Who is one author you admire and why?

I admire Robert Louis Stevenson. He wrote with a sense of adventure and melancholy that feels honest—stories with salt spray on their pages. He understood the shadows within us, yet still offered us lanterns to walk by. I am, foremost, a poet. Walt Whitman and Robert Frost are kindred spirits.

4. How do you overcome blank writing spells?

I go outside. The sea is the ultimate editor; she reminds me that stories move in tides, and that even low waters rise again. A walk along the shore or among pines usually shakes loose what the desk has held hostage.

5. What legal publishing advice can you give?

Own your rights, guard your royalties, and read every clause twice—especially the ones that seem dull. Seek counsel if you are uncertain. The literary world has its reefs; chart your course carefully.

6. How many books have you written, and are any a bestseller yet?

I’ve written more books than I ever expected, and fewer than I still hope to finish. Bestsellers? A few have had their moment, quietly, like a well-loved inn rather than a grand hotel. I’m content with readers who return. I am writing my 46th book currently.

7. If you could rewrite one movie script, which would it be, and why?

The Secret of Roan Inish. I adore it, but I would love to enrich its folklore—more selkie lore, more island mystery, and perhaps a greater sense of the old Celtic boundaries between sea and soul.

8. What difficulties have you experienced in your writing career, and how do you handle criticism?

Isolation, mostly—the long stretches when the world seems to forget you exist. As for criticism, I treat it like weather: some days it stings, but most of the time it passes, and the work remains. You take what is useful and let the rest wash back out to sea.

9. What are your best experiences in your writing career?

Letters from readers who say a story made them feel less alone. Watching a child clutch one of my folklore books as if it contained real magic. And the quiet thrill of typing “The End,” knowing it is never really the end.

10. Do you prefer to write in silence or with sound?

Soft sound—wind, waves, a kettle murmuring on the stove. Silence is too absolute; it makes the mind echo. A little noise keeps the imagination supple.

11. Encouraging words for another writer?

Write bravely. The world does not need perfect books—it needs honest ones. And remember: no storyteller walks alone; we walk in the company of every tale ever told.

12. How did you decide the pricing of your material, and how did you approach promotion and distribution?

I price my books so they’re accessible yet still honor the labor behind them. Promotion has always felt like shouting from a lighthouse, but I do what I can—readings, small posts, conversations with readers. Distribution? A mix of old-fashioned bookstores and modern digital avenues.

13. Why should anyone read your book?

Because the world is quieter in my pages, but not smaller. If you want a story that invites you to sit by the fire, listen to old voices, and maybe find a piece of yourself you’d forgotten—then come in. The kettle is always on.

14. Did you have a book coach?

No formal coach, but many informal ones—teachers, old friends, a stern editor or two, and a handful of ghosts from literature past.

15. What was your favorite subject in school?

Literature, unquestionably. Though I had a soft spot for history—stories of real people behaving like characters from myth.

16. Are you self-published or traditionally published?

A hybrid soul. Some works I shepherd myself into the world; others I trust to a publishing house. Both paths have merit, and both can lead a book to its rightful readers.

For More:

Website: Foresterbooks.com

Amazon: https://author.amazon.com/profile

Twitter: @WHF1677548

Instagram: williamhenryforester/