What inspired you to begin writing/illustrating?

I was always inspired by storytelling as it is part of my nature. When I was small, like every other kid, I always got lost in and hooked on these fantastical stories and I wanted to create my own. I grew up with all the Marvel and DC movies, as well as the incredible Studio Ghibli, DreamWorks, Blue Sky, and Pixar movies.

At the time I started my storytelling journey, I wasn’t able to write as yet, but I did my stories by drawing with a crayon with stick figures. I have hundreds of these from when I was about five or six years old to a few years ago. Then, years later, my skills built up. I soon developed more techniques with my illustrating as I started transforming my stories into comics.

The writing part was a different thing altogether, as I initially didn’t have any intention to ever do writing. But I picked up writing skills during my last years at school, using Microsoft Word for lots of assignments.

But one day, when I was at my Dad’s, I began writing just to get some ideas out of my head. I just wanted to do it. Maybe what got me into this hobby was by reading (which I started in 2015), and I was interested in giving writing a go. To date, the books I have read include the Percy Jackson series, The Hobbit, some Discworld books, and the Maze Runner trilogy.

Writing and creating comic strips are two completely different things: comics give a visual way of storytelling where there are characters and worlds you can see so clearly, and you can create any amount of them. While writing doesn’t give you that, it gives lots of context which comics don’t have. Like explaining the histories of these worlds and characters and what the characters think and smell. It’s also a bit larger scale as I think comics do take quite a lot out of you, and you need lots of time to work on them. To me, writing is easier and simpler, but I do take about six months to edit each of my novels, developing the storylines and characters as much as I can.

What does it mean to you to be a Creative Australia Arts and Disability Initiative funding recipient? What are your plans with the funding?

It means the world! I couldn’t believe it at first, but I am truly grateful to be a recipient!

We’ve already started planning what I’m going to use this funding for. I will be writing my next two books in my Librarian Saga: The Cursed Planet and the Man that Everyone Forgot. The Grant will cover my wages as a writer as well as the printing of the novels. It will also fund me to sell my novels outside of the ACT. So far we have reached Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, mostly in ComicCons, and Adelaide for the Fringe Festival where I won a weekly award for Emerging Artist. Now this Grant will allow me to sell my novels in markets in Tasmania, Perth and Darwin. These places were always out of reach, but now I can reach markets all over Australia! It is really important to me that I reach out to others who often visit Canberra and invite me to their towns. And I really want to reach others who may not be able to reach me.

What do you know now that you wish you’d known before you started writing?

Hard to tell, really, because when I started creating stories (which was like when I was about five), I didn’t think I would ever share my stories with others. Maybe because I didn’t want to be in the spotlight, but since my business began, it’s all just happening naturally.

I’m not sure what the younger me would have thought, but the older me who started developing his comics and began writing would be very excited about where he would be going.

But if there was one part of my current experience I could hint to my younger self, maybe that would be to write sooner? I can’t tell, as it all just happened quite randomly. But I think I would’ve created more stories back then than those I have right now.

You know my mum edits my writing for spelling and grammar. She tries to keep it just as I write it but understandable to others. I could have told my younger self not to worry so much about getting it right. There is no right, just my own way to write. 

Which Australian authors/illustrators have been influential for you?

I wasn’t influenced by any illustrator, as I just do my drawings as a tool for my storytelling. But as it grew and developed, it became its own thing. These days I have a cartoon mentor, Andrew Hore, who helps me develop my cartoons and comics further.

But authors wouldn’t be the right question for me; rather, other types of writers. Because I always get influenced by movies and TV shows, so I love some of those writers – like Russell T Davies and Steven MoLat (both Doctor Who writers). As I previously mentioned, the reading part took till I was about fifteen before I could do it. But movies and TV shows have always been the core for me.

It’s really hard to tell what actually got me into this journey. Sure, there’s the usual movies as I grew up – mostly animation. But I think the one thing that finally encouraged me on this pathway was Doctor Who. Sure, it is many things and it means a lot to people for many different reasons, but I think Doctor Who has the creative imagination that the show really can go anywhere. One of the best things about Dr Who is one episode where you’re in the past, trying to stay alive and away from some fearsome beast, and in another you’re on a space station and learning that everything is not as it seems. The writers really can do so much, and that’s the best thing about this program.

So, that’s the sort of flavour I wanted to share with my readers; sharing that excitement and wonder, and just having a fun time. My novels have a lot of fun. We tell people they have the flavour of Red Dwarf. I’m not saying my books are as good as those shows, but the misfits going on funny misadventures is true to my storytelling. I think the fact that I have been doing mainstream Improv Drama for four years now helps me find the ridiculous and unexpected.

Why are you a member of the ASA?

I joined ASA as I wanted to be given some writing advice and tips, and some advice on publishing contracts, although I am currently self-published. I also tried some pitches for my novels to publishers as I am searching for any publisher who may be interested in my books. I am proud to be a writer with my disabilities and want to create a pathway for diverse writers to write differently without having to change. I think authentic is most important. Because I have Autism and Intellectual Disability, and I want to express my voice as my own.

The ASA just helps me as an author to see what type of advice and opportunities there are for me to really get my stories out there and hopefully catch someone’s interest.

 

Find out more about Liam at: https://everyoneneedsaliam.com.au/