The Dec. 10 publication of his debut novel, the sci-fi adventure "MainFrame- Beginnings," was the culmination of balancing studying for his pharmacy degree and writing a full-length novel.
"It's a hard balance," Wiltz said. "There are times when pharmacy school is more important, and there are times when writing is more important."
Wiltz -- a Morehead scholar and a contributor to Bounce magazine -- puts his efforts into pharmacy for several reasons. "I really enjoy the sciences a lot, which is probably why I write science fiction," he said. "I also didn't want to put all of my eggs in one basket."
This practicality hasn't stifled his imagination, as Wiltz's sci-fi novel isn't all aliens and starships. "The emphasis is on the team -- MainFrame -- how they go together as a team, their camaraderie and how they grow together as a family," he said.
Nevermind that this family is a group of anthropomorphic animals who battle the evils of a zealous terrorist organization and try to save the planet Pellicia.
Wiltz honed his talents writing short stories and took his cues from sci-fi icons like Isaac Asimov and Octavia Barnes. "I grew up reading whatever I could get my hands on, but I always liked high adventure," he said.
His long adventure writing "MainFrame- Beginnings" began Jan. 5, 1999. It became a true labor for him, but one based in his strong convictions and love for the story.
"It was a story I had to write. At the time, the themes that were in the book I felt strongly about and decided to do something about it," he said.
But while the book's beginnings seem an inevitable effort, its execution was much more difficult. "Part of the challenge of writing in this genre is you have to make up all of the details of the world -- culture, problems, history," he said.
