Nick Andreychuk

Where were you born?  Where did you grow up?
I was born and grew up in Grimsby, Ontario, Canada.  I now live near Vancouver, BC.

Schooling? Writing Training?
I have an Honors BBA, with a Psychology minor and a Communications specialty. I wrote market research reports before switching to full-time freelance writing (after a slight detour as a coffeehouse owner).

What’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to you about your writing?
I’ve actually been blessed with a lot of great fan mail and praise from editors I’ve worked with, but my favorite quote is from a reviewer named Shaiha about my collaborative novel JUDGMENT DAY:

“This reviewer would highly recommend JUDGMENT DAY to anyone as she feels that everyone would get pleasure out of the book.”

Anyone and everyone? Wow!

What things have you worked on, besides comics?  Are comics a full-time gig for you or part-time?
I’m a full-time story writer. Comics are an important part of the mix for me, but I’ll probably always keep writing short stories, novels, and screenplays too. Right now, I’m even co-developing the storyline for a video game.

Talk about how you broke into the business–was it easy? Hard? Ups? Downs? When you held your first published work in your hands, how did you feel?
Write, polish, submit. Repeat until successful. What more can I say? It’s not as easy as it sounds, though. The “repeat until successful” part has torpedoed many hopeful writers’ careers. Perseverance is the name of the game. Talent never hurts, either.

Holding your own published books in your hands, especially when you’re standing in a bookstore or comic shop, is a feeling this writer can find no words to describe. “Thrilling” will have to suffice.

How did your parents take to the idea of working in comics?
My parents have always been supportive of my career choices. Besides, they’re the ones who bought me my first comics all those years ago, so I could say they’re responsible for my love of graphic storytelling.

Any humorous or interesting anecdotes to tell about the comics business?
Buy me a drink at a con and I’ll give you an earful.

How would you describe your workspace? Is it part of your home, or do you go “to the studio”?
I have a home office, which leaves me vulnerable to countless distractions, but it also allows me to work any time of day or night I please.

What job are you the proudest of?  What’s your most embarrassing?
I’m proudest of the fact that the quality of my work has led to the point where I can write full-time; it’s my dream career.

I’m not embarrassed by any of my published work, although due to some um, “bedroom language” used in my romantic suspense comics at MyRomanceStory.com, I probably won’t be showing that work to my mother anytime soon.

What are you currently writing?  Comments on that project?
I’m currently writing a fantasy comic series with my buddy John Heeder called QUEEN OF THIEVES for Atlantis Studios. It has some Edgar Rice Borroughs sojourn-style adventure mixed with good old sword and sorcery, and healthy doses of romance and intrigue. John and I are also writing an epic adventure fantasy series of novels tentatively titled Sun Smasher.

And I’m writing a 6-issue arc for the ongoing Paula Peril series at Atlantis Studios, along with numerous scripts for custom comics clients.

What else? I’m working with Mark Verma (Eye of the Keeper) on a techno thriller which we plan to write as a comic script, screenplay, and novel. We’re having a lot of fun with an action-packed concept full of drama and dark humor…and I’m sure you’ll be hearing lots more about this project in the years to come!

Believe it or not, those are just a few of my current projects–several others are touched on throughout this interview, and I have many more novels, scripts, and screenplays in various stages of completion (many with other writers and artists).

You seem to collaborate a lot–why is that?  Do you enjoy the process?
I enjoy the intermingling of ideas. Plus, writing is often a solitary endeavor–it’s nice working with others, even if it’s just over the internet. Also, it’s a good reality check when you have one or more creative partners telling you whether a particular idea is a winner or a loser.

What projects do you hope to work on in the future?
What don’t I want to work on? Seriously, there are so many comic properties and TV/film/game properties out there that I’m a fan of which I’d love to write for. And my personal “idea file” is huge too. I just hope I can keep working on projects that are fun for all involved, from myself to the fans.

Have you taught writing or had any apprentices?
Yes, I’ve taught via panels at conferences such as V-Con and Writers Weekend.

What’s 1 thing you’ll always find in your kitchen?
Coffee.

What’s your favorite food?
Pizza and hot Buffalo chicken wings, preferably from La Hacienda restaurant in Niagara Falls, NY.

What are your favorite interests?  Movies?  Music?  TV?  Hobbies?  Sports?
My interests outweigh my free time…but here are some of the things I enjoy when I can.  Movies: action, adventure, animation, comedy, crime, horror, SF&F, and thrillers.  Music: alternative rock.  Hobbies: cards, reading (of course!), walking/hiking, and video games.  Sports: basketball, rowing, soccer, street hockey, and tennis.  Not-quite-sports: air-hockey, bowling, disc golf, foosball, ping pong, mini golf, and shuffleboard.

Ever been in a gang?
For a week in high school, the Kick Ass Trio secretly ruled the world.

Do you have any great, unsold projects in your files that nobody’s gotten to see published?
I have many exciting projects that were written for publishers that folded or changed editorial direction, and someday I’ll actually get around to pitching them elsewhere.

Complete list of published credits?
With over 300 credits, the amount of time it’d take me to compile that list is daunting, and I’d rather spend my time writing new stuff.

Okay, how about just your editing credits?
Right now I’m a freelance editor and English-language localizer for NETCOMICS, and I’m editing the new horror comic anthology series Fiendish Dreams for Onyx Cross Press. The first issue will have an eye-catching cover by Alex Sanchez (Tales of the Vampire) and Derek Fridolfs (Ares: God of War), and inside you’ll find shiver-inducing stories from Nicola Scott (Wonder Woman) and Dirk Manning (Nightmare World), and the list of familiar names who have promised to contribute keeps growing.

I’m coeditor of the upcoming anthology BULLET POINTS , which features rapid-fire fiction from Thomas F. Monteleone and F. Paul Wilson, among many other bestselling authors. I’m also coeditor of FANTASY READERS WANTED—APPLY WITHIN , which speaks for itself:

“It’s Reigning Cats and Dogs” by Nick Aires & John Heeder — “SEXY FUN” New York Times bestselling author Piers Anthony

“A Little Learning” by Matthew Hughes — “The essence of fanciful extravagance…” Nick Gevers, Locus Magazine

“Instructions” by New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman — In the author’s own words: “The what-to-do-if-you’re-stuck-in-a-fairy-tale poem.”

If you weren’t a comic-book writer today, what would you be?
I’d be an actor or a singer, but since I can’t sing or act, it’s fortunate I can string words together.

The single thing you’d most like to be remembered for in your life is…?
Making people smile–fans, friends, and family alike.

Any closing words for your fans?
Since it goes without saying that my fans have great taste, I’ll just say this: THANK YOU for your support!