Ask the Author: Robert Appleton
Answered Questions (4)
Robert Appleton
Hi Meghna! Great question. To be honest, it's the only reliable muse I know of - whether it's quick fix of child-like wonder or a deep, ruminative exploration of our place in the cosmos, a gaze into the night sky never disappoints. It's at once a glimpse into the past and into our possible destiny among the stars. It can provide a fathomless well of ideas or a striking mirror for our own flaws and achievements. But I also think it's an extension of my (and our collective) fascination with the ocean, a source of primal awe and fear and maybe even belonging. We're all made of star-stuff.
As a writer, the night sky excites me because of its indescribable qualities. It teases the imagination and almost dares us to articulate what it evokes. To reach for that elusive concept or phrase that, whether poetic or thematic, best encapsulates what it is about the firmament and the numinous that stirs us. I love that challenge, even when I (mostly) fall short.
Then there's the ten-year-old kid in me, who just wants to jump into the pilot seat and find out what's really out there. He'll never get to go, but I'll never tire of imagining it for him.
I could go on all day, but I'll leave it there. Would love to hear your take on it, how it inspires you.
As a writer, the night sky excites me because of its indescribable qualities. It teases the imagination and almost dares us to articulate what it evokes. To reach for that elusive concept or phrase that, whether poetic or thematic, best encapsulates what it is about the firmament and the numinous that stirs us. I love that challenge, even when I (mostly) fall short.
Then there's the ten-year-old kid in me, who just wants to jump into the pilot seat and find out what's really out there. He'll never get to go, but I'll never tire of imagining it for him.
I could go on all day, but I'll leave it there. Would love to hear your take on it, how it inspires you.
Robert Appleton
I read a chapter or two by an author whose work always inspires me. It can be anyone from Patrick O'Brian to Stephen King, just as long as there's a strong narrative voice that gets my own creative juices flowing. Never fails. Writer's block is usually just a case of greasing the wheels. It's never as dire as some people make out.
Robert Appleton
I'd kill to spend some quality time in Pellucidar, Edgar Rice Burroughs's self-contained world at the Earth's core. Sure, it's full of scary prehistoric creatures, but I'd go well-armed. And I could take my kayak and explore that island archipelago and its untamed wonders, maybe meet up with a tribal princess along the way. And all the while time seems to stand still because there's no night, only an endless, never-dull day of adventure.
Robert Appleton
I've just completed the first draft of a YA science fiction novel set on Mars. It's a story I kept putting off because I didn't know how to approach it, I didn't have a way in. But if a story's important enough to you, you'll always find a way to tell it in the end. It feels great to have finally brought this one to life.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more