Q and A with author A. F. Stewart

[A.F.]

Please welcome me, A. F. Stewart, to our Q & A discussions.

My Bio:

A. F. Stewart was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, and still calls it home. She has always had an overly creative mind, and an active imagination. She is fond of good books (especially science fiction/fantasy), action movies, sword collecting and oil painting as a hobby.

Ms. Stewart has been writing for several years, her main focus being in the fantasy genre. She also has a great interest in history and mythology, often working those themes into her books and stories. She has authored and published several books, including Killers and Demons, Chronicles of the Undead, Shadows of Poetry, Passing Fancies and Once Upon a Dark and Eerie...

My Profile: A.F. Stewart

[Marianne]

Hi A.F. I am so impressed by your output. Of all your publications to date, do you have a favourite book? And, how long does it take you to write a book - on average - or have they all taken different amounts of time?
thanks

[Sheila]

Hi, A.F. I hope this is the right place to take part in your Q & A.
Tell us a little bit about how you got started.

[G.]

Hi A.F.
What types of swords do you collect? Also, do you have any advice for the beginner writer - ? thanks!
G

[Robert]

How do you create, and build, tension in a piece? Are there any particuar literary devices you favour?

[A.F.]

Marianne wrote: "Hi A.F. I am so impressed by your output. Of all your publications to date, do you have a favourite book? And, how long does it take you to write a book - on average - or have they all taken differ..."

Marianne, I don't think a favourite book, although I have a few favourite stories in my short story collections, like London 1888, A Funny Murder, The Case of the Missing Frog Prince, Conversation in the Country Club and Victorian Shadows. They all take different amounts of time; Chronicles took about a year (research included), Ruined City about six months and the collections of poetry and short stories can vary wildly, depending on whether I'm just formatting from existing material or adding newly written pieces.

[A.F.]

Sheila wrote: "Hi, A.F. I hope this is the right place to take part in your Q & A.
Tell us a little bit about how you got started."

Sheila, I've always written stories and I even submitted a few pieces here and there in my younger days, but I really never pursued it seriously until a few years ago when I stumbled across Lulu.com. I figured free self-publishing was worth a shot to see if I was any good. I started with a poetry collection, Tears of Poetry and then a short story collection, Inside Realms and I received nice feedback. Everything just snowballed from there.

[A.F.]

G. wrote: "Hi A.F.
What types of swords do you collect? Also, do you have any advice for the beginner writer - ? thanks!
G"

G., I collect mostly sword replicas from movies and a few historic replicas. I went a little crazy on eBay for a few years, so I have a nice collection now.
My advice to beginning writers is write what you enjoy because sometimes being a writer can be frustrating and the love of putting words down on paper will keep you going.

[A.F.]

Gregory wrote: "How do you organize your writing? Word-count per day, or chapter a day/week, or just whenever you have free time?

(It's strangely hard to come up with interesting questions. Maybe that's just me..."

Gregory, I'm terrible at organizing my writing. I tried to do the word count or the page count thing and I never stuck with it. I do make time to write and write when I have free time, but quite often I just write when the mood hits or an idea comes to me. I can start writing and the next thing I know it an hour or two later.

And yes it is hard to come up with interesting questions. I'm glad I don't have to this weekend.

[[deleted user]]

Wow, that's some cool stuff. How long have you been painting? I've always wanted to do something like that... What are your favorite subjects to paint. Does painting influence your writing. There is a really good book called Word Painting is why I'm asking. :)

[Sheila]

I don't want to ask rude questions about exactly how much you make on your writing, but I am curious - does self-publishing pay at all?
I've been published by several larger presses here in Canada, and the money is not great, so I'm wondering if self-publishing is a viable option for my next book. The main thing is, I would like paperbacks and the cost of printing is prohibitive.

[A.F.]

Bob wrote: "How do you create, and build, tension in a piece? Are there any particuar literary devices you favour?"

