Ask the Author: A.S.R. Gelpi
Answered Questions (10)
A.S.R. Gelpi
My ancestors, honestly. Sadly, there are very few records past 1695 for them (destroyed by fires and pirates), which means that the imagination would have to take over after extensive research (which I've done). There are holes we can't fill, and stories lost to the sands of time, but perhaps...
A.S.R. Gelpi
It came from a conversation my daughter and I had over her homework!
A.S.R. Gelpi
Everything inspires me. From watching the man reading the newspaper at a local diner to the young woman frantically scrolling on her phone, to the cat roaming the woods. There's a story everywhere I look. It helps that I am also wondering about the world. Curiosity is the #1 driver for authors. Why is this person here? What happened before they came here? Where are they going? How are they getting there? And most importantly, Why are they going there?
A.S.R. Gelpi
Currently working on books four and five. Book four comes out February 2026, and I want book 6 to come out May 2026.
A.S.R. Gelpi
To read a lot and write a lot. Reading not only helps you increase/enhance your vocabulary, but it also allows you to study pacing, structure, character development, and the like. You analyze how other authors approach a problem and learn from their approaches. Writing is key. This is how you find your voice, and this is also how you get better at it. I won't tell you to write every day (that's what I do because it worked for me), but setting up a writing schedule and sticking to it is key to getting your book out. Also, writing takes TIME. You can't rush it. Let the story breathe, return to it. It takes me a good two years from the moment I start to the moment I say, "This story is ready for publication." So allow yourself the time.
A.S.R. Gelpi
I love creating worlds and characters and placing them in a series of situations. This may sound slightly clichéd, but I enjoy a god-complex associated with writing. Like a god, I have control of the story from start to finish. Sometimes, characters remind me that "No, I would never do that," which is right, but overall, I am the one writing it, and there is power in that.
A.S.R. Gelpi
I have so many projects that when I am stuck on one, I simply switch gears and work on another until my mojo is back. Oftentimes, writer's block is an unconscious effort from the brain to tell you that you went off on a tangent. When that happens, I find that returning to that point when all was working helps me identify where I went off.
A.S.R. Gelpi
I was late for my class, no thanks to Betsy Anderson, roommate from hell, who turned my alarm off. But when I got there, my laptop and essay were missing from my backpack, replaced by a note from Betsy that read, "I hope you fail this class."
A.S.R. Gelpi
This is a tough one because I love the two worlds I have created for my epic fantasy books. However, if I had to choose one, it would be Zahar, the world in the first book, A Land of Sahdows and Moss.
A.S.R. Gelpi
Hi there! I understand my publisher, Silver River Publishing, sent you the two remaining copies. I hope you are enjoying them. A reprint occurs when a publisher obtains rights for the book.
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