Ask the Author: Sylvester Olson
Answered Questions (6)
Sylvester Olson
You're going to get so much great advice from authors here at Goodreads, but here's something you've probably never read before:
When you compose your story, write with gel pens.
It probably seems like silly advice. But the truth is that writing page after page of material is going to tire out your hand. Ballpoint pens require more pushing to get the ink out, while with gel pens the ink just flows. You may not notice after a few paragraphs or even a page or two. But trust me: after twenty pages over the course of several hours, the muscles in your hand will thank you.
When you compose your story, write with gel pens.
It probably seems like silly advice. But the truth is that writing page after page of material is going to tire out your hand. Ballpoint pens require more pushing to get the ink out, while with gel pens the ink just flows. You may not notice after a few paragraphs or even a page or two. But trust me: after twenty pages over the course of several hours, the muscles in your hand will thank you.
Sylvester Olson
The second volume of The Matter of Cascadia has a completed draft. I am currently working on editing and rewriting.
Sylvester Olson
I'm a huge fan of J. R. R. Tolkien, and decided, at age ten, that I would someday write my own epic fantasy. However, I wanted to make the setting more meaningful to my own background and experiences. Tolkien could write about dragons and knights and castles and swords because England was his backyard. While I've visited London before, I've never spent enough time in England to be comfortable writing about it. I decided that if I were to try to use that setting, my story would lack Tolkien's authenticity and might fall flat.
So instead I chose to set my story in a fictionalized version of the Pacific Northwest of North America, a region of the world where I've spent most of my life, and with which I am very well-informed. Figuring out exactly how to write a Cascadian fantasy wasn't easy. I not only had to write my book, but I also had to invent a brand-new subgenre.
But just because it wasn't easy doesn't mean it wasn't fun, and I had a blast doing it :)
So instead I chose to set my story in a fictionalized version of the Pacific Northwest of North America, a region of the world where I've spent most of my life, and with which I am very well-informed. Figuring out exactly how to write a Cascadian fantasy wasn't easy. I not only had to write my book, but I also had to invent a brand-new subgenre.
But just because it wasn't easy doesn't mean it wasn't fun, and I had a blast doing it :)
Sylvester Olson
It's impossible to write without reading. Writing without reading is like playing soccer without having eaten for a day: no matter how hard you try, you're simply not going have the energy, coordination, or mental focus to play well, and you'll probably collapse in the middle of the game.
I try to read for an hour or two before I pick up the pen. If I haven't read for a while (because of work or personal life demands), I may spend several days reading for hours and hours before I pick up the pen at all.
To stay motivated while writing, I typically write in coffee houses. I do this because of the environment. Writing can truly be lonely, but you don't want your written language processes to be interrupted, either. At a coffee house, you can still be around people for hours on end, but none of 'em are gonna bug ya.
I try to read for an hour or two before I pick up the pen. If I haven't read for a while (because of work or personal life demands), I may spend several days reading for hours and hours before I pick up the pen at all.
To stay motivated while writing, I typically write in coffee houses. I do this because of the environment. Writing can truly be lonely, but you don't want your written language processes to be interrupted, either. At a coffee house, you can still be around people for hours on end, but none of 'em are gonna bug ya.
Sylvester Olson
I've come to love the entire process: brainstorming, composition, editing, more editing, rewriting, editing, cover design, editing, interior formatting, expository composition for the appendices, designing of charts and maps for the appendices, and editing. So long as I'm at work on the project, I feel content with being a writer.
Yeah, the final product is nice to behold. But the process itself is thrilling.
Yeah, the final product is nice to behold. But the process itself is thrilling.
Sylvester Olson
I've found that, much like lifting weights, I can avoid writer's block when I take every other day off from composing new material. It's just better to have a fresh mind when sitting down with paper and pen. Writing is a joy and I love every moment of it; I don't want it to ever feel like a chore.
But I still find meaningful tasks to complete on off-days. Typically, I'll spend Day A composing on paper. Then on Day B, I'll catch up on typing the story into the computer, editing and checking for continuity errors along the way. This also gives me a chance to look ahead at my outline and gauge whether I'm still on track (or if I've discovered something worth altering the outline for). Composition is so focused, so "in the moment", that it's easy to make impulsive decisions that could derail the train. Taking days off provides time for reflection that, in the end, results in me being happier with the final product.
Because I self-publish, there are other elements that I'm responsible for, such as cover design and interior design, that take significant time to complete. If I've been busy working hard on finishing a chapter, I may opt to spend time on these for a few days in order to introduce some variety toward the book creation. It's still important work that will have to be completed anyway.
But I still find meaningful tasks to complete on off-days. Typically, I'll spend Day A composing on paper. Then on Day B, I'll catch up on typing the story into the computer, editing and checking for continuity errors along the way. This also gives me a chance to look ahead at my outline and gauge whether I'm still on track (or if I've discovered something worth altering the outline for). Composition is so focused, so "in the moment", that it's easy to make impulsive decisions that could derail the train. Taking days off provides time for reflection that, in the end, results in me being happier with the final product.
Because I self-publish, there are other elements that I'm responsible for, such as cover design and interior design, that take significant time to complete. If I've been busy working hard on finishing a chapter, I may opt to spend time on these for a few days in order to introduce some variety toward the book creation. It's still important work that will have to be completed anyway.
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