Good question, Bob. I do tend to throw my characters in perilous situations which sets up tension, but I suppose I use mood, atmosphere, and foreshadowing quite a bit. And I think tension in writing can come from what you don't say as much as what you do. I think a writer creates tension slowly, by never revealing too much too soon.
As for literary devices, I don't use any consciously but symbolism creeps in quite a bit, as do themes (usually having to do with consequences).

[A.F.]

Coral wrote: "Wow, that's some cool stuff. How long have you been painting? I've always wanted to do something like that... What are your favorite subjects to paint. Does painting influence your writing. There i..."

I've always been a doodler, and I've been painting for years. I like to paint seascapes (that's probably my Nova Scotia influence) best. I do tend to think visually, and I envision a scene before I write it, so in that way being an artist influences my writing.

[A.F.]

Sheila wrote: "I don't want to ask rude questions about exactly how much you make on your writing, but I am curious - does self-publishing pay at all?
I've been published by several larger presses here in Canada,..."

I'm not getting rich on my books, (calling my revenue a pittance would be kind) but I know a few self-published that are making a few bucks. I think making money as an author is more dependent on your marketing these days.
Yes, the cost of print books can be costly in self-publishing, but with POD you can mitigate price with bulk discounts. Also, as so many reviewers these days accept ebooks, it pays to offer an ebook edition; these cost nothing to send out.

[AR]

Since a lot of your stuff is self published, how do you go about proper editing. I myself, much to years of grasping the concept, have some poor grammar skills. Do you hire out professional editors or do you have gracious friends skilled in the field of grammar and content editing?

[A.F.]

Ali wrote: "Since a lot of your stuff is self published, how do you go about proper editing. I myself, much to years of grasping the concept, have some poor grammar skills. Do you hire out professional editors..."

Ali, most of my books so far are story or poetry collections, so I do most of the editing myself; I do recommend outside editors though to any who self-publish. But one of my self-editing tricks is to run the stories through the "Read Out Loud" program in the Adobe Reader; hearing it read to you helps in finding the errors.
I did have Chronicles (my novella) edited (the nice editor did as a favour and a book credit). If you look, you can find reasonably priced editors, some even specialize in the self-published.

[A.F.]

Paul wrote: "Congratulations on the many books you have under your belt. Well done, you. When you first started did you settle with one genre or did you decide to 'play' with others genres to see what worked fo..."

Paul, way, way back when I first started, I did play with the idea of writing a mystery novel, but discovered constructing a whodunit did not suit me well. Then I tried writing writing a romance novel; that pathetic first draft is gathering dust under my bed. After that I went back to writing what I knew best, fantasy and poetry. I wrote the non-fiction books simply to indulge my love of action movies.
To answer your second question, I started in 2007 and marketing has changed quite a bit. For one thing, you see authors in charge of their marketing more now, through social networking. A writer really needs a Twitter or Facebook presence these days. There's more of the "blog tour/hop" action than when I began and indie writers can get reviews far more easier these days. The internet as a marketing tool took off these last few years.

[Sheila]

A.F. wrote: "Ali wrote: "Since a lot of your stuff is self published, how do you go about proper editing. I myself, much to years of grasping the concept, have some poor grammar skills. Do you hire out professi..."
I seem to keep following you--I'm pretty sure it was your advice that got me using read-aloud, and it's really good! I followed you to Lulu too. And I'm hoping to follow you to Smashwords soon. Do you have any advice for someone just beginning to put their toes into ebook waters?

[A.F.]

Rick asked a question earlier in the week, "How does A.F. come up with an idea for a plot and then flesh it out with enough characters and twists to produce an entire novel?"
Here's the answer:
Ideas for plots come when random things trigger some weird process in my brain, like a freaky word association game. I can read things or hear things, or be working from a writing prompt, and bam. An example: for a recent writing prompt I was given a choice of an opening sentence and needed to write a 100 word story; one sentence had my brain searching for a strange message, and I remembered an old cartoon episode. An odd story about a pork pie and a family reunion resullted.
The fleshing out part happens because after I get the idea, I usually figure out how the story ends. Then the characters talk to me and tell me their story.

