A Twitterview with Terri Giuliano Long, author of In Leah’s Wake

*twitterview conducted by Novel Publicity

You can tweet Terri @tglong. Please do! To learn more about twitterviews, go here.

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the In Leah’s Wake Kindle edition has dropped to just 99 cents this week. And I can win $100 too if you vote for my blog over on the author’s website. The blog host that gets the most votes in this traffic-breaker polls wins, so please cast yours right after purchasing In Leah’s Wake!

5. Do you stick to a strict writing schedule, or do you write when you’re inspired?

I stuck to a basic schedule wanting to do at least three pages a day. I have to say that I remained quite upbeat throughout writing this story. I would wake up in the mornings eager to get to it and spent my morning hours after breakfast on it -rarely did I continue on it after midday. That’s inspiration. I never encountered any writer’s block while working on it and completed it in seven months.

6. How important do you feel is historical accuracy?

I consider it important to be true to the basics, but when writing in the first person, you have an advantage in that the story is from the protagonist’s perspective so there can be personal interpretations of the events being described. My novel deviates from the Trojan myths in two major ways: first, in Polyxena being sent to the Amazons to enlist their services to Troy’s defense. In the Trojan myths, the Amazons come to Troy shortly after Hector’s death but we are not given a clear explanation how and why this came about. My novel fills this void. Secondly, I linked Polyxena’s death to her having spurned the love of Neoptolemus -thereby making her own actions the real life causality for her fate. In the myths, Neoptolemus kills her, but it is assumed that he was avenging his father’s death. Other than that, I tried to be faithful to the stories about Troy. After Polyxena returns to Troy, the events described in my novel closely follow the myths. Paris being slain; Oenone killing herself in her grief over denying him aid; Helen next marrying Deiphobus; Helenus being captured by the Greeks (intentionally in my novel -a minor deviation); Troy’s fall. I’ve incorporated all the separate accounts written about the individuals connected to the Trojan myths into a coherent sequence of events witnessed by Polyxena.

7. Do you have any current writing projects? If so, are we allowed to know what they are?

I have written an earlier novel about Aztec Mexico which I am now seeking to have published. It is titled Water Dog and is about Montezuma’s predecessor, Ahuitzotl, the most ferocious of the Aztec warrior-kings. It covers a sixteen year period -the last year of the emperor Tizoc and the reign of his successor, Ahuitzotl, with a basic theme of pride leading to fall. Ahuitzotl is conceived of as a classic tragic hero who himself generates into being the events that culminate in a cruel retribution against him. Unlike Polyxena, which is based on Greek mythology, this novel is a true historical fiction work with all of the main characters having actually live. I am presently in the process of refining this work to make it tantalizing for a publisher.

8. Do you have anything else you’d like to share with the Inspired Quill readers?

Writing Polyxena was a true labor of love. If there is such a thing as an author falling in love with his main character, then that is the case here. She was meant to be your typical teenage girl, brighter than most, but still having the flaws and vulnerabilities that come with her youthfulness. She reacts as any normal person would to the horrors that war inflicts on her, trying, through her rationalization, to keep her sanity in a world gone mad in its brutality. Despite the cruelties she is exposed to, she manages to cling to her humaneness (for the most part), which, in this novel, translates to her basic kind-heartedness and forgiving nature. I think Polyxena is a beautiful creation.

As do I! Thank you once again for not only agreeing to this interview, but also for writing such wonderful responses!

For more information on this author, visit his WEBSITE , or follow him on TWITTER.

1. Why did you decide to write about the story of Troy?

I was attracted to the name Polyxena and have known about her fate for years. The idea of linking her fate to having spurned the love of Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, after her known love of Achilles, held a fascination for me and I thought it would make a great love story in addition to providing a more plausible cause for her death. It was after seeing Wolfgang Peterson’s movie, Troy, on television in 2008 after I had retired (I saw it on screen first when it came out in 2004) that provided me with the impetus to proceed. I believed the conception of my story was different enough from other ones written about Troy that it was worth doing.

