Ask the Author: Rune S. Nielsen
Answered Questions (10)
Rune S. Nielsen
The role of my Grandad in the Danish resistance during the 2WW.
Rune S. Nielsen
There are so many great ones. I would like to talk to Gandalf. Cook him a nice dinner. I think he would enjoy that. Get his take on life, death and everything. Have tea with him and Bilbo in a cozy hobbit hole one afternoon.
Find a nice big old wardrobe, and go visit Aslan. Then go sailing and riding when we arrive at the great city of Tear, marvel at the Stone of Tear, and watch what happens around Rand, all the crazy seemingly random events. Hang out with Moraine, Egwene, and the others at a posh inn. Spar with Lan ouside, and get him to introduce me to his wife. The next day I would follow a certain soldier through a bog and watch as he gets his sword quite misenchanted.
Find a nice big old wardrobe, and go visit Aslan. Then go sailing and riding when we arrive at the great city of Tear, marvel at the Stone of Tear, and watch what happens around Rand, all the crazy seemingly random events. Hang out with Moraine, Egwene, and the others at a posh inn. Spar with Lan ouside, and get him to introduce me to his wife. The next day I would follow a certain soldier through a bog and watch as he gets his sword quite misenchanted.
Rune S. Nielsen
He pressed 'y' and his Book_Del.bat program executed smoothly.
"That's it," said RootKid the hacker, "I just wiped every single device in existence, and with all the libraries we burned, the world is now free of any and all literature."
"That's it," said RootKid the hacker, "I just wiped every single device in existence, and with all the libraries we burned, the world is now free of any and all literature."
Rune S. Nielsen
I'm currently reading A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay and Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey.
I have a ton of unread fantasy and sci-fi books on my shelves (I mostly read paperbacks).
I need to read The Blood Mirror and The Burning White by Brent Weeks. However, I heard the last book was somewhat frustrating, so I have been putting it off after purchasing them (I loved the beginning of the series so much, though.)
I also have three novels by Anna Smith Spark (The Court of Broken Knives, The Tower of Living and Dying, and The House of Sacrifice), Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, and several sci-fi novels: Jack Campbell's Genesis Fleet: Triumphant, Craig Alanson's SpecOps and Columbus Day, and Ian Douglas, Star Corpsman, Bloodstar.
I have a ton of unread fantasy and sci-fi books on my shelves (I mostly read paperbacks).
I need to read The Blood Mirror and The Burning White by Brent Weeks. However, I heard the last book was somewhat frustrating, so I have been putting it off after purchasing them (I loved the beginning of the series so much, though.)
I also have three novels by Anna Smith Spark (The Court of Broken Knives, The Tower of Living and Dying, and The House of Sacrifice), Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, and several sci-fi novels: Jack Campbell's Genesis Fleet: Triumphant, Craig Alanson's SpecOps and Columbus Day, and Ian Douglas, Star Corpsman, Bloodstar.
Rune S. Nielsen
If you by writers block mean that you can't come up with new ideas or that you can't seems to ever put anything on paper, then it is not something I typically experience. I tend to come up with a lot more ideas than I will ever put to paper.
That said, the birth of a novel is quite a big feat, it takes a lot of discipline and time to pull off, and sure some days are better than others.
BEST ADVICE
For me the trick is to keep working every day, but never overdo it. Make sure to get a decent amount of sleep, exercise a bit every day, don't skip meals, and try to remember that having a life besides writing makes you happy too, and from that happiness you become inspired.
When you are down
You need to respect that your mind works better some days than others. This is a common human phenomena, and is not limited to writing, just ask a scientist who studies the way our brain functions.
On the days when I'm feeling a bit down, I do not get mad at myself, but recognize that I should not write right now. Instead, I do related things like content for my website, draw the maps or images for the book, do layout, or PR tasks.
I do experience (on rare occasions) that if I have worked much and too hard, for too long, I get worn out. My brain gets stressed, and this impacts my performance negatively in the coming week or so.
The thing that typically leads me down this not very good road is deadlines. They are for me simply poison for the mind. So, instead of deadlines I work a lot of hours most weeks, and for me, as long as I work a lot, and do my best, I feel I have a clear conscience, and worry less about my progress. Simply because, as I can see that the novel is coming along fine.
