Ask the Author: M.J. Ryder
Answered Questions (5)
M.J. Ryder
The best bit of advice I can give you is to read as much as you can. Don’t just read things you enjoy either – read everything you can get your hands on, as the more perspectives and the more styles of writing you can expose yourself to, the better.
The second best bit of advice is: write, write and write some more. It doesn’t matter what you write, or even if what you write is any good – it’s all about getting experience and building up those writing muscles. You see, a lot of people think that writing is all about skill and imagination, however, the truth is, it’s mainly down to perseverance and continuing to write even when you don’t feel up to it. Learning to break through that great barrier holding you back is possibly the hardest thing you will learn as a writer.
The second best bit of advice is: write, write and write some more. It doesn’t matter what you write, or even if what you write is any good – it’s all about getting experience and building up those writing muscles. You see, a lot of people think that writing is all about skill and imagination, however, the truth is, it’s mainly down to perseverance and continuing to write even when you don’t feel up to it. Learning to break through that great barrier holding you back is possibly the hardest thing you will learn as a writer.
M.J. Ryder
Hmmm... hard to say. I still don’t properly consider myself a ‘writer’, maybe because I have so many other jobs, and also because I’m still working on my PhD thesis. Ask me again in a few years’ time!
M.J. Ryder
The inspiration started way back in 2009–2010 (ish). I had just self-published a trilogy of novels that I wrote back in the early 2000s, and as such I had spent a great deal of time reading back over my old material. This process inspired me to return to the world of my original trilogy and write a ‘sequel’ of sorts, set a few decades later that would work as a standalone novel in its own right. The process took several years, and the final book is quite different to how I originally planned it. However, having said that, I’m really pleased with the result, and certainly wouldn’t change it. In fact, I’m now thinking of writing a whole series based in the same universe...
M.J. Ryder
It’s hard to put it down to one single moment or one single ‘thing’ that sparked my interest. I’ve always loved books, and I will always be grateful to my mum for the time she spent reading to me as a child, and taking me to the local libraries. As far as books go, I have lots of different inspirations, though if you were to pin me down to a single book I’d have to say Magician by Raymond E. Feist. That was the book for me that really persuaded me of the great power of fiction.
M.J. Ryder
I’m currently putting the finishing touches on my PhD thesis in English Literature, while also planning out some sci-fi short stories, and possibly some comic fiction. I’m also thinking about a sequel to The Darkest Hour, though that is still a little way off...
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