Fallen Angel Reviews would like to welcome Teel James Glenn.

Mr. Glenn is so much more than a writer as I found out from perusing his website. A writer, artist, actor, stunt coordinator, stuntman, fight coordinator, and teacher.

With such a varied list of interests how do you focus on one at a time?

I basically get done what is on deadline. I flow from one to the other pretty seamlessly, and in fact, if I hit a roadblock in one direction (writer’s block, or artist’s block etc.) I switch tracks to another artistic direction and let my subconscious find the detour around the block.

Is there any one thing that you pour your heart and soul into?

Whatever I’m doing. I am a very 110% kind of creator. On the set I am completely devoted to the scene as actor or stunt person, sometimes forgetting to eat ‘til the job is done. When I am on a story I may not leave the house for days, particularly if I am in the final stages of visiting one of my fantasy worlds.

What made you chose to write in addition to all of the rest?

I’ve always written and the story was always in the core of me: it’s hard to say which came first the chicken or the egg, so to speak.I had put it aside when my daughter was born to concentrate on the physical skills and immediate money, but was drawn back in ’04. Everything I do is about storytelling in one form or another. The writing is, perhaps, the most satisfying, however because everything else is collaborative and I get to be ‘god’ for the story….

How do your other interests help or hinder your writing?

They help it and inform the work. Its very synergistic: I write dialogue better because I have had to speak other peoples bad dialogue, I write better fight scenes because I’ve had to perform them, my descriptive passages are what they are because of my art background etc.

What is a typical day like for you?

I don’t really have a typical day but I can describe a recent day: Up at 6 am to be on a set to tape a sequence for a webseries (check the email before I leave the house and check the edits on a chapter returned from Joan, my editor at ePress for Them’s Fightin’ Words). On the set by 10 am tape ‘til three, go to teach stage combat 4:30 to 5:30 pm to nine year olds, dinner, then into the city to rehearse for two hours for an upcoming lecture demonstration on sword fighting. Home by 10, check the email again, send out some resumes for acting work then write for an hour or so on the new book (with time out for ice cream while watching Craig Ferguson) then some sleep.

Can you tell us about your book, Knight Errant?

It is as close as an autobiographical book as I will probably ever write, as 75% of what happens to the main character has happened to me: I’ve performed at 42 renaissance festivals, my best friend was killed, I did find his body, comfort his wife and many of the other incidents in the story really happened, though not all at the same time in my life. I wrote it over a long period to deal with the grief of my friend’s death and wove the elements into the very first mystery novel set at a modern day renaissance faire: Knight Errant: death and life at the faire. It follows Eric Knight, professional fight choreographer and jouster as he tries to solve the cold blooded murder of his best friend while trying to create and perform a season of make believe medieval mayhem.
I’m very proud of it and it is very different from all my other books in tone and soul.

You also have other books out including a non-fiction book about fighting, can you give us a quick lowdown on those as well?

It’s actually a book about writing fight scenes. The constant thing common to even my rejected work for years was everyone saying, “Your action scenes are really good.” (With my background in fight choreographer they better have been) My publisher at ePress took note and asked me to write about it. I discovered there were no books anywhere on the subject, so earlier this year I dove in and wrote the book. It should be going to press by end of ’06.

What do you have in the works right now?

I just sold a third in my fantasy Altiva series novels and finished a series of pulp adventure novellas to run on the virtualtales.com website set in 1937. And I am just beginning a new science fiction novel (second in a series) called The Exceptionals: Across the Wasteland.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

I was lucky enough to finally make my dream come true with the publication of my books and I would tell everyone who even thinks of chucking it all and giving up to hold on just a little longer: that first sale is just one more submission away. It was long strange road to get to here, but the trip was really worth it.

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to answer our questions. If you'd like to read more about Mr. Glenn, take a look at his website at www.theurbanswashbuckler.com.

Interviewed by: Serena