Ask the Author: Andrew Knighton
Answered Questions (8)
Andrew Knighton
My biggy this year in Jane Eyre. I've never read the works of any of the Brontes before, so it'll be interesting to see what has made their work so enduring.
Andrew Knighton
Rick and Ilsa in the film Casablanca. It's a beautiful example of how love can be complicated and difficult while still being uplifting and inspiring people to better things.
Andrew Knighton
Ocean Gods, Roman Blades was inspired by two things.
The first was wondering what ancient Rome would have been like if the gods really had responded to people's prayers. In this story, the gods can provide powerful magic, but the protagonist Varus doesn't have access to that as he hates the gods. As a legionary, he's constantly faced with dangers far beyond what he can handle, and that makes for an exciting story.
The other source of inspiration was some research I did eight years ago for a story about pirates. During that reading, I learned that some of the earliest recorded pirates were Thracian sailors harassing Roman shipping, and that dealing with them was part of what gave Pompey his power. That was a great fit for this story, which will eventually provide a prolog to a series about politics and violence in a fantasy version of the dying days of the Roman Republic.
The first was wondering what ancient Rome would have been like if the gods really had responded to people's prayers. In this story, the gods can provide powerful magic, but the protagonist Varus doesn't have access to that as he hates the gods. As a legionary, he's constantly faced with dangers far beyond what he can handle, and that makes for an exciting story.
The other source of inspiration was some research I did eight years ago for a story about pirates. During that reading, I learned that some of the earliest recorded pirates were Thracian sailors harassing Roman shipping, and that dealing with them was part of what gave Pompey his power. That was a great fit for this story, which will eventually provide a prolog to a series about politics and violence in a fantasy version of the dying days of the Roman Republic.
Andrew Knighton
Necessity inspires me to sit down and do the work. I make my living writing, and I'd like to reach the point where that's based on my books rather than writing for other people. That goal inspires me to keep going even when things are tough.
As for inspiring ideas, these come from all over the place. I've written stories inspired by songs, paintings, places I've been, even the character of my four-year-old niece. Inspiration is everywhere, and the more you pay attention to it, the more will come.
As for inspiring ideas, these come from all over the place. I've written stories inspired by songs, paintings, places I've been, even the character of my four-year-old niece. Inspiration is everywhere, and the more you pay attention to it, the more will come.
Andrew Knighton
Many, many things. Because I also work as a ghostwriter, I usually have lots of irons in the fire.
The thing I'm most excited about at the moment is finishing the Epiphany Club series. I'm partway through writing the fourth Epiphany Club novella, and then there will be one more after that. These take Dirk Dynamo and his fellow Victorian adventurers to a gothic German castle and then to the sands of Egypt, as they hunt for the lost Library of Alexandria. I've really enjoyed writing these characters, I've learned a lot while writing them, and each book has been better than the last. Hopefully that will continue!
The thing I'm most excited about at the moment is finishing the Epiphany Club series. I'm partway through writing the fourth Epiphany Club novella, and then there will be one more after that. These take Dirk Dynamo and his fellow Victorian adventurers to a gothic German castle and then to the sands of Egypt, as they hunt for the lost Library of Alexandria. I've really enjoyed writing these characters, I've learned a lot while writing them, and each book has been better than the last. Hopefully that will continue!
Andrew Knighton
Don't worry about perfection, just focus on finishing stories. Because perfection isn't real and practice will make you a better writer.
A friend told me a story about a pottery instructor who was teaching two groups of students the same course. At the start of the term, she told the first class that their final grade would be decided by their best pot, and told the second class that their final grade would be decided by how many pots they made. At the end of the term, the second class were all making better pots than the first class. They hadn't worried about perfection, but they'd got lots of practice.
A friend told me a story about a pottery instructor who was teaching two groups of students the same course. At the start of the term, she told the first class that their final grade would be decided by their best pot, and told the second class that their final grade would be decided by how many pots they made. At the end of the term, the second class were all making better pots than the first class. They hadn't worried about perfection, but they'd got lots of practice.
Andrew Knighton
Using my imagination for a living.
That and getting to work in my gorilla onesie.
That and getting to work in my gorilla onesie.
Andrew Knighton
It might sound perverse, but I find that the best solution is often to write. When I'm writing regularly, my brain gets into the flow and words keep coming. So if I sit down and just can't get the words out, I'll try writing something else, or pick up a writing exercise. By the end of that, I'll often be ready to write what I meant to write.
If that doesn't work then I go for a walk or a run. Getting the blood flowing and focusing on something physical will bring to the fore whatever subconscious issue is blocking me, and let me move on.
If that doesn't work then I go for a walk or a run. Getting the blood flowing and focusing on something physical will bring to the fore whatever subconscious issue is blocking me, and let me move on.
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