Ask the Author: Ander Levisay
Answered Questions (6)
Ander Levisay
Daydreaming. It's not a grand answer, but it's true. Since I was a kid, I've been absentminded. I sit around a lot and daydream. It's where I get my best ideas.
Ander Levisay
Being in control of your own time. You don't have a boss, you don't have to go to meetings, and you write on your own schedule. At least as an independent author, it's just you and the readers. Which is really nice.
Ander Levisay
I work on things that are tangential to the story. Sometimes I sketch characters, maps, or important locations on a piece of paper. Other times I might write up an outline of an important character or story arc. I might go back and proofread or edit stuff I've already written.
Also, I block out a chunk of time every day to exercise. Going for a jog or a long walk helps clear my mind. It gives you a mundane task (not tripping over roots and falling on your face) to focus on so that the rest of your brain can wander and find solutions for problems you may be having with your writing.
Also, I block out a chunk of time every day to exercise. Going for a jog or a long walk helps clear my mind. It gives you a mundane task (not tripping over roots and falling on your face) to focus on so that the rest of your brain can wander and find solutions for problems you may be having with your writing.
Ander Levisay
Write, and keep writing. There's never going to be a point where your ideas are perfect, or your storyboards or outlines are perfect. Don't delay--start writing and polish as you go. At a certain point, you need to get your stories out the door and start working on the next one. Endlessly editing and revising and waiting for any work to suddenly crystallize into some perfect version is a black hole for your time and effort.
Ander Levisay
I'm working on the next book in the Queenmaker series; it's a direct sequel to Runes and Red Sails.
Ander Levisay
When I was 16, I went to live in Iceland for a year as an exchange student. My host family lived in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, a little fishing town on a small island off the south coast of Iceland. It was a truly amazing experience and shaped my life in a number of ways, but specifically it really kindled an interest in Scandinavian languages and mythology. That was the kernel for Runes and Red Sails.
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