Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
I loved movies as a kid, and still do. I’d make these storyboard-style short stories on paper when I was pretty young. In high school, I wrote my first screenplay. Though I was of course shocked at the time, it was not made into a major motion picture. However, I really enjoyed writing a feature-length script.
Reading turned into a big hobby of mine once I was in my twenties. I wrote my first novel in my late twenties.
What inspired you to write your book?
My latest book is an action thriller called Black Quiet. It’s about a former Special Forces commando who hunts for revenge after a gang beats his brother into a coma.
Though the ex-soldier, Cole, has some allies in the story, for the most part, he’s taking on a powerful, mysterious criminal enterprise on his own. He’s forced to rely on his own instincts and take big risks. I felt people out there would connect with a character like that.
What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
Cole breaks quite a bit of rules to accomplish what he’s after. Though I’m of course not advocating for readers to break the law, I do hope they take the story as a metaphor for solving problems in creative, unconventional ways.
What drew you into this particular genre?
All of my books are thrillers. The genre has the capacity for stories that are both entertaining and thought-provoking.
A good thriller is loaded with suspense. It has that “page turner” feel. But that’s not all. A good thriller will take a social or psychological concept, present various sides of it, and take a unique view on it. Thriller themes often make interesting points about criminal justice, risk, regret, economics, and more.
If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
Many characters in this book are trying to kill people. Sitting down in the middle of all that could get dicey.
What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
I use quite a bit of them. I find they’re helpful in their own ways. For instance, TikTok is a great way to reach readers who don’t yet know who you are, while Facebook is a great way to engage with readers who already know you and want to stay connected about your latest releases, updates, etc.
I’d recommend writers try as many sites as possible. See which ones you like posting on and see which ones wind up leading to good engagement and book sales. Over time, focus on those.
What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
I actually recently started an online-education platform for writers. The intro course, which is free, was made with aspiring authors in mind. Anyone can take it here: https://www.writegrippingstories.com/
The course focuses on character development, plot, theme, and emotional impact. Here are some other tips:
- Write in your favorite genre to read. You’ll have an intuitive sense of what’s working and what’s not.
- Create an outline before writing the chapters. You’ll save a ton of time with rewrites if you figure out the story’s major pieces, and how they tie together, early on.
- When it’s time to write the chapters, just try to finish 500 words a day. It’s a very doable number, even for a first timer. However, if you stick with it, you’ll have a first draft done in a pretty quick time frame. If you write every day, you’d have a 60,000-word manuscript done in just four months.
What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
My book Black Quiet is the first in a series. The sequel, Razor Moon, comes out on August 22. The main character, Cole, goes on a dangerous search for a missing fifteen-year-old girl.
Author Bio
Ted Galdi is an Amazon #1 bestselling thriller author. He’s been featured by Kirkus magazine, ABC, FOX, iHeartRadio, and many other media outlets. He’s a winner of a Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award and a Silver Medal in the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards.
For a free book, visit his website, www.tedgaldi.com.
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