Ask the Author: J.C. Matheson
Answered Questions (7)
J.C. Matheson
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Echo Valley is my first and only book at the moment. I do have plans for another book within the world of Echo Valley, but I can't confirm any definite release yet.
Rest assured, if you follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter you'll be the first to know about any of my books or projects pre-release!
Echo Valley is my first and only book at the moment. I do have plans for another book within the world of Echo Valley, but I can't confirm any definite release yet.
Rest assured, if you follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter you'll be the first to know about any of my books or projects pre-release!
J.C. Matheson
Part of me wants to say go to the Commonwealth's University from The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss, but deep down I know I'd be out on my arse and broke so damn fast. So deep down, Middle Earth's Lorien has always had a special place in my heart from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. I'd like to wonder down there and see how long they would let me stay.
J.C. Matheson
Being able to turn the weird, crazy stories and worlds that are constantly running in the background of your mind into something tangible that you can share with other people.
J.C. Matheson
Currently working on my full length sci-fi novel. It's been a bit daunting as I mentioned before that I'm typing it all up from notebooks, treating it as a second draft. The hardest part is not getting distracted by starting smaller projects and stories- which is how Echo Valley happened. This is my first time attempting a real world-building book, so i'm trying to pace myself so that I can hopefully pull it off right.
I don't want to say too much about the story as I'm changing a lot still, but it's heavily influenced by my love for mechs, fantasy world-building and gritty sci-fi.
I don't want to say too much about the story as I'm changing a lot still, but it's heavily influenced by my love for mechs, fantasy world-building and gritty sci-fi.
J.C. Matheson
Mostly music. Most of my ideas come to me visually almost as a movie when I listen to music. A lot of Echo Valley was inspired by the album In Via by Frames with it's beautifully haunting instrumental rock music. There was also a few songs off Funeral for a Friend's album, Hours. Which has been one of my favourite albums since I was about 14 and I still haven't out grown it.
J.C. Matheson
It started as a procrastination project when I'd finished writing the first draft of my sci fi novel. I couldn't face the gruelling task of typing up an entire novel onto a computer from 3 messy notebooks, so I started Echo Valley as a chapter a week series on my blog, using photos I'd taken of places around the town I live in as inspiration for places and events in the story. I got such positive reactions from it online that I decided to take it offline and publish it myself as a novella.
I never saw myself writing horror. A lot of the inspiration was drawn from lonely memories of studying photography at college and reoccurring nightmares I was having at the time. I also felt inspired from a few of Lovecraft's stories. Mainly because it was horror that wasn't the genre purely for the sake of gore of violence, which I don't find that scary. But HP had a way of tapping into your deepest, darkest fears. The whole idea that the creation of our world was in jest and it's creators aren't all loving and all caring? Come on, that's terrifying. I'm quite behind, but I also love the Welcome to Nightvale podcast- also rooted in it's Lovecraftian themes and weird ideas.
I never saw myself writing horror. A lot of the inspiration was drawn from lonely memories of studying photography at college and reoccurring nightmares I was having at the time. I also felt inspired from a few of Lovecraft's stories. Mainly because it was horror that wasn't the genre purely for the sake of gore of violence, which I don't find that scary. But HP had a way of tapping into your deepest, darkest fears. The whole idea that the creation of our world was in jest and it's creators aren't all loving and all caring? Come on, that's terrifying. I'm quite behind, but I also love the Welcome to Nightvale podcast- also rooted in it's Lovecraftian themes and weird ideas.
J.C. Matheson
To be honest, I rarely get writers block. But when I do, it's probably because I've overworked myself by obsessing too much over my creative projects and need to take a break. If that's not the case, I usually I just write my way out of writers block. It sounds ridiculous, but I think it's actually a good discipline to get into to as a writer; to write even when you don't want to.
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