The CHOW Interview: Sci-Fi to Social Commentary

Indie Author T.O. Burnett reflects on process, growth, and coming 'Home' with Toni Morrison

The CHOW (Clueless Hack on Writing) interview is my look into the minds of writers, whose books haven’t been optioned for Netflix, but are finding ways to be shared with the world. These writers are booktrepreneurs who are hustling to get one small bit of attention for their books and trying to make a business out of it. If you like the specific genre, I encourage you to find it and buy. I’ll tell you, they’ll know and celebrate your purchase.

T.O. Burnett is, in many ways, a typical inner-city man. Having moved to the southeast section of Washington, D.C. by the age of one with his single mother, he spent his adolescent years learning in the school of hard knocks. After moving South to rural Alabama to start high school, T.O. began to explore writing, which came naturally to him. His literary skills and overall writing talent were cultivated by his father, who was a respected educator and dedicated public servant. A short stint in the United States Marine Corps, and a career in law enforcement helped him to develop a well-rounded perspective on life. In addition to being a patrol officer, he also taught at the police academy—where he was a firearms instructor, defensive tactics instructor, and senior drill instructor—for over fifteen years. He was named MPCTC instructor of the year in 2011.

As a science fiction author, T.O. has been heavily influenced by space operas, science fiction shows of the 1970s, kung fu movies, and numerous sci-fi authors. He hopes that he, too, will one day be recognized as an influential person in the science fiction genre. https://www.sapien.world/

Welcome, T.O. Thanks so much for joining me on the CHOW, otherwise known as the Clueless Hack on Writing.

Thank you for having me, Vince, and for that amazing introduction. Great show title by the way. I’m honored to be here.

T.O., Your latest novel, Circa 1740, your main character D’Quandray “The Stud” Tyson is a well-known sports star who is transported into 18th Century Slavery. Tell us a little bit about your book?

Sure, I’m happy to talk about it. At the beginning of the story, D’Quandray Tyson is a gregarious every person’s man, who has the world in front of him. He had risen to stardom as a college sophomore when he hit the game winning shot to win the NCAAB tournament and earn a National title for his university, the Southside State Cerulean Knights—fictitious, of course. Unfortunately for him, that was the high point of his sports career. He subsequently suffered a major injury to his left knee in training camp after he got drafted to the pro sports league; however, his parents were smart and had a great insurance policy on him. From that, he got enough money to live comfortably for life. He was also able to parlay his fame into a great job as the face of a major sports marketing firm.

His journey begins when there’s a convergence of an odd encounter with an alleged time traveler by one of his friends and pressure from a very woke coworker of his for him to be more responsive to his community. That coworker also took D’Quandray to task about his detachment from the Black community as a whole. That ultimately led to him traveling through time to Jamestown, Virginia, landing him in the year 1740—a destination and time he chose. What he did not choose was to live there as an enslaved man for seventy years. The story is about his experience in slavery, how it affected him while he was there, how it affected his relationships in his real life, and how it changed him—or did not change him—as a man.

This seems to be a departure from the world of your Sapien Sci-Fi series. What drew you to telling Tyson’s story?

That’s a great question. Side note, I wrote a blog post about that very thing on my website. To summarize, I was motivated to write this because of what occurred in our most recent presidential election, where 18% of Black male voters casted their ballots for the incumbent.

That surprised me because I am not of the belief that our and his interests align. I started to wonder what the allure was. After looking into it, I observed some common denominators in those men, all of which I used to construct the personality of D’Quandray Tyson. Sentimentally this is absolutely a departure from Sapien, but not canonically. One of D’Quandray’s friends (Bradley Gates) actually time travels to the Sapien solar system where he does interact with the characters of that story. By the way, all of my stories exist in the same universe, whether they are part of a trilogy, series, or are a stand-alone.

With a time-travel element, are you setting up another series?

Another great question. The story I’m currently writing, A Mezzo-lord’s Armor, takes from Circa 1740 as well. I don’t want to spoil anything by telling potential readers exactly what, but I do believe it is an Easter egg they will appreciate. So, to answer your question directly, yes.

You’ll find that there is a cyclical nature to the literary universe I’ve created. My hope is that a reader will be able to pick up any of my books and still be able to enjoy a great story wherever they start, even without having an overall view of the literary landscape I’ve created.

As mentioned, your Sapien series takes place in a different solar system. Was it more difficult to create an entirely new society, or explore the tragedy of the past?