[A.F.]

Sheila wrote: "A.F. wrote: "Ali wrote: "Since a lot of your stuff is self published, how do you go about proper editing. I myself, much to years of grasping the concept, have some poor grammar skills. Do you hire..."

Sheila, the major lesson I learned is formatting for ebooks is very different than for print books. Fancy formatting does not translate well to the ebook; I had to retrain myself to do it simple and plain. I also found sending out free copies (for reviews, giveaways, etc.) is so much simpler through Smashwords via their coupons. Ebook pricing is another thing that's the great debate. Some like to do the whole .99 cent thing, others say varying your prices (depending on book length) is better. I'm still experimenting.

[A.F.]

Got to take a short break and go buy some groceries. See you a bit later to answer some more questions.

[A.F.]

Okay I'm back and the fridge is restocked.

[Erma]

You said that Nova Scotia influences your painting. Would you say Nova Scotia influences your writing too, even if not directly?

[A.F.]

Erma wrote: "You said that Nova Scotia influences your painting. Would you say Nova Scotia influences your writing too, even if not directly?"

Yes, I would have to say Nova Scotia is part of my writing. My Celtic roots stem from here and my childhood and are very evident in my books. Also, ghosts and the paranormal are prevalent in our history and folklore, not to mention pirates (soon to make an appearance in a story or two). I'm currently planning a series (I hope) of books set in an alternate history Nova Scotia.

[Marianne]

A.F. wrote: "Marianne wrote: "Hi A.F. I am so impressed by your output. Of all your publications to date, do you have a favourite book? And, how long does it take you to write a book - on average - or have they..."

Thanks for answer :) One more quick question, of it's been asked already,sorry, but why do you want to write?

[A.F.]

Marianne wrote: "A.F. wrote: "Marianne wrote: "Hi A.F. I am so impressed by your output. Of all your publications to date, do you have a favourite book? And, how long does it take you to write a book - on average -..."

I'm not sure it's a matter of want, as it's just who I am. Stories and poems happen whether I want them to or not (I joke that I write to get the voices out of my head). I think the wanting comes in with being published, and well what writer wouldn't want to see their words in a book.

[A.F.]

It's creeping up on 10 PM here so, I'm going offline (plus Supernatural is on soon) for the evening.

[Angela]

Hello AF... I am an admirer of your style. What works do you have planned for the future now that Ruined City is out (which I finally have time to read now that we are moved...)

Also, what is your ideal thinking spot? Some think in the shower, some one walks... what's yours?

[J.H.]

Hi A.F.

If you were told you were going to be stuck in a fantasy book, which one would you choose, and what would you be?

[A.F.]

Carroll wrote: "Hello A.F., hope your day is/has been going well. I was wondering, what can your fans and those who follow you and your work come to expect from you in the future? Is it your personal goal to keep ..."

Carroll, publishing multiple books a year isn't planned; it just works out that way. I keep getting ideas that turn into books. I'm finishing up a new book at the momement, Gothic Cavalcade; it's a gothic horror/paranormal/sort of romance/revenge novel. Plus, there's a new poetry collection to put together, my sadly neglected wizard novel, Song of the Wind and Sea, and a couple of other books in the works.

[A.F.]

Angela wrote: "Hello AF... I am an admirer of your style. What works do you have planned for the future now that Ruined City is out (which I finally have time to read now that we are moved...)

Also, what is y..."

Angela, as I said in my answer to Carroll, I'm currently working on Gothic Cavalcade, my wizard novel and a new poetry collection, Reflections of Poetry. I'm also writing a steampunk story for submission to an anthology (which I plan on turning into a book series) and the next book in my Incomplete series, The Incomplete Guide to Monster Extermination.

My best thinking spot is the bathroom. Yes, I know it sounds strange, but my mind seems to like to get inspired doing mudane things like brushing my teeth. And it is the quietest place in the house.

[A.F.]

