Questions and answers from world-builders, character-designers and story-makers

Indo Perro Author

LATEST INTERVIEW

Central City by Indo Perro

Central City by Indy Perro

“Relationships, generally, are a recurring theme. How do people relate to one another through technology, art, and social structures? How do relationships shape individuals? How do we see ourselves within our communities? These are the questions I’m drawn to through character development...”

Hard-Boiled, Noir

Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary Cover by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

“This is the best time in history to self-publish. There’s no old-boy network between you and your readers.”

Kololo Hill by Neema Shah

Kololo Hill by Neema Shah

“I think it's important to look outside the novel for inspiration because we become so subsumed by the story that it can narrow our view.”

Philip Browne

Cows Can't Jump by Philip Browne

Cows Can’t Jump by Philip Bowne

Adventure, Comedy, Literary

“I focus on characters and I just let the ideas come as I write.”

A. J. Black

Myth-Building in Modern Media

Myth-Building in Modern Media by A. J. Black

Mythology, Popular Culture

“If you believe you have something to say about a topic you love, say it. Write it.”

A nest for Lalita by Ken Langer

A Nest for Lalita by Ken Langer

Political Thriller, Thriller

“Grow elephant hide – thick skin may not be enough.”

Jennifer Savin

The Wrong Move by Jennifer Savin

The Wrong Move by Jennifer Savin

Domestic Thriller, Thriller

“Writing feels like playing Tetris a lot of the time, it’s about shape shifting and moving the parts around until they click, and you get that ‘ahh’ feeling”

G Williams

The End of the Line by Gray Williams

The End of the Line by Gray Williams

“Adding magic to the real world is very tricky. Humans are very complicated and clever creatures and collectively we adapt and change to one another and come up with things that no one person could conceive alone.”

Lorna Marie

The Lawyers Dilemma by Lorna Marie

The Lawyer’s Dilemma by Lorna Marie

Crime, Thriller

“The heard word is lost, the written letter abides”

Kirstin Innes by Becky Duncan 3_sq

Scabby Queen

Scabby Queen by Kirstin Innes

“She’s also the queen of the tiny moment, the thing unsaid. I love the tiny little beats underscoring her characters’ interactions.”

Elly Griffiths

The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths

The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths

Mystery, Thriller

“I keep coming back to the power of landscape.”

Feyisayo Anjorin

The Stuff of Love Songs

The Stuff of Love Songs by Feyisayo Anjorin

Contemporary, Romance

“I used my experience as someone who has lived under dictatorship”

Cameron Johnston

God of Broken Things by Cameron Johnston

God of Broken Things by Cameron Johnston

Fantasy, Grimdark

“The one thing that every author I know has in common is perseverance.”

Stephen Aryan

Magebane by Stephen Aryan

Magebane by Stephen Aryan

“I think writer's block isn't a thing, at least not in the way people typically think about it...”

Lynette Greenfield

The Day it Rained Forever by Lynette Greenfield

The Day it Rained Forever by Lynette Greenfield

“I never want the reader to be too familiar with a place, but it’s nice to be able to reflect familiarity, with a spin.”

The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing by Mary Paulson-Ellis

The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing by Mary Paulson-Ellis

Crime, Historical Mystery, Literary

“What else does a writer need to invest in other than some paper, a pen and a room of one’s own.”

Lou Abercrombie

Fig Swims the World by Lou Abercrombie

Fig Swims the World by Lou Abercrombie

“There’s no right or wrong way to write a book. The main thing is to get it finished!”

Trevor Wood

The Man on the Street

The Man on the Street by Trevor Wood

“Getting constructive feedback – and the constructive bit is vital - on your work is absolutely essential to growing as a writer.”

Anna Stephens

Bloodchild by Anna Stephens

Bloodchild by Anna Stephens

Fantasy, Grimdark

“My biggest aim was to ensure that every character, hero or villain, was believable”

Noah Lekas

Saturday Night Sage by Noah C. Lukas

Saturday Night Sage by Noah C. Lekas

“[My] characters test the limits of my philosophical and theological paradigms. They push beyond the borders and into untamed space with resolute force”

Keith A Pearson

Tuned Out by Keith A Pearson

Tuned Out by Keith A. Pearson

“Beyond the protagonist, I rely heavily on a strong supporting cast so I spend a lot of time developing relatable characters.”

Mike Shackle

We are the Dead by Mike Shackle

We are the Dead by Mike Shackle

“If I get stuck and get ‘writer’s block’, it’s my mind’s way of telling me I’ve gone wrong somewhere with the story.”

Ivan Wainewright

The Kosher Delhi by Ivan Wainewright

The Kosher Delhi by Ivan Wainewright

“Drawing mind maps helps me far more than simply writing lists on paper or on a computer screen. I find it especially helpful when I am first thinking about a new story.”

