Ask the Author: Gareth Clegg
Answered Questions (6)
Gareth Clegg
A lot of the time it's purely from Ideas I've had in the past that I rework. I've written so many RPG scenarios that some of the better ideas have potential for novels.
Other times I wake up from an interesting or unusual dream which triggers ideas or really vivid scenes that I want to incorporate into something larger. I recently used a dream my wife described to me and it took me off to writing a flash fiction piece called Otsukimi Dreams, about a Japanese ghost story using a lot of vivid colour in its descriptions.
So lots of things, obviously I also pull ideas from great TV, Movies and Books that pique my interest about a specific facet or idea that is maybe incidental in that tale but strikes some resonance with something I want to explore further - so always keep reading and watching great fiction!
Other times I wake up from an interesting or unusual dream which triggers ideas or really vivid scenes that I want to incorporate into something larger. I recently used a dream my wife described to me and it took me off to writing a flash fiction piece called Otsukimi Dreams, about a Japanese ghost story using a lot of vivid colour in its descriptions.
So lots of things, obviously I also pull ideas from great TV, Movies and Books that pique my interest about a specific facet or idea that is maybe incidental in that tale but strikes some resonance with something I want to explore further - so always keep reading and watching great fiction!
Gareth Clegg
That's a tricky one. I'm currently playing with several new novel ideas in a variety of settings/genres.
ArkZeroNine - A dystopian future where humanity survived a cataclysmic event and survive in a once hi-tec Arcology but since then generations have passed and knowledge of the technology has lapsed to a feudal level and the interior of the Arcology is a maze of dangerous ruins and rival tribes, none of them realising there reside within an enormous structure.
Tokyo Prime - A Dark Supernatural/Cyberpunk setting in 2097 where only one domed city survived the nuclear holocaust caused in the 2030's. A hardboiled American cop survives in the Japanese centric city full of technology, bio-engineering and unknown to the populace at large, a Parapsychic Response team that deals with a growing number of Spiritual entity attacks.
A Whisper of Death - A Dark and gritty fantasy novel about a child crippled by a fatal accident, who somehow survives. They grow to take a role within the priesthood as an acolyte of the lord of Life and Death.
And a plethora of short story ideas for when I get bored with writing the main stuff. ;o)
ArkZeroNine - A dystopian future where humanity survived a cataclysmic event and survive in a once hi-tec Arcology but since then generations have passed and knowledge of the technology has lapsed to a feudal level and the interior of the Arcology is a maze of dangerous ruins and rival tribes, none of them realising there reside within an enormous structure.
Tokyo Prime - A Dark Supernatural/Cyberpunk setting in 2097 where only one domed city survived the nuclear holocaust caused in the 2030's. A hardboiled American cop survives in the Japanese centric city full of technology, bio-engineering and unknown to the populace at large, a Parapsychic Response team that deals with a growing number of Spiritual entity attacks.
A Whisper of Death - A Dark and gritty fantasy novel about a child crippled by a fatal accident, who somehow survives. They grow to take a role within the priesthood as an acolyte of the lord of Life and Death.
And a plethora of short story ideas for when I get bored with writing the main stuff. ;o)
Gareth Clegg
To be honest I don't think I've suffered with it. I have so many ideas for new books and for sequels to those books that I struggle to keep all of them coherent and not push too many cool ideas into the current thing I'm writing.
The nearest thing I can think of was more like Writers Apathy, where I don't feel like writing (or editing) a great deal that day and then I either jump into writing something else. Short stories are great for getting the creative writing juices flowing again, and I like to start new novel ideas with an initial short story or flash fiction piece to put some ideas or characters into motion.
Once I've done something like that, it usually does the trick and I'm back wanting to continue on my main project.
The nearest thing I can think of was more like Writers Apathy, where I don't feel like writing (or editing) a great deal that day and then I either jump into writing something else. Short stories are great for getting the creative writing juices flowing again, and I like to start new novel ideas with an initial short story or flash fiction piece to put some ideas or characters into motion.
Once I've done something like that, it usually does the trick and I'm back wanting to continue on my main project.
Gareth Clegg
The best thing for me is getting my story idea out there for others to experience. I've been writing and running tabletop Role Playing Games (Dungeons & Dragons etc.) for 30 years and I thought it was high time I picked up the reins and shared that with a much wider audience than my regular gaming crew.
It was amazing to get feedback from my Fogbound Beta Readers with great comments about how much they had enjoyed the story and loved the characters.
Finding kindred spirits like that and being able to provide them with enjoyment is priceless.
It was amazing to get feedback from my Fogbound Beta Readers with great comments about how much they had enjoyed the story and loved the characters.
Finding kindred spirits like that and being able to provide them with enjoyment is priceless.
Gareth Clegg
Write! Just get your ideas down on paper (Or screen) and to hell with the quality of prose, just get your story started. All the refining can come later in the editing stage, don't sweat it now.
My first draft for Fogbound had several areas that had to be reworked after reading through it to solve some problems I created for myself. This is all part of the editing process and how to turn your great story idea into compelling reading.
My first draft for Fogbound had several areas that had to be reworked after reading through it to solve some problems I created for myself. This is all part of the editing process and how to turn your great story idea into compelling reading.
Gareth Clegg
Fogbound was inspired by listening to Geoff Wayne's War of the Worlds and from there I took the idea of "What would have happened in the aftermath, while people tried to deal with the destruction all over the World?"
From this came the idea that though the Martians died out due to the Earth's bacteria, what if the Red Weed survived and became a menace to those survivors.
In addition the idea of the Invasion having lasted longer than the few weeks in the original WotW books, enough time that humanity was truly subjugated and rounded up in camps to be slaughtered like animals to feed their new overlords - I guess I just have a grim imagination. ;o)
From this came the idea that though the Martians died out due to the Earth's bacteria, what if the Red Weed survived and became a menace to those survivors.
In addition the idea of the Invasion having lasted longer than the few weeks in the original WotW books, enough time that humanity was truly subjugated and rounded up in camps to be slaughtered like animals to feed their new overlords - I guess I just have a grim imagination. ;o)
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