In this exciting interview GVN sits down with author and screenwriter, Leon Langford, to talk about his novel, Starlion: Thieves of the Red Night. Langford shares his inspirations, writing tips, and how he juggles writing across various mediums.
GVN: Hello Leon! Thank you so much for making time to speak with Geek Vibes Nation. Could you start by telling our audience a bit about yourself and your book, Starlion: Thieves Of The Red Night?
Hey, thanks for having me here. I’m a professional writer who works in film, TV, and YA books. My first book is StarLion: Thieves of the Red Night, which follows 13-year-old Jordan Harris in a world where mythology is history—all the gods from every pantheon were real, and their descendants, the Demi-Gods, now work as superheroes. Jordan goes undercover at a school for superheroes to uncover a plot that threatens all of Houston. While most of the film and TV projects I work on involve adults and real-life situations, this was my first time writing YA fantasy. I thought it would be tough, but as a big anime fan, tapping into those YA/Shonen archetypes made it easier.
GNV: Starlion: Thieves Of The Red Night is such an enjoyable fantasy adventure for young and older readers alike. What was the origin of the book? What were some of your inspirations?
Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate them. I wrote the book during the pandemic, and I wanted to create something I would enjoy both as an adult and as a young reader. I aimed to write something that anyone could enjoy, you know? Like I mentioned earlier, anime was a big inspiration—you can see it in the artwork. I was inspired by shows I grew up on, like Naruto and Bleach, as well as current ones like My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer. That’s the anime influence, but I also grew up reading Harry Potter and a bit of Percy Jackson, so there’s definitely some of that in there too. Barnes & Noble called my book “Percy Jackson meets My Hero Academia,” and when I saw they recognized my inspirations, it really felt like I was standing on the shoulders of giants
GVN: I really enjoyed how your book combines ancient mythology with the idea of more modern myths like superheroes. What was the worldbuilding process like? Were there any struggles when it came to crafting an alternate history?
Thanks! Yeah, the world-building took some time to figure out. I wanted to create a superhero universe that felt different from Marvel, DC, and other typical superhero worlds, but still somewhat familiar to our own. In my work writing for film and TV, I’ve always enjoyed exploring alternate history, so once I thought about blending that with mythology, it came together naturally. The hardest part was figuring out how to tie various gods to historical figures. Even though it’s all fiction, I wanted it to feel grounded, you know?
GVN: : Jordan is a flawed, but engaging lead. What was your creation process for the character? Does he share any attributes with any of your favorite fictional characters? Did he surprise you at all while writing the story?
Jordan, to me, is the quintessential anime protagonist. A lot of his character comes from those iconic figures like Deku or Naruto, but reimagined as a 13-year-old Black boy from Houston. I started by building him like an anime hero, using those familiar tropes and their ironies. He’s incredibly confident but also deeply insecure—like Naruto. He’s strong, but still inexperienced with his powers—like Deku. Two guiding thoughts I had were: 1) he has to lose up front. No one likes a character who wins all the time. This story is about growth, and we only grow through loss. 2) He’s the main character, but to the rest of the world, he’s just a kid. So, while he’s the coolest person in the room, everyone treats him like a little brother. Those touchstones helped make him relatable, while keeping him from becoming too powerful or over-the-top. He even surprised me a few times, especially when I worked on his backstory. For example, I didn’t plan for a scene with his uncle, his father figure, to be emotional, but it just felt right to have him cry. That scene became a favorite for many of my readers.
GVN: The story is full of interesting supporting characters. What was the creation process like for them? How did they evolve over the course of writing the book?
I’m so glad you asked this. I really enjoy writing supporting characters, sometimes even more than the main ones. It’s kind of my vice as a writer—I’ll often give the supporting characters and villains the coolest moments over the main character. I love working on them because it gives me a chance to flesh out the world-building and explore the main character from another perspective. I always knew Jordan would be on a team with a diverse cast that would help him grow. I usually start with characters I wish I could write, or ones from anime, manga, and books I’ve enjoyed, then reframe them within my world. Once I have their personalities, I dive into their backstories. What happened in their lives to make them who they are? In a world of superheroes and supervillains, what do they believe in? In a world of Gods and Demi-Gods, who are they related to, and how does that ripple through the generations? If you were related to Athena, would that push you to do right in the world? If your lineage traced back to demons, what would that mean for you as a hero?
GVN: There has been a lot of talk about representation in the media. Could you talk about why writing a fantasy story with a black lead was so important to you?
Trying not to show my age here, but when I was younger, I was one of the few Black kids at my school who liked anime and manga. Nowadays, we’ve got DreamCon and BlerdCon, and it’s amazing to see people from all walks of life enjoying anime and manga. Even though our audience has embraced anime, there are still very few stories that feature characters who look like them. I wanted to create something that didn’t rely on tropes or stereotypes but simply told an action-packed story with a Black lead. Diversity matters because it doesn’t just open doors—it opens minds. If you can inspire kids early on to believe they’re more than what the media shows them, you can open them up to new possibilities.
GVN: Could you talk about the novel’s path to publication? Did you always plan to self-publish it?
