Media Kits

Bio (Long)

Matt Wright is the author of the Sun Maker Saga, a self-published space opera fantasy series, as well as a freelance writer and editor. He co-edited The Southern Quill (2017), a literary journal at Dixie State University, as well as the sci-fi/fantasy anthology, Unmasked: Tales of Risk and Revelation (2021). He edited and reissued a new edition of From the Earth to the Moon and Round the Moon by Jules Verne (2021). He also taught English 1010: Introduction to Writing at Utah Tech University.

Matt has been writing fantasy and science fiction for over fifteen years and has written full-length novels since he was in high school. He loves writing in the epic genres with echoes of mythological and historical contexts. He currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his wife, Elizabeth, and his best bud in the whole world, Joey.

Bio (Short)

Matt Wright is the author of the Sun Maker Saga, a self-published space opera fantasy series, as well as a freelance writer and editor. He has been writing fantasy and science fiction for over fifteen years and has written full-length novels since he was in high school. He loves writing in the epic genres with echoes of mythological and historical contexts. He currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his wife, Elizabeth, and his best bud in the whole world, Joey.

Keep in touch with Matt at mattwrigtauthor.com

“Matt Wright’s storytelling conveys the real scope and sense of wonder of great space opera. Breaking Colossus takes you on a journey as big as your imagination.”

—Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of The Dark Between the Stars

"A fast-paced, galaxy-spanning space opera adventure filled with intrigue and political maneuvering. A solid outing from Mr. Wright!"

—Christopher Ruocchio, author of The Sun Eater series

“Matt Wright has crafted an expansive universe in his Sun Maker saga. Mirroring the struggles we face in our culture today, Matt has carved his path of truth through adversity - with a resonant paradigm of the importance of the choices his characters make! This epic could not have come to us at a better time.”

—Dominician Gennari, author of The War for Ascendancy

“Matt Wright's Breaking Colossus is a gamechanger of a space opera. Get ready to enter a universe that has it all: characters with fascinating histories and abilities, unconventional romance, political warfare, spiritual exploration, and unprecedented technology. Wright's flair for world-building is matched by his exquisite storytelling, especially in depicting the lengths a son is capable of going to for his own father. The notion that ‘stories can change everything’ surfaces throughout the book; this is one of those stories.”

—Sonja Ciotti, Poet & Author of A One-Star Night; Big Rain, Little Umbrella; and 31

“Combining magnificent worldbuilding with classic story design, Breaking Colossus will thrill scholars of Greek epic poetry as easily as readers of modern space adventures. Do not hesitate to pick up this book!”

—E.H. Gaskins, author of The Ymiran Chronicles

“Going to space has never been more fun! If you want a story with depth and character, this one is for you. It will keep you turning pages long after bedtime.”

—October K Santerelli, author of Storm’s Eye

“Interesting, ingenious and original! Success!”

—Carmen Căusanu

“An enthralling and action-packed space opera that will take readers on a thrilling adventure through a vast, intergalactic conflict.”

—Ethan Coles, Author/Owner of Wroteabook.org

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I remember it vividly. I was about 15 or 16 and living in Hawai’i since my dad was working for the Navy at the time. I wrote and finished my first book (which will remain nameless and never see the light of day). After thinking on it, I told my dad I wanted to be a writer as I passed him in the hallway of our home. I don’t remember exactly what his response was, but I remember how determined I was to make this writing thing my career.

How long does it take you to write a book?

The boring answer is that it depends on the book. However, I once wrote a 90,000-word book in just under a month (about 23 days). Compared to many writers, I’m fast, but there has to be a fire under me that pushes me to work hard every day. If I have a clear vision and I hold myself accountable each day, I can finish a book in a month. Editing it, on the other hand, will take a little while longer and requires eyes other than my own to look it over. From start to finish, a book could take several months before it’s ready to be published.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I am very goal oriented when I write. I outline and determine ahead of time how long the book is going to be and approximately how long each chapter is. However, I don’t write in chapters, I write in words. Each day, I’ll write anywhere from 3,500 to 4,000 words and more on good day. I’ll record my progress in Excel and project when I’m going to finish writing. I need to keep track of every word I write for my schedule to work or I’ll have trouble getting anything done.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

This is a good question. I don’t know if I have one. When I write, I often need music that fits the theme of what I’m writing and no distractions. However, I can edit my writing with other sounds or distractions in the background without any problem. I still haven’t figured out why.

How do books get published?

