Ask the Author: Peter Knyte
Answered Questions (6)
Peter Knyte
For me its the small things that trigger my imagination and my inspiration, a phrase casually uttered, an advert on TV, a novel that I thought was going one way but then turned away, an old piece of bric a brak.
Absolutely anything can provide that trigger, so getting out and having new experiences, going to new places, meeting new people, all help, but the most important thing for me - paying attention to the small things.
Absolutely anything can provide that trigger, so getting out and having new experiences, going to new places, meeting new people, all help, but the most important thing for me - paying attention to the small things.
Peter Knyte
Well i'm still quite new at this myself, having only recently finished writing my third full length novel, so this is just my answer at this point in time.
There's a huge amount to learn when it comes to being a writer above and beyond the craft of writing in it's own right:
- You also need to learn how format and layout your book, how to commission the cover artwork, editing and proofing,
- You need to figure out your own working processes - which will often be unique to you, and which will develop over time gradually becoming smoother and more efficient.
- You need to figure out which promotional and contact channels you're going to use and then how you're going to use them.
- Which types of advertising work well for you,
- How to best interact with readers, reviewers, suppliers.
And a hundred other things.
To my mind, you can't figure all this out when you first start, because if you try you'll end up with no time for writing, so don't try. Just accept the fact that you're going to be learning and refining what you do and how you do it on an ongoing basis for at least the first couple of years.
There's a huge amount to learn when it comes to being a writer above and beyond the craft of writing in it's own right:
- You also need to learn how format and layout your book, how to commission the cover artwork, editing and proofing,
- You need to figure out your own working processes - which will often be unique to you, and which will develop over time gradually becoming smoother and more efficient.
- You need to figure out which promotional and contact channels you're going to use and then how you're going to use them.
- Which types of advertising work well for you,
- How to best interact with readers, reviewers, suppliers.
And a hundred other things.
To my mind, you can't figure all this out when you first start, because if you try you'll end up with no time for writing, so don't try. Just accept the fact that you're going to be learning and refining what you do and how you do it on an ongoing basis for at least the first couple of years.
Peter Knyte
Getting to read the story before anyone else.
I know it probably sounds a bit odd, but all my stories are written for me in the first place, and while I plot my stories at a high level before I start writing, there's a huge amount which I still need to 'discover' along the way, things which I find out about the characters, scenes I get to see, plot details I get to guess about.
Sometimes creating a particular scene or event within the story can take ages to get just right, but when you finally figure out the angles so that everything works its great to be the first person to read it.
I know it probably sounds a bit odd, but all my stories are written for me in the first place, and while I plot my stories at a high level before I start writing, there's a huge amount which I still need to 'discover' along the way, things which I find out about the characters, scenes I get to see, plot details I get to guess about.
Sometimes creating a particular scene or event within the story can take ages to get just right, but when you finally figure out the angles so that everything works its great to be the first person to read it.
Peter Knyte
In a word 'Plotting'.
I plot each story i'm writing on a single page of A4, so 30ish points or so describing at a high level what is going to happen through the book. I'm not a stickler for this, so if I go half a dozen lines over or under that's fine.
Typically I'll spend anything from 2 - 6 weeks putting the plot together, and in the process i'll flesh out some of the story arcs for individual characters, usually as separate biography note for the character.
Once I've got the outline to a point where i'm happy with it i'll start to write, researching the fine detail as I go.
I plot each story i'm writing on a single page of A4, so 30ish points or so describing at a high level what is going to happen through the book. I'm not a stickler for this, so if I go half a dozen lines over or under that's fine.
Typically I'll spend anything from 2 - 6 weeks putting the plot together, and in the process i'll flesh out some of the story arcs for individual characters, usually as separate biography note for the character.
Once I've got the outline to a point where i'm happy with it i'll start to write, researching the fine detail as I go.
Peter Knyte
I'm just finishing off my second novel which is called Through Glass Darkly, currently due to be published in Feb/Mar 2016 as three short episodes. More info on my website shortly.
Peter Knyte
Like alot of books my Flames of Time story was inspired by dozens of small things over a period of several years, but some of the more prominent include George Bernard Shaw's Thus Spake Zarathustra, a copy the UNESCO General History of Africa which I found in a lovely second hand book shop, and a few of the articles describing how our society and culture are changing that I've come across in National Geographic over the years since my younger brother first bought me a subscription for Christmas.
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