The Author Interviews, Round 2, #3: Morgan Smith

For my third interview in round two of the Author Interviews, I spoke withMorgan Smith, author of Casting In Stone (A Novel of the Averraine Cycle, Book One). It's a fascinating, insightful read.Where do you get your ideas from?I am never quite sure…I start thinking about a character, and then I put them into a situation, and things just sort of…happen.Why do you write?To get that character out of my head.What do you find most appealing about your chosen genre?I love fantasy for two reasons: one is that fantasy gives you a lot of scope for untenable situations where the character has to find ways of overcoming obstacles that seem insurmountable. The other thing is that I get to use a lifetime’s worth of studying medieval history and archaeology to create a new/ old world.How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?I am more critical of my work that any reader has ever been. I look on negative critique as an opportunity to grow as a writer.What do you find difficult about writing?Overcoming procrastination and Facebook.Do you ever outsource your work?Just the editing and the covers.What is your opinion on indie vs traditional publishing?I am, I admit, a wee bit of a control freak, so I lean towards indie…but I’m not opposed to traditional systems.Talk us through your creative process from start to finish.Well, first I get a character going in my head. I don’t write anything down, not yet. I just let them live there: imagining what kind of person they are and what has made them that way. This can take months – years, even.Then I start thinking about what situations would make them crazy, make them take wrong turns or bad decisions, make them hurt or frightened. From there, it’s a matter of deciding on a beginning, a middle, and an ending. At this point, I do make some notes.Then I just start at that beginning and write to the middle. There’s a point there, where I kind of take stock, and re-organize (the ending might need tweaking, or even big changes, because things develop that you don’t expect before that) and write from there to the end.And then I rewrite everything, top to bottom.What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Read. Read everything. Read outside your comfort zone, read outside your genre. The book that taught me the most about structuring a novel was “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, because it is just perfect, in terms of how the book functions as a novel. It’s bloody incredible.If you could go back in time 12 months, what would you advise yourself?Spend a little more on advertising before the first book came out.I was also lucky enough to ask Morgan about some reading habits.Would you agree a good book must withstand more than one read?Oh, yes. I totally agree with that.What do you look for when shopping on Amazon for a Kindle book? Highlight those you would consider. Are any of the below more important to you than others?I look for a blurb that doesn’t sound as if the author was rewriting their favourite author’s last novel. I don’t want to read someone’s pale imitation of Jim Butcher, or a self-conscious faux-Edgar Allen Poe. Write in your own voice, use your own ideas, create your own world.The cover is important – if you have an amateurish cover, I assume you wrote an amateurish book. The other thing is the sample chapters: If I don’t like the writing style, I won’t buy. The third thing is the reviews: I don’t have problems with a few negative reviews (not everyone likes everything) but if everyone gives you low marks, there’s probably a reason for that.And price? Well, I won’t download a free book. If you don’t think your work is worth something, why should I?Who is your favourite author and why?I think right now, I am torn between Guy Gavriel Kay and Ursula Leguin…when I am not fangirling over Neil Gaiman…Do you shop for indie books online? If not, why?I do, especially if I know the author.What would it take for you to leave a review on Amazon/ Goodreads?For indies, the book has to be at least somewhat good – if I really think it’s awful, I won’t review it. I do write the author with my concerns. But for trad books, I will, because if a big-name publisher didn’t properly edit the work, or chose a really tired concept and plot and still killed trees for it, I think they should know that they fell down on their job. If they want to be gatekeepers, then they need to have high standards.And since I also edit professionally, I feel qualified to point out that a derivative work with no real merits really brings the trads into disrepute.After downloading book one for free/ 99p or 99c on Amazon, do you ever return and pay more for book two? If not, why?No. Never. If I buy it, then that’s that. I think too many people treat shopping as lending, and I think it is dishonest.Do you ever visit an author's website and if so, why?I don’t, very often. Because I don’t have endless time. There’s only so much I can fit into a day.What would it take for you to sign up to a mailing list?A writer I really admire, who doesn’t just use the newsletter to make me buy things. That’s all. I don’t need 47 daily reminders: if a book sounds interesting, I can go and look and read the sample and decide for myself. I’m not buying things from anywhere just because you sound needy.Do you ever enter giveaways and/ or order signed copies?I do use free downloads for giveaways for online events, and I give them to people who I know are struggling financially and can use a little distraction or “pick-me-up”. (It’s a way to be nice!)What would it take for you to recommend a book to a friend?Good, solid prose, properly edited, with engaging characters and a reasonably well-thought-out plot.I'd like to thank Morgan for this interview and we wish you all the best with your work. Please support this author if you can by sharing or visiting their website/s to purchase a book.