Neil Hartley Interview Published on: 31, Jan 2023
Do you have a simple childhood memory that you could never forget?
I don't think so really. Just the usual memories of growing up.
Do you remember what your first piece of creative writing was? Tell us more about it.I used to churn out stories (pretty rubbish ones looking back on them) when I was at school for Creative Writing class. Even then I liked story-telling, but when I was a teenager I decided I didn't know enough about life, and hadn't had enough experience to really write a book. I started writing again when I was in my thirties, after those boxes had been ticked to an adequate degree.
What was that one moment in your life when you realized that you wanted to write?I can't remember any single moment.
What is your favourite fantasy book and how did it impact your writing?My favourite fantasy book is probably not one book, but a series: “The Dying Earth” series by Jack Vance; a seriously, seriously underrated author. Whenever I read one of his books I want to write in his style, which is so distinctive. His stories are right down my alley too.
Have you ever suddenly quit your job to pursue your writing dreams?No, my life had been chaotic enough, and I've always managed to find time to write.
When writing a sci-fi book what should the foreword include?If anything, I tend to write warnings about the 'inappropriateness' of the upcoming tale! Apart from that, I'm very much against giving away plot details up front. I really hate that myself, hence, probably no foreword.
What sci-fi books have you read more than once? Why?Bloody hell, how much time do you have? I re-read pretty much any book I enjoy. Probably my favourite sci-fi books are: “Drinking Sapphire Wine” by Tanith Lee, followed closely by “The i Inside” by A. D. Foster and “The Planet of Adventure” by Jack Vance. Oh, oh, also the “Night's Dawn” trilogy, an epic read by Peter F. Hamilton. I could go on and on...
Did you read/research about Blasphemy while writing your book, "Blasphemy: And on the eight day, he smoked a joint."?I did more research than most for this, mainly angel names and stuff. As a committed atheist, I don't know a great deal of detail about this sort of thing. Also types of gun.
How do you avoid pitfalls in epic novel fantasy writing? What are the best 101 ways not to make mistakes when writing these novels?The main pitfalls I try and avoid are plot inconsistencies and illogical actions, especially stupid moves by villains. I hate it when a 'bad guy' does something silly so the writer can have the 'hero' beat them. I re-read my stories repeatedly to try and avoid these.
What do you like to see in a fantasy novel?I like a bit of humour, and not too much in the way of long-winded descriptions. I'm easily bor... ooh, shiny!
Is it possible to teach yourself how to be funny?IMHO, no. I used to teach presentation skills, and one of the things I'd say is: “If you're not funny, don't try to be.” I mean, you may be able to improve your presentation, but in my experience, you either have it, or you don't.
Who inspired the character of Velvet, a young woman in "The Lord of All"?Beats me. My characters just arrive out of the aether.
Who designs your book covers? Do you think that a book cover plays an important role in sales?Yes, a good cover is important for sure. Mostly I've done them myself. I have had a couple done by professional artists (Lord of All and Black Alice) but they're expensive, and I'm both poor and tight fisted. Lately I've started using AI art programs to create covers, which I think is going quite well. (The latest one I did is a re-cover for “The Necromancer's Chronicles” using Midjourney to create the characters and background, which I then stuck all together). Although I've not updated the covers on AllAuthor, as there doesn't seem to be a way to do that.
Is there anything new that you're working on? When can we expect the next book to come out?Is there anything new? Haha. I have about a dozen works in various stages of not-being-finished. Currently I'm trying to work on book 2 of “The Necromancer's Chronicles” but I'm also some way into a sequel for my (dark) sci-fi “Gloom Rising”, called “Full Gloom” and I've been pushing out a dark version of “The Wizard of Oz” called “The Blood of Oz” as well. Oh, and also trying to finish one I started about a decade ago. So, well, yes. No idea when I'll get a one finished. Sometimes I have an idea for something totally different and push out a whole new book in three months, so all others get paused during that time.
Lastly, how do you promote your work on social media? Has AllAuthor been helpful in this regard and would you recommend it to other authors?I do believe AA has been working for me, yes. So quite pleased with that. It's an ongoing process, this marketing malarkey, and I've only really started concentrating on it this past year. I do advertise on Twitter and Instagram too, and I have a Facebook page somewhere, but I generally forget about that. I'm not so good in this area.
