Ask the Author: Matthew Jordan Storm
Answered Questions (6)
Matthew Jordan Storm
Flavius Belisarius gave my the idea for the book! Joking aside, I am a Roman History nut. I love reading all history because it seems to me that all the most stunning, remarkable, unbelievable story lines are buried in history - eclipsing most fiction. And in the case of this forgotten Roman General I found someone that seems to have been invented - he is almost too noble, too humble, too talented, decent, to have existed. And he existed in a period of time that has always enchanted me, when the world teetered on the edge between the Ancient World and the Dark Ages. He helped to maintain its balance. When he left this earth civilization passed into the dark.
Matthew Jordan Storm
Picking the right topic - something that I am truly passionate about - that love of topic cannot be manufactured.
Matthew Jordan Storm
I have just completed Volume II (Avenging Africanus) and Volume III (Immortal Africanus) to the LEGEND OF AFRICANUS trilogy, both of which will be published on September 1st. I started writing the first book of this series, From Africanus, in 2005 so these three have taken up the last ten years of my life! I have just started research on my next series which will involve the last Roman Emperor that disappeared during the Siege of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453 - the city fell after serving as the capital of the Roman Empire for 1000 years, but the last Emperor was never found...
Matthew Jordan Storm
Don't worry about getting your story "perfect" before setting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) - not all must be known in advance and in many ways, the less you know about the twists and turns of the story to come the better - a spontaneous story is more compelling then a set piece drama. And don't fall in love with language, your language, that particular form of narcissism interferes with the story. Particularly in proofing, don't be afraid to be mercenary with your revisions, cut, and be liberated.
Matthew Jordan Storm
For me the best part of being a writer is being able to commune with the past, to be able to speak with my heroes, to visit lost worlds - writing is like one of the transporters on the old Star Trek series - it can take your particles and zap them across the universe, forwards or backwards in time.
Matthew Jordan Storm
Keep writing! I think an author's job is to do their best to get out of the way of their own characters and to let them speak. If they are not speaking its typically because I am trying to put words into their mouths or force the storyline into a course that doesn't fit (like a river into the wrong bed).
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