Ask the Author: Gary Smith
Answered Questions (7)
Gary Smith
I think that in common with a lot of writers my writing is something that I have to fit around other family and work commitments, meaning that some days it's easier than others. I try and jot down ideas for my stories where I can and then be quite disciplined in the writing - typically an hour at night, and also in the morning if I have time.
In terms of what generates my ideas, even though I write about people with fantastic conditions, what I'm increasingly finding with each new novel is that it's the human relationships that really fascinate me. I think when superpowers are in the mix it's really important to ground them in reality, and how they might affect relationships between family and friends is really interesting to me.
In terms of what generates my ideas, even though I write about people with fantastic conditions, what I'm increasingly finding with each new novel is that it's the human relationships that really fascinate me. I think when superpowers are in the mix it's really important to ground them in reality, and how they might affect relationships between family and friends is really interesting to me.
Gary Smith
For the last few months I've been volunteering in a local school, working with children aged 8 and 9. One of the things that I enjoy the most is seeing their approach to creative writing - the stories they produce are inevitably a glorious hodgepodge of ideas where anything can, and invariably does, happen.
This attitude of just writing and seeing where ideas take us is something that's easy to lose when we get older. I've certainly got lots of barely started stories where I got so hung up on finding the perfect beginning that I invariably failed to reach the middle or end...
So I would try and resist the temptation to polish as you go. Just get the story down on paper and once it's complete there will be plenty of opportunities to polish and refine. What finally helped me kick the habit was writing the beginning of the story out by hand. Once I was far enough along to be immersed in the story, I switched to the computer and managed (most of the time) to resist the temptation to tinker as I went along.
This attitude of just writing and seeing where ideas take us is something that's easy to lose when we get older. I've certainly got lots of barely started stories where I got so hung up on finding the perfect beginning that I invariably failed to reach the middle or end...
So I would try and resist the temptation to polish as you go. Just get the story down on paper and once it's complete there will be plenty of opportunities to polish and refine. What finally helped me kick the habit was writing the beginning of the story out by hand. Once I was far enough along to be immersed in the story, I switched to the computer and managed (most of the time) to resist the temptation to tinker as I went along.
Gary Smith
Ooooh, that's a tough one!
Hmm, well, they're not a romantic couple, but I've always loved the dynamic between Flint and Tasslehoff Burfoot in the "Dragonlance" novels. It's the old odd couple stereotype of the grumpy dwarf and the light-hearted Kender, but it works so well. Despite Flint's protests, the bond of love between them is obvious. When Tasslehoff realises that Flint is dying and that adventures have consequences... well, it breaks my heart every time.
Hmm, well, they're not a romantic couple, but I've always loved the dynamic between Flint and Tasslehoff Burfoot in the "Dragonlance" novels. It's the old odd couple stereotype of the grumpy dwarf and the light-hearted Kender, but it works so well. Despite Flint's protests, the bond of love between them is obvious. When Tasslehoff realises that Flint is dying and that adventures have consequences... well, it breaks my heart every time.
Gary Smith
I've yet to achieve the fame or money part of the equation, so the best thing is probably being able to see my ideas take shape. It's a great feeling to start off with an initial idea or concept and then slowly build this up piece by piece.
Gary Smith
Normally by turning off the laptop and going to do something else, rather than staring at the same paragraph for hours on end. I've found that ideas can come at any time, so I always make sure that I've got something with me to help capture them.
Gary Smith
I'm currently working on the sequel to 'Unsaid things', which will hopefully work equally well as a standalone novel and as part of the larger series. This book concerns Lauren, a minor character from 'Unsaid things' with the power of enhanced memory recall. The tone of this novel is rather different from my last book and I'm excited by the way it's developing thus far.
Gary Smith
The inspiration for 'Unsaid Things' primarily came from thinking about the disconnect between how people think and how they act. The face they show to the world may not represent what they really think or feel and I was interested in what would happen if someone no longer had this option - if they had no option but to be themselves, for better or worse.
Having the main character be a teenage boy seemed a natural progression when considering who would have thoughts they would not want to share with the wider world!!
Having the main character be a teenage boy seemed a natural progression when considering who would have thoughts they would not want to share with the wider world!!
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