Peter Amsel

My decision to pursue a “second career” as a writer was something that had been brewing for many years, but really came as no surprise to anyone who knew me well. My family has always been extremely involved in literature insofar as being voracious readers, and my love for the written word was something that had strongly influenced me even as a child. Writing was always something that I’d enjoyed, and there always seemed to be an idea floating around my head for a story, or a novel, and when I wasn’t composing there was usually a notebook (or two, or three) lying around with various poems being written in them. I’ve loved writing poetry for as long as I can remember and look forward to putting out a collection of some of them at some point. As for why I decided to make the change, or the leap as you might say, from music to writing … well, as a composer of contemporary classical (or “art”) music, the battle to have my works performed was something that never really appealed to me. One might say that promotion is not my strong suit, but the same may also be said for my approach to my writing: I’d rather be writing than marketing. My music has been played on three continents, but it was still a battle to get things performed. Don’t get me wrong, I still love music and composing, but now I’m doing it as I desire, when I’m not writing.

Oh, absolutely. I look at the entire creative process as a vast continuum that is quite complimentary to each other. If writing and composing were not so closely related there is no way that I’d have been able to write as much as I have without having stopped to compose several pieces in between. It used to be that if I went more than a week without composing I would feel physically ill (that is no exaggeration), but writing, particularly working on the novels, has proven to be fully satisfying in regards to what I term the “creative imperative” and leaves every part of me satiated to the point that if I don’t compose, there are no issues. This is not to say that I haven’t had any musical ideas that I haven’t wanted to work on, just that it’s possible for me to go several days (or longer) without feeling as though I’ll have some sort of “breakdown” if I don’t compose something. One of the most important things that I’ve found in regards to the relationship between writing and composing is that both disciplines involve the development, expansion, and cultivation of ideas from the smallest form to something much larger. This holds true whether you’re composing a symphony or a novel, a poem or a short story. In a symphony, or other large-form piece, the themes are the characters and as they are developed throughout the movements they tell the story of the music, they present the dialogue, they present the narrative of the work. A poem, while it doesn’t necessarily have characters (like Dante’s Divine Comedy) may also tell a story, or simply convey imagery through the text. So too a musical composition which uses sound to convey the ideas of the composer. We speak with a different language but our ultimate goals are to both entertain and persuade the audience of our point of view (if there is one … sometimes it is just to entertain).

One of the first pieces of writing that I ever felt pleased with was a speech I wrote while in Grade Six, which happened to win a prize. It was titled, rather horrifically, “Nuclear War and its Alternatives” (the idea being that nuclear war was never a viable option). This was in 1981, during the Cold War, when things were a bit different than they are today (though that could be argued by some).

One of the books that truly inspired me was “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson. My grandfather gave me an old, leather-bound copy of it (I still have it), which I stayed up all night reading. It was such a captivating book, I couldn’t put it down for an instant. As I got older I remember the first time I read Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings”, and realized there were truly no limits to the scope of human imagination. Then there was Anne McCaffrey and her “Dragon Rider” series, which I devoured, along with Frank Herbert and his “Dune” series (among many others). When it comes to reading, however, I’m really a true omnivore … my interests are quite broad and I always keep my eyes open for anything that might be of interest.

This is a funny question for me, or maybe it isn’t … I don’t know. I’ve been considering my literary goals and ideas much in the same way that I do my musical ideas. As a composer, I have written music for everything from solo instruments to full orchestra. My preference has been to compose “chamber music”, or music for small ensembles (usually twelve players or less), but I’ve always loved writing for solo instruments. When it comes to writing the idea of being pigeon-holed into a single genre seemed ridiculous. Why should a writer only write one thing? If you have an idea for a book, write that book. No? I love writing poetry, so I’ve written many poems. The reason I began with the Felis Alliance Series was, quite simply, because that was the first thing that I had that was ready to write. I’d actually started another book first, but set it aside to start Sun Killers instead. When I set out to write this series it had never been my intention to be a “Sci-Fi” writer, though there are other Science Fiction books that I want to write. It’s simply a matter of having other things to say. One of the things that I’ve been doing since I started writing the series is making note of any ideas I have for future novels and, at the moment, there are at least fifteen outlines sketched out, including one three-volume fantasy series (the book I began writing before Sun Killers). For me, in truth, it isn’t about switching genres as much as being a well-rounded writer.

This is one of those questions that people go crazy about, but it’s always interesting to see what others have to say on the topic. I remember reading at some point that writers should never write more than four hours in a day … respectfully, I disagree. When things are working well, when the ideas are flowing, I can—and will—write for up to eight or more hours (with short breaks). That’s writing, revising and editing are entirely different stories. When I’m revising something, especially a book, it is crucial to be even more focused than when I’m writing, and have to be certain that I’m picking up on the errors I made while writing the initial draft(s) of the manuscript. Editing is something that requires even closer attention: there is nothing more disheartening than to release a book to the marketplace and find an error (or two … or more) after the book has been published. It happens. It will happen again … and that’s the life of a writer. I’ve yet to read a book (professionally published or otherwise) that is “perfect” in every way.

I decided to go the “abstract” route in regards to the covers for the Felis Alliance Series. My hope is that they are both intriguing and compelling, but as I’ve already mentioned, marketing is not my strong suit. When I look at a book I tend to read what the jacket says rather than focus on the look of the cover, so I’m not all that sure how much it matters … unless you’re dealing with specific genres that feature a photo of Fabio on the cover (not relevant for my books).

Oh, absolutely. There are five books in the Felis Alliance Series, and each book is closely connected to the other, though it is possible to read them as separate entities without getting lost. Each book takes the reader through a particular storyline, with certain characters who continue throughout the series (with new characters being added throughout and some leaving), with an overall arc that climaxes in the fifth and final book of the series, Salvation Earth.

The second novel of the series (which was released on January 9, 2017) is entitled Time Changers.

If this is true, it isn’t something that I’ve experienced. Several years ago, before I made the jump to start writing novels, I went through a long dry spell where I couldn’t compose for quite some time. It was a devastating period in my life. One of the things that ultimately helped me was reading a book called “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. If a writer, composer, or creative individual of any kind is experiencing issues with their creativity I cannot recommend this book more highly