“I’ve come late to writing fiction, but I believe I have a readable voice that resonates with audiences.”
-Will Ottinger
A member of the Writers’ League of Texas for one month, Will Ottinger lives in Houston.
Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?
Will Ottinger: I’m exploring several genres but leaning toward historical fiction, mysteries, and literary fiction.
Scribe: What author would you most like to have a drink with, and what’s the first question you would ask them?
WO: First author (if he was alive!) with whom I’d have a drink: Ray Bradbury. My question to him: “Of all the memorable characters you’ve created, which one is the closest to yourself?”
Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?
WO: The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy (we both grew up in the Low Country around Savannah and Charleston).
Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?
WO: I just joined WLT, so I’m looking forward to learning what the League provides that will hone my writing skills.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
WO: In the future, I would like to develop a series of novels based on the male/female protagonists in two of my books.
Scribe: Here at the Writers’ League, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one Texas-related book that has come out within the past year that you couldn’t put down?
WO: I’m still looking for a recent can’t-put-it-down book that’s Texas-related, but I really enjoyed The Son by Philipp Meyer several years ago. Excellent read that’s been made into a new miniseries by AMC.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
WO: I’ve come late to writing fiction, but I believe I have a readable voice that resonates with audiences. My first novel, A Season for Ravens, let me explore a lifelong fascination and received good reviews. My next novel (to be released later this year), The Savannah Betrayals, takes the reader to an entirely different time period and subject, being set in Savannah, Georgia in 1836. Future plans lean toward historical novels/mysteries, but other than a possible series, upcoming novels will explore different characters, historical periods, and settings. Like almost all new writers, I’m still unraveling the mysteries of promoting my work!
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Thanks, Will!
If you’re a Writers’ League member and you’d be interested in being interviewed for our Meet the Members feature, email us at member@writersleague.org for more information. It’s a great way for other members to get to know you and for you to share a bit about what you’re working on!
