Dave Diss
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Never heard of you, Michael. But I don't suppose you've heard of me, either. That's the trouble, hardly anybody has. I don't write novels and have no wish to do so. As far as I'm concerned novels, generally, are just fairy tales for adults. What was it they always told us? Write what you know, wasn't it? That's what I do. I know about my own life; what I've done, where I've been and what I've seen. And believe me...?
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Dave, You are definitely in the majority -- people who haven't heard of me. And yeah, with 190,917 authors on Goodreads it's probably not unusual that I hadn't heard of you either. Glad you reached out to change that.
You don't have to write novels. Heck you don't even have to write short stories. Write whatever brings you joy, that's the motto I live by. As far as fairy tales for adults...well why should children be the ones having all the fun! We all need time to escape, relax, and unwind. I'm glad to provide people a respite from the trials and tribulations of real life.
Yes, you should definitely write what you know, but I think people interpret that in a number of ways. Fellow Author Tim Marquitz (author of Demon Squad), recently made a good post on exactly that subject in an article on Unbound Worlds regarding advice for writers doing NaNoWriMo. Here's what he said:
"The trick to writing what you know is to realize that it’s meant to be more emotional, more experience-driven than skill-driven. As humans, we all understand what it’s like to be happy, to be sad, to hurt, to be depressed, angry, tired, hungry, horny, excited, et al. These concepts are common to our existence. Even if you had a lousy home life or job or whatever, you’ve experienced these emotions to varying degrees over the course of your life. We all have."
In any case, I hope you are enjoying what you are writing. It's all about the journey. If you can enjoy that then whatever destination you arrive at you're ahead of the game. I wish you well.
You don't have to write novels. Heck you don't even have to write short stories. Write whatever brings you joy, that's the motto I live by. As far as fairy tales for adults...well why should children be the ones having all the fun! We all need time to escape, relax, and unwind. I'm glad to provide people a respite from the trials and tribulations of real life.
Yes, you should definitely write what you know, but I think people interpret that in a number of ways. Fellow Author Tim Marquitz (author of Demon Squad), recently made a good post on exactly that subject in an article on Unbound Worlds regarding advice for writers doing NaNoWriMo. Here's what he said:
"The trick to writing what you know is to realize that it’s meant to be more emotional, more experience-driven than skill-driven. As humans, we all understand what it’s like to be happy, to be sad, to hurt, to be depressed, angry, tired, hungry, horny, excited, et al. These concepts are common to our existence. Even if you had a lousy home life or job or whatever, you’ve experienced these emotions to varying degrees over the course of your life. We all have."
In any case, I hope you are enjoying what you are writing. It's all about the journey. If you can enjoy that then whatever destination you arrive at you're ahead of the game. I wish you well.
More Answered Questions
Leo
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
I know you've stated that a post-Revelations book is likely. My question is just how likely? Your work is the most fun, best written fantasy I've read in ages. I've been on a three-year kick reading very little outside the genre. I was nearing complete fatigue before I picked up Theft of Swords. You and Sanderson are head-and-shoulders above the rest. You also seem like one heck of a nice guy. Thank you for your work.
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