Featured Interview With J. Edward Ritchie
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello, readers! My name is J. (Jeff) Edward Ritchie, author/screenwriter extraordinaire and lifelong fan of all things genre. Fantasy, sci-fi, horror, superheroes…I love it all.
I was raised in Connecticut, went to school at Boston College, and then moved to Los Angeles where I practiced screenwriting for a decade. I found some success (I’m a proud member of the WGA) and got an inside look at a challenging, unique industry. Screenwriting helped me hone a unique style of economical writing that taught me to say the most with the least amount of words. Eventually, however, I decided that I wanted to explore new depths of my writing that only the novel format could provide. I moved to Cape Cod, MA with my loving wife and have been creating an author brand for myself ever since.
My Golden Retriever, Castiel, is my daily muse. Writing can be a very lonely process and his company keeps me sane. Walking him at lunch time gets me out of the house and into the sunlight––a nice, rejuvenating mid-day break.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved the written word from as far back as I can remember, whether it was classical literature or superhero comics––I devoured any medium where a good story could be told. I escaped the trials and tribulations of childhood through fantastical stories that expanded my mind and creativity. Jumping from authors like Tolkien to Dostoevsky helped fuel my eclectic tastes and recognize thematic patterns about the human condition that flowed through all works.
Writing has also been in my blood from the moment I could pick up a pencil. Whether I was jotting down poems about my drooling dog or crafting tales about the video games I enjoyed playing, I always found a story to tell. There was an unfortunate time in college when I abandoned my dream and began to pursue a career in law. Thankfully, my screenwriting mentor brought back my passion for storytelling, showed me a new direction, and I’ve never looked back.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Tolkien is the obvious answer, isn’t it? His mastery of language is nothing short of mind-boggling. Nothing like reading the work of a true linguist to humble your ego. I was also into the Russian classics for quite a while, especially Nabokov. But I don’t have a single favorite author. My tastes are constantly shifting. I was on a Thomas Harris kick for quite a while, unable to get enough Hannibal Lecter. Currently, I’m devouring the works of Clive Barker. I’ve never been so impressed and disturbed at the same time.
On the comics front, I’m a huge fan of Brian K. Vaughan, Chris Claremont, Grant Morrison, Rick Remender…really, the list could be obscenely long. The Wonder Woman and X-Men series’ are my core inspirations from the medium. Oh, and if you’ve never read Y: The Last Man, stop reading this interview and go pick it up. Seriously. That was literally the one comic that got me back into the medium after nearly a decade away.
One name rises above the rest as my biggest inspiration: Joss Whedon. Buffy the Vampire Slayer showed me just how deep, hilarious, witty, and emotional a television show could be when in the right hands. Though my style isn’t necessarily similar to Joss’, pretty much everything he has ever done ignites my creativity.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Fall From Grace is a high concept, grand tale of the first war in Creation as told from the contrasting perspectives of brothers Michael and Satanail. I researched the concept of angels across multiple religions and mythologies to craft a unique story that could appeal to any reader regardless of his or her religious beliefs. It is a tribute to my love for epics, fantasy worlds, and superhero action all wrapped up in a feathery package.
The novel was a passion project, the first real one of my life. I researched, outlined, and crafted a world from the ground up. I knew that I had to make Heaven and the angels relatable. This wasn’t going to be some random universe removed from reality. The angels and their war were connected to humanity, so I approached the story as a part of our history. It was a daunting task, but the characters seemed to speak to me. I felt like I was observing and documenting their struggle, not creating it.
I chose a dual perspective point of view for the narrative, each chapter showing Michael and Satan’s opposing perspectives on the first war in Creation. The backdrop was a bloody, bold, and uncompromising look at warfare corrupting the unity of a civilization, but it was really a story about family––two brothers on the opposite sides of a civil war. These two voices were battling in my head, each believing that they were the heroes of their own story. That’s what storytelling is all about, isn’t it? Even in Heaven, life can be a muddy, screwed up mess with no clear division between good and evil. Heroes can make dire mistakes. Villains can have moments of benevolence. My characters had become caught up in the same maelstrom of ambiguous morality that guided my pen.
Please be aware that because the story is set during a time of war, it contains harrowing moments of violence and is geared towards adult readers. But beneath the brutality of warfare is a universal message of family and brotherhood.
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