After graduating from Edinburgh Napier University with a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Digital Media, Andrew has used his skills to work freelance on a variety of creative projects.
He lives on the outskirts of Edinburgh where he rambles about made up people and places.
- To begin with, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
My name is Andrew Watson and I was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. I’m the author of the Shadowbinders trilogy starting with Harbinger of Justice. I also make videos on YouTube talking about books. And then in my free time… I read books.
2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
When I was 12 I wanted to be a writer. At that time I was devouring the Rick Riordan books because who doesn’t want to learn that there is magic hidden in the world and that we can be whisked off on an adventure. Around this time we had a school project where we had to finish writing a story based on a prompt and this was always my favourite part of school. I remember vividly that the teacher was impressed with my story and something clicked in my head then and I thought that maybe something was there. Maybe this is what I should be doing. I had always loved writing these stories for me but this opened my mind to the idea that others might enjoy them too.
At 18 I wanted to be a filmmaker. During high school I moved away from books and writing and instead filming (and music) were my creative outlets. I shot short films with my friends at the weekend. I also made music videos of metal and rock versions of songs.
I’m currently 27 years old, however I think at 30 I’ll have the same mind set on this. During 2020 I fell back in love with reading and that drew me back into writing. The unrestrained creativity to it and ability to truly create anything is unlike any other outlet I have tried. Writing lets us explore ideas, express ourselves and is not only therapeutic but fun. I think I will always be a writer.
3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you do not have now?
That by just being a good person good things will come. However this isn’t the case. Being a good person is the default and if you want to achieve something, if you want those good things, then you have to venture out and make them happen.
And more often than not, talent is the product of hundreds of hours of work, not an innate skill. So don’t worry if you aren’t immediately good at something.
4. What were three works of art – book or painting or piece of music, etc – you can now say had a great effect on you and influenced your own development as a writer?
The Lord of the Rings films were a key point of influence in what makes me a writer today. I love everything about those movies (and the book but the movies were first for me) the story, the characters, the soundtrack. It was my first foray into epic fantasy and the one genre to rule them all.
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman is a book series about a man who is dragged onto an alien TV show with his talking cat. It sounds insane because it is. It was a series that reminded me that books can be anything. The strangest ideas can create fascinating stories and you can write them just because they are bizarre and fun.
Bojack Horseman is an animated TV show about a washed up celebrity (who just happens to be a horse). It’s a comedy, for the most part, but the writers have weaved in some of the most heart-wrenching and human themes I have ever seen. And that duality of tone and mesh of ideas and genre is something that I love. It was a reminder that genre and tropes don’t need to be cages and restrictions. You can do so much with just one story.
5. Considering the innumerable artistic avenues open to you, why did you choose to write a novel?
I’ve always loved telling stories and writing is the most raw, unrestrained and accessible medium. Unlike filming those short films in high school, with writing I don’t need to worry about how am I going to shoot this? Who can I get to act? Where will I find a location to look like this? I want to blow something up… I can’t do that.
Writing has no limits. The worlds you create, the people that we follow aren’t bound by anything apart from our imaginations. There’s something really freeing and special about that.
6. Please tell us about your novel, Harbinger of Justice.
As a kid I was fascinated by ancient Egypt. I’ve said it many times but it’s the closest thing we have to real life fantasy with how incredible the civilisation was and how little we understand about it. I read the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan, which is an urban fantasy that leans into ancient Egyptian mythology and it was after those books that the world of Shadowbinders began to form in my mind. I was desperate to find an epic fantasy that takes inspiration from ancient Egypt and I couldn’t find one, so I decided to write it.
Harbinger of Justice is a dark epic fantasy that has been compared to Aladdin because of the Middle Eastern inspired landscape, Venom as there is an animal companion that lives in the main characters shadow, and Stranger Things as there is a dark other world through a tear in reality itself. The story is steeped in lore and history that slowly unravels and comes to the forefront as the books go on. There are waking gods, a lost ancient library, shadow magic and blood magic and adventure abound.
7. What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work?
I want readers to be entertained. I want them to see parts of themselves in these characters. I want them to feel a catharsis. I want readers to feel the same way I do when I find a book that resonates with me.
There’s a magic that can only come from stories and I hope I can draw some of that out from within readers.
8. Whom do you most admire in the realm of writing and why?
There are so many incredible writers that I admire. Of course I need to mention J.R.R Tolkien and his love of creation with how detailed and wide his world and stories are. The fact that he spent so long creating languages and lore and then writing the behemoth that is Lord of the Rings shows a real love of the craft.
Brandon Sanderson is another author that I look up to. The man is on a mission and he’s dedicated to creating his Cosmere. Not only are they fantastic books but having so many of them lean into a universal consistency and large picture story between the novels is so impressive.
I also find self-published authors to be big inspirations. It’s hard to manage all the different elements of publishing with the writing itself. And there are some incredible books that have come to light through indie and self-publishing through the perseverance of these authors.
9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
Write more of the stories I want to write. Get those stories in the hands of the right readers.
10. What advice do you give aspiring writers?
The number one thing stopping aspiring writers is perfectionism of the first draft. So few writers finish a novel because they’re hung up on it being good right off the bat. But it is so much easier to fix a story than it is to get it perfect the first time. Writing is an iterative process. Get that rough first draft down and worry about how to make it good later.
Other than that, write lots and read lots. Not only is it fun but you will improve with every word written and every page read.
Harbinger of Justice
In the desert city of Yontar, Nya cares for her sick mother. But when Nya is arrested, her mother's death is all but certain unless Nya joins a secret project that promises her freedom. If she survives.
Rai, a mercenary, has a shadow dark enough for two. In his quest to discover the nature of the creature living in his shadow, Rai collides with old friends and new enemies, stumbling into an ancient mystery that could mean the end of the world as they know it.
All the while, a darkness stirs and rebellion threatens, helmed by a man who promises justice will reign.
Upon the black sands and beneath the ever-watching eyes, a tale of shadow magic and ancient mysteries unfold in this new dark epic fantasy series. For fans of Brandon Sanderson and Chris Wooding.
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