Ask the Author: Duncan Bourne

“My first novel has been out a few months now and the second novel is in progress. With all uncertainty (you know the C word) I have held off having a book launch but I am happy to answer questions” Duncan Bourne

Answered Questions (7)

Sort By:
Loading big
An error occurred while sorting questions for author Duncan Bourne.
What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?
Duncan Bourne There is little mystery in my life but there has been plenty of drama and I was involved in an occult order in the early 1980's
flag
What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
Duncan Bourne As a new author I feel poorly qualified to say. However as a long time illustrator I would say persistance, having belief in yourself but also being able to take an objective look at criticism. Writing has been a very different discipline for me. I find it very hard to get an overall view of what you are doing. With my songs and my art it is all out there almost instantly, while a book takes time to digest and write. It can be hard to stand back and see what needs tweaking and that is where a good set of honest critics become most valuable
flag
How do you deal with writer’s block?
Duncan Bourne I go for a walk, somewhere quiet preferably. The biggest block can sometimes be research, or rather the difficulty of it. If I want to write about something of which I know little but don't want it to sound that way.
flag
What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Duncan Bourne It's like having your own Narnia Wardrobe (or TARDIS. I'm not fussy) in your head. I can escape off into the worlds I create
flag
What are you currently working on?
Duncan Bourne Currently I am working on a Rakshara world story set in the far future long after the events of "The Dark Heart". It is told from the perspective of a human and tracks him through his life and journey of discovery
flag
How do you get inspired to write?
Duncan Bourne I often run through stories in my head as I go about my day but I like to go off a question. In some ways my stories are thought experiments in "what if?" scenarios
flag
Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
Duncan Bourne Listening to people debating their moral stances on religion, diet and environment I was struck by how polarised these things can get. Quite ordinary people can be treated as monsters by those who don't share their views. It struck me that if some creature viewed humans as food they wouldn't think of themselves as evil. I wanted to explore how the morality of such creatures might be structured differently to ours. Kazi has given up eating humans and this has an effect on her and her standing in her Rakshara community.
flag
Duncan Bourne
4 followers
To ask Duncan Bourne a question, please sign up.

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more