What is your name and/or pen name?
Robert
Hazelton
What genre do you write?
I’ve
dipped my fingers into many genres. Urban Fantasy is probably my primary genre
but I’ve also got horror, fantasy and science fiction titles. As a freelancer,
the sky’s the limit and I’ve done everything from romance to drama.
What made you want to be a writer?
My passion for writing began when I
was around seven years old. I had the opportunity to play my first Dungeons
& Dragons game. When the story didn’t
go the way I thought it should, I started thinking I needed to tell the story.
I wrote my first novel when I was fifteen with an electric typewriter and
pumped out five hundred pages over the next couple of months.
The book was rubbish but it didn’t stop me. I read books on writing, how to improve
and kept plugging away.
What do you use to keep yourself inspired while
writing?
I’ve
studied the habits of many authors and took their ideas to heart. When John
Grisham wrote his first book, he did so by getting up early every morning and
putting a couple hours in before work. Without fail, he’d be pounding out the
words. I follow similar methods. During my full time job, I would write at
every opportunity.
I use the iCloud so I can work on
whatever project I’ve got going
with any of my devices wherever I am. This helps me stay focused and I’m able
to get ahead. As far as getting myself to do it, it’s harder to stop myself. I
love crafting stories and I want to write the next part, to see what method I
discover to describe something. It’s exciting.
Music helps too. I worked as a
professional musician so many pieces get me in the mood to create. Soundtracks
are great for that, especially when I want a specific mood.
How do you feel about the writing community as a whole?
The writing community has exploded
since I first began. There are so many new folks showing up with great ideas.
As a freelancer, I mentor many people from the inception of their idea to
organizing their thoughts to actually writing the piece. It’s one of the most fulfilling things I do and it
wouldn’t be possible without the amazing global writing community we have
today.
Have you or will you be willing to collaborate with
other authors in the future?
I help a lot of people with their
ideas but I don’t see myself
collaborating any time in the near future.
Tell us about your book and if it’s upcoming or
already published.
I have seven books in an Urban
Fantasy series. The first is called Glamour & Shadows and is about two
supernatural detectives, one an Incubus and the other a Fairy. They attempt to
solve a murder that appears to have been caused by a shape shifter. The second
book takes the fairy and pairs her with a vampire who owns a role playing game
store.
I’ve
also released some comic books based on the series so it’s a pretty big deal
around here. It’s not erotic by any stretch, but has more of a tone akin to
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Plenty of snark and a lot of action. And there are
enough characters to keep things interesting so that each title doesn’t follow
the same two people every time.
I’d
like to offer another brief mention for a brand new series I started called the
Savant Diaries. It’s another Urban Fantasy with humans that are paid by ‘benevolent’
supernaturals to take care of feral monsters in order to keep their secrets.
The main character in the first book is a film actor who, after an anger
management course, is attacked by a vampire.
They’re
a lot of fun and there are only two books right now so it’s an easy series to
jump into.
Is your book or upcoming book an eBook, paperback,
or both?
All of my books are on Kindle and
physical copy. I do have two new books in the works, one a young adult action
story and the next Savant Diaries.
Is this your first book?
I have a grand total of 16 books
currently available for sale. One of them is also available as an Audio Book
and the first Glamour & Shadows is being turned into a radio drama.
Are you planning to write more?
I’m always planning the next project!
Is there anything you would say to other writers,
that want to write and publish a book?
The key to writing and publishing a
book is perseverance and confidence. When you come up with an idea that gets
you excited, don’t allow
yourself to find reasons that it should be abandoned. Write it down. Let it
brew in your head if you’re not ready to approach it. Build upon the story as
you go about your day.
When you finally are ready to go,
don’t immediately start writing
Chapter 1. Plan a little bit. Organize your thoughts. The number one thing I
see people do that stumps them is they become excited, immediately start
writing without a plan then stall somewhere near the end of Act 1.
I’m
creating a Writing Course that takes people from the inception of their idea to
finished novel from knowledge I’ve picked up in two years of helping people get
through the process. I’ll give away the biggest secret here: finishing the book
is literally the hardest part. Whether it’s good, bad, terrible or mediocre,
writing the last paragraph is a huge accomplishment.
You need discipline to get your
first product out. When you’re trying to
decide if you’re going to watch a TV show or work on your project, put the show
off. My first two years of writing, I fell behind all of my friends when it came
to shows and movies because I focused on honing my craft.
I also recommend reading the book ‘The War of Art’ by Steven Pressfield. It’s an
absolute game changer when it comes to writing or doing any sort of art at all.
Always be looking for ways to improve, read books, study other authors and
enjoy the process. Writing can be incredible fun but it does require a lot of
dedication and effort.
Where can my readers find your book and how they can
follow you on social media? Leave only links that you want open to the public.
My Amazon Link:
My web site:
My social media:
Thank you Robert
for sharing with us, I really enjoyed hearing how much you help other
authors. You can tell from my blog that I feel the same on that subject.
I hope
everyone will check out Robert’s books and follow him by using the links above.
As Always,
Happy Reading and Writing Everyone
G. D.
Talbot
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