2. I have to admit, I really liked the character of Antipe within the book. Who was your favourite character in the novel and why?

Aside from Polyxena herself, Antiope was my favorite character and the one I had most fun with. She is a true Amazon through and through and displays the qualities they were most known for -mainly their loathing of men. I decided to make her into a raving beauty as well as being a superb commander and highly competent so her non-availability to men would be both painful and a relief for them -and hold their fascination. I initially had not considered her as a character, but then felt Polyxena needed someone other than the queen to bring her closer to the Amazons in spirit and action (Penthesileia would have been too inaccessible to her). There were Amazon queens named Antiope in Greek mythology so I reasoned that my Antiope would be a logical successor to Penthesileia.

Antiope is a gem.

3. Your novel is written from the perspective of King Priam’s daughter, Polyxena. How did you find writing from a female perspective?

I debated for some time about writing this novel in the first person, not thinking myself, or any man, as qualified to write from a woman’s perspective. But because of the way I structured my story I decided it had to written that way. Polyxena is confiding her thoughts to Aphrodite, the Goddess she believes orchestrated her fate, which makes the reader, in essence, the Goddess. The idea behind the novel was to have this interchange

create an emotional bond with the Goddess (the reader). It’s analogous to a psychiatrist listening to a patient’s story -except that, in my novel, it is her thoughts rather than the spoken word (which works only because the recipient of them is a Goddess and allows Polyxena to continue conveying them up to the moment of her death). All this, to be effective, had to come from her perspective -in the first person. By keeping Polyxena’s feelings general and avoiding intimate details I hoped to make it believable.

4. Apart from the research you did for the book, what was the hardest aspect of writing it?

Although a lot of thought went into this novel, I had surprisingly few problems in writing it. I used a mental outline and worried most about Chapter 10, where a captive Polyxena is being escorted back to Troy by Achilles and falls in love with him. My concern was how to credibly pull off her change of heart -from an initial fear and hatred of him to loving him. But once I mentally envisioned the situation, it all seemed to fall in place and I was very satisfied with the result. Little is written about Polyxena -she is known to us through her death, not how she lived- so I had considerable leeway in how I was going to present her. Most of my research involved the other leading personages of the Trojan War -Priam, Helen, Paris, Cassandra, Neoptolemus, Odysseus, Agamemnon- and assuring that I portrayed them accurately with the personalities and attributes they were known for or written about. I also wanted to properly describe the sequence of events as presented in the Trojan myths.

Part 2 coming soon!

1. What aspects of your novel are you most proud of?

The interaction of themes across generations, races and history

2. What did you find most difficult about the writing process?

Getting it right. It’s never done – never where it should be. No matter how many times I go over a manuscript, every time I pick it up – I’m making changes. Gets very frustrating after 25 times, thinking it’s right and couldn’t get any better and then picking it up a month later and filling the pages with red ink. Don’t know if I’m that bad of a writer or not but hopefully it’s for the better.

3. How did you come up with the initial idea for your novel ‘Bridges’?

For that particular story – from the picture itself. It’s one I seen in an antique shop once and it started me thinking about it. At the same time I was writing about the 60’s which was the most ‘changing’ decade in our history and the two came together. A combination of a Niagara few people know about coupled with the decade of the ’60′s which was the best and worse times of America. A decade when America was at its prime and it’s base. When young people thought everything had been done and there was nothing left for them to do, yet, next to the revolutionary era itself, it was the most revolutionary decade in American history.

4. Who has influenced your writing the most?

writers like Hemingway and Steinbeck lit my flame when I was a teen. Unfortunately no one around me influenced my writing so a lot of years went by when the desire was there but the will wasn’t. Once started – Stephen King has been an influence

5. Do you have a time/place you prefer to write?

Author: Dk LeVick

I’m an early morning writer. Alone, 3, 4 o’clock in the morning is when I’m in the zone. Evening writing time is for edit and rewrite when I am more focused on getting it right.

