In today’s world, many of the most notable stories we know once came from aspiring novelists, storytellers, and talented writers who took their thoughts and ideas and turned them into incredible, well-crafted pieces of writing. Some of these works, such as the plays of Shakespeare, are commonly referenced to this day and can be some of the most sought-after pieces of work in literature. Every year, we introduce a new generation of writers to change the ways of storytelling.
Last year, Thomas Gorski (LP ‘24) took his hand at writing and self-published his very own novel, The Beast Hunter, which is his take on an eerie, gothic horror novel. It follows the life of a man named Douglass Fletcher, who, in the year 1886, was given the title of Beast Hunter, a person who devotes his time to hunting and killing beasts.
“Most of my inspiration comes from a long list of video games that I love, but the game that inspired me to write The Beast Hunter was Bloodborne,” Thomas said.
“I loved the game’s dark and gothic atmosphere and how creative its story was. I remember watching the Avengers movies and thinking about how I wanted to create something cool like that, and so I wrote this book.”
Upon being asked about challenges, Thomas expressed his struggles with writer’s block, a term associated with writing in which an author has difficulty producing new ideas or pieces of work.
“Mostly coming up with names for each character, place, and made-up items was sometimes a struggle.” He continued, “The struggle happens usually when I’m looking for ways to connect each plot point.”
The Beast Hunter is a self-published novel, which, as Thomas put it, means when you publish a book without the help of a professional company.
“I wanted to traditionally publish this book at first, but I soon learned that the task was harder than I expected. Publishers would take months to respond, and there are fake companies out there who will try to steal the rights of the book and the money of new authors,” Thomas said. “I decided that the best way to publish The Beast Hunter was through Amazon.”
Giving advice to aspiring writers, Thomas recommends any new author self-publish their first few books before attempting traditional publishing.
“The easiest way to self-publish is through Amazon.com with its book publishing program. It is completely free and helps you reach your book out to others. The program allows you to customize multiple parts of your novel, such as what materials each book is made of, the measurements of the book, the price of each copy, and so much more,” Thomas said.
The entire process of writing, editing, and publishing took about a year. Thomas recalls starting writing around September of 2022 and finishing in April of 2023, receiving help from fellow published author, Grayden McClellan (LP ‘20).
“I spent about 2 to 3 months editing and looking for a publisher. During that time, my mentor and former manager, Grayden McClellan, helped look over and edit the novel,” Thomas said.
After high school, Thomas plans to attend Northern Illinois University, where he wishes to study criminal law, whilst still continuing storytelling.
“I intend to keep writing books. I want to put my creative talents to use. I also plan on trying to work for a production company of some sort.”
Other than his first novel, Thomas said, “I intend to continue The Beast Hunter series as long as there are stories to tell. I have other books I’m writing in different genres as well.”
If you would like to check out The Beast Hunter for yourself, it’s available on Amazon as a physical paperback for $10.00.
If anyone also may be interested in writing or publishing advice, you may feel free to contact Tom Gorski at [email protected]. Some of his writing recommendations are as follow:
1. If you plan on making a series, DO NOT end your first novel with a cliffhanger. Focus more on a story that can be told in one book.
2. If you plan on having a cliffhanger in your second novel, be sure to tell a complete story in both your second and third novels in your series. Tell a complete story, and don’t just end the novel out of nowhere.
3. Be detailed. Describe your settings with as much detail as possible to really put your reader in your world. Make the characters in your book have some kind of backstory. Give all your characters a reason to be there.
4. If you’re bored writing it, then they are bored reading it.
