Ask the Author: S.J. Arnott
Answered Questions (6)
S.J. Arnott
Leofric: Land of the Franks is the sequel to Leofric: Sword of the Angles and the series was inspired by my love of historical fiction. When I started thinking of what I could write about, I looked around for a period in history that had not already been covered by a multitude of authors, and quickly decided on the early Anglo-Saxons. The fact that I live in East Anglia, the site of the first Anglo-Saxon settlements in Britain, helped the choice.
I soon discovered that very little is known about the Dark Age Angles, and that a significant amount of world building had to be done to create a framework for these stories, but I'm pleased with the way it turning out.
I soon discovered that very little is known about the Dark Age Angles, and that a significant amount of world building had to be done to create a framework for these stories, but I'm pleased with the way it turning out.
S.J. Arnott
You have to write the kind of books you'd like to read. Most of my favourite authors write historical fiction, so that inspired me to start on the Leofric series. I also really enjoy Lee Child's Jack Reacher, and wrote the novella Jack Bleacher as an affectionate parody (though I can't help feeling I could have come up with a better name...)
S.J. Arnott
Establish a writing routine and stick to it. I used to write in the evenings, after the day job was over, but it was tiring and grew to be a chore. These days I go to bed early(ish), then get up at an ungodly hour and write or research for an hour and a half each morning, seven days a week.
S.J. Arnott
Broadly, there are two types of block: one, when you can't think of a new story; second, when you're in the middle of a story, but don't know where to go next.
Thinking up a new story can be hard, but I cover how to generate ideas in my book 'The Writers' Guide'.
Deciding where to go next in a story is easier - you have to look at your characters and figure out their motivation. How did they get into their current situation and what do they want to get out of it? Your characters have to have some kind of motivation, they have to want something, otherwise you don't have a plot. Figure out what they want and how they're going to get it, and your story will be moving again.
Thinking up a new story can be hard, but I cover how to generate ideas in my book 'The Writers' Guide'.
Deciding where to go next in a story is easier - you have to look at your characters and figure out their motivation. How did they get into their current situation and what do they want to get out of it? Your characters have to have some kind of motivation, they have to want something, otherwise you don't have a plot. Figure out what they want and how they're going to get it, and your story will be moving again.
S.J. Arnott
Being in control of what I do. Most of the work I do in my day job is collaborative, which is good in it's own way, but it can be frustrating when you're constantly waiting on someone else to do something before you can take a project to the next stage.
S.J. Arnott
My current project is the next book in the Leofric series. This will be a second novel, called 'Leofric: Land of the Franks', that continues the story started in 'Leofric: Sword of the Angles'. I just hope it won't take me as long to write...
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