He writes superhero fiction. He is the author of The Superhero’s Son, Minimum Wage Sidekick, The Legacy Superhero, and Capes Online, among others. He lives in Sherman, Texas with his wife and daughter.
Q.1 Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
A. My book, Supermice, was inspired by my wife's job as a lab animal veterinarian.
Q.2 The Villain Town series merges two popular genres, superhero fiction and LitRPG. What inspired you to blend these two distinct worlds together?
A. I have written two previous LitRPG/superhero series before this one, so I already had experience in this fairly niche subgenre.
My main inspiration came from noticing the existing readership crossover between the two genres, as well as noticing the lack of books in said genre. So I decided to give it a shot and have been happy with it ever since.
Q.3 Can you offer any hints about your next writing project or upcoming work?
A. Sure! In July, the sixth book in my ongoing Make Your Own Supervillain series, titled List, will launch. It’s a completely different series from Villain Town, lacking LitRPG elements, but still a lot of superhero fun!
Q.4 How many books have you written? Which one is your favorite?
A. Counting every book I have written under various pen names over the years, well over 100 by this point. Hard to pick a favorite, but probably either The Superhero's Son or Capes Online series, although the Ashley Jason series has a special place in my heart, too.
Q.5 Can you share any challenges you faced while writing this series?
A. I wrote the first book while writing two other unrelated books at the same time. It was really stressful and I try not to write multiple projects at once anymore if I can help it.
Q.6 Why did you decide to write under a pseudonym?
A. No reason other than I thought Lucas Flint was a cool name. I also just thought my superhero stuff was different enough from the epic fantasy I published under my real name that it warranted a pen name.
Q.7 LitRPG novels are known for their strategic battles and character progression. How do these elements play out in the superhero setting of "Villain Town"?
A. The main character, Maelstrom, starts off as a low-level supervillain in the most difficult part of the supervillain prison he ends up in. He starts off with no allies, a handful of unreliable or incompetent minions, and no notoriety he can use to influence others. Even the superheroes have no idea who he is. Over the course of the book and the series, Maelstrom gradually grows as a supervillain until he becomes THE supervillain of Capes Online.
Q.8 When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
A. At the age of 12, not long after I started writing fanfiction based off of the LEGO toyline called BIONICLE. It was so fun that it made me want to become a writer and I’ve been doing it ever since.
Q.9 What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing this series?
A. How difficult it is to write a story from a villainous perspective without alienating the reader. I had to hold back a few times to make sure my main character didn’t do anything too bad but I also didn’t want him to just be a generic anti-hero, either.
Q.10 How do you handle feedback and criticism from readers or editors during the writing process or after the publication?
A. I typically don’t read reader reviews because they get in my head and mess with my writing. When working with editors, I really try to listen to their feedback and suggestions and accept the ones that make sense and reject the ones I don’t (and explain my reasoning behind each choice, too, so the editor understands where I am coming from).
Q.11 The title suggests a focus on villains rather than heroes. What motivated you to explore the darker side of the superhero genre?
A. Every other superhero series I’ve written has been focused on the actual superheroes or, at best, former supervillains. I decided to try my hand at writing about actual supervillains who weren’t terribly sympathetic (at least at first glance), just to see if I could do it. I also thought it would bring up some interesting moral questions that normal superhero stories typically don’t talk about much.
Q.12 How do you select the names of your characters?
A. Most of the time, I choose names that are short, easy to pronounce, and easy to spell, yet are distinct enough to stand out. At least, for actual names.
Q.1 Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
A. My book, Supermice, was inspired by my wife's job as a lab animal veterinarian.
Q.2 The Villain Town series merges two popular genres, superhero fiction and LitRPG. What inspired you to blend these two distinct worlds together?
A. I have written two previous LitRPG/superhero series before this one, so I already had experience in this fairly niche subgenre.
My main inspiration came from noticing the existing readership crossover between the two genres, as well as noticing the lack of books in said genre. So I decided to give it a shot and have been happy with it ever since.
Q.3 Can you offer any hints about your next writing project or upcoming work?
