Ask the Author: Kyle Rock
Answered Questions (4)
Kyle Rock
There was a period of my life when I wanted to be a famous Hollywood director. I even studied a little film during my undergraduate. The problem with being a director is that your creative vision is subject to a number of other key people within the production. Some directors have more freedom than others, but all directors must answer to their superiors.
The best thing about being a writer is having a freedom that movie director's (and many other creative disciplines) do not have. For the most part a publishing company will not undercut your creative vision as long as you write it well. Furthermore, you don't have to worry about the budget for special effects or the limitations brought on by a dangerous set because the written word is not bound by them. Your characters truly live and die by the stroke of your pen. Historical battles are as big as you want them to be. Your imagination sets the bar for your reader's perception. Everyone has either heard or said, "The book was better the movie," at some point in their lives. This is because books transcend the limitations that often ruin an otherwise good movie.
A true writer knows that a blank page has endless potential. It's a wonderful thing to be the one to fill it.
The best thing about being a writer is having a freedom that movie director's (and many other creative disciplines) do not have. For the most part a publishing company will not undercut your creative vision as long as you write it well. Furthermore, you don't have to worry about the budget for special effects or the limitations brought on by a dangerous set because the written word is not bound by them. Your characters truly live and die by the stroke of your pen. Historical battles are as big as you want them to be. Your imagination sets the bar for your reader's perception. Everyone has either heard or said, "The book was better the movie," at some point in their lives. This is because books transcend the limitations that often ruin an otherwise good movie.
A true writer knows that a blank page has endless potential. It's a wonderful thing to be the one to fill it.
Kyle Rock
My latest project is another work of historical fiction set within the ancient world. I don't want to give away too much this early in the process, but I am excited about the fact that it takes place during a period of time that relatively few authors have ever written about. It's been a painstaking effort trying to find reputable sources that deal with this specific window of time in order to remain historically accurate. So little is known about it that many of the major players are often thought to be more myth than fact. Nonetheless, I've managed to connect the dots in a way that, I believe, will produce a book worth reading in a market that is largely untapped. If you want to learn more, stay up to date on my website at http://www.kylerock.com/news
Kyle Rock
I like to immerse myself in the topic I'm writing about. For example, I'll read books about ancient Greece, watch movies about ancient Greece, listen to podcasts about ancient Greece, until I'm bursting with ideas for my novel. A little bit of sensory overload can go a long way towards inspiration.
Kyle Rock
Before I began In War I knew I wanted to write about ancient Sparta. It's my favorite place and period in history. I also wanted to show the world that Sparta had more claim to fame than just the Battle of Thermopylae. When I came across the Battle of the Champions in my research and realized that very few writers have covered this event, I knew this was the one. Even the name itself is irresistible.
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