On the rare occasions where I take a vacation, or if I have been sick, I do find it hard to "get back in the saddle" sometimes. It feels like starting over, and you just have to ease into it.
That said, the birth of a novel is quite a big feat, it takes a lot of discipline and time to pull off, and sure some days are better than others.
BEST ADVICE
For me the trick is to keep working every day, but never overdo it. Make sure to get a decent amount of sleep, exercise a bit every day, don't skip meals, and try to remember that having a life besides writing makes you happy too, and from that happiness you become inspired.
When you are down
You need to respect that your mind works better some days than others. This is a common human phenomena, and is not limited to writing, just ask a scientist who studies the way our brain functions.
On the days when I'm feeling a bit down, I do not get mad at myself, but recognize that I should not write right now. Instead, I do related things like content for my website, draw the maps or images for the book, do layout, or PR tasks.
I do experience (on rare occasions) that if I have worked much and too hard, for too long, I get worn out. My brain gets stressed, and this impacts my performance negatively in the coming week or so.
The thing that typically leads me down this not very good road is deadlines. They are for me simply poison for the mind. So, instead of deadlines I work a lot of hours most weeks, and for me, as long as I work a lot, and do my best, I feel I have a clear conscience, and worry less about my progress. Simply because, as I can see that the novel is coming along fine.
On the rare occasions where I take a vacation, or if I have been sick, I do find it hard to "get back in the saddle" sometimes. It feels like starting over, and you just have to ease into it.
Rune S. Nielsen
I love coming up with stories that I would like to read myself. It's the best job in the whole world. If you have a passion for it, and if not, don't do it.
Writers are readers too. Never forget that.
Just imagine how lucky I am: having the privilege of developing characters and a discover a new and different world for others to explore with me.
To be able to blow life into your creations, as so great. To find out what these wonderful or hideous characters really want, and then discover the stories that unfold.
Writers are readers too. Never forget that.
Just imagine how lucky I am: having the privilege of developing characters and a discover a new and different world for others to explore with me.
To be able to blow life into your creations, as so great. To find out what these wonderful or hideous characters really want, and then discover the stories that unfold.
Rune S. Nielsen
1) MOST IMPORTANT: Write, and keep on writing.
2) "Fear is the mind killer." Don't be scared of "missing the shots." Just keep throwing the ball, and trying to hit.
3) Look at no. 1. again.
4) Work hard and work on it full time.
5) Publish your works yourself or get someone to publish you, you want people to read your stuff.
And yes...
6) Look at no. 1. again :-)
2) "Fear is the mind killer." Don't be scared of "missing the shots." Just keep throwing the ball, and trying to hit.
3) Look at no. 1. again.
4) Work hard and work on it full time.
5) Publish your works yourself or get someone to publish you, you want people to read your stuff.
And yes...
6) Look at no. 1. again :-)
Rune S. Nielsen
The Artifact War Series (trilogy).
I'm doing PR, an audiobook version of Doomsayer Prince, and writing the Arch of the Zhi’el (The Artifact War Book 2), and All Master (The Artifact War Book 3), and hope at some point to have time to do a Doomsayer Roleplaying Game
I'm doing PR, an audiobook version of Doomsayer Prince, and writing the Arch of the Zhi’el (The Artifact War Book 2), and All Master (The Artifact War Book 3), and hope at some point to have time to do a Doomsayer Roleplaying Game
Rune S. Nielsen
Museums, ancient ruins, medieval fairs, someone's face, a phrase, an animal, a lively discussion, history or historic figure, politics, injustices, crime. The list goes on and on.
Rune S. Nielsen
In the shower, while running, or before I go to sleep, are generally the best places for me to get new ideas. As there are quite a lot of different ideas in epic fantasy novels, this is an ongoing process. After I make a decent plot outline I tend to "foul it up" to make it more exciting and more difficult to predict. For instance this could be by challenging myself with some kind of tough question, like "if someone important were to die in the chapter I'm currently thinking about, who would it be, and what would be the overall plot ramifications?"
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