Interview with Stephen Christiansen
I recently did an interview with author Stephen Christiansen about his life, work and some other odds and ends.
Let's see what he had to say.
Welcome and thank you for taking the time to talk with us about yourself and your book(s). Before we can really get into the fun we have to start with the basics
Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?
My name is Stephen Christiansen.I was born in Henderson, Nevada, near Las Vegas. However, I’m a Navy brat so I’ve grown up in CA, OR, WA, and Guam. I’ve spent most of my life in the Seattle area and consider that my home. I am 47, but I’m a big kid at heart.
Do you also hold down a job while being an author? What about family? Do you neglect a spouse, children or pets to do your writing?
Yes, I have a full time job and work as a medical biller, but that’s my income job, the one that pays the bills. I would love to leave it behind and write for a living, but that’s yet to be seen.I guess that’s the correct way of saying it when it comes to writers. I’m married, going on 18 years now to my lovely wife. We met in church and have actually worked in the same companies of medical billing for about 15 years. We have a great daughter who plays the flute, violin, and now the piccolo. She’s done cross country and softball and is into Campfire. On top of this she’s pulling A’s and B’s at school, is a great artist and has been inspired by me to write.
Tell us a little bit about your books.
I’ve written 12 books so far and I’m in the middle of my 13th with at least 9 more in the works.
My “Orbbelgguren Series” is in the fantasy/fiction or the high fiction genre but I’ve just finished my first modern horror/mystery/suspense book called “Lost Souls” which I will probably write a sequel to.
My first book is book 1 of the “Orbbelgguren Series” called “Istobarra Commencement”. This book starts the epic adventures of a group of dark elves that are trying to come together while their world is falling apart.
My most recent book was “Lost Souls.” It is about A family goes on vacation and is haunted by ghosts but when their daughter goes missing the real nightmare begins. This is actually based on a true story, to some degree.
A true story? I'd love to hear more!
My family did go on vacation last year, from the Seattle area to Lake Tahoe and over to Virginia City. “Lost Souls” follows those adventures. While we were in Virginia City, we lost our daughter in a haunted cemetery. As I was in near panic looking for her it seemed to me that this would be something out of a Stephen King book. Once I asked myself “What would Stephen King write?” the story fell into place.
Our daughter was fine; she had just found another girl her age and followed her around to another section.
That's interesting! Would you pick out this book if you weren't the author?
Oh, yes, by all means. I’m a fan of Mr. King and this is written in a style very similar to his. On top of that, I think all of the characters become very relatable and the few twists bring about a set of surprises. But, then, I guess I’m biased.
What do you hope people take from your book?
That’s easy, it’s my #2 rule of writing and that is “Live.” I find it difficult to write of an experience if I haven’t seen it, felt it or experienced it myself or at least it’s easier to write about and it makes the whole experience more personal. Go out and experience the world and the ideas will come.
So let's chat about the writing process. How long did it take you to complete the book? Do you have a schedule for writing? Do you keep things quiet while you write?
About 3 months with another month of editing to complete. .
After I get home from work, then help with chores around the house, and have dinner, I then retire to my study where I try to write about 1000 words a day. There is a time between 9 and 11 pm when my mind seems to be the most creative and imaginative.
I usually don’t play music or the TV while writing, but I do need the noise of the house in general to keep my mind occupied. My best writing area is at my favorite hangout; AFK Tavern. It’s a place where geeks, like myself, go to hang out, eat, laugh, and play all sorts of games. While I listen to the laughter, rolling of dice and conversations, my mind seems to sharpen and I get a lot accomplished. Another place I love to write is at out favorite camping area. I sit in my folding chair with my laptop and listen to the birds and squirrels and I can get many day’s worth done.
What is the biggest roadblock you have to completing a novel?
I would say, editing. This means I have to go back and read and re-read and edit and edit again and even then I don’t catch all of my mistakes so then I’m prone to hold the story longer looking for more things to edit. But the stories themselves come along as I’m writing them, so finishing writing is never a problem.
Have you always known you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve enjoyed writing since I was in the 6th grade. I remember reading the “War of the Spider Queen” by R.A. Salvatore and thought that I could write like that. It took a while to put the characters and a start of a plot together, but once I did, there was no turning back. A few years ago, when I realized that there wasn’t much on TV anymore (at least of my interests) I decided to start to put my thoughts down and my books started coming to place.
Do you self-publish or have a publisher? How about marketing? Do you do your own? If so, how?
Currently I self publish, and it’s great, but my mind tosses around the idea of getting a publisher.