Yeah, I always planned to self-publish. I wrote it during the pandemic and knew I wanted to have it finished by the time things opened back up. If I was going to be stuck inside all year, I wanted to come out with something, you know? In college, I had self-published a book on Amazon that went viral on Tumblr and did really well at the time. But now, I’ve taken it down since I’m a different, better writer—LOL. I learned a lot from that experience, though, like how to find my audience and create a spark with the right marketing.
GVN: You’re a screenwriter as well. How does that inform your experience as an author or vice versa? What do you think are the keys to successfully juggling working in both mediums?
Yes, screenwriting is my main day job. I’ve been doing it for about 10 years now, and it’s been a huge help because it lets me craft stories quickly. I’ve always been more of a plot person than a character person, which works out well since a lot of my friends focus more on character-driven writing. As a screenwriter, you often have to pitch your story to people before actually writing it, which has really helped when I’m pitching *StarLion* at book festivals and signings. The key to juggling both mediums is having a clear vision of what you’re writing and what motivates you. It’s so easy to get frustrated or hit writer’s block in either field, but in screenwriting, if you hit writer’s block—your bills aren’t getting paid. So, you’ve got to figure it out quickly, and a lot of the tools I use to break writer’s block in scripts work with books too.
GVN: There seems to be a shift in Hollywood within the last couple of years to adapt pre-existing IP. What are your thoughts on that? Should aspiring screenwriters look to produce their scripts in other mediums to make them more appealing? In your opinion, what are the pros and cons?
Yes, Hollywood is pretty terrified of taking risks on original ideas these days. They want properties with a built-in audience, which is a bit sad, but that’s the state of the industry. If you have the time and the means, I’d definitely suggest turning your big-budget scripts into a comic or a book. It’s difficult and time-consuming because you have to learn a whole different market, but if you’re passionate and can crack it, the rewards are definitely worth it.
GVN: Do you have a dream cast and/or dream studio you’d love to work with to bring Starlion to the silver screen?
I don’t really have a dream cast for StarLion. The books are gonna be span about 6 years of this 13-year-olds life, so I’d like whoever they cast to be young and talented enough to carry the franchise for that long. I’d love to work with Macro, in terms of Hollywood companies. They aren’t a studio, but they are growing and expanding when it comes to Black content.
GVN: What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?
Outline. Outline. Outline. I found that the best way to avoid writer’s block, plot holes, and all manner of holdups is to outline. In fact, I have to know how the story ends first. If I know that Luke Skywalker is going to blow up the Death Star thanks to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s ghost, then I know I can work backward from there. I often tell other writers to share how the story ends first, so I know they have a guidepost to work toward. If you know how it ends, you can work backward to craft the story.
GVN: Can you tell us what you’re working on next?
Right now, I’m working on StarLion 2! It will be called StarLion: Rival Season! I’m very excited and proud of it because I have so many new characters and avenues for world-building throughout. Rivals are such a big part of anime culture, and I’m excited to explore that here with my main cast and the students they’ll be facing. I also wrote two chapters in this book that are probably the most cinematic chapters I’ve ever written. I’m very proud of how this book ends and the themes that are present.
GVN: can our readers connect with you online?
I’m always on TikTok at StarLionBook and I can be found on IG and twitter at the same account too. Feel free to reach out on there, I like talking to readers and up and coming writers too.
Fun Bonus Question: Please assign yearbook superlatives to three characters from the novel.
– Most Likely to Become a Baker: Cooper Greene
– Smartest Student: Alicia Jackson
– Most Likely to Use Talk No Jutsu: Jordan Harris
– Most Likely to NOT Use Talk No Jutsu and Just Throw Hands: Sydney Asimov
Starlion: Thieves Of The Red Night is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and various other online retailers.
About The Book
The Gods of Olympus were real. In fact, the great Olympian Forefather Zeus was the forefather for such historical giants as Thor and George Washington. But that was long ago, now the descendants of the Gods have new jobs: Superheroes. In a world where power and myth have walked hand in hand, professional heroes serve alongside humanity to combat those who would use their Gifts for evil.
After gravity-manipulating teen, Jordan Harris is arrested for vigilante activity, he is given a simple deal: go to jail or go undercover in the nation’s most prestigious superhero training academy – Fort Olympus. His academy work comes second as he uncovers a conspiracy that threatens not just the city of Houston, but the world. While Jordan is used to working on his own in the dark of the city, he must soon learn about teamwork and confront his own shortcomings which leads him from vigilante, to criminal, to hero.
About The Author
Originally from Virginia, Leon has honed his skills as an award-winning screenwriter, with a passion for rich, impactful storytelling. With degrees from George Mason, Texas State, Chapman, and even Oxford, he is well versed in storytelling in all aspects. After previously working as a Writer’s PA on Yellowstone Season 3 and as an assistant to Lena Waithe, he now works full-time as a screenwriter.
Writer. Video Essayist. Film/TV Critic. Pop Culture Enthusiast.
When he isn’t writing for Geek Vibes Nation or The Cinema Spot, Tristian can be found typing away at one of the novels or screenplays he’s been working on forever.
