Departure From Innocence follows a man as his life unfolds through formative incidents involving family, sexuality, competition, grief, addiction, work, and love. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

My inspiration for this story stems from my own experiences. I have always been profoundly observant when it comes to life, and I feel like one of the greatest skills I’ve grown to envy is the ability to craft distinctive writing voices that have shaped perspectives and transcended life. With that in mind, I set out to write an amalgamation of experiences, thoughts, and insights I yearned to share with young adults. This book isn’t necessarily geared toward one audience, but I would say young adults would have the most beneficial experience reading it. I wanted something to share with young adults that would help them mature, and I specifically wrote this in 30 chapters to cover ages 1 through 30 of life. I completed this novel a few months shy of turning 30, and I wanted it to symbolize my journey in life so far. I’d conclude that I also hope it serves as a guide for people in those age groups.

Bradley is neither a traditional hero nor an antihero. He is thoughtful, flawed, compassionate, and often self-destructive. How did you approach creating a protagonist who feels so deeply human?

Authors are guilty of creating characters in their own image, and Bradley is no exception. He is the first character that I would say fits me to a fault, and I struggled for years wanting to create my own unique story while pulling my own self as far away from my fiction as possible. I failed in that regard with this novel. Bradley and I are too connected that I realized I could no longer hide him. He’s too real to me. Bradley is an example of how I would depict an adult in our present day. A ton of flaws that you don’t necessarily see (or know of), but an innately good human being that is struggling with having lost his innocence in a world that almost forces you too. Bradley is deeply human because, as he progresses through his loss of innocence, he is thoughtful enough to stop and self-reflect. That is why I’d argue he is a good person. He isn’t thrilled with who he ends up becoming, and it affects him. Bradley Zimbroski might not be the most sympathetic character ever, but he isn’t a monster.

Were there scenes that were especially difficult to write because of their emotional intensity? 

To be perfectly honest, this novel flowed organically and never really felt difficult emotionally. I’d say some of the material being a little explicit was difficult to write in the sense of dealing with material that might ostracize a reader or make them dislike your main character. However, I am adamant that this novel serves as a help to those struggling with larger concepts in an indifferent world and who need a voice to help them make sense of things. That is why, emotionally, this novel came to me so easily. I have no problem saying this work isn’t perfect. Far from it. But it is relevant when we are dealing with so many complexities in our societies, lives, families, and work environments to take a step back and find creative ways to address things that may not always be said aloud.

What conversations do you hope Departure From Innocence starts among readers about addiction, family, and personal responsibility? 

Addiction, to me, is one of the hardest things we deal with in life. As flawed beings, we have so many avenues that entertain, rob, and distract us. I implore everyone to help addicts by bestowing upon them the golden rule to help them climb out of their addiction: They are not alone. We need people to literally join arms with their neighbors, coworkers, friends, and anyone who allows themselves to twirl in the whirlpools of addiction, and we need to pull them out. Life is too beautiful to struggle alone or allow people to struggle alone. Collectivism can help more than people give it credit for. Part of that starts with family. I hit the jackpot when it comes to family. Although I don’t have one of my own, I have two sisters I am close with, parents who adore and support me, and a nucleus around me that makes me feel connected. A perfect society starts with a family unit like that. I gave Bradley a good family, and that was a conscious decision. His emergence at the end is almost entirely attributed to that. Personal responsibility is something that I wish had more merit. We must always hold those with honor, courage, and commitment in the highest regard. An absence of that should be a warning sign. I hope the duality of this isn’t lost on those who read this book.  

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/william.wilson.955391