Hey, everyone! Meet Mr. Eric Asher, aka: The Worrible King!
Eric is the next featured author in our Q&A series. I've been behind Eric since the release of his first novel, Days Gone Bad and I'm still at his side with the recently released Wolves And The River Of Stone. He is a great novelist & also a fantastic friend. I had the chance to finally meet Eric & his girlfriend in May at the RT Book Convention in Kansas City & we had a blast! This man has a wickedly wonderful sense of humor & is always knows how to make me laugh out loud!
I hope you'll check out his work & enjoy his Q&A session!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) Why did you decide to start writing?
I’ve loved reading since I was very young. Filling out those little maps the library used to hand out as a “reading challenge” was one of my favorite summer activities between school years. At some point in time, I’m not sure when exactly, I would to wonder as I read ‘Wouldn’t it have been neat if they’d done this, or a character had this ability, or if the rules of the world were just a little bit different?’ It eventually led me to write stories and that led me to write my own books.
2) Do you think authors can succeed in multiple genres or should they stick with a single genre?
I personally feel writing across multiple genres can help develop an author’s craft. Depending what those genres are, the author may benefit from a pen name, but it’s always beneficial to look at the world from different perspectives.
3) What do you feel is the biggest reward to you with writing?
Being able to share these stories with other people who enjoy them has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
4) Who are some of your favorite authors & why?
In regards to expanding my love of the fantasy genre, I will always owe thanks to Robert Asprin for his Myth Adventures series. They are such a wonderful blend of humor and adventure that I loved when I was a kid. Northworld by David Drake single handedly turned me into a huge fan of military science fiction. C.S Friedman, Neil Gaiman, Patricia Briggs, and Tad Williams are also at the top of my list.
5) What are the biggest hurdles to overcome as an author?
Accepting the fact not everyone is going to like your book, and that’s perfectly okay. These days I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time to read my book. Even if they didn’t particularly enjoy it, I’m glad they gave it a chance. The best advice I can give when it comes to readers not liking your work is to think of your favorite book. The greatest book you’ve ever read that’s verging on a flawless masterpiece. Go look up the reviews on that book. You’ll still find the negative commentary because we all like different things.
Something else I’m glad I realized early on is that everyone needs an editor. If someone wants to publish, they really need to embrace that fact. Your brain is remarkably good at hiding typos from you. It just fills in the blanks as you read.
6) Is there any advice that you can offer for new writers?
Hire an editor. Did I mention that? Do not give up. Just write. Your first draft on any work will probably suck, so rewrite it. A lot. There is no better way to learn than to do.
7) Tell us a few random personal things about yourself personal & professional!
I’ve always been a bit of a collector, which is probably how I ended up on Travel Channel’s Toy Hunter. I collect Transformers and comic books when I’m not reading or writing. Oh, and Worribles....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
