Emily Rose asked Alec Hutson:

Hi Alec, Are you not a full-time author? I'm not sure if I'm misinterpreting the answer to another question on this page, but if not, what do you do primarily as your full-time occupation? Is it your aspiration to write full-time? If not, would you consider it? Really enjoyed TCQ, all the best, Emily

Alec Hutson Hi, Emily! Thanks so much for your question, and thanks so much for your insightful review of Queen! I love getting feedback from good readers, as I think it'll definitely help my growth as a writer. Really, much appreciated.

I'm a teacher at an international school in Shanghai, and have been for over ten years. The Crimson Queen was my first book (like, literally, not even any others moldering in drawers anywhere), and I wrote it on summer vacations and weekends over the span of several years; now I'm feeling the pressure to finish the sequel by this winter, and I think I'm getting just a tiny taste of the pressure the greats like Martin and Rothfuss and Lynch must feel knowing they have to satisfy readers who are waiting for the next one.

The success of Queen has really surprised me, and I am planning in January (when my contract expires and our school years ends - I wouldn't leave my students mid-year) to quit my job and write full-time. Luckily, my lifestyle is easy to afford out here in China, and I'm excited to devote all my energy and focus to writing fantasy books.

Thanks again for taking a chance on an unknown, self-published author!

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Emily Rose Hi Alec! Thank you so much for getting back to me. I immensely enjoyed TCQ and ended up devouring the entire novel in one sitting (as I'm prone to do ...more
Jul 03, 2017 12:58AM

Alec Hutson More great questions :-)

This is actually the first time I've been asked about inspiration, so I'll try to order my thoughts on the subject without sou ...more
Jul 03, 2017 03:05AM