David Wighton of East Sooke always liked books and writing. He thought about it hard. Then, one day, it clicked: why not create a universe of his own.
It wasn’t until he retired from his career as a teacher when his drive for writing really came through.
“I retired, so then I thought, what am I going to do with myself?”
So he started with an initial premise: what would happen if heaven and hell were bureaucracies? Then he invented a group of demons and a bunch of angels, made it whimsical – and voila.
The story was more of a project than a book though, but it gave Wighton the kick off into the world of writing and character development.
“I was so consumed by it, writing eight hours a day. I’d go in, write a chapter, it was like, woah, where is this coming from,” he chuckled.
The theme was too niche, however, with no firm target audience, so he switched gears into another realm, this time aimed towards younger readers, albeit with a much darker, more realistic setting, starting with I Got’cha!
“Its basis is the world, set in the future, has suffered from climate change, loss of oil, everything throughout the world is destroyed, a total dystopian environment,” he said, adding this was the start of his Wilizy series, which revolves around two teenage protagonists, Will, a genius scientist, and Lizzy, a trained assassin.
Both characters come from opposing sides of conflict; one, a scientist for a regime ruled by a vicious dictator who controls bio-engineered humans with limited self-awareness, and a rebel, whose fight against oppression is their sole purpose in life.
As the story progresses (which spans across 10 books and is still ongoing) Wilizy change, their priorities and perception change, while they also interact with other characters of the realm, such as a First Nation family who stands against the regime.
“They eventually adopt the two heroes, so in a way you have a family that grows bigger and bigger across each book,” Wighton said.
And while both characters are technically orphans, he noted family is a strong driver in the Wilizy series.
“Family was the hook. He doesn’t have a family, he’s a product of a genetic machine, and she’s just a killer,” he said, adding that the two go through all the challenges all teens face today.
Between invisible ships, flying submarines, crazy superpowers and deeply rooted messages of political, social and environmental factors, Wighton’s stories are about getting young people to think about the world they live in, and what it can become if no one paid attention anymore.
To read David Wighton’s Wilizy series, go to smashwords.com/profile/view/wilizy, all of which can be accessed for free.