6. Are you working on any new projects at the moment?

I’ve written some short stories recently and I’m working on my next novel. I’m fortunate and blessed that my ‘flame’ didn’t go out over the years and was able to be turned up, so as long as there’s breath in my body, words in my mind and feelings in my heart, I’ll find the means to write and hopefully, someone will want to read it.

7. If you could invite anyone at all to a tea-party, who would it be?

God – and have Him explain what this is all about

8. What was your favourite aspect of the writing process for this book?

Those occasions when I got into the ‘zone’ and the pen takes over pushing my conscious mind aside. It’s the feeling of pure creativity flowing. When ideas and outlines get pushed aside by the pen – that’s when I know I’m writing.

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You can win a free paperback copy of Bridges: A Tale of Niagara by entering your name and email address on its official blog tour page. The winner of the give-away will be announced on Wednesday, June 29 – be sure to enter before then!

Learn more about this author by visiting his website, blog, Facebook or GoodReads pages or by connecting with him on Twitter.

“Due to the recent devastation (tornadoes and fatalities) in Alabama, Ms. Magee will not have time to answer the interview questions that you wanted to include in the book tour stop on your blog. Thankfully, Ms. Magee is safe and unharmed, but she has been helping with the emergency relief effort in an unofficial capacity and cannot commit the time to write the answers to you interview questions or comment on the book tour posts until things settle down somewhat.” — Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

Normally I’d roll my eyes at an author who didn’t allocate time to promote their own works with an interview…(not that I’ve seen it happen so far), but I think in this case it’s safe to say that I have a huge amount of respect for what Ms. Magee is doing with the relief effort, and also hope that she is able to spare some time during the coming weeks to reschedule her interview here on Inspired Quill.

Instead, I have a teaser of the second book in the series, ‘Embody’, which I hope will whet your appetite for now!

“Not many Scorpio’s are known for their patience, and Willow Haywood is no different. Her only desire is to love Landen Chambers and redeem the lost souls of Esterious, but the path to that desire is long, dark and dangerous…

Before Willow’s life had a chance to balance the sudden revelations and grief she had to endure to get to Chara a disturbing discovery is made. A photo, one that shows Willow blissfully embracing the flawless image of Drake Blakeshire; giving her not only proof that she had lived before, but that she had loved him.

Running away from the memory of Drake’s hypnotizing touch, and the prophecy set before her seemed like the logical thing to do. That is, until a dark dream reignites her passion to save the hopeless dimension of Esterious. Willow struggles to find patience – to learn everything she needs to know before she faces Drake again, but her eagerness is dangerous and one step in the wrong direction takes everything and everyone away from her – the only way to survive this trial is for Willow to remember who she is and what she really wants out of this life.”

Your ‘day job’, as it were, is that of an editorial consultant. Can you give us a bit of information about what that actually means?

As an editorial consultant, I read client manuscripts from the perspective of an agent or editor. I write an editorial letter (which is generally about four to five pages for a novel) which highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript, and gives the author questions that are designed to guide them in the revision process. A lot of my clients are repeat clients, so it’s fun for me to see their books evolve! I’ve been doing this for about a year, and I’m happy to say that a couple of my freelance clients have agents and I’ve got my fingers crossed for another one that’s shopping. I do keep my eye out for things that I’ve read; I’d be thrilled to see one of my clients on the shelves! Of course, as an editorial consultant I certainly can’t guarantee an agent or publisher. My goal is always to help someone improve their manuscript and hopefully, help them grow as a writer.

I also review query letters, which is fun because I spent a lot of time reading the submission pile and now I get to explain to the author why a certain phrase or sentence would ‘raise a red flag’ and perhaps make an editor or agent not request the manuscript. Hopefully, when one of these flags are raised, it also makes the author think about the manuscript itself.

Why did you decide to self publish?