Christina Hagmann

Stratagem by Christina Hagmann

Stratagem by Christina Hagmann

“I create pretty detailed character spreadsheets, including a Google image of someone who I think represents the character”

Robert Scragg

Nothing Else Remains

Nothing Else Remains by Robert Scragg

“Don’t get it right, get it written”

Adrian Tchaikovsky

Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky

“Worldbuilding is absolutely my thing, and it’s more a joy than a challenge.”

Claire Askew - Lewis Khan Sq

Claire Askew - What You Pay For

What You Pay For by Claire Askew

“I’m very interested in toxic masculinity, and I feel like everything I write – poetry and fiction – has an eye on wanting to get to the bottom of it.”

Ian W Sainsbury

Picture On The Fridge

The Picture on the Fridge by Ian W. Sainsbury

“Empathising with people who don’t think like I do is one of the hardest—and most rewarding—parts of writing fiction.”

Emerald City by Brian Birnbaum

Emerald City by Brian Birnbaum

“Even with the veil of fiction, even transfigured through the eyes of my characters, it’s difficult to write about that which truly scares you or hurts you.”

Joe Abercrombie author photo square

A Little Hatred HB Cover

A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie

“That good and evil are often a matter of where you stand. That violence is utterly destructive for both victim and perpetrator, but at the same time has a glamour that fascinates us. That wizardly mentors do not necessarily have the best interests of the world at heart…”

Heather Child

The Undoing of Arlo Knott by Heather Child

The Undoing of Arlo Knott by Heather Child

Crossover, Literary

“Roam the countryside, if I get the chance, or travel further afield. Routine isn’t great for the imagination, and a change of scenery always gets you out of a rut, so to speak.”

Edward Cox

The Song of the Sycamore by Edward Cox

The Song of the Sycamore by Edward Cox

“Sometimes the logical thing to do is the hardest thing: killing off a character, acts of betrayal, making mistakes which have dire consequences - allowing my children to leave the nest and live their own life is probably how my abilities are most tested.”

The Wolf's Call by Anthony Ryan

The Wolf’s Call by Anthony Ryan

“I try to reflect the true cost of heroism in my work, which is often high and doesn’t involve much in the way of rewards.”

Author photo (M.R. Mackenzie)_sq

Cruel Summer cover (M.R. Mackenzie)

Cruel Summer by M.R. Mackenzie

Crime, Mystery, Thriller

“More often than not I find myself writing about civilians forced by circumstance to solve crimes. “Ordinary people experiencing the worst day of their lives””

Fleet of Knives by Gareth L. Powell

Sci-fi, Space Opera

“I have a million ideas. The difficult part is deciding which of those ideas are the right ones for me.”

Doug Green

Awakening book cover

Awakening – The Eye Of The Scalian by Douglas W. Green

“Many authors speak of outlining a story with all the basic ideas and story lines. I just sat down and started writing. The characters and stories flowed like a faucet almost faster than I could put them on the screen.”

Level Up by Craig Anderson

“Pretty much all my stories have one thing in common, an underdog. I don’t know why I love that archetype so much, but so far all my MCs have been drastically underestimated, sometimes by others, and often by themselves”

Gods of the New Moons by J.L. Forrest

Dark Fantasy, Post-Apocalyptic

“Good characters make stories interesting. They’re where the gold is at.”

Ben Galley Author image

Chasing Graves cover image

Chasing Graves by Ben Galley

Dark Fantasy, Fantasy

“Keeping ideas fresh is always an obstacle, of course, as well as the amount of research required when taking inspiration from certain mythologies.”

The Summer Will Come by Soulla Christodoulou

Historical, Romance

“I live life. I laugh, I cry, I travel, I keep my eyes and ears open and always carry a notebook and pen!”

Cold as the Grave by James Oswald

“It’s not always easy to fathom the mind of a serial killer though, or indeed accurately portray the inner voice of a thirty year old woman when you’re neither.”

onehundredandfifitytwodays

One Hundred and Fifty-two days by Giles Paley-Phillips

Poetry, Semi-autobiographical, YA

“I'm not sure I do fully overcome the challenges, I think I try and find a way around them.”

The Growing Season by Helen Sedgwick

Literary, Speculative

“I find myself talking to them, arguing with them, walking around with them beside me.”

Starting from Scratch by Jessica Goodwin

“Even if you can barely squeak out a paragraph. Don’t worry about editing and making things perfect. Just write”

The Perfect Lie by Adam Croft

Psychological, Thriller

“I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o'clock sharp.”

The End of Magic by Mark Stay

“If you’re starting out, then write as much as you can. Twenty minutes a day will get you into the habit. Set deadlines and make a declaration.”