J.h. wrote: "Hi A.F.

If you were told you were going to be stuck in a fantasy book, which one would you choose, and what would you be?"

Easy one, J. h. I'd plunk myself in one of Anne McCaffrey's Pern books, and of course I'd be a Dragonrider.

[Sheila]

A.F. wrote: "Sheila wrote: "A.F. wrote: "Ali wrote: "Since a lot of your stuff is self published, how do you go about proper editing. I myself, much to years of grasping the concept, have some poor grammar skil..."
I've begun to recognize when the formatting failed to translate in some ebooks I've reviewed--fixed font sizes for emphasis ending up as tiny fonts when I make the text larger and so on. It will certainly be interesting trying to fix that.

Do you worry about how the book will look on different ereaders, or is it pretty clear to the author when you've got it right?

And how do the smashwords coupons work--do you have to pay for them, or are they free to you as well as to the reviewer?

[A.F.]

Sheila wrote: "A.F. wrote: "Sheila wrote: "A.F. wrote: "Ali wrote: "Since a lot of your stuff is self published, how do you go about proper editing. I myself, much to years of grasping the concept, have some poor..."

Sheila, I format my books to look good for epub, since that style works on several readers. But I think that the formatting works well on Kindle. At least I haven't heard complaints. If you follow the Smashwords Style Guide I think you get a fairly universal format.
Smashword coupons are a free author tool. As the author you generate a coupon number for your book as needed. You can make a discount sale coupon (some percentage off) or a free coupon for giveaways and to offer reviewers.

[Wendy]

I notice from your responses that your writing regimen is organic and spontaneous rather than relying on formulaic rituals of goal-setting and word count. Obviously, it's been very successful for you, as your output is steady and the quality of your books is excellent. This may not be for everybody, because it presupposes a certain inner self-control, but do you think these work habits help you to maintain the joy and freshness in your writing?

[A.F.]

Wendy wrote: "I notice from your responses that your writing regimen is organic and spontaneous rather than relying on formulaic rituals of goal-setting and word count. Obviously, it's been very successful for y..."

Yes, I thrive on chaos. I suppose my writing style does help things from getting stale, since I usually work on multiple projects at the same time. It keeps my brain churning.

[Barbara]

Hi A.F. Congratulations on all your book - it's quite an accomplishment indeed! My question is a two part question, "If just one of your books could be made into film, which book would you pick, and who would be your choice of actors, actresses etc...?

[A.F.]

Barbiewatkins42 wrote: "Hi A.F. Congratulations on all your book - it's quite an accomplishment indeed! My question is a two part question, "If just one of your books could be made into film, which book would you pick, an..."

I'd pick Chronicles of the Undead. I think it would make a good film, with all the vampires, hunters and the 17th century setting. I think Alex Kingston (from Dr. Who) would make a good Eleanor, with Kate Beckensale as Charlotte. Ralph Fiennes would be perfect as Henri, Alan Rickman as Samuel and Henry Cavill or Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Edmund.

[Sheila]

A.F. wrote: "Barbiewatkins42 wrote: "Hi A.F. Congratulations on all your book - it's quite an accomplishment indeed! My question is a two part question, "If just one of your books could be made into film, which..."

I like your casting suggestions! I'd watch that film.

[A.F.]

Sheila wrote: "A.F. wrote: "Barbiewatkins42 wrote: "Hi A.F. Congratulations on all your book - it's quite an accomplishment indeed! My question is a two part question, "If just one of your books could be made int..."

Well I do know my films and film actors, especially the cute British ones. I'd probably fit Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor in there somewhere too.

[J.A.]

Is there a genre other than your main one that you'd love to write in but never have? What is it and why?
JAC.

[A.F.]

J.A. wrote: "Is there a genre other than your main one that you'd love to write in but never have? What is it and why?
JAC."

I suppose I have always wanted to write a mystery novel, probably because I read so many growing up and love the genre. I tried once, but never had much inspiration, although I have written some fantasy detective short fiction.