Fantasy Scroll Magazine

Over at Fantasy Scroll Magazine, Iulian Ionescu interviews me in their December issue. I give my life story in three paragraphs, wax philosophical about character creation, and give (gasp!) advice to aspiring writers. Not for the faint of heart! Here’s a brief excerpt:

Here’s one question many writers dread, but I ask it anyway: what is your advice for young writers today?

The sooner you can develop a thick skin, the better off you will be. The writing life is full of rejection and heartbreak. You can spend five years working on your epic novel only to have it sit in a drawer because no one wants to buy it. You can have your favorite story rejected twenty times by all your favorite markets. You can have your beloved author or review site pan your work. Etc., etc. You have to learn not to care about this too much. It’s really hard, because we’re social creatures and primed to seek approval from others. I still struggle with this. But at the end of the day you have to just acknowledge the hurt and put your derrière back in the chairière and do the old clackety-clack.

You can read the full interview here.