A. Sure! In July, the sixth book in my ongoing Make Your Own Supervillain series, titled List, will launch. It’s a completely different series from Villain Town, lacking LitRPG elements, but still a lot of superhero fun!
Q.4 How many books have you written? Which one is your favorite?
A. Counting every book I have written under various pen names over the years, well over 100 by this point. Hard to pick a favorite, but probably either The Superhero's Son or Capes Online series, although the Ashley Jason series has a special place in my heart, too.
Q.5 Can you share any challenges you faced while writing this series?
A. I wrote the first book while writing two other unrelated books at the same time. It was really stressful and I try not to write multiple projects at once anymore if I can help it.
Q.6 Why did you decide to write under a pseudonym?
A. No reason other than I thought Lucas Flint was a cool name. I also just thought my superhero stuff was different enough from the epic fantasy I published under my real name that it warranted a pen name.
Q.7 LitRPG novels are known for their strategic battles and character progression. How do these elements play out in the superhero setting of "Villain Town"?
A. The main character, Maelstrom, starts off as a low-level supervillain in the most difficult part of the supervillain prison he ends up in. He starts off with no allies, a handful of unreliable or incompetent minions, and no notoriety he can use to influence others. Even the superheroes have no idea who he is. Over the course of the book and the series, Maelstrom gradually grows as a supervillain until he becomes THE supervillain of Capes Online.
Q.8 When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
A. At the age of 12, not long after I started writing fanfiction based off of the LEGO toyline called BIONICLE. It was so fun that it made me want to become a writer and I’ve been doing it ever since.
Q.9 What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing this series?
A. How difficult it is to write a story from a villainous perspective without alienating the reader. I had to hold back a few times to make sure my main character didn’t do anything too bad but I also didn’t want him to just be a generic anti-hero, either.
Q.10 How do you handle feedback and criticism from readers or editors during the writing process or after the publication?
A. I typically don’t read reader reviews because they get in my head and mess with my writing. When working with editors, I really try to listen to their feedback and suggestions and accept the ones that make sense and reject the ones I don’t (and explain my reasoning behind each choice, too, so the editor understands where I am coming from).
Q.11 The title suggests a focus on villains rather than heroes. What motivated you to explore the darker side of the superhero genre?
A. Every other superhero series I’ve written has been focused on the actual superheroes or, at best, former supervillains. I decided to try my hand at writing about actual supervillains who weren’t terribly sympathetic (at least at first glance), just to see if I could do it. I also thought it would bring up some interesting moral questions that normal superhero stories typically don’t talk about much.
Q.12 How do you select the names of your characters?
A. Most of the time, I choose names that are short, easy to pronounce, and easy to spell, yet are distinct enough to stand out. At least, for actual names.
For superhero codenames, I usually pick names that reflect their powers or abilities (for example, Dinoczar from Villain Town is so named because he is a humanoid dinosaur who thinks he is a king).
Q.13 How do you know when a story is finished?
A. When I get to the end, of course. In all seriousness, however, I know a story is finished when the primary conflict of the story has been resolved. After that, I tie up any loose ends and set up for the next book in the series (unless it’s the final book in the series, that is).
Q.14 Who designed your book cover? What was the selection process?
A. I don’t know the name of the artist for this particular series (they were hired by my publisher), but I was given a series of concept sketches to provide feedback on during the design process. Any changes I wanted made were done and I was given the last word in approving the final cover. It was a pretty easy and efficient process.
Q.15 It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your book. Tell us about your marketing campaign.
A. I posted in all of the Facebook and Reddit LitRPG/Gamelit groups, as well as emailing my newsletter and posting on my social media platforms. My publisher also used Amazon and Facebook ads to drive sales.
Q.16 Do you have a favorite scene or moment from this series, and what inspired it?
A. Good question! My favorite scene would have to be the moment when Maelstrom’s grandfather frames him for murder and he ends up in prison, thus kickstarting the plot. This was one of the earliest scenes I came up with and I really enjoyed getting to write it. Not sure what inspired it, other than I thought it would be a cool scene.
