Ask the Author: Rob Burton
Answered Questions (6)
Rob Burton
This only dawned on me a few days ago. I have been in three long term relationships and each of the women I was with had each lost their father. (Before meeting me) Another woman, who I married, had lost her husband. It seems that Death was stalking the significant women in my life... make of that what you will. Perhaps the plot would be that a man (based loosely on me) had got fixated with each particular woman and murdered their fathers (looking like natural deaths of course) so he could take advantage of their sorrow at losing their dad and/or husband. The plot hole atm is why the hell would he do that, perhaps to be a serial killer and phillander all rolled into one. Would you read it (I have it set in victorian times in my mind as Death was important to them)
Rob Burton
My advice to aspiring writers is if you are young follow Jack Kerouac's advice and get On the Road and have some experiences, life life, do some risky things, meet interesting people, see strange and exotic places and have some fun.
Then when (and if you are older) write what you know. Many of the situations and characters are based what I have experienced and people I know.
Its good advice - 'write what you know'
Then when (and if you are older) write what you know. Many of the situations and characters are based what I have experienced and people I know.
Its good advice - 'write what you know'
Rob Burton
Its better than watching the TV
Rob Burton
I am currently working on The Twelfth Rune which is sort of a Dan Brownish romp through the Myths and Legends of Cornwall. Charlie Simpson the protagonist in my first novel is still out to save the world in his usual bumbling outlandish way. It's about 80 per cent written at the moment (March 2018)
Rob Burton
The short answer is I do not believe it exists.
The longer rationale is as an academic and a researcher I had to write. I had deadlines. I had papers and reports to write. My boss would have taken a dim view me if I told her I had writers block and couldn't do my job. And there are many professional writers out there who have to do the same - journalists , article writers, magazine writers, technical writers and so on.
If I turn up short of ideas, I don't think Im blocked, I just do something else for a while and let my unconscious brain churn through it for a bit and then when I can I get back to it.
The longer rationale is as an academic and a researcher I had to write. I had deadlines. I had papers and reports to write. My boss would have taken a dim view me if I told her I had writers block and couldn't do my job. And there are many professional writers out there who have to do the same - journalists , article writers, magazine writers, technical writers and so on.
If I turn up short of ideas, I don't think Im blocked, I just do something else for a while and let my unconscious brain churn through it for a bit and then when I can I get back to it.
Rob Burton
My most recent book is The Castle of the Red-Haired Maidens (a novella). It came about because in my first novel Meditations on Murder a 12C Scottish Ghost turns up as one of the main characters. In the novel she tells us that she was 'murdered most horribly' but doesn't really get into the details - and who could blame her. So obviously I then had to write her backstory and although the 'murdered most horribly' is a bit of a spoiler I hope I have done justice to her life.
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