Wow, two different types of difficult there. The former challenged my imagination, whereas the latter challenged me emotionally and conscientiously. The first book of my Sapien trilogy was one that I found easy to write, but that was mostly due to my inexperience and naivety about the difficulties and nuances of good writing. As a result, I’ve made two revisions to that one. Let’s all laugh together.

By the time I got to Circa 1740 (it was my fourth novel), I was a much better writer. I was also more settled in my process. As a result, I wrote the first draft of that one in six months, which is incredibly fast. That, however, does not mean it was easy. I worked from an outline—I am a plotter—and I stayed on a writing schedule and met or exceeded my word count goal daily. I actually shed a few tears writing Circa. I had to go to some dark places to deliver it the way it had to be delivered. It’s gritty and downright ugly at times, but it definitely has a satisfying ending.

What is your process for writing? Do you plot? Do you ride the wave the story takes you? Do you do a bit of both?

Through trial and error, I’ve learned that plotting is the best approach for me. The only time I’ve ever been a discovery writer was in the first three chapters of Sapien: Dawn Of Oblivion, my first book. I quickly realized that if I didn’t establish some type of order there would be too many loose ends to tie when it was time to wrap it up.

Now when I have an idea it goes into my prospect document, where I flesh it out until it’s something coherent. Then it’s just a matter of when I can get to it. Once I do get to it, I decide on the personality and physical characteristics of the protagonist and from what point of view I want to tell the story; I’m partial to third person close. Next, I decide the commercial genre—which will probably always be science fiction for me—and the content genre. Then and only then do I start my outline. I will not start my first draft until I know how the story will end. I feel its important to be intentional with foreshadowing, including minor details, inputting red herrings, and planting Easter eggs. That’s much easier to do when you know exactly where you’re going and what you’re trying to say.

You’re an active Indie Writer. What was the biggest eye-opener about the business of publishing?

The biggest eye opener for me has been the accessibility of the established authors and the abundance of helpful information, especially as an indie. The only reason I publish novels is because I can do so without having to deal with the gatekeepers of traditional publishing. But to elaborate more on the positive aspects of the business, I love that I can reach people all over the world through my work; that also came as somewhat of a surprise. You never know who’s watching, and if you put out good work, your audience will find you.

In your bio, you mention the influence science fiction has had on you? Outside of sci-fi, what other genres do you read and what has been the book that has stuck with you in the last year?

I read broadly, even though I only write science fiction. I recently read Home by Toni Morrison, which is an amazing book. She was a phenomenal writer. I had been meaning to read some of her work for a while but never got around to it. I started with a good one though. What struck me about the writing in Home is that it sparked nostalgia in me that was, until then, dormant. The references, the vernacular, the community—it was all familiar. There was so much verisimilitude in what she wrote that it felt like nonfiction—like I was being told a story by my grandmother on the front porch of her craftsman home in Alabama. I can’t wait to read more of Morrison’s work.

You are active on Twitter/X. What do you think about social media and the indie author business? What should be our relationship with social media?

I feel that social media is a vital element of success, especially for indie authors. Without a major publishing house behind you, it’s up to the author to make a name for himself or herself. One thing that indies often miss on is the fact that we are our own brand, and, as a result, we oftentimes aren’t as careful with our content as we should be. I have to constantly remind myself that it can all go bad with one sketchy social media post. If I have a negative interaction with someone, I just block, mute, or unfriend them and keep it moving instead of escalating the discourse. Conversely, if used correctly, social media can help skyrocket you into stardom or fast-track you to viability. It’s a gift and a curse, but it’s very much in your control.

Thank you again for joining me today.

Thank you. It’s been a blast. Hopefully you’ll have me again. I enjoyed it.

Side of Mustard

As you know, my second novel will be released April 2. It’s a very exciting time. Leading up, you’re going to see more information about the book, the characters and the setting.

Character Profile: Brett Austen

In the five-part serial The Intern, Brett’s season is shared as the background to Javier’s year as an intern.

Stay tuned: More to come!

It’s The Final Game of the Season…

All Star Brett Austen has a chance to secure the first .400 batting average for a season in more than 80 years. But increasing pressure and his own hubris threaten the apex of his career.

Meanwhile…

A sideline reporter wrestles with a choice between career and her mom in crisis.

A retiring usher takes in his final game before moving in with his son’s family.

A lanky 15-year-old can’t understand his future stepdad while pining for a girl from school.

A lemonade vendor agonizes over a big score to settle gambling debts and fulfill his daughter’s dreams.

An adult daughter navigates uncomfortable family dynamics at home while her father lies in hospice.

Will their choices meet the moment?

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