It depends on which route you take to publishing. If you want to self-publish, publishing can be a very quick process. You can publish a book on your website if you want, and it would only take the time and effort of uploading it. Traditionally, a book may take years to get from a Word document to a published book on shelves of a major bookstore. That’s because publishers spend a lot of time and money to market it and get it ready. But whichever route you, it absolutely should take a lot of time, effort, and, yes, money to make a quality product.

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Everywhere. Mostly from reading or watching documentaries. Ideas are really a conglomeration of other ideas. The bigger the idea, the more likely it has “cannibalized” other smaller ones. So really, there’s no one single source where writers get their ideas. The answer literally is everywhere and from everything.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I wrote my first book when I was about 16 years old. I still have it, but it will never see the light of day. (Hint: because it’s so bad.)

What do you like to do when you're not writing stories?

I would love to play video games, which are just interactive stories. I love watching good movies and streaming shows, but I’m very picky about what I watch.

What is your favorite movie?

#1 Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

What is your favorite book?

This is an incredibly tough question. I have a difficult time reading for pleasure nowadays since it’s almost impossible to turn my writer brain off. There are a number of books that have influenced me during my formative years. I would say the book that influenced me the most was Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. And, really, Brandon was the first author to inspire me to write professionally. Without him and that book, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today.

What does your family think of your writing?

I am very blessed to have a family who cares very much about me and support me in my writing career. Not all writers have that kind of support system. That being said, they’ll probably never tell me to my face if my writing is horrible. That’s why I need beta readers.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

For me, it’s seeing that my characters are sometimes smarter than I am. Let me explain: I will outline a book before I start writing it, but I won’t go into too much detail in order to allow my characters to sometimes make their own choices. It’s difficult to explain, but sometimes it surprises me how different my book turns out after I’ve written it.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I’ve written over 15 books but I’ve published about 6. I don’t necessarily have a favorite because that’s like asking if you have a favorite child! I think the books that were the “funnest” to write were Fatal Vine and Cruel Dusk (which were originally one single book). I had so much fun writing them!

Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?

I do have suggestions. There is the cliché that every writer gives to every aspiring writer (write every day), but I’d like to point out that writing every day is generally a good idea. If you’re writing badly every day, just the act of writing more of the same quality isn’t going to make you better. My recommendation is to write more consciously. By that, I mean learn as much as you can about the craft of writing from multiple sources (books, writing instructors, etc.) and be more conscious about the words you write, and how and why you chose them. Be more conscious about the point of view you’re using, about the verbs you use and understand why you’re using them or why others would be more effective.

So, my suggestion can be boiled down to this: Every Day, Write A Little More Consciously Than The Day Before.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I would like to hear from them more! My first review on Amazon was from a person who had only one thing to say about Ruin Star:

“Dark.”

So, I guess I’ll take it!

Do you like to create books for adults?

Yes. My books are a bit more on the mature side and not written for children (although I shy away from writing anything explicit). When I say “mature” I mean more mature themes and language. My audience is primarily adults 18 and up.

However, I do plan on publishing a Portal Fantasy that’s directed toward young adults. Stay tuned…

What do you think makes a good story?

There’s a difference between a good story and a great story. A good story, to me, is a “passable” one that I could enjoy but it doesn’t leave much of an impression on me. A good story requires good character arcs, good structure, a good ending. A great story, on the other hand, will have me in tears by the end. It will connect with me emotionally and show me character relationships that I care about. It will show me the characters’ actions that I may personally disagree with, but which make sense. Great storytelling is on a whole different level than most stories/movies out there. They’re the ones you can’t stop thinking about after you’re finished reading/watching it. They are the stories that inspire you and you can’t remain the same person you were before you experienced it.

In short, great stories change you because the characters and their relationships change too—and those changes are worth your time and energy to follow.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

Very few things, actually. I remember a time after I first watched Peter Jackson’s adaptations of The Lord of the Rings when I wanted to be an actor, but that was only because wanted to be a part of the stories that were told in movies and TV shows. At times, I’ve wanted to be in government work, such as the state department, so I could travel the world. Mostly, however, I have always just wanted to be a writer and a storyteller.

Is there any advice you would give yourself that you wish you had known when you first started?

There are so many things. Some great advice that was given to me by the late David Farland was “Write like a madman,” and I literally took that to heart. Some other advice I was given in an editor’s rejection letter said, “Don’t stop writing!” I think that, instead of getting too specific, I would tell myself something similar to these: “Don’t give up. It’s going to be really tough, but you got this.”