Ask the Author: Timothy Roberts
Answered Questions (6)
Timothy Roberts
Inspiration comes from exercising my mind. Watching a movie or TV show, reading a book, imaginative play with my kids ... anything that gets my brain working will, eventually, lead to me opening up the laptop. Sometimes it's a paragraph, sometimes it's a chapter, and sometimes, I need to make notes for a future chapter or book.
I also keep a leather-bound notebook for ideas. Some are recent, some date back to planning for book one. I have sketches, character descriptions, creature synopses and power charts. Not only does this give me the ability to further my writing from anywhere, (I always have it with me), but leafing back through it often can inspire me by getting me to a mindset I was at in a moment. I can draw on ideas that never made it to where they were intended or alter them. For me, it's a way to keep the juices flowing.
I also keep a leather-bound notebook for ideas. Some are recent, some date back to planning for book one. I have sketches, character descriptions, creature synopses and power charts. Not only does this give me the ability to further my writing from anywhere, (I always have it with me), but leafing back through it often can inspire me by getting me to a mindset I was at in a moment. I can draw on ideas that never made it to where they were intended or alter them. For me, it's a way to keep the juices flowing.
Timothy Roberts
Write! You don't have to finish every project you start, but just write. Practicing for the big game is important to athletes, even if they never make it to the finals. The same is true of you. Spend time writing just to keep learning.
Enjoy creating your story or world. I spent a few days carefully planning, laying out and designing a restaurant that appeared for half a chapter in one of my books, but just creating it - the decor, the menu, the ambiance, the patrons, the name - was a blast. It made it easier to write that part, but it was a ton of fun, so I enjoyed writing that chapter more than the rest. When I can't be in front of my computer, I plan stuff out in my head. That excites me and motivates me to write more.
Write often, enjoy what you write, and enjoy what you create.
Enjoy creating your story or world. I spent a few days carefully planning, laying out and designing a restaurant that appeared for half a chapter in one of my books, but just creating it - the decor, the menu, the ambiance, the patrons, the name - was a blast. It made it easier to write that part, but it was a ton of fun, so I enjoyed writing that chapter more than the rest. When I can't be in front of my computer, I plan stuff out in my head. That excites me and motivates me to write more.
Write often, enjoy what you write, and enjoy what you create.
Timothy Roberts
If the right words, or mindset, or mood to write is not readily upon me, often I'll just write something else: a letter, an email, a note, a story about something else or even a part of the story that may not occur for several chapters, or even several mire books. The first part I wrote of book one was the fifth chapter, but then, I started back from the beginning. During a few times when I didn't know what to do, or couldn't motivate myself to finish a chapter, I skipped ahead. I wrote the end of the story. Then, with a renewed sense of accomplishment or knowing what lie in wait for the characters, I went back and continued the story from the middle. That's just something that has worked for me.
Timothy Roberts
I like writing because, depending on my mood, it's good for different things. It's fun to tell a story that everyone could enjoy, but it's also fun to tell a story that is, sometimes, appealing to a lot of people, but really appealing to a small group of people. It's fun to create a character, or story, or event that might hit pretty close to home, but you have the opportunity to fix the parts that need fixing, or intensify the parts that were wrong with the instance when it happened to you, or someone you knew. It's fun to vent, or rant and ramble about feelings or things that you need to say, whether it's a catharsis, or therapy, or a platform for you to say something you need to get off your chest. And whether your readers can identify with it, can relate to it, or even if they don't even recognize the cleansing and purging that you are engaged in, it still feels good to tell someone through the pages of the story.
Timothy Roberts
With books one and two already available for purchase and download, I'm working on book three: Princedoms. I'm hoping to have it completed early next year.
Timothy Roberts
The entire idea for the series of books came from a feeling that all of us has had at one time - or several times - in our lives: the sensation of being so angry that we thought we were actually on fire. Well take that and mix it with years and years of fantasy-based role-playing games, and the ability to light oneself on fire, or create a flaming ball to throw at someone becomes an entertainment, or a powerful tool. The idea that anger was able to produce such a fantastical response fueled me for years and became the subject of day dreams. I would often ask myself why the character in my fantasies could do this: were they a demon or devil, or descendant of a dragon, or a sorcerer. Regardless of the noble actions of the character, I always assumed the the ability to create fire was rooted in an evil. Then, one day, I got the idea this ability and these manifestations didn't have to be evil; after all, the Garden of Eden was guarded by an angel with a flaming sword. So at that point, the imaginative possibilities began flowing and before too much longer, book one began to take shape.
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