Ask the Author: Hamish Spiers
Answered Questions (6)
Hamish Spiers
I suppose I'm lucky in this regard. I don't sit down and plan to write stories. Ideas tend to come to mind from unlikely places and simmer in my mind for a while. Sometimes, I'll shrug them off. But every now and then, I feel as though I have to write a story that's trying to break out. It's why I keep returning to writing. It's certainly not the money.
Hamish Spiers
I'm working on a novel in my 'Star Frontier' series. I always like revisiting that universe and spending time with the characters there.
Each novel in this series has its own unique style and general feel. This one is quite introspective compared to earlier books in the series. And at times, it's even philosophical. A lot of it revolves around the theme of consciousness and the things that make us who we are. And this theme is explored through several avenues such as artificial intelligence and transferring consciousness from one physical body to another. A far cry from the adventure and military science fiction that set the tone of the first novel.
But that's part of the joy of revisiting the series for me, and of writing in general. As I said in answer to another one of these questions, writing's a journey.
Each novel in this series has its own unique style and general feel. This one is quite introspective compared to earlier books in the series. And at times, it's even philosophical. A lot of it revolves around the theme of consciousness and the things that make us who we are. And this theme is explored through several avenues such as artificial intelligence and transferring consciousness from one physical body to another. A far cry from the adventure and military science fiction that set the tone of the first novel.
But that's part of the joy of revisiting the series for me, and of writing in general. As I said in answer to another one of these questions, writing's a journey.
Hamish Spiers
It's important to read a lot and to read critically. Learn from others, both in the things they do well and the things they don't.
Write a lot as well. Like any skill, you can improve the quality of your writing with time and practice. Your early work might not be your best but it will be a foundation that you can build on.
Write a lot as well. Like any skill, you can improve the quality of your writing with time and practice. Your early work might not be your best but it will be a foundation that you can build on.
Hamish Spiers
I enjoy the process of discovery when I write, learning about the places and characters. Writing is a journey for me.
Hamish Spiers
Usually I find writer's block just requires taking a different approach to what I'm doing. A short break - even just a day - can make a huge difference. A jog around the neighborhood sometimes helps too. I can clear the mind and then get the creative juices flowing again. And working on alternative writing projects works too.
My advice for other authors experiencing writer's block would be to just take a break from whatever it is they're working on and come back to it later. There's no sense in banging your head against a wall.
My advice for other authors experiencing writer's block would be to just take a break from whatever it is they're working on and come back to it later. There's no sense in banging your head against a wall.
Hamish Spiers
My most recent book, aside from the one I'm currently working on, was 'Star Frontier: Descent'.
It's a science fiction story with many of the elements associated with space opera and military science fiction. However, there's a plot thread that runs through part of the story involving a journey through jungle and down a river, which is essentially an inversion of the main plot in Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'.
I've read it a few times but on one particular occasion, I became fixated on the idea of Kurtz holed up deep in the jungle while his countrymen downriver had no knowledge of his doings. I wanted to try that type of mystery story in the 'Star Frontier' universe and it became the seed of the story. The main difference however is that the plot is reversed. In 'Heart of Darkness', Marlow journeys up the river and finds Kurtz. In 'Descent', two characters find a Kurtz-like figure and then journey down a river afterwards.
However, while that particular plot is just a small part of the finished novel, everything else stemmed from it.
It's a science fiction story with many of the elements associated with space opera and military science fiction. However, there's a plot thread that runs through part of the story involving a journey through jungle and down a river, which is essentially an inversion of the main plot in Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'.
I've read it a few times but on one particular occasion, I became fixated on the idea of Kurtz holed up deep in the jungle while his countrymen downriver had no knowledge of his doings. I wanted to try that type of mystery story in the 'Star Frontier' universe and it became the seed of the story. The main difference however is that the plot is reversed. In 'Heart of Darkness', Marlow journeys up the river and finds Kurtz. In 'Descent', two characters find a Kurtz-like figure and then journey down a river afterwards.
However, while that particular plot is just a small part of the finished novel, everything else stemmed from it.
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