I had the privilege of interviewing author and podcaster, Clint Hall a few days ago. Recently Clint has celebrated the release of his newest novel: Worlds Collide! I’m only two chapters into the book and I’m already hooked! So without further ado, here’s my interview with Clint Hall.

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NOAH: So, to start things off, I’d love to hear where the idea for Worlds Collide came from:

CLINT: Thanks for having me on the blog!

The idea came while I was working on another book several years ago. I had this idea about a universe in which five planets—each with a different creator—were set on an inevitable collision course as a contest between their respective creators. I quickly decided that the five cosmic creators would be a dragon, serpent, phoenix, lion, and wolf.

Around that time, I was reading a book on writing that discussed various hero archetypes, such as the sacrificial hero, the cunning hero, the hero with a code, etc. I decided that this “Worlds Collide” idea would provide a good opportunity to study how I could write a different hero’s journey for each of those archetypes (one hero for each planet).

NOAH: Wow! I love that so much! That’s so cool!

One of the things that stands out to me about your novel is the depth of your worldbuilding, especially when it comes to things like mythology. This might be a hard question, but I’ve got to know: Between the five worlds featured in Worlds Collide (the dragon, phoenix, serpent, lion, and wolf) which one is your favorite? 

CLINT: This sounds like a cop out, but I really don’t have a favorite world. I spent about 6 months building these planets and developing the characters before I actually started writing the first books. I feel very close to all of them, really, and I love them for different reasons.

I don’t want to give any specifics because I want readers to discover those details for themselves. But in vague terms, certain planets are more fun, others are more challenging, and others are more surprising.

NOAH: That’s super understandable! I want to shift gears a bit with this next question. If you could give your younger self one piece of writing advice, what would it be?

CLINT: I’m going to twist this question around a bit because I want it to be as useful as possible to newer authors. Positioning this as “something I would tell my younger self” suggests that it’s something I wish I could change about my journey. But that isn’t the case. Instead, I want to share something that I’m very glad I did.

I was patient.

This is a tricky subject because, if I’m not careful, people will think I’m against self-publishing, and that’s not the case. Self-publishing is absolutely the best path for certain authors for a ton of reasons I won’t go into here (but you can easily find with a simple Google search).

But I’m glad I was not in a rush to publish. Don’t get me wrong; I started pitching as soon as my first novel was completed. And for the next several years, I continued writing manuscripts as I collected piles of rejections from editors and agents.

It was difficult. I knew that I was creating publishable work, and I kicked around the idea of self-publishing but never seriously considered it. That didn’t feel like the right move for me. So I kept writing, mostly because I loved it. I did get a few offers for which I was grateful but passed on because, again, they didn’t feel right. I took my time. I waited. I kept working.

I completed six manuscripts before I finally signed with Enclave Publishing. I could probably write a book about all the reasons why I’m so glad I was patient and waited for the right deal at the right time. Suffice to say—I made the right choice.

But this takes a great deal of self-awareness. If any authors reading this are collecting stacks of rejections and, consequently, considering self-publishing, I believe you owe it to yourself to truly examine why. If you know for a fact that you are currently producing your best work and are ready for everything that comes with going it alone, then you should go for it.

I apologize for the bluntness of this next part, but again, I want to be helpful. You owe it to yourself to make sure you’re not just in a hurry to see your name on a book cover. You only have one chance to be a debut, and it’s very important to optimize it.

Be patient. Wait for the right time. Be true to yourself. Build relationships. And keep writing.

NOAH: That is amazing wisdom. I advise every aspiring author reading this to take it to heart.

Now, playing off my last question, what is the worst piece of writing advice you were ever given?

CLINT: Nothing jumps out, and I think that’s because there’s no “one right way” to do this. The more you attend conferences, listen to podcasts, read writing blogs, etc, the more you’ll find established industry professionals offering advice that is contradictory to each other.

People often ask me, “This editor told me X, and another editor told me Y, which is basically the opposite. Whom do I listen to?” And there isn’t a great answer. Usually, both people are “right,” and it’s up to you to decide which piece of advice is right for you (and in your specific case, maybe neither of them are).

NOAH: I like that!

What are some books or authors that have inspired you the most in your writing journey?

CLINT: Max Brooks (World War Z) is my favorite fiction author. His work is incredibly entertaining but also absolutely brilliant in how it uses horror/sci-fi to talk about society. Pierce Brown (Red Rising) is the author I most envy in terms of writing voice and world-building. C.S. Lewis’s work changed my life, especially The Great Divorce and The Problem of Pain. And I love Ernest Cline (Ready Player One) for proving that you can absolutely open a book with a massive exposition dump if it’s entertaining enough.

Like many writers, I owe a tremendous debt to Joseph Campbell for his observation and recording of The Hero’s Journey and, subsequently, Christopher Vogler’s book The Writer’s Journey, which helps writers better understand and apply mythic structure.

NOAH: Those are great books! To be honest, my to-be-read pile just grew a bit. Now, Clint, where can learn more about you and your work?

CLINT: I’m easy to find! Go to clinthall.com or follow me on Instagram @clinthall. You can also go to worldscollideseries.com to learn more about the book, explore the worlds, search the character database, and even take a quiz to discover your Worlds Collide homeworld.

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So, if you’re looking for a thrilling space adventure with intricate worldbuilding and unique characters, I encourage you to snag a copy of Worlds Collide! You won’t regret it! Also, be sure to subscribe to Clint’s newsletter or follow him on Instagram. Maybe even check out worldscollideseries.com, there’s a quiz that will tell what planet your from (I’m from the Pheonix planet)!

Thank you for reading! You guys are the reason I do what I do. If you enjoyed this interview and want to see more, let me know in the comments! Also, if you haven’t already be sure to snag your free short story!