Tracy Marchini, author and editor

I decided that self-publishing PUB SPEAK made the most sense for a couple reasons. I was concerned that the length would be prohibitive in terms of finding a traditional publisher. It’s over 400 terms, but in print it’ll be about 110 pages, so it’s a bit of a small book. (That said, I am working on a soft cover edition.) It’s also small in that it has a niche audience, so other than one or two publishers that produce books especially for aspiring writers, I wasn’t sure that there was room for it on a traditional list. Finally, I’ve always loved making things and going a bit outside of the box, so this felt like the perfect book to really learn about self-publishing by doing it myself.

Also, I should mention that I did a lot of research into promotion, marketing and formatting before I settled on self-publishing. I did some very basic market research (“What do you think about this idea?”) and I also had an extremely helpful half-hour conversation with Joel Friedlander of The Book Designer, which made me think about my plans for the book a little differently. (Thank you, Joel!)

How difficult do you believe it is to break into publishing, both as an author and as someone who wants to work in that sector?

Both as an author and as someone who wants to work in the field, you really have to LOVE it in order to break in. Frankly, either way you’re going to do a lot of free work before you’re in! From the writer’s perspective, that mean writing a couple books before your craft is strong enough for an editor or publisher to notice. As someone that wants to work in the industry, you might find that it’s about working one to two unpaid internships, and then having that contact recommend you for an interview at a publishing house or agency. I broke in to the industry because I sat across from Gail Carson Levine at a writer’s conference, and she encouraged me to pass on my resume to her agent. I interned for Kirsten Manges, who had just left Curtis Brown to form her own company, for about six months, and previous to that I had interned at a small regional press in college. After that it was probably another six months before I landed the job at Curtis Brown. For a bit, I continued to work as a book reviewer and newspaper correspondent on the weekends, but eventually didn’t have time for all three. So, my advice is to network like crazy, work hard, and read a lot!

Thank you Tracy for some great responses, and for such an indespensible resource! More information about the book can be found on Tracy’s website, located HERE.

• Why a dictionary?

I chose a dictionary because it was something that I hadn’t seen for writers. There are a ton of great “How To Write” books out there, but I knew that my literary agency experience gave me a perspective that most writers aren’t lucky enough to have. I thought the dictionary would also be the best way to organize what I had learned without trying to give blanket advice about contracts or royalties, since each writer’s career is different and each publishing house and agency have different boilerplates, etc.

What were the hardest and most enjoyable parts of writing the dictionary?

The most enjoyable part was probably counting the number of terms (over 400!) and realizing how much I had really learned. I was a bit worried when I started that I’d end up with a pamphlet of 100 words, and then it would be clear that the project wasn’t viable as I had envisioned it. But remembering one phrase would remind me of another, and suddenly I was thinking about things that I hadn’t thought about as much over the past year. The hardest part though was making sure that each definition was accurate and informative without being biased. As an agent, you read a clause one way, and as a publisher you read the clause with a different set of pro’s and con’s, and as an author you may have even a third perspective on what that particular clause means for you. Again, knowing that you can’t say, “All authors should do precisely THIS,” or that, “This clause should always, 100% be deleted,” made me have to be careful about the words I chose.

How many terms are in the dictionary, and why did you decide on that number?

Tracy Marchini, author and editor

There are over 400 terms in the dictionary, which was based mostly on what I had learned and researched before it was time to move on to the next step!

In the press release, you mention authors needing to be business people. Would you say this aspect has risen since the explosion of self-publishing and print on demand?

I think authors have always needed to be business people, but I think with self-publishing and POD there are now more options to consider. Both traditionally published and self-published authors need to be savvy about reaching their audience, protecting the rights to their work and expanding themselves as a brand. However, the rise of self-publishing and POD has made it more difficult for an author to get noticed. It’s more people competing for reviews and reader attention. Harder to find a book on Amazon or B&N unless you’re searching for it. Less room on the shelves (though most self-published books will not actually have a chance at that shelf space.) Personally, I think authors are beginning to look at their properties and decide to self-publish or traditionally publish on a work by work basis. Traditional publishers are fabulous for books that fit within their model, but if your book doesn’t fit, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a valueless work. That said, I don’t think a smart career move would be, “As soon as it’s rejected, I’ll put it on Amazon.” Self-publishing and POD work best as a business decision, not a last resort.

