Ask the Author: Glynnis Campbell
Answered Questions (803)
Glynnis Campbell
I've been to that area just once, tagging along on my husband's band tour, for a small music festival called Northwoodstock! It's a beautiful area.
Glynnis Campbell
Yes! Every time I release a new book, I do a Goodreads giveaway! If you follow me on Goodreads, you should receive an announcement of my next giveaway via email.
Glynnis Campbell
Choosing a favorite character is like choosing a favorite child! I love them all in different ways. Even the villains have a certain appeal for me. The character I relate to the most is Alisoun Hay from my novella, "The Outcast." She's fascinated by science, enthusiastic, and terminally optimistic, like me.
Glynnis Campbell
I know, right? Aaaaaaaand I have to have a longer answer.
Glynnis Campbell
I've always loved this idea! My husband and I half-joked about buying a camper and touring the country so I could do booksignings by day, and we could sing together at night.
Glynnis Campbell
I had so much fun doing voiceover for MTV's The Maxx and Star Wars! I've thought about recording my own audiobooks and may do it one day. It's just very time-consuming for me at the moment when I'd rather be writing new books.
Glynnis Campbell
I love your name, Aida! I find names for my characters by searching lists of actual names from historical documents. Sometimes I may alter the spelling slightly to make them easier to pronounce, and I'll use names that may be a few hundred years old for the time, because we do that too. (For example, your name is actually ancient Arabian!)
Glynnis Campbell
Like everyone else, when AI first came out, I dabbled with the graphics features for fun. But I quickly realized that generative AI was simply stealing from real artists and destroying the human element in art. That also applies to music and writing. I now believe AI can be used for good in analyzing data, comparing stats, finding new cures for disease, anticipating weather patterns, etc. But I think it's a travesty when used to replace art, which should be a purely human creation.
Glynnis Campbell
I try not to get too chatty about politics as an author, because I have readers all over the map, literally and politically. However...this bill, rushed through in the middle of the night, harms everyone but a handful of ultra rich power-mongers. I would be remiss if I didn't express serious concern for We the People under this catastrophe of a bill, considering its cruelty, its unfairness, its devastation, and its lack of any empathy for fellow humans.
Glynnis Campbell
I don't have a single favorite author! I grew up with Howard Pyle medievals and Ray Bradbury fantasies. I've always enjoyed Dean Koontz and Stephen King horror. For old-school historical romance, I love Jude Deveraux, Julie Garwood, and Penelope Williamson. Malcolm Gladwell always writes interesting pieces. I tend not to read too much in my own genre when I'm writing, because I don't want to accidentally adopt another author's voice!
Glynnis Campbell
I love visiting new places! I'm most comfortable writing about Scotland, because I've spent so much time researching there. To write an accurate story about a different country would require a great deal of research, but it would be a fun challenge. Among my fave destinations: New Zealand, Ireland, France, Italy, Costa Rica, Norway, Japan, Iceland...
Glynnis Campbell
My settings are based on real places, though I occasionally use invented clan holdings like Rivenloch. I try to be true to the landscape as much as possible, remembering that it was different in medieval times. I don't generally base my characters on real people, except that I model their features and expressions on actors who inspire me.
Glynnis Campbell
So far all of my books are in third person. I've considered trying to write something in first person present tense, because I find reading them fascinating. But most historical fiction feels more appropriate in third person, maybe because the stories take place in the past. If I were to write in present tense, it would probably be a contemporary thriller.
Glynnis Campbell
I really love writing on cruise ships and on my musician husband's tour bus! There's something inspiring about having an office that glides through changing scenery. If by "favorite," you mean where I USUALLY write, that's on my sofa at home, next to a big window overlooking the garden.
Glynnis Campbell
I'd always liked stories with British settings, but it wasn't until I fell in love with my Campbell husband that I developed a love for his clan beginnings in Scotland. The fierce independence of the people and the wildness of the landscape fascinated me and inspired more adventurous stories.
Glynnis Campbell
It's always challenging to choose a favorite book, because it's usually the one I'm working on at the moment. But one of my novellas, "The Outcast," resonates the most with me, because the heroine is kind of a cheery nerd like I am. It was easy and fun getting inside her brain!
Glynnis Campbell
Generally, I'm not afraid of spiders. Insects are far more likely to bite people, and spiders are the ones who eat insects, so they're sort of an organic pest control! I don't particularly want spiders ON me, but I rescue and relocate them when they're in my way.
Glynnis Campbell
A big mix of experiences inspires my writing. Sometimes it's learning about a historical battle, an interesting occupation, an obscure holiday, or a social practice. Sometimes it's watching a movie or hearing a news report that triggers an idea for a story conflict. Sometimes it's encountering a character, either in real life or in history, that inspires a plot. I just have to remain open and observant.
Glynnis Campbell
Since I've written so many books in the same general era, the research on the time period in terms of clothing, architecture, food, and social practices grows less and less. But I'm always exploring new occupations and historical events, so I do several hours of research as I'm writing, and sometimes I end up down rabbit holes! I spent a whole day looking into Highland cattle for my book, LAIRD OF FLINT.
Glynnis Campbell
I think I need to go back and see ALL the Scottish castles to make that decision. ;) I've actually been to a number of them. It's hard to choose a favorite, though I'm fond of the Campbell castles. I love the stark ruin of Kilchurn, but the home of the clan laird, Inveraray, is a civilized beauty. Edinburgh and Stirling are massive and spectacular. The one I haven't seen yet is Eilean Donan, though it stands in as Rivenloch on some of my book covers!
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more