I love reading fantasy and fairy-tales! I suppose someone as ‘old’ as I should focus on more ‘grownup’ literature than I do, but I refuse!
Reading and writing of fantastic worlds, full of enchanting creatures, with the added selection of colourful and complex characters which feed and nourish ones imagination, is a priceless experience.
As much as I love and cherish the varied creations of my mentors, Tolkien, Lewis and the Brothers Grimm (to name but a few), I cannot deny the influence that authors with a more mystical and soul-searching flavour such as Carlos Castaneda, Richard Bach and Herman Hesse have also had on me, both as a reader and, mostly, as a writer.
However, for me all of those amazing books and magical movies I’ve seen and read were not enough to inspire a mystical-fantasy novel on their own; there had to be one more crucial ingredient – music! I must admit that having some music, or hearing the scores from films and soundtracks playing in the background as I write, ignites and fuels an ever-growing imagination.
And so there I find myself, sitting in front of my MacBook at my kitchen table, looking out on my beautiful garden, with lovely music playing in the background, as words are spilling off my fingertips and onto my keyboard.
I do not plan ahead in my writings what will happen, and most times I manage to surprise myself with how the plot is ever changing. Characters who I was convinced were bad when they first appeared before me on the page, ended up as friends, whilst others kept changing, blurring the lines between good and evil. Even the names of places and characters contain deep meaning behind them. Some to do with what they represent, others a play on words in foreign languages.
When it comes to subjects that are connected to reality, I make sure to thoroughly research and learn as much as I can about them before writing. And even then there may be a fantastical twist to my description.
Writing is far from being a mathematical equation with just one-way of approaching and solving it (and it’s a good thing too, because I’m really, really hopeless at maths). You can never anticipate when the muses will grace you with their appearance. As a result, on more than one occasion, I have found myself frantically looking for any piece of paper, tissue, serviette or even the palm of my hand, to put down a few lines describing the next scene in my story, or even just pressing the ‘Record’ button on the ‘voice memos’ app on my phone, when in the car. Take your pick, whatever works for you...
Reading and writing of fantastic worlds, full of enchanting creatures, with the added selection of colourful and complex characters which feed and nourish ones imagination, is a priceless experience.
As much as I love and cherish the varied creations of my mentors, Tolkien, Lewis and the Brothers Grimm (to name but a few), I cannot deny the influence that authors with a more mystical and soul-searching flavour such as Carlos Castaneda, Richard Bach and Herman Hesse have also had on me, both as a reader and, mostly, as a writer.
However, for me all of those amazing books and magical movies I’ve seen and read were not enough to inspire a mystical-fantasy novel on their own; there had to be one more crucial ingredient – music! I must admit that having some music, or hearing the scores from films and soundtracks playing in the background as I write, ignites and fuels an ever-growing imagination.
And so there I find myself, sitting in front of my MacBook at my kitchen table, looking out on my beautiful garden, with lovely music playing in the background, as words are spilling off my fingertips and onto my keyboard.
I do not plan ahead in my writings what will happen, and most times I manage to surprise myself with how the plot is ever changing. Characters who I was convinced were bad when they first appeared before me on the page, ended up as friends, whilst others kept changing, blurring the lines between good and evil. Even the names of places and characters contain deep meaning behind them. Some to do with what they represent, others a play on words in foreign languages.
When it comes to subjects that are connected to reality, I make sure to thoroughly research and learn as much as I can about them before writing. And even then there may be a fantastical twist to my description.
Writing is far from being a mathematical equation with just one-way of approaching and solving it (and it’s a good thing too, because I’m really, really hopeless at maths). You can never anticipate when the muses will grace you with their appearance. As a result, on more than one occasion, I have found myself frantically looking for any piece of paper, tissue, serviette or even the palm of my hand, to put down a few lines describing the next scene in my story, or even just pressing the ‘Record’ button on the ‘voice memos’ app on my phone, when in the car. Take your pick, whatever works for you...