I try to market, though not very good at it. I’m a better story teller than a marketer. So far I’ve done twitter, facebook, goodreads, and simple word of mouth.
What about the Stephen that isn't writing. Tell us about him.
There’s life outside of writing? I’m just kidding. I love to paint little miniatures, play video games, work on my garden, go camping and hiking, and I travel a lot. I’m very active with my daughter with her Campfire and her musical concerts.
Ha! How about support? Who is your biggest support?
My family. They always ask how far I’ve gotten on my current book. My wife is currently reading “Lost Souls” and she loves it. She has actually inspired me to write a sequel.
Do you read? What authors and genres?
I love reading, when I can find the time. I used to read a lot more before I started writing, now most of my free time is taken up. My favorite authors are Edgar Allen Poe, Stephen King, Robert Silverberg, and R.A.Salvatore.
What about your bucket list? What ranks at the top?
My first top thing was to have a family. Now that I have one, everything else seems second to them. But, if I had to pick something besides being with them, I would have to going to see Stone Hedge. I thoroughly enjoy going to old archeological sites and have been to Chichen Itza and Tulum. Stone Hedge would be a great site to add to that list.
What is your favorite quote?
“This above all: to thine own self be true” Hamlet Act 1, scene 3, 78–82 Shakespeare
What is your biggest piece of advice to aspiring writers?
I have 3 pieces of advice for aspiring writers: #1 Read. Read good books, read bad books. Get to know the difference; get to know how plot lines are done. Get to know how to create relatable characters. Pick a style of writing that’s inspirational. This is all done by reading books. #2 Live. Go live life. Enjoy a sunset, fall in love, fall out of love. Travel. Have a family. Get your heart broken. Get in a fight. Make up. Put the phone down. Life and the people in life are some of the greatest inspirations for stories. It makes the story personal, relatable. #3 Write. Write good stuff, write bad stuff. Just write. An author’s style will come out eventually but only after practice
So Stephen, where can we find you and your books?
Although my books can be found on Amazon, Barns and Noble and on Ibooks, the place with the best price is http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Orbbelg...
This is my “Orbbelgguren” facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Orbbelgguren...
I do have a twitter account at https://twitter.com/maldev2002 but I don’t twitter often.
I have a blog on my Goodreads account
Let's see what he had to say.
Welcome and thank you for taking the time to talk with us about yourself and your book(s). Before we can really get into the fun we have to start with the basics
Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?
My name is Stephen Christiansen.I was born in Henderson, Nevada, near Las Vegas. However, I’m a Navy brat so I’ve grown up in CA, OR, WA, and Guam. I’ve spent most of my life in the Seattle area and consider that my home. I am 47, but I’m a big kid at heart.
Do you also hold down a job while being an author? What about family? Do you neglect a spouse, children or pets to do your writing?
Yes, I have a full time job and work as a medical biller, but that’s my income job, the one that pays the bills. I would love to leave it behind and write for a living, but that’s yet to be seen.I guess that’s the correct way of saying it when it comes to writers. I’m married, going on 18 years now to my lovely wife. We met in church and have actually worked in the same companies of medical billing for about 15 years. We have a great daughter who plays the flute, violin, and now the piccolo. She’s done cross country and softball and is into Campfire. On top of this she’s pulling A’s and B’s at school, is a great artist and has been inspired by me to write.
Tell us a little bit about your books.
I’ve written 12 books so far and I’m in the middle of my 13th with at least 9 more in the works.
My “Orbbelgguren Series” is in the fantasy/fiction or the high fiction genre but I’ve just finished my first modern horror/mystery/suspense book called “Lost Souls” which I will probably write a sequel to.
My first book is book 1 of the “Orbbelgguren Series” called “Istobarra Commencement”. This book starts the epic adventures of a group of dark elves that are trying to come together while their world is falling apart.
My most recent book was “Lost Souls.” It is about A family goes on vacation and is haunted by ghosts but when their daughter goes missing the real nightmare begins. This is actually based on a true story, to some degree.
A true story? I'd love to hear more!
My family did go on vacation last year, from the Seattle area to Lake Tahoe and over to Virginia City. “Lost Souls” follows those adventures. While we were in Virginia City, we lost our daughter in a haunted cemetery. As I was in near panic looking for her it seemed to me that this would be something out of a Stephen King book. Once I asked myself “What would Stephen King write?” the story fell into place.
Our daughter was fine; she had just found another girl her age and followed her around to another section.