Are there any plans for a ‘A Writer’s Dictionary of MORE publishing terms’?

I think the industry is going to continue to change, and so I will certainly be updating PUB SPEAK as necessary. For example, I mentioned “The Quill Awards” in the dictionary because I thought it was an interesting (though failed) experiment that told us a lot about the culture of reading. I think we’ll see many more interesting experiments and more language specifically to digital publishing as the industry changes and I definitely would want to share that with PUB SPEAK’s readers.

[End of Part 1]

Part 2 of this interview will be posted tomorrow, so keep a look out!

1.) In the ‘Dear Reader’ part of NEVER TEMPT DANGER, you mention that your characters just popped into your head. Do you tend to work with characters first rather than story, or is it usually the other way around?

The characters do usually come to me first and as I learn about each of them, the story comes in. It is as if the characters are telling me their own story. Don’t laugh…us writers are a little odd.

2.) I really have to ask where the name ‘Maureen’ came from. It’s not a name you see very often in books these days.

Funny you should ask. Maureen was my high school best friend’s first name only spelled differently. And this character has an Irish background so it was perfect.

3.) On your bio it mentions that you have two decades worth of experience with computer technology. How did you find out that you had what it took to write not one, but five novels (thus far!)? Was creative writing a hobby for you, or did you just decide to give it a go one day?

Great question. I actually have always been a writer. I always loved creative writing and at one point considered going into sports writing. As for writing a novel, I just decided to go for it one day. I needed that creative outlet, had missed it desperately, and it was like coming home.

4.) I haven’t had the fortune to read any of your other titles currently, but how far do you think your writing talent has developed from book to book? Do you find that you’re constantly learning new ways of story-spinning?

Oh! The story spinning gets almost more difficult the more I write because the stories keep requiring more and more research. I am a person who likes to dive into her research and do it herself if she can. For example, with NEVER TEMPT DANGER, I actually did put together a robot.

5.) The cover for NEVER TEMPT DANGER is vibrant and eye-catching. How important do you think book covers are?

I personally think the covers, the art and the blurb are extremely important, as that is the first thing the readers see and reads. My publisher does the covers with some input from me but with the cover of NEVER TEMPT DANGER, she decided to surprise me. Wow! I was shocked and thrilled. I’d never had a red cover and it portrays the story exactly. My publisher is also conscious of the fact that I don’t like to see a person’s face so to leave things to the reader’s imagination.

6.) What are the best and worst parts of the writing process for you?

The best parts are when scenes just pop in and I can’t help myself but the words just flow out. I could be in the middle of dinner and have to grab pen and paper or laptop and start writing. The worst part is the periods of block where the next chapter just hasn’t presented itself. I have learned to write out of order to not let anything slip by, but I’m kind of an organized freak so that drives me nuts.

7.) A question that I ask all of the authors I interview as part of an ongoing debate: What are your views on the ‘e-book Vs Paper Book’ debate?

This is a great debate. I personally am a paper book fan because I like to hold and feel it and curl up with a book. However, my mom has poor eyesight and the e-book is the best for her because she can make any book large print.

8.) Finally…are you allowed to tell us whether you’re currently working on another project or not?

Of course! My next novel is still in progress with a working title of Phish NET Stalkings. This is by far the most challenging novel for me and I hope one that everyone will want to read. I know my publisher is looking forward to it.

Here’s the blurb to give you an idea:

Phish NET Stalkings

All she wanted was to find love. Was that too much to ask? How difficult could it be to find one man, the perfect man for her?

After dating the losers of the century, Jane decides there has to be a better way. She turns to an online dating service. After all, they guarantee a ‘happily ever after’ or your money back.

