Ask the Author: H.M. Long
Answered Questions (7)
H.M. Long
Hey Brant! I'm so glad you're enjoying DWD. I don't read a whole lot of nautical fiction nowadays, sadly (I tend not to read too closely to the setting of books I am actively drafting.) But last year I read and adored Naomi Novik's Temeraire series! And in the past, particularly in my teens, I read whatever I could get my hands on, from Bloody Jack to Patrick O'Brian, as well as a random assortment of memoirs including Two Years Before the Mast. I also love TV series and film adaptions like Horatio Hornblower and Master and Commander: Far Side of the World, and tend to rewatch them to prepare for drafting my Winter Sea books!
H.M. Long
A character doesn’t need to be likeable, but they do need to be relatable. We need to understand that they are still a human like us, and that they are the way they are for various reasons and are not simple a flat “bad person” but have depth and nuance, internal cohesiveness AND contradiction.
With how far a character can go before readers start to bail, I think there’s no straight answer and that deeply depends on the story, the circumstances, and the way the author has managed everything.
I personally think it takes a lot of skill to pull off an unlikable character! And even with the best authors, there will always be readers turned off (which is true with any topic!)
With how far a character can go before readers start to bail, I think there’s no straight answer and that deeply depends on the story, the circumstances, and the way the author has managed everything.
I personally think it takes a lot of skill to pull off an unlikable character! And even with the best authors, there will always be readers turned off (which is true with any topic!)
H.M. Long
Thank you for the question! I’m so glad you’re enjoying Barrow of Winter.
Committing to finishing a first draft can be a huge battle. Here’s what helped (and still helps!) me:
-Be selfish. Just focus on you and the book and the next page, and don’t let yourself dwell on the next step, or what people think. Snuggle up in your creative bubble and give yourself permission to take time, experiment, mess up and change your mind.
-Write what makes you happy. If that means skipping a scene, do it.
-Experiment with different writing methods. Sprinting, daily goals, time slots, writing non-linearly. The most valuable part of writing your first book isn’t the book - it’s learning your voice and what methods work best for you.
A manuscript can always be fixed, and there’s no wrong way to do any of this, as long as it works for you.
I hope that helps! Good luck!
Committing to finishing a first draft can be a huge battle. Here’s what helped (and still helps!) me:
-Be selfish. Just focus on you and the book and the next page, and don’t let yourself dwell on the next step, or what people think. Snuggle up in your creative bubble and give yourself permission to take time, experiment, mess up and change your mind.
-Write what makes you happy. If that means skipping a scene, do it.
-Experiment with different writing methods. Sprinting, daily goals, time slots, writing non-linearly. The most valuable part of writing your first book isn’t the book - it’s learning your voice and what methods work best for you.
A manuscript can always be fixed, and there’s no wrong way to do any of this, as long as it works for you.
I hope that helps! Good luck!
H.M. Long
Loosely! The original setting for the book was based on Romans on the Germanic frontier (the setting of Netflix’s Barbarians, for example) but as I began pitching it, “Viking” became the description most people connected with.
I love history, particularly connected to my own Germanic/Celtic and Scandinavian roots, and all of that seeped in. But whatever influences arose, I strove to make it my own.
I love history, particularly connected to my own Germanic/Celtic and Scandinavian roots, and all of that seeped in. But whatever influences arose, I strove to make it my own.
H.M. Long
I'm currently revising the sequel to Hall of Smoke (coming 2022) and laying the foundations for my next project, a stand-alone sci-fi.
H.M. Long
I honestly don't like the term writer's block, because it's too often treated as some mysterious, unavoidable force. For me, what could be called "writer's block" is usually creative fatigue/burnout, or a warning sign that I'm writing in the wrong direction (so the story has ceased to flow).
In both these cases, I simply take a step back, read a few titles from my TBR pile, and take long walks (or travel if I can!)
In both these cases, I simply take a step back, read a few titles from my TBR pile, and take long walks (or travel if I can!)
H.M. Long
There's so much to say on this topic, but here's a tip I've always found the most helpful:
Don't be afraid to hit delete, and never let old material bog you down. Your sentences, chapters, or even entire books aren't what matters. Your story and your skills are, so keep moving forward, keep improving, and keep writing new things.
Don't be afraid to hit delete, and never let old material bog you down. Your sentences, chapters, or even entire books aren't what matters. Your story and your skills are, so keep moving forward, keep improving, and keep writing new things.
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