An Inspired Chat with Eugene Ward

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Eugene Ward. Check out our conversation below.

Eugene, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Definitely integrity. I don’t care if you’ve got the brightest ideas or an endless array of energy, if you lack integrity then it’s all meaningless in the end.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello Dreamers, Eugene the Author here!

I’m a speculative fiction author/aspiring screenwriter/composer/consultant/public speaker/artist across all genres that creates for all age groups.

I’ve released six novels across genres, including fantasy, romance, horror, mystery, and sci-fi, and have the joy of being a member of the Phoenix Screenwriters Association, where I help mentor and grow the skills and talents of our incredibly gifted community of local artists. In addition to teaching workshops and consulting on screenplays, I have the privilege of partnering with Camelback High School to meet with our youth and share insights, knowledge, and experience with them, and most importantly, to listen to their hopes and dreams.

When I’m not writing novels and screenplays and composing music, I run two YouTube channels (one focused on game and design theory, the other on narrative, movies, and dramatic structure) and fall into software engineering rabbit holes.

More than anything, as an artist, I believe in the transformative power of storytelling and its ability, when written with authenticity and integrity, to connect on a deep level with individuals, transport them to new worlds, and to heal and grow as much as to entertain.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
All of the options were great questions, but this one in particular stood out to me. The thing is, I don’t know that I’ve ever fundamentally changed who I am for long, so who I am now is just a more evolved version of who I’ve always been.

I think the first instinctual response to this question is in the context of literally being told how you’ve got to conform to the world, but a broader sense is everything and everyone is constantly on a more subtle level trying to influence who you are, and the experiences and traumas we overcome also serve as a voice to enforce controls over our nature and mentality.

The unhappiest times of my life have been when I’ve tried to press down and smother who I am to please other people, and the most liberating was realizing sincerely if I’ve got to be someone else to fit in, then I’m sacrificing the most vital parts of my spirit to get by.

So, who I was, and who I am, is a man who strives to embody the principles of honor, integrity, kindness, and insight at all times, valuing authenticity and integrity above all else, and willing to stand and fight for what I believe in, regardless of what it may cost.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Man, all of these questions are fantastic; it’s difficult to pick one. But I think this one embodies a lot of the others.

Defining wounds in my life, I’ve certainly had my share. There’s been the overall Black experience in America. I was barely in elementary school when I had adults and other kids hit me with slurs, and as much as there are things in the world that have improved, there are many that stay the same.

I’ve overcome abuse as a child, and that’s part of what cemented my unflinching resolve to fight for those who don’t have a voice and to use my art to heal, grow, and inform as much as to entertain. I lost a dear uncle who took his life when I was a kid, cementing the sanctity and preciousness as well as the transience of our existence.

I was engaged in my twenties… That didn’t go well. Pro Tip: If y’see enough red flags on the road, might be time to pull over 🙂

How I healed from these wounds was through my faith and my family. Also, counseling helps. There’s a stigma, especially in the Black community and even more so in the Black male community, that seeking counseling is a sign of weakness, and it’s ostracized and looked down upon.

I want to say abundantly, it’s not a weakness to admit you need help. And, you may need to try a few different counselors before you find the right one, but you owe it to yourself and the people who love you to get the help you need to be the healthiest version of who you are.

But I digress, my faith is paramount to who I am as a person, and without my family, I would not be here today, nor would I be the man I am.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
More now than ever before. Generally speaking, I refuse to be someone else in public, but it’s fair to say I have historically suppressed who I am to save time and energy in a largely self-centered world.

I love intellectual and philosophical discourse as much as joking around and having a good time; I can go on about human nature and the chess game large studios play masquerading as though they care about you when what they care about is developing a parasocial relationship with you so you can finance their summer homes just as easily as I can nerd out about how Mega Man could totally take Radagon in a fight.

Y’know, the important things in life 🙂

The thing is, I’m reminded of a comic where the central character is out for a walk with his mom, and she asks how he’s doing. He’s vulnerable and transparent and tells her all about the struggles he’s having at work and in his personal life and how he’s afraid he’ll never accomplish the things he’s after. She’s quiet for a panel, then says, “Honey? Next time someone asks you how you’re doing, just say fine.”

It’s a humorous look at the way most people want you to be in their day-to-day lives. Generally speaking, it’s not uncommon to find people who are more concerned with themselves and their self-interests, their own hobbies, likes, wants, and needs. Or, to find people who prefer shallow relationships and interactions.

Historically, it’s not been uncommon for me to suppress my insights and love of deep discourse and discussions, as well as to not be the guy who can go on about microbiology or psychology or design theory when someone else just wants you to say, “Yeah man, *instert game here* really is the best thing ever made and I’m totally not resisting the urge to go into a discussion on affirmation bias and the separation of how something makes you feel versus how something is fundamentally designed”.

But suppressing who you are is a generally miserable existence, and generally speaking, that suppression tends to be very one-sided.

So, pro tip, be who you are and don’t suppress yourself for others. Y’know, unless who you are is a jerk, maybe suppress that part.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Absolutely; the things we do for man are transient and won’t last, the things I do for my faith are enduring. I don’t need anyone to pat me on the head and tell me I’ve done a great job. I mean, it’s nice, I love positive reinforcement as much as the next sensitive artist :), but at the end of the day, all I really need to know is that I’ve been true to myself, my mission, and my faith.

And, there’s no point in doing anything if you’re not going to give it your best; no half measures.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eugenetheauthor.com
• Instagram: @eugenetheauthor
• Twitter: @eugenetheauthor
• Facebook: @eugenetheauthor
• Youtube: eugenetheauthor-gaming, eugenetheauthor