Ask the Author: Alison Morton
Answered Questions (10)
Alison Morton
It would very much depend on whether you landed in a comfortable place or a challenging one. Ancient Rome is a fascinating place, but also a very dangerous one!
For all the problems we experience in our time, I think I'd prefer to stay in the 21st century in France where my heroine Mel in the Doubles thrillers lives.
For all the problems we experience in our time, I think I'd prefer to stay in the 21st century in France where my heroine Mel in the Doubles thrillers lives.
Alison Morton
I'm an impulse reader so I don't draw up a formal list. I usually download a sample of any new Ancient Roman fiction that comes out and probably go on to buy about half of them.
Alison Morton
Ah! Now that would be telling!
There are elements from my own life in the military scenes, but I can't really comment further.
There are elements from my own life in the military scenes, but I can't really comment further.
Alison Morton
Ha! Have you been reading my mind, Michele?
I'm planning to research this later this year. I'm writing a novella at present about Carina and hope to put a series of short stories together for this coming winter, then it's back to AD 395. Actually, it will be AD 375 when Lucius Apulius and Julia Bacausa meet...
I'm planning to research this later this year. I'm writing a novella at present about Carina and hope to put a series of short stories together for this coming winter, then it's back to AD 395. Actually, it will be AD 375 when Lucius Apulius and Julia Bacausa meet...
Alison Morton
That is such a difficult question!
We seem to admire different things about Rome depending where we stand. Do we like the image of the tough, virile man, often military with a mission in front of him, or admire the grizzled old centurion bringing his younger comrades to safety? Do we admire the graceful robes and jewellery of privileged women? Are we fascinated by the bloody intrigues and internecine killings? Or are repelled by the poverty and slavery underlying their society? Or is it that Rome lasted over 1200 years? Something for everybody?
I think its that Rome has given us so many ideas, values and structures for our life today. We recognise a lot from their society; rule of law, literacy, complexity of society, a world with great wealth and poverty, and a world stuffed with 'things'!
Gosh, that's only a few lines, but I hope I've given you a few things to consider.
We seem to admire different things about Rome depending where we stand. Do we like the image of the tough, virile man, often military with a mission in front of him, or admire the grizzled old centurion bringing his younger comrades to safety? Do we admire the graceful robes and jewellery of privileged women? Are we fascinated by the bloody intrigues and internecine killings? Or are repelled by the poverty and slavery underlying their society? Or is it that Rome lasted over 1200 years? Something for everybody?
I think its that Rome has given us so many ideas, values and structures for our life today. We recognise a lot from their society; rule of law, literacy, complexity of society, a world with great wealth and poverty, and a world stuffed with 'things'!
Gosh, that's only a few lines, but I hope I've given you a few things to consider.
Alison Morton
SUCCESSIO is the third in the Roma Nova series, but it's different in that old, unresolved problems surface, compounded by a truly terrible threat to the imperial family.
My ideas? Too much detective and spy thriller reading as a kid and too many thriller films (an books) as an adult. ;-)
My ideas? Too much detective and spy thriller reading as a kid and too many thriller films (an books) as an adult. ;-)
Alison Morton
Two things separated by many years...
I've been a ‘Roman nut’ since age 11, and have visited sites throughout Europe including the alma mater, Rome. But it was the mosaics at Ampurias (Spain) that triggered me wondering what a Roman society would be like if run by women…
I've written much of my life - storyteller, playwright (aged 7), article writer and local magazine editor and more importantly a qualified translator. I came to novel writing after seeing a particularly dire film.
‘I could do better that that,’ I whispered to by husband in the dark of the cinema theatre.
‘So why don’t you?’ came his reply.
Three months later, the first draft of INCEPTIO appeared.
I've been a ‘Roman nut’ since age 11, and have visited sites throughout Europe including the alma mater, Rome. But it was the mosaics at Ampurias (Spain) that triggered me wondering what a Roman society would be like if run by women…
I've written much of my life - storyteller, playwright (aged 7), article writer and local magazine editor and more importantly a qualified translator. I came to novel writing after seeing a particularly dire film.
‘I could do better that that,’ I whispered to by husband in the dark of the cinema theatre.
‘So why don’t you?’ came his reply.
Three months later, the first draft of INCEPTIO appeared.
Alison Morton
Book 4 in my Roma Nova series which tells the story of the enigmatic Aurelia Mitela...
Alison Morton
Write! It's a job as well as a vocation. The writing elves will not do it for you. Bash your story out, get the narrative guts down, then you can start the real work of crafting a good story.
Alison Morton
Hm. The best thing is to keep writing, even if it's rubbish. You can always edit it later or even delete it, but just the act of writing will generate flow and you'll get through it.
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