Ask the Author: Simon Strange
Answered Questions (7)
Simon Strange
Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed the book. It's... a complex answer.
Rune & Claw (which is the first of the series that Fang & Fur is slated as book 3 of) was rewritten as a full length novel, under my fantasy pen name, ultimately in a separate universe from BBF. It took a long time, and ultimately before I released the second book, a publisher started looking at it and they still are, which puts the Adam Saint series on hold while we work everything out to their satisfaction.
Mean while, that took up a ton of my time, and it has taken months for me to get back to my 'native' catalog to follow up on series, etc. Unfortunately, my paranormal stuff really just never took off as much as the rest of the catalog did, so in an effort to focus my working hours as much as possible, I've pared down where I put my hours and am focusing on contemporary erotica. I can't say that I'll never go back and follow up on that, Omega and the Three Bears, or even Sodom's Sons, but I don't foresee it in the near future now.
It's a constant balancing act, trying to write what you love, and what readers like, while also taking a stab at writing full time for a living. My husband likes to say "You have to put on Noises Off, so you can afford to put on Coriolanus." I hope that as my catalog grows, I will be able to slow down a bit and give the longer, more complex stories the kind of attention and patience they deserve. When that happens, I may revisit those paranormal romance stories.
Rune & Claw (which is the first of the series that Fang & Fur is slated as book 3 of) was rewritten as a full length novel, under my fantasy pen name, ultimately in a separate universe from BBF. It took a long time, and ultimately before I released the second book, a publisher started looking at it and they still are, which puts the Adam Saint series on hold while we work everything out to their satisfaction.
Mean while, that took up a ton of my time, and it has taken months for me to get back to my 'native' catalog to follow up on series, etc. Unfortunately, my paranormal stuff really just never took off as much as the rest of the catalog did, so in an effort to focus my working hours as much as possible, I've pared down where I put my hours and am focusing on contemporary erotica. I can't say that I'll never go back and follow up on that, Omega and the Three Bears, or even Sodom's Sons, but I don't foresee it in the near future now.
It's a constant balancing act, trying to write what you love, and what readers like, while also taking a stab at writing full time for a living. My husband likes to say "You have to put on Noises Off, so you can afford to put on Coriolanus." I hope that as my catalog grows, I will be able to slow down a bit and give the longer, more complex stories the kind of attention and patience they deserve. When that happens, I may revisit those paranormal romance stories.
Simon Strange
I LOVE the Kate Daniels books by Ilona Andrews and the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I wrote Rune & Claw with that genre in mind because I wanted to read for myself a gritty urban fantasy adventure with gay romance in it and I hadn't read anything similar that I really enjoyed that fit the bill. If you can't find it - write it!
Simon Strange
My husband. It's goofy, but hey - I write a lot of erotic fiction. We've got a super healthy marriage.
I also read a lot. I go back and revisit my favorite authors' works sometimes to kind of absorb some of their style, if it applies to what I'm working on. I put stickers on my hard copy books to mark them for different kinds of projects. You can never duplicate someone else's style, no matter how hard you try - but by trying, you develop new aspects to your own style.
I also read a lot. I go back and revisit my favorite authors' works sometimes to kind of absorb some of their style, if it applies to what I'm working on. I put stickers on my hard copy books to mark them for different kinds of projects. You can never duplicate someone else's style, no matter how hard you try - but by trying, you develop new aspects to your own style.
Simon Strange
Whoo boy... three short stories, a short novel, a full length novel, a six part seasonal episodic serial (season 1), my website, my blog, these questions...
My most exciting project is the full length (100k+ words) novel about a wizard and a prince, set in a kind of Persian/Arabian Nights world. It is so much fun to write, because most of my more prevalent work is short erotic fiction. This book is definitely erotic, but longer books cater to a... different kind of reader, most of the time. I really get to flex my storytelling muscles and use beautiful language in this book, and I love to write in part because I love words so much. It's always delightful to finish another chapter. Plus Persian names are just so beautiful; all the characters have Persian names.
My most exciting project is the full length (100k+ words) novel about a wizard and a prince, set in a kind of Persian/Arabian Nights world. It is so much fun to write, because most of my more prevalent work is short erotic fiction. This book is definitely erotic, but longer books cater to a... different kind of reader, most of the time. I really get to flex my storytelling muscles and use beautiful language in this book, and I love to write in part because I love words so much. It's always delightful to finish another chapter. Plus Persian names are just so beautiful; all the characters have Persian names.
Simon Strange
It's so cliche, but, "Write." It's an art first, a skill second, a bunch of other things, and then a talent dead last. All your favorite writers are good because they did it a LOT, not because they're special. Reading about writing is not the same as doing it.
Next to that, the next biggest thing is - share what you write. Not just with friends and family, but with strangers. It's nerve wracking, and terrifying, and we're all afraid we'll fail. But, you have to swallow that fear and do it anyway, because you become confident by facing that fear, not by succeeding easily.
Next to that, the next biggest thing is - share what you write. Not just with friends and family, but with strangers. It's nerve wracking, and terrifying, and we're all afraid we'll fail. But, you have to swallow that fear and do it anyway, because you become confident by facing that fear, not by succeeding easily.
Simon Strange
Well for me, I've wanted to be a writer - and by that, I mean, Author (you're a writer if you write, in my opinion) - since I was eight. I read the hobbit, and then wrote little third grade variations of the same kind of story. They were terrible, but inventive. My grammar has improved dramatically since then. Anyway, doing it now makes me feel like I have honored that little boy's dream, almost 22 years later. Your inner child is totally a real thing - because I can feel him being excited, in some weird way, every time I publish a story.
Simon Strange
I get some carbs and some fats, and then do anything else for an hour. After an hour, I turn on my writing mix from Grooveshark - it's a kaleidoscope of music - and brainstorm. Whether it's a new story, or where to go with a current one, it works every time. I like to generate lots and LOTS of ideas, and then gradually pare it down from there.
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