Ask the Author: A.M. Rycroft
Answered Questions (12)
A.M. Rycroft
Yes, I will be needing reviewers for the new edition. I saw your email, too, so I'll send you a link there.
A.M. Rycroft
Hey, David. Sorry I missed your question! Yes, they have changed. I've found that the best way to get the word out about my work is through paid advertising. Word of mouth among friends and fans is great. But in order to reach more readers who haven't yet discovered your work, paid advertising is a must. The way in which I market my books on social media has changed, too. I rely less on blogging than I did in the beginning. I'm on other platforms like Facebook and Twitter a lot, and that takes my focus away from blogging too much for a blog to be really interesting to me now. I also enjoy writing for my newsletters more.
A.M. Rycroft
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the legend of the Joy Thief. It's 100% of my own creation.
A.M. Rycroft
So far, Hair is still my favorite short story. I love the suspense that builds through it.
A.M. Rycroft
Hi Kathryn! My ideal writing environment is in my office, where everything is set up just the way I like it. I end up doing a lot of writing in my head anywhere there is running water, too: the shower, in front of a running sink faucet, near the ocean or a fountain. Maybe that has to do with conductivity of water. Whatever it is, I've solved many a plot issue just by standing near or under water.
A.M. Rycroft
Hi Jeffrey -
I'm glad you have found the thread worthwhile. I've been pleased with the number of responses and the great information that's been passed along by everyone. And, you're right, all the marketing and publicizing can be a full-time job in itself, so it's great when someone can help out with some of those duties. I'd be happy to pass that information along to you.
- A.M.
I'm glad you have found the thread worthwhile. I've been pleased with the number of responses and the great information that's been passed along by everyone. And, you're right, all the marketing and publicizing can be a full-time job in itself, so it's great when someone can help out with some of those duties. I'd be happy to pass that information along to you.
- A.M.
A.M. Rycroft
Writer's block is something that I just have to wait out. I'll go play some video games or go work out, if I'm trying to figure out how to get past something in a story. I don't watch tv or read during that time, because I feel like those activities pull my attention too much from the story I'm working on.
A.M. Rycroft
Getting to build my worlds as I see fit. While I don't always feel in control of what takes place in a story I write, I know that the world in which it takes place is one of my own making. Also, I really love the people who live in my imaginary worlds, and I love getting to spend time with them when I sit down to write.
A.M. Rycroft
Don't let anyone tell you that you can't be a writer or that it isn't a worthwhile career path. If you want to be a writer, be a writer.
It drives me crazy when I hear or read a news story questioning the validity of getting a degree in English or Writing. While not a lot of people earn six figures or more as a writer, writers can say they are doing what they love. Can all lawyers and doctors say that?
That said, I think it's also worthwhile to develop another marketable skill while in college, like computer science, because it will likely take a while before you make serious money as a writer, and even the most inspired writer needs to eat and pay bills.
I joined a software company as a technical writer after college. It hasn't always been enjoyable to do that instead of focusing purely on my writing, but the software industry pays well for talented people, and I think my experiences there have made me a better writer.
It drives me crazy when I hear or read a news story questioning the validity of getting a degree in English or Writing. While not a lot of people earn six figures or more as a writer, writers can say they are doing what they love. Can all lawyers and doctors say that?
That said, I think it's also worthwhile to develop another marketable skill while in college, like computer science, because it will likely take a while before you make serious money as a writer, and even the most inspired writer needs to eat and pay bills.
I joined a software company as a technical writer after college. It hasn't always been enjoyable to do that instead of focusing purely on my writing, but the software industry pays well for talented people, and I think my experiences there have made me a better writer.
A.M. Rycroft
I'm mainly working on a novel set in the same world as "Into the Darkness", but isn't related to the characters in that book. I'm also working on a follow-up to where "Into the Darkness" left off. And, from time to time, I work a little on the sci-fi serial I've worked on, off and on, over the years.
A.M. Rycroft
Often times, like with "Into the Darkness", my story ideas come from a dream I had, but just as often they come from a song I hear. It doesn't matter whether I'm hearing the song for the first time or if I'm really familiar with the song. For reasons I can't explain, something clicks that day with that song, and it inspires a whole scene, like a movie in my head. The scene usually has little to do with the subject of the song - it's just something about how it sounds to me that inspires a story and inspires me to write that story.
A.M. Rycroft
"Into the Darkness" was written after I had a dream about a sell-sword walking through caverns with black walls, looking for something that had to do with a famous adventurer that once lived there. It was the kind of dream that for some reason, I just couldn't stop thinking about it. This went on for several days. Finally, I decided to write down some of the dream, and from there, a novel was born.
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