Jane East, CEO of ‘Not So Plain Jane’s organic cosmetics wants to fall in love with a man who makes her toes curl when he kisses her. Instead, the one man who makes her toes curl also wears ladies’ pink underwear and a badge. The pink underwear she could probably deal with, but the badge is a different story.

Ever since seeing her mother and granny Pearl murdered by men with badges, Jane has a fear of cops and anyone who carries a badge. Especially, because the killers are still on the loose and searching for her.

Former FBI Cybercrime special agent turned small-town Chief of Police, Cooper Chance, gets caught with his pants down and his family jewels tucked in pink ladies’ underwear with lacy frills when he meets the woman of his dreams. That’s not his only issue. The woman has a fear of badges. If he can get past her guard, maybe he can save her life.

Sara – Thanks very much for the wonderful interview and for letting me stop by today. I hope you and your readers enjoy NEVER TEMPT DANGER.

1) Having written novels both by yourself and with other authors, how different would you say the processes are, and do you prefer one to the other?

It’s enormously different, mainly because for a collaborator I have to express and/or set down details about the story that I merely keep in mind when I am working by myself. I have to provide as much background and character study as I can so that my vision becomes part of the shared work. I also find that working with someone else I can go faster than I do alone. I think it’s the synergy of bouncing ideas off another mind. Some of the greatest fun I have ever had is when two of us start feeding off the other’s ideas and laughing because we are creating something in the air between us. When Bob Asprin and I were plotting Class Dis-Mythed in a restaurant at a DragonCon, we had a wonderful time hooting at the other’s suggestions and trying to top them. I think the mood between collaborators  infuses the story.

I have to prefer to work alone, since most of my projects are individual ones, but I enjoy my collaborative works. Writing is a solitary profession, so sharing the experience with someone who knows *exactly* what you are doing is fantastic.

2) In the 80′s, you wrote a ‘choose your own adventure’ set in the ‘Pern’ universe. How difficult did you find that sort of project compared to novel-writing?

I wrote two Pern “Crossroads” adventures, Dragonharper and Dragonfire, for TOR Books. Since I was already experienced in writing game materials (for Mayfair Games), I had only to incorporate that discipline into my writing. The greatest challenge was to make certain that Anne’s fans would be satisfied with my presentation of her world and her characters. I love her work, so I was very respectful of it. I have been told by readers that the books worked for them, both as games and as novels. I still have the charts showing the story progression and the various unsuccessful outcomes of the adventures.

3) What has been your favourite project to date?

I can’t pick one favourite. I’ve just turned in a book that I have wanted to write for years, a sort of Jeeves and Wooster in space (View From the Imperium, coming in 2011 from Baen Books). But I also love my Mythology books, which are light and funny and positive. I had a blast doing Strong Arm Tactics, a humorous military SF novel. I am very proud of the work that I’ve done on the Myth-Adventures with Robert Asprin.

4) If you could invite any three authors to tea, who would they be and why?

Terry Pratchett, Mark Twain and Dorothy L. Sayers. I love writers who can catch me off guard and make me laugh — or make me think. There’s a good deal of collective wisdom in these writers’ books. All of them understand the human condition in a way that I envy and hope to be able to emulate one day. It would take paragraphs to describe what I love about these writers, but their work means a lot to me as a writer and a reader.

I’ve left out dozens of other writers whom I admire and would also like to have to tea. Can’t I make it a large garden party instead?

5) I’ve heard of different authors having a strict writing regime that they stick to. Do you tend to follow a timetable or do you find it better to write only when you’re in the right frame of mind?

As a working writer I have to make my frame of mind right. I hit the keyboard in the morning right after I feed the cats and make my morning cocoa, anywhere from 5:00 to 10:00 AM. If I have not started working by 11 AM, I step away from the manuscript and do other things, such as taking care of my files. I never look at my e-mail in the morning, or I will do no work. Once I get going, I try to stay at the keyboard until I reach a natural ending, such as a scene or a chapter, or the end of a short story. If I have to stop, I try to follow CJ Cherryh’s suggestion to leave a cliffhanger to come back to. That makes me eager to jump back into the story and finish that part. In any case, I am usually finished writing about 4:00 in the afternoon.