That's interesting! Would you pick out this book if you weren't the author?
Oh, yes, by all means. I’m a fan of Mr. King and this is written in a style very similar to his. On top of that, I think all of the characters become very relatable and the few twists bring about a set of surprises. But, then, I guess I’m biased.
What do you hope people take from your book?
That’s easy, it’s my #2 rule of writing and that is “Live.” I find it difficult to write of an experience if I haven’t seen it, felt it or experienced it myself or at least it’s easier to write about and it makes the whole experience more personal. Go out and experience the world and the ideas will come.
So let's chat about the writing process. How long did it take you to complete the book? Do you have a schedule for writing? Do you keep things quiet while you write?
About 3 months with another month of editing to complete. .
After I get home from work, then help with chores around the house, and have dinner, I then retire to my study where I try to write about 1000 words a day. There is a time between 9 and 11 pm when my mind seems to be the most creative and imaginative.
I usually don’t play music or the TV while writing, but I do need the noise of the house in general to keep my mind occupied. My best writing area is at my favorite hangout; AFK Tavern. It’s a place where geeks, like myself, go to hang out, eat, laugh, and play all sorts of games. While I listen to the laughter, rolling of dice and conversations, my mind seems to sharpen and I get a lot accomplished. Another place I love to write is at out favorite camping area. I sit in my folding chair with my laptop and listen to the birds and squirrels and I can get many day’s worth done.
What is the biggest roadblock you have to completing a novel?
I would say, editing. This means I have to go back and read and re-read and edit and edit again and even then I don’t catch all of my mistakes so then I’m prone to hold the story longer looking for more things to edit. But the stories themselves come along as I’m writing them, so finishing writing is never a problem.
Have you always known you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve enjoyed writing since I was in the 6th grade. I remember reading the “War of the Spider Queen” by R.A. Salvatore and thought that I could write like that. It took a while to put the characters and a start of a plot together, but once I did, there was no turning back. A few years ago, when I realized that there wasn’t much on TV anymore (at least of my interests) I decided to start to put my thoughts down and my books started coming to place.
Do you self-publish or have a publisher? How about marketing? Do you do your own? If so, how?
Currently I self publish, and it’s great, but my mind tosses around the idea of getting a publisher.
I try to market, though not very good at it. I’m a better story teller than a marketer. So far I’ve done twitter, facebook, goodreads, and simple word of mouth.
What about the Stephen that isn't writing. Tell us about him.
There’s life outside of writing? I’m just kidding. I love to paint little miniatures, play video games, work on my garden, go camping and hiking, and I travel a lot. I’m very active with my daughter with her Campfire and her musical concerts.
Ha! How about support? Who is your biggest support?
My family. They always ask how far I’ve gotten on my current book. My wife is currently reading “Lost Souls” and she loves it. She has actually inspired me to write a sequel.
Do you read? What authors and genres?
I love reading, when I can find the time. I used to read a lot more before I started writing, now most of my free time is taken up. My favorite authors are Edgar Allen Poe, Stephen King, Robert Silverberg, and R.A.Salvatore.
What about your bucket list? What ranks at the top?
My first top thing was to have a family. Now that I have one, everything else seems second to them. But, if I had to pick something besides being with them, I would have to going to see Stone Hedge. I thoroughly enjoy going to old archeological sites and have been to Chichen Itza and Tulum. Stone Hedge would be a great site to add to that list.
What is your favorite quote?
“This above all: to thine own self be true” Hamlet Act 1, scene 3, 78–82 Shakespeare
What is your biggest piece of advice to aspiring writers?
I have 3 pieces of advice for aspiring writers: #1 Read. Read good books, read bad books. Get to know the difference; get to know how plot lines are done. Get to know how to create relatable characters. Pick a style of writing that’s inspirational. This is all done by reading books. #2 Live. Go live life. Enjoy a sunset, fall in love, fall out of love. Travel. Have a family. Get your heart broken. Get in a fight. Make up. Put the phone down. Life and the people in life are some of the greatest inspirations for stories. It makes the story personal, relatable. #3 Write. Write good stuff, write bad stuff. Just write. An author’s style will come out eventually but only after practice
So Stephen, where can we find you and your books?
Although my books can be found on Amazon, Barns and Noble and on Ibooks, the place with the best price is http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Orbbelg...
This is my “Orbbelgguren” facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Orbbelgguren...
I do have a twitter account at https://twitter.com/maldev2002 but I don’t twitter often.
I have a blog on my Goodreads account
No comments have been added yet.
