Ask the Author: S.P. Muir
Answered Questions (9)
S.P. Muir
Hello Patricia, I would be delighted and privileged to be friends with you. I shall click the appropriate button immediately.
See you soon.
See you soon.
S.P. Muir
Wow, that's a tall order. Okay, I'll give it a try.
'The nightmare paralysed him with terror, crucifying him to the bed as the shadowy, malevolent and grotesque demons tried to reach inside him and tear out his soul. Then, after what seemed an eternity of unendurable torment, mercifully, he fell asleep.'
There, that's about the best I could come up with. Actually, it gives me an idea for a book...
'The nightmare paralysed him with terror, crucifying him to the bed as the shadowy, malevolent and grotesque demons tried to reach inside him and tear out his soul. Then, after what seemed an eternity of unendurable torment, mercifully, he fell asleep.'
There, that's about the best I could come up with. Actually, it gives me an idea for a book...
S.P. Muir
All of my characters are real people in their own right; I don't actually 'create' them at all. My book ideas come to me as I'm lying in bed, drifting in that no man's land between wakefulness and sleep. As I've explained in the blog on my website, the characters just walk up to me and introduce themselves.
One day an improbably tall and thin soldier appeared and said, "Hello, my name is Gildor, Prime Officer of the Lord-Guard." I didn't have to create his personality at all, he came fully formed. In truth, I can't think of a single person I know that looks or acts anything like him.
But then again, every single one of them could be a subconscious composite of the people I've met over the years.
But don't tell Eh'lorne that, he'd be furious!
One day an improbably tall and thin soldier appeared and said, "Hello, my name is Gildor, Prime Officer of the Lord-Guard." I didn't have to create his personality at all, he came fully formed. In truth, I can't think of a single person I know that looks or acts anything like him.
But then again, every single one of them could be a subconscious composite of the people I've met over the years.
But don't tell Eh'lorne that, he'd be furious!
S.P. Muir
I've already written a collection of anecdotes from my years as a London despatch rider, and I intend to follow up 'You're Where Now?' with another set. So that's non-fiction.
After I've finished Saga#3, however, I'm going to have a change of tack. I intend to write a novel in the Christian genre. I already have the plot sorted, and most of the characters are running around in my head getting up to all sorts of mischief that will feature in the story.
But don't worry, I certainly won't neglect all my fantasy readers.
After I've finished Saga#3, however, I'm going to have a change of tack. I intend to write a novel in the Christian genre. I already have the plot sorted, and most of the characters are running around in my head getting up to all sorts of mischief that will feature in the story.
But don't worry, I certainly won't neglect all my fantasy readers.
S.P. Muir
That's a tricky question to answer; there are so many characters to choose from. In fact two of them are going to have eponymous books of their own. These books will be prequels to the Saga trilogy.
Obviously, the twins themselves, but along with them must be Rennil, the Arms-Master; the reluctant hero, D'harid; and from ''A War of Destiny', the strange little psychopath, Dint. Oh, and I mustn't forget the Screaming Nomad, Nudabi.
But these are just the men. Of the women and girls, there are Morjeena and Gretya; and what about the northern clan leader, the warrior Brekha?
Not to mention the little girl, Beelandra.
But I'm forgetting... Gee, I think I'm going to end up naming the full compliment.
Obviously, the twins themselves, but along with them must be Rennil, the Arms-Master; the reluctant hero, D'harid; and from ''A War of Destiny', the strange little psychopath, Dint. Oh, and I mustn't forget the Screaming Nomad, Nudabi.
But these are just the men. Of the women and girls, there are Morjeena and Gretya; and what about the northern clan leader, the warrior Brekha?
Not to mention the little girl, Beelandra.
But I'm forgetting... Gee, I think I'm going to end up naming the full compliment.
S.P. Muir
For me, it must be the satisfaction of sharing my thoughts, my Ideas, and best of all, my fantasy world with others. Hopefully, my audience gets the same satisfaction from reading it all!
S.P. Muir
My most recently published book is 'You're Where Now? Memoirs of a Despatch Rider'. The idea was put into my head by several of my friends after I'd regaled them all (many, many times) with anecdotes of my time as a motorcycle messenger. "You should put that in a book," they would say. Eventually, I could prevaricate no longer and that book duly appeared.
S.P. Muir
Now that's a really good question. Writer's block is a terrible curse that hangs over all writers' heads like a thundercloud-enveloped sword of Damocles. When it strikes, it's easy to fall into the abyss of frustrated despair - or even into a state of blind panic!
My way of overcoming it is to take a break - perhaps for as long as a few days. In that time I just relax and forget about it, safe in the knowledge that it isn't permanent. Sometimes, as soon as my mind is elsewhere, Ideas will start to form. At that point I can happily rush back to my keyboard, eager to turn those ideas into words.
At other times, if when my break is over nothing has come to me, I'll return to my desk anyway. I'll then type any old nonsense - "Tickle pickle oil and squiggle" - that sort of thing. No pressure, no stress, just free-form, rather like jazz. Suddenly, I'll find myself writing again; job done.
My way of overcoming it is to take a break - perhaps for as long as a few days. In that time I just relax and forget about it, safe in the knowledge that it isn't permanent. Sometimes, as soon as my mind is elsewhere, Ideas will start to form. At that point I can happily rush back to my keyboard, eager to turn those ideas into words.
At other times, if when my break is over nothing has come to me, I'll return to my desk anyway. I'll then type any old nonsense - "Tickle pickle oil and squiggle" - that sort of thing. No pressure, no stress, just free-form, rather like jazz. Suddenly, I'll find myself writing again; job done.
S.P. Muir
At the moment I'm busily banging away at the third book in my 'Saga of the Twins of Arl' trilogy.
At the same time though, my head is full of ideas for the trilogy's two prequels. But added to that, there's a second volume of my despatch riding memoirs on the drawing board.
I'm also planning an inspirational Christian book about... oh you'll just have to wait and see.
Busy days ahead for me then!
At the same time though, my head is full of ideas for the trilogy's two prequels. But added to that, there's a second volume of my despatch riding memoirs on the drawing board.
I'm also planning an inspirational Christian book about... oh you'll just have to wait and see.
Busy days ahead for me then!
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