Meet Corlys Specter

We were lucky to catch up with Corlys Specter recently and have shared our conversation below.

Corlys, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

The stories lived within me, a vibrant, bustling city of imagination I’d inhabited since childhood. Comics, movies, and TV weren’t just entertainment; they fueled the narratives constantly unfolding in my mind. I never thought to share these stories, to give them a voice, but I needed to write them down, at least for me. A writing career felt distant, a pinprick of light in the vast darkness of uncertainty.

High school graduation was a cliff edge, and I stumbled off, adrift and unsure of where to land. A brief, flicker of military service was extinguished by a diabetes diagnosis, slamming that door shut with a resounding clang. The following years were a blur of pipes and wires, the stark reality of plumbing and electrical work.

Each day felt like a prison sentence, a monotonous drone of dissatisfaction that echoed the hollowness inside. I felt trapped, a bird beating its wings against an invisible cage. The vibrant city of my imagination seemed to dim, threatened by the encroaching gray of my reality. Yet, even in the depths of this drudgery, a tiny ember of hope remained, refusing to be completely smothered.

That ember roared back to life when I returned to college. It was a hesitant step, a reaching out for something more. And then, two unexpected stars ignited in the darkness. The first was writing. As I delved into history and political science, words began to flow, forming the nascent shape of my first book. It was a rediscovery of the vibrant passion within. The second star was teaching. Sharing knowledge and igniting sparks in others filled me with a sense of purpose I’d never known. I found a precarious but joyful balance, the writer-teacher navigating the currents of life.

This delicate equilibrium held until the arrival of my son. Fatherhood was a supernova, an explosion of love and responsibility that reshaped my entire universe. It was a third calling, a revelation that dwarfed the others. The joy was immense, a tidal wave that washed away the lingering insecurities. Suddenly, the stories within me weren’t just mine; they were for him, for the future we would build together.

Looking back, I see a tapestry woven with threads of doubt and triumph, of frustration and overwhelming joy. The insecure boy who dreamt of distant stars is still there, but he’s been joined by the man who discovered his passions, the writer, the teacher, and the father. The journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s been mine, a story still being written.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m Corlys J. Specter, and I’m a writer. Honestly, I’ve been writing practically since I could hold a crayon. I’ve always been obsessed with comic books – the whole good versus evil thing and all the messy gray areas in between. That’s the kind of stuff I love to explore in my stories, at least the ones I dream up in my head!

Magic, religion, history – those are my other big passions, and I try to blend them all together into my writing. Think of characters like Swamp Thing, Constantine, Zatanna, Dr. Fate, and Dr. Strange. They’re influences, but I try to take those mystical vibes and ground them in a more realistic world. I’m fascinated by the idea of magic existing in our everyday lives, like, what if the modern world was just sprinkled with a little bit of the fantastical?

I’m working on a show right now called “The Merlin Cup” that dives into exactly that. It’s about a modern Camelot and how they’ve managed to evolve as a society while still holding onto all the magic and wonder. It’s been a blast to work on. I think what makes my writing unique is my style. I’m a huge fan of guys like Kevin Smith, James Gunn, Matt Reeves, Alan Moore, Stephen King, and even Lovecraft. I’ve kind of mashed all those influences together and come up with something that feels like my own, even if I can’t quite put my finger on what it is.

If you’re curious to see what I’m all about, definitely check out my Substack: https://storieswithcj.substack.com/. And I’ve got some exciting news! I’m about to release a new project called “Immortal Empire.” It’s a mob story, but with a crazy, god-like twist. It’s my first time trying something like this, so I’m really excited (and a little nervous!) to share it with everyone. Keep an eye out for it – I think you’ll dig it.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Okay, so, looking back, a few things really jump out as game-changers for me. First off, it’s gotta be pure, unadulterated stubbornness. Seriously, I can’t stress this enough. There were so many times I just wanted to throw in the towel. Rejection, self-doubt whispering in my ear, feeling like I was just spinning my wheels – it was rough. But something inside me just wouldn’t let me quit. I was determined to tell these stories rattling around in my head, no matter what. That stubborn streak, that refusal to shut up, that’s what kept me going when I felt like I was getting nowhere.

Second, I’m a total sponge. I’ve always been a reader, a watcher, a listener – a consumer of stories in every form. Comic books, movies, TV shows, novels, history books, you name it, I inhaled it. But it wasn’t just vegging out. I was always picking things apart, trying to figure out how they worked, and what made them resonate. All that soaking up of stories, all that mental dissection, seeped into my writing, shaped my voice, and gave me a bigger toolbox to work with.

Third, and this is a bit trickier to explain, but it’s all about making friends with the messy process. Writing isn’t neat. It’s a chaotic, unpredictable beast. There are dead ends, rewrites that make you want to scream, and moments where you’re convinced everything you’ve written is garbage. But I learned to roll with the punches, to trust the process even when I felt completely lost. And honestly, some of my best stuff came out of those moments of pure, unadulterated chaos.

So, if I could whisper some wisdom to my younger self, or anyone just starting out, it would be this: Be stubborn as hell. Don’t let anyone – especially that little voice inside your head – tell you that you can’t do this. Consume everything you can get your hands on, and really pay attention to what you’re consuming. And finally, embrace the mess. Don’t be afraid of the struggle. That messy, chaotic process? That’s where the magic happens. That’s where you find your voice.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

First off, the art was insane. Like, nothing I’d ever seen before. Dark, kind of messy, full of shadows and weird, creepy-crawly things. It felt like I was peering into a dream, or maybe a nightmare. And Swamp Thing himself! He wasn’t some ripped dude in spandex. He was a monster, made of plants and mud, but he was also, like, smart and kind of…sad. It made me think, “Hey, maybe it’s okay to be different.”

And the stories! They weren’t just about punching bad guys. They were about, like, big stuff. Life and death, nature versus humans, what it even means to be alive. Heavy stuff for a seven-year-old, right? But it made me think about things in a way I never had before. It made me realize that stories could be more than just fun. They could be about real, important things.

But the biggest thing, the really big thing, was that Swamp Thing made me want to write. Like, really write. I started scribbling my own stories. They were probably terrible, misspelled words, but it was the first time I’d ever felt that…spark. That “I want to create something” feeling. It was like Swamp Thing had unlocked something in my brain, and I couldn’t wait to see what was on the other side.

Looking back, I can see how much that comic book influenced me. It showed me that comics could be art, that stories could be deep and meaningful, and that anyone could create their worlds with words and pictures. It was like Alan Moore gave me permission to be a writer, even when I was just a little kid with big, crazy dreams.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.corlysjspecter.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corlysj.specter/
• Twitter: https://x.com/CorlysJSpecter
• Other: https://storieswithcj.substack.com/