When I am very close to finishing a book, the story itself drives me. I keep going until I can’t stay awake, sleep for just a few hours, then go on, sometimes as much as 20 hours a day.

6) What are your views on the e-book Vs paper book debate?

I think e-books are part of the future of literature. I do think that there will always be physical books. As each electronic system is superseded by better technology, a lot of material will be lost as unrecoverable pixels. I can’t find anyone who can read my old Apple IIg disks from ten years ago, yet, we have paper or parchment books that are hundreds of years old.

That’s not to say that I dislike e-books. Some of my work is already being sold in electronic format. I am necessarily concerned with the piracy issue. I would love to embrace e-books wholeheartedly, but I need to be paid for my work. I have no problem with the Creative Commons license, and will probably release some stories in the future under it, but the rest can’t be free for the taking. Pirate copies hurt everyone. A fair commercial system needs to be established and supported. I think that the music industry set a very poor standard by waiting so long to create an e-music model that people got used to downloading any albums or songs they wanted for free. Literature, which makes a tiny fraction of the money, can’t afford that sharp a learning curve. I think we’re getting there, though.

E-books also provide a market, free or otherwise, for up and coming writers who can’t find a place in the print market. It’s been a great boon to both readers and writers.

I think e-book readers and audio books are terrific. They are just perfect for people who are going on a trip and don’t want to fill their suitcases with chunks of paper. For a week away my husband and I have a minimum of six books apiece, one for each plane or train ride, and four in between, not to mention newspapers and magazines. We were just given an e-book reader, and I have been playing with it. The next time we have a holiday, I’ll load it up. As an SF fan myself, I am eager to try out futuristic gadgets. Who knows? It may give me some ideas.

To find out more about Jody Lynn Nye, click on the handy link HERE and be taken to her website. Alternatively, you can follow her on Twitter HERE. (Aren’t I nice, saving you all that trouble?)

I have been proming you Author Interviews for a while now, dear readers, and I’m pleased to finally be able to share one with you! Recently, the novelist Rod Duncan agreed to take part in an interview for I.Q. So here it is!

1) You mention on your website that you got a Geology degree, isn’t that a little different from wanting to be an author? What drew you to writing in the first place instead of carrying on in the scientific sphere?

“I am endlessly curious. Science is one outlet for that curiosity. It also manifests as a tendency to ask lots of questions of people I meet from day to day. And this – the question asking – is the fuel of novel writing.”

2) You’ve also done some work with films, how different is the process of script writing to novel writing?

“Script writing and novel writing are both story telling. So in essence thay are the same. They differ though in some important respects. A novel writer is in command of the story. A screenwriter is one who collaborates with numerous other story tellers – director, designers, the actors, the editor etc. Beautiful prose elevates a novel. No amount of beautiful language will disguise a lack of story in a screenplay.”

3) The first time we met was at a writing workshop at Leicester Uni, why do you do these, and how important do you think it is for authors to give guidance to the new generation of novelists?

“I enjoy sharing the journey with other writers. I don’t see it in terms of generations. We are all on the same journey.”

4) What’s your favourite aspect of novel writing?

“The moment when I suddenly understand where the story is going and why.”

5) You’ve currently written three novels…can your fans expect more in the future?

“Yes – though I am immersed in screenplay writing at present.”

6) One of the articles on Inspired-Quill talks about e-books and independent bookshops, what are your views on electronic books compared to their paper counterparts?

“This is a big question. e-publishing is here to stay and it is only going to grow as a proportion of the total market. However people do love the physicality of books and I don’t imagine them disappearing.

7) Any last comments you’d like to give to the readers of I.Q?

“Last comments? No writer wants to leave a last comment. It leaves no room for a sequel!”

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Click HERE to visit Rod Duncan’s website!