Q.17 The Villain Town series promises unpredictable twists and turns. Without giving too much away, what can readers expect in terms of plot surprises and character development?
A. The final conflict with the main antagonist in the first book, Old Sparky, is definitely a surprise, as is the revelation about the true nature of Joe the petty purse thief. I consider both of those big plot twists that I won’t spoil here other than to say that I hope readers enjoy them and find them as surprising as I want them to.
Q.18 How do your friends or family feel about your book or writing venture in general?
A. My wife is easily my biggest fan; in fact, she was even my consultant for one of my earlier books, Supermice, which was inspired by her job as a lab animal veterinarian. The rest of my family also are supportive of my writing, as are my friends, so it’s always been easy for me to do. I feel very blessed to have so much support from my friends and family, as I know a lot of writers don’t.
Q.19 Are there any particular authors or books that have influenced your writing style or the creation of your books?
A. J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Rick Riordan, and Greg Farshtey are probably my primary inspirations in terms of literary works, but I’ve also been hugely inspired by the works of Hiromu Arakawa, the mangaka behind the amazing manga called Fullmetal Alchemist.
Q.20 Share the experience of your writing journey so far.
A. It’s been an amazing experience with lots of ups and downs and twists and turns (kind of like the stories I write!). I wouldn’t trade this job or the experiences it has given me for any other job in the world.
Share your social account links -
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorlucasflint
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/authorlucasflint/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/LucasFlintBooks
Website - www.lucasflint.com
Q.13 How do you know when a story is finished?
A. When I get to the end, of course. In all seriousness, however, I know a story is finished when the primary conflict of the story has been resolved. After that, I tie up any loose ends and set up for the next book in the series (unless it’s the final book in the series, that is).
Q.14 Who designed your book cover? What was the selection process?
A. I don’t know the name of the artist for this particular series (they were hired by my publisher), but I was given a series of concept sketches to provide feedback on during the design process. Any changes I wanted made were done and I was given the last word in approving the final cover. It was a pretty easy and efficient process.
Q.15 It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your book. Tell us about your marketing campaign.
A. I posted in all of the Facebook and Reddit LitRPG/Gamelit groups, as well as emailing my newsletter and posting on my social media platforms. My publisher also used Amazon and Facebook ads to drive sales.
Q.16 Do you have a favorite scene or moment from this series, and what inspired it?
A. Good question! My favorite scene would have to be the moment when Maelstrom’s grandfather frames him for murder and he ends up in prison, thus kickstarting the plot. This was one of the earliest scenes I came up with and I really enjoyed getting to write it. Not sure what inspired it, other than I thought it would be a cool scene.
Q.17 The Villain Town series promises unpredictable twists and turns. Without giving too much away, what can readers expect in terms of plot surprises and character development?
A. The final conflict with the main antagonist in the first book, Old Sparky, is definitely a surprise, as is the revelation about the true nature of Joe the petty purse thief. I consider both of those big plot twists that I won’t spoil here other than to say that I hope readers enjoy them and find them as surprising as I want them to.
Q.18 How do your friends or family feel about your book or writing venture in general?
A. My wife is easily my biggest fan; in fact, she was even my consultant for one of my earlier books, Supermice, which was inspired by her job as a lab animal veterinarian. The rest of my family also are supportive of my writing, as are my friends, so it’s always been easy for me to do. I feel very blessed to have so much support from my friends and family, as I know a lot of writers don’t.
Q.19 Are there any particular authors or books that have influenced your writing style or the creation of your books?
A. J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Rick Riordan, and Greg Farshtey are probably my primary inspirations in terms of literary works, but I’ve also been hugely inspired by the works of Hiromu Arakawa, the mangaka behind the amazing manga called Fullmetal Alchemist.
Q.20 Share the experience of your writing journey so far.
A. It’s been an amazing experience with lots of ups and downs and twists and turns (kind of like the stories I write!). I wouldn’t trade this job or the experiences it has given me for any other job in the world.
Share your social account links -
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorlucasflint
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/authorlucasflint/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/LucasFlintBooks
Website - www.lucasflint.com
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