I return from a very busy weekend at Bristolcon 🙂 An exhausting but very exciting trip, I will be writing a blog article about my experiences soon, hopefully!
Today I bring an interview with Robert Power (A badass as fuck name). I hope you enjoy!
As always, I have a list of my current interviews for SPFBO(5) down below. Check out whichever you like!
SPFBO Author Interview: Angela Boord
SPFBO Author Interview: Deston J. Munden
SPFBO Author Interview: Huw Steer
SPFBO Author Interview: E.L. Drayton
SPFBO Author Interview: R. A. Denny
SPFBO Author Interview: CF Welburn
SPFBO Author Interview: Steve Turnbull
SPFBO Author Interview: Nicholas Hoy
SPFBO Author Interview: Phil Williams
SPFBO Author Interview: Luke Tarzian
SPFBO Author Intrview: L. L. Thomsen
SPFBO Author Interview: Clayton Snyder
SPFBO Author Interview: M. H. Thaung
SPFBO Author Interview: Keith Blenman
SPFBO Author Interview: David Reiss
SPFBO Author Interview: R.M. Callahan
SPFBO Author Interview – Aaron Hodges
SPFBO Author Interview: I. W. Ferguson
SPFBO Author Interview: Vincent Bobbe
SPFBO Author Interview: Aiki Flinthart
SPFBO Author Interview: Alexzander Christion
And now, onto the interview!
First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?
I’m Robert J Power, author of Spark City which I have entered into this year’s SPFBO. It’s my debut novel, and the first in a 4 book series.
I’ve been a songwriter for about 20 years and started writing novels when I had an idea for a song that turned out to be too big for sheet music.
I live in Wicklow, Ireland with my wife, rescue dogs and a cat that hates me.
How do you develop your plots and characters?
I do a lot of my planning when walking. I’ll walk for miles and think of my characters, and how they will react in every scenario. It helps me understand them as people which helps me write them better.
Tell us about your current project.
Next for me is the launch of my new fantasy Series, Dellerin. This is a darker series than Spark City and is filled with demons, mercenaries, epic quests and dark comedy.
The Seven; The Lost Tale of Dellerin will launch in the next couple months and is a full-length novel. It will be followed by the first 2 novellas in the Crimson Collection; The Crimson Hunters and The Crimson Hunted which are best described as Guardians of the Galaxy in Westeros.
Is this your first entry into SPFBO? If not, how many times have you entered?
Yes, I’m a total newbie to the competition and I think it’s brilliant. I’ve already got some crackers added to my TBR pile from other contestants. I love the banter and I love seeing creative people coming together and supporting each other.
Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them!
The main character of Spark City is Erroh, Line of Magnus. Erroh would rather drink and play cards, than think about his impressive lineage. His parents are warrior legends, but he has no interest in fame or glory. Erroh is no good with people and has a skill for saying completely the wrong thing.
What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?
Just get the story down on paper. Just do it. Even if it makes no sense and you break into French halfway through. Get it down, and be proud. The edit is when you make it sound and look like a book.
What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?
I’m lucky enough to live in Wicklow, the Garden of Ireland and am surrounded by forest areas and greenery which is reflected in the world of Spark city.
Also the rain. It’s always raining where I live and I don’t think people put nearly enough emphasis into how much rain can mess up an adventure.
What inspires you to write?
When I started writing Spark City, it was because I had a story to tell. But now what really pushes me forward is the wonderful messages and encouragement the fans of the series have given me. It blows my mind, drives me forward and makes me want to write more.
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
I love video games, and need to discipline myself to not play them when I’m writing. I find that, if I fall into a world like Fable, Fallout or Skyrim, my writing suffers. I need to be starved of escapism to drive my mind into the worlds I create.
What is your routine when writing, if any? If you don’t follow a routine, why not?
I get up early at 5.30am, get the coffee on and go to work. I treat it exactly like a job because that is what it is to me.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
The last chapter in the City – the reason being it is a turning point in how the book proceeds and I was excited to get going with the new mechanics.
Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
I learnt how to distill alcohol, how to ride horses in the wild, how to reload a bow with one hand, how to generate electricity.
In the zombie apocalypse I’m the guy you want in your camp.
Also, I learnt that swords do not make a noise when drawn from scabbards, unlike on TV!
Are you a plotter or a pantser? A gardener or an architect?
I’m about 90% Plotter, 10% Pantser.
It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?
I spend a lot of time thinking about each character – what they’re like and how they’d deal with different scearios. I don’t write them until I know them really well.
What are your future project(s)?
I’m currently working on the latest draft of March of Magnus, the sequel to Spark City. I’m hoping to get this out for early 2020.
What is your favorite book ever written? Who are your favorite authors?
I grew up reading every Stephen King book I could get my hands on, and still love his books today.
I’d also say Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind is a book every fantasy fan should read in their life.
What makes a good villain?
For me I love a villain that is, on first meeting, insurmountable and indominable. Someone or something so great, the odds are impossible.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m a huge soccer fan and try and catch what matches I can of my home team Bray Wanderers. I love to play a bit of PUBG in the evenings. And I also still jam with my band.
If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?
I always wanted to own a video games store. I’ve a love for retail, and I genuinely think it’s an underappreciated art. Without a doubt, it’s one of the reasons I think I can write people well. Before I was writing, I was a video store manager (ala clerks). I loved chatting with customers and it’s actually where I met my wife.
You can travel to any planet or moon in the Solar System. Where would you go, why and what would you do there?
I’d go to Pluto because it really upsets me that people say it’s not a planet anymore. I’d be all reassuring to Pluto, and tell it that all the other planets are just jealous cause it’s so cool.
Pick any three characters from a fiction novel. These are now your roadtrip crew. Where do you go and what do you do?
Kvothe from The Name of the Wind because he tells a long enough story to keep you entertained on the journey
Samwise (LOTR) because he’ll have our backs no matter what we face
And Vampire Lestat because he’ll know exactly where we’re going, how to get there what we need to survive… but not actually tell us.
We’d go to Pluto.
Finally, what is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?
Reach out to me on Goodreads, Facebook or my Website
www.goodreads.com/robertjpower
www.facebook.com/AuthorRobertJPower/
