MICHAEL PRYOR
- Guest Author -
G'day guys,
Welcome to the life of Michael Pryor, Australian author.
TELL US A LITTLE
ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WRITING JOURNEY.
I’ve been
writing seriously since the early 90s. I concentrated on short stories for some
time before trying novel length writing. My first novel came out in 1996, and I’ve
published thirty more since then, all Young Adult Fantasy/Science Fiction. In
total, I have published around 1.5 million words. Twenty of my novels were
written while I had a full time day job. I’ve been writing full time for the
last four years.
WHEN AND HOW DID
YOU BECOME A WRITER?
My
early writing came about via the usual method – I’d always been a voracious
reader and eventually had the thought – ‘I reckon I could do this’. Easier said
than done, of course.
WHAT DO YOU
ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
I love it that my life is bound up with books,
reading and writing and working with people who love books, reading and
writing.
WHAT IS THE
HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
Apart from the obvious – finances? For me, the
hardest thing can be deciding which idea to work on. I have so many potential
writing projects lining up for me, and only so many hours in the day …
WHAT WERE YOU IN
A PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A WRITER?
I was a teacher. Teaching English, telling kids all
day about how to write and eventually starting to wonder if I could do what I
was telling them to do.
WHAT IS YOUR
GREATEST WRITING ACHIEVEMENT?
Ooh, tough one. It’s either the six book ‘Laws of
Magic’ series, a
steampunk/historical/fantasy/political/thriller/comedy/romance, or the 28 book
shared world Quentaris series that Paul Collins and I originated, oversaw and
managed.
WHAT ARE YOU
WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
I’m putting the final touches on ‘The Subterranean
Stratagem’, Book 2 of the Steampunk ‘Extraordinaires’ series.
WHAT INSPIRES
YOU?
Reading inspires me, and the great tradition of
storytelling.
WHAT GENRE DO
YOU WRITE?
I write Young
Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction.
DO YOU HAVE ANY
TIPS FOR NEW WRITERS?
Persevere and finish something!
DO YOU SUFFER
FROM WRITER’S BLOCK?
No. Too many ideas are waiting to be written to have
writer’s block.
DO YOU HAVE A
PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE?
I write for a few hours each morning and a few in
the afternoon. When I’m in the middle of a writing project I aim to write 5000
words a day, which is solid but achievable.
DO YOU HAVE A
FAVOURITE WRITING PLACE?
I always write in my study where all my resources
are within reach.
WHAT IS YOUR
GREATEST JOY IN WRITING?
Getting feedback from happy readers.
WHO IS YOUR
FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY?
Tolkien, because I first read LOTR when I was 11 and
it opened the door to reading and writing Fantasy, the literature of the
imagination.
WHAT’S THE
GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER?
A twitter: ‘I love Michael Pryor’s books, but I wish
he’d write faster.’
WHAT WAS THE
WORST COMMENT FROM A READER?
‘I threw this book across the room.’
WRITERS ARE
SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?
Always, both consciously and unconsciously. I’m
always drawing on people that I know or I’ve met to create characters. I’m
always delving into my own reactions and experiences to make characters as
realistic as possible.
OTHER THAN
WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?
I love reading. I love travel. I love good wine and
food. I love cooking. I love gardening. And I love my family, naturally.
DID YOU HAVE
YOUR BOOK / BOOKS PROFESSIONALLY EDITED BEFORE PUBLICATION?
My books are always professionally edited before
publishing by the wonderful people at my publisher, Random House Australia.
DESCRIBE YOUR
PERFECT DAY.
Travelling
somewhere interesting, meeting interesting people, having some excellent food
and wine, and reading an interesting book in between all this.
IF YOU WERE
STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE? WHY?
My wife, because
she’s my favourite person – and very practical.
WHAT WOULD YOU
SAY IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO WORLD LEADERS?
Can’t we all
behave like adults and just get along?
WHAT ARE YOUR
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
More writing,
more travel, becoming a worldwide publishing phenomenon.
WHAT FIVE BOOKS
WOULD YOU TAKE TO HEAVEN?
LOTR. The
Baroque Cycle. Guns, Germs and Steel. The House at Pooh Corner. Wind in the
Willows.
DO YOU SEE
YOURSELF IN ANY OF YOUR CHARACTERS?
Not really.
DOES THE
PUBLISHING INDUSTRY FRUSTRATE YOU?
At times, yes,
but I’m lucky enough to be with an outstanding team at Random House Australia.
DID YOU EVER
THINK OF QUITTING?
Sometimes, when
I looked at my bank balance.
WHAT WAS YOUR
FAVOURITE MANUSCRIPT TO WRITE? WHY?
I particularly
enjoyed writing ‘Word of Honour’, the third book of the Laws of Magic series,
as my agent had negotiated a contract for it and two more books. The certainty
and this vote of confidence was a terrific boost.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’
AS A WRITER.
A good and loyal
readership. An ongoing relationship with a major publisher.
WHAT
SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY FROM YOUR BOOKS KNOWING? HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL?
They
should feel as if they’ve read a well-constructed, engaging story. I want them
to feel connected to the characters, to live with them through the ups and
downs, through the triumphs and dangers, the mistakes and the
misunderstandings.
HOW
MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO DESIGNING A BOOK COVER?
A
huge amount. I’m consulted, and I have input, but I’m constantly dazzled by the
inventiveness and insight of designers. My editor, the designer and I go
through a number of rounds of drafts and versions, tweaking all along in order
to get the best cover possible.
WHAT’S
YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM?
Major
international publication resulting in a movie deal with a large – but
artistically credible – studio.
WRITING
IS ONE THING. WHAT ABOUT MARKETING YOU, YOUR BOOKS AND YOUR BRAND? ANY
THOUGHTS?
I constantly
remind myself that I know how to write books, and my publisher knows about
marketing and publicity. They’re trained in this field and have extensive
experience – and a budget. I do what I can, through keeping up a web presence
and maintaining a social media profile, and I do many public presentations and
workshops, but the work the professionals do is pure gold.
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