Interview with E. Scott Clevenger

Nestled in the serene suburbs of Chicago, as one half of Sainan Books, E. Scott Clevenger draws inspiration from the extraordinary bonds that shape his life. As a son, a devoted husband, and father of two boys, Scott’s tales are woven with the threads of family love and the magical moments that define his characters.

Scott spends time with his wife and children in the Chicago suburbs. He is still an avid reader, a lover of RPGs, and stories of all types. He still attends his Sunday and Tuesday night game sessions, and loves to annoy the table with pop-culture references and broken song lyrics.

Scott is the co-author of The Manticore Shadow series and co-owner of Sainan Books, a small independent publishing house focused on speculative fiction in Fantasy, YA Supernatural, and LGBTQ friendly stories. Their stories are available wherever books are sold! Visit them at SainanBooks.com to learn more!

Scott is extremely active in the Book Fair and Con communities, and we were delighted that he was willing to take the time to answer a few of our questions about his work and process.

Where are you from?

Originally, I’m from Indiana. I moved here, to Bolingbrook, for work (day job) and benefited in so many ways. Better culture, better health, kids (which they said weren’t possible in Indiana), and just an overall better community. Moved here in 2017, and started my writing career in 2019. Couldn’t have timed it better as the local author community in the Chicagoland area is top notch!

What was the inspiration behind your book?

Ultimately, the inspiration behind both my current series and the WIP, is the relationship that my main character has with their own identity and how it reflects the struggles I have faced as well. Symon (Manticore’s Shadow) is a young man growing to be more and more like his father everyday and unsure how he feels about it. This is the relationship I have with my own dad, and some of the conversations the two have in chapter are the exact ones he and I have had. 

Who is your ideal reader? 

D&D Fantasy lovers. Nerds like myself, who have grown up in the times where you can let your fantasy get weird again!

Do you have a favorite scene or chapter you’ve written?

My favorites scene I’ve written so far, is either the very FIRST scene I wrote, which is an emotional lynchpin in the first book where our two MCs become bonded as friends for the first time. It was a very visceral sparring scene and still has a special place as it became my “proving ground” and was what sparked this whole writer’s journey… OR it’s the “wedding” scene in book two of Manticore’s Shadow. We wanted to break the society down a bit and eliminate the patriarchal attachments to the wedding ceremony, so it was a great test to bring in new rituals and elements from world-wide cultures and reframe them as a generational “house” based society rather than male/female. Quite fun, and quite beautiful once we were done.

What themes do you find yourself returning to in your writing?

Discovering the truth. Be it internal struggles with emotions, or revealing the secrets of an oppressive government (both of which are quite common in my stories), it’s always the search for truth. It’s why the motto of the publishing company I founded is “Unveil the magic, Embrace the mystery, Discover your story”

If your book were made into a movie, who would you cast as the lead?

Due to the fantastical creatures and elements, I’d likely see this as an animated project. With that being said, there are TONS of amazing voice actors such as the cast of Critical Role, who I’d LOVE to see voice some of our characters. To have someone like Travis Willingham be a lead in our project (Symon OR his father Kyrn) would be incredible!

Do you have any writing rituals: snacks, music, location, lucky pen?

Unfortunately, not. Due to my day job, the kiddos, and event schedule, I write wherever and whenever I can. The only “near” consistent element is a clean space and loud music!

Describe your writing “desk.”

Spartan. I don’t like clutter. I like a clean desk, with a cup of something to drink and the loudest heavy rock music I can pump into my head. Then, it’s just focus and go. Until my six year old decides it’s “dad time.” (love the little dude)

Do you outline your books or write more organically? In other words, are you a pantser or a plotter?

Methodical plotter. Outline the story structure (seven act, 3 act, save the cat…) I’ve determined to be the best one for this plot. Then, outline each act. Then define my scenes and outline the scene inserting dialog beats, action beats, plot point reveals, etc. Then, I write paragraphs in between my bullet points. All in one document. It feels like I’m chipping away at a sculpture. 

What was the journey like getting War of Night published?

I built my own publishing company. Greyson and I wrote our first books together as a team. For a while, we even considered only using the one pen name. But as we got closer, and I became more inspired to write on my own, we determined we wanted to share the byline. I queried about 75-100 agents, looking to see if we could market into the traditional publishing worlds, but weren’t able to find a fit. Once we decided to self-publish, the questions became on how to successfully do it with two names on the header. Finding no reasonable solution, I built a publishing company. Now that we’ve had success with our own titles, our next adventure is into expanding our reach and bringing new authors under the Sainan Books umbrella. 

What do you find most surprising about being a published author?

The surprising element is still the joy I feel when seeing someone walking by with our book tucked under their arm. No matter how many times I’ve seen it, it still brings a smile to my face. I don’t think it will ever get old, and I think it surprised me that it never will. 

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received—or like to give?

Try everything. There is so much advice out there, and not all of it works for everyone. Try various routines, disciplines, techniques, and find a combination that works for you. It’s the only true way to discover how you desire to write. Other than that, the standard advice is, you can’t edit a blank page… so keep writing… even if you hate it.

Because it’s our thing, please recommend a local author you love and why.

Oof… again. Only one?! I have several other local fantasy authors in my sphere with RICH world building and creative visions such as Katerina Speers and Jyn Majewski. I have darling romance authors such as Tanima Kazi, Quinn Rivers, and Mae Roberts. A blend of both of those (Romantasy I believe is the marketing term) such as Tara N Gabrys and Eden Sandoval. Not to mention authors such as E.E. Hornburg, C.D. White, Tattianna Salisbury, E.L Rae and Cathy Borders who in addition to being great authors support and uplift the local author community by hosting events and organizing groups. I could quite literally name 50+ authors and their works here in the Chicagoland area, and STILL be missing some of the best talents I have ever met.

Thanks, Scott! To order his books (and please do!) go to his page on our Local Author Directory!

Scott was recently on Creative Writing Wizard Podcast. Check it out!