For the last two years I've been doing the hardest thing I've ever done: Writing a book (Believe me, writing a novel is way harder than making a movie!). One of my problems was the genre. I was writing a superhero YA novel. Superhero novels I knew then I could count with two fingers. Then I started really searching high and low.
Eventually I stumbled upon few great titles and found out that superheroes offer a whole subgenre to the huge variety of YA-novels. Although I have few series's on my Kindle, such as The Outlaw -series by Alan Janney and the Omega -series by Darius Brasher.
Still, my personal favorite is the Meta series by Tom Reynolds. I've already introduced the world of the books, so I won't go repeating it here. They contain all the tropes of the genre, but add some interesting twists. Also, the balance between humour and seriousness is perfect, which is no easy task. Not to mention, it's incredibly easy to read. The language is simple and works even with my slow mind.
I'm proud to say that I had the privilege of interviewing Tom, who has been an active author since 2012. Reading his texts you can see that he gets better part by part, but still manages to keep the wild and free spirit of his books intact.
Hopefully this interview can share some of his wisdom. I know I gained a lot from it! Hope you will too.
How long have you been writing?
It feels like forever. I remember being around 12 and heading to the library determined to figure out how to write and publish a book, even though I was still just a kid. Meta was my first attempt at a full length novel though.
When did you first decide to seriously attempt this?
The idea for Meta had been floating around in my head for a few years, but it wasn’t until 2013 that I decided to finally sit down and start putting the ideas to paper. One of the fun things about the superhero genre is that it’s practically custom-built for serialization. From the earliest days of comic books there has always been a desire for more stories from the same characters. The idea of exploring characters over the course of multiple books is what interested me the most.
What draws you to superheroes?
I think it’s natural to be drawn to the idea of superheroes. In a lot of ways they’re simply updated versions of the types of stories that have been around since ancient times. There’s something we’re innately drawn to about stories featuring characters with abilities outside of what’s possible in reality. There’s also the idea that superhuman abilities would strip back and reveal who a character really is. We want to believe that human beings are ultimately altruistic, and that if superheroes were real that human nature would shine through. But obviously that isn’t always the case, and that’s fun to explore too.
What was the biggest inspiration for meta?
There are obviously a ton of comic book inspirations, but one of the lesser known inspirations I took from is Miracleman, a character that was initially borne out of Shazam (then Captain Marvel.) I’d read Supergods by Grant Morrison and learned about the incredibly strange publishing history of Miracleman and wanted to do something similar with a little bit of a softer edge to it.
Which characters inspired Connor?
He’s very much inspired by characters like Peter Parker, Dick Grayson, Billy Batson, etc. I’ve always liked teenage superheroes who have to deal with real world problems too. There’s something very relatable about them.
Have you ever thought about trying other story forms (movies, videogames, etc)?
I’ve written a few other projects outside of my books, but for the most part they have remained in the proverbial trunk. Making things collaboratively is tough. A lot of it requires luck, timing, etc. One of things I love about the novels I write is that they’re completely on me. I don’t need to rely on others or outside factors like money to get them done. I love collaborative work too, but it can be nice to work on something solo and know that whether it’s good or bad it’s completely on you.
From the beginning, it seemed like the ”superpowerless” Midnight was inspired by Batman, but in Rise of The Circle he brought up a twist by revealing his origins. Did you plan this from the beginning?
I knew pretty early on more or less what his origin story would be. I wanted a unique explanation for his technological prowess and I thought it wasn’t something I’d really seen done before. I didn’t want to just wave away everything he was capable of with a simple “he’s rich” although his origin does explain how he’s able to acquire a reasonable amount of wealth pretty easily, which might be something I explore in further books.
How much of the later twists did you know from the beginning?
Most of them are ideas I’ve had in mind from the beginning, but I don’t always know exactly how they would unfold until I see where the story naturally leads me. There are some even bigger twists coming up in New Empire that once again change the context of earlier events fairly significantly.
If Meta was adapted, what form would you prefer (Movie, TV-show, videogame, etc)?
Readers tend to suggest they’d like to see it as a movie, but personally I’d be more interested in a TV show or video game. There’s a lot more possibilities there I think. If someone wants to come along and option it for a movie I wouldn’t say no though.
As a writer, are you a planner or a pantser?
I’m a planner for the most part, but if I discover a new idea as I’m writing I don’t necessarily stay beholden to the plan.
If you had metabands, what power would you like?
I’m going to be boring and say flight. I’m terrible at directions so I think it would be easier for me to get around if I could get a bird’s eye view sometimes.
*After Connor’s Journey ends, do you have anything else planned, either In Meta universe or something completely else?*
I’ve been working on a different series for a bit now that I’m hoping will see the light of day later in 2020. I don’t want to give too much away yet, but it won’t be superhero related. I’m sure I’ll be doing other stories in the Meta universe, even if they aren’t Connor’s stories, in the future too. Connor’s story isn’t over yet though.
Is there any other superhero novels that inspired you?
As for superhero novels, the one that I would point out as being influential is the novelization of Batman: No Man's Land by Greg Rucka. I picked it up at a rest stop while on a family vacation 20 years ago and couldn't put it down. It was the first time I'd seen a superhero story done in novel format and it stuck with me.
Final Words of inspiration
Tom Reynolds's Meta hits at a time, when the world craves for a positive inspiration. Exactly the kind of inspiration superheroes used to be.
A time, when we're just recovering of a world wide pandemic, seeing violent riots all over, is a time when we need superheroes the most.
At the same time we see our childhood icons torn to pieces, like America's statues. Today's Batman is a cold blooded killer. Today's Superman is a dark angst ridden human wreckage just one step away from turning into tyrant. It's the world like this, that needs inspiring new characters and stories.
Tom Reynolds has just given us exactly that. Young Connor Connelly is the character, that shows us the light at the end of the tunnel.
The one that Whisper In our ear to take another step, just as we're ready to give up. Those are the Heroes we need right now, to remind and guide us In our own heroics.
Thanks for reading and thank you, Tom, for writing!
Check out the Meta series here and don't forget that the newest installation, New Empire is out now. And don't forget to relax, enjoy and get inspired!
-Alex
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