Ask the Author: Mark Piggott
Answered Questions (6)
Mark Piggott
The best way to deal with writer's block is distraction. I watch anime to distract me and inspire me so I can get past writer's block!
Mark Piggott
Being a storyteller... My goal is to be a storyteller and to carry on the myths and legends of old. That is why I picked the Arthurian legends as a basis for my novels. These were the first stories of monsters and magic, where all our stories began. I researched countless myths from England, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Germany and Russia. I even delved into African mythology for the residents of Togo, an island just off Avalon where a former slave ship landed. This allowed me to bring their unique mythology into this island of magic. I want to show that all of our myths and stories each have something similar in them. It shows how more alike we are than different.
Mark Piggott
Don’t give up on your dream. I work on my craft every day, and I hope to make my mark as a writer, but the fact is, I’m doing what I love. It’s not easy, costs a lot of money (I spend more than I make on royalties) but I don’t want to stop. I love being a storyteller. When people read my books and love my story, it means I’m doing it right. That makes it all worth it to me. I would love the fame and fortune, but just being a storyteller is enough right now. Writers are the keepers of the myths and legends and our stories will carry one for generations.
Mark Piggott
Since all the book fairs and festivals were cancelled in 2020, I couldn’t do any marketing when my third book, The Outlander War, was released in February 2020. I spent the last year under COVID polishing two novels and working on a third. I have the fourth book in the Forever Avalon series, The Prometheus Engine, and a new series, The Last Magus: A Clockwork Heart, coming out this year. I entered two short stories in writing contests, and they are being published this year in anthologies. “Demonfall” was published in April in “Of Distant Worlds” fantasy anthology from The Publishing Room. “Corsair and the Sky Pirates” will be published later this year in a steampunk anthology from Crystal Peake Publishers. In addition, I am taking “Corsair” and turning it into a full novel.
Mark Piggott
The Forever Avalon series takes a “what happened next” approach after the death of King Arthur. Arthur’s death was seen as the end of magic in our world, so I explained how that happened through Merlin and the power of Excalibur. All magic was removed from our world and brought to the island of Avalon, hidden behind a barrier. Plus, bringing in myths like the Bermuda Triangle and the disappearance of ships and aviators (finding their way through the barrier to Avalon) adds to the mystery. All of this experienced through the eyes of a modern family makes my story unique.
My story is about family. The story developed from my deployments in the US Navy, being separated from my family. I played a lot of Dungeons and Dragons as a young adult so I would dream about being with my family on a fantasy island. That dream changed as my family grew until my last deployment in 2001 when I decided to start writing it down and developed it into the story of Forever Avalon. After I finished writing it down, I stopped having the dream. It was fate, meant to be.
My story is about family. The story developed from my deployments in the US Navy, being separated from my family. I played a lot of Dungeons and Dragons as a young adult so I would dream about being with my family on a fantasy island. That dream changed as my family grew until my last deployment in 2001 when I decided to start writing it down and developed it into the story of Forever Avalon. After I finished writing it down, I stopped having the dream. It was fate, meant to be.
Mark Piggott
I have always been creative, since I was a teenager. I originally created comic book characters, inspiring to be the next Stan Lee or Jack Kirby. When my art skills didn't pan out, I stuck with writing. Most of my stories are inspired by the many hours I spent playing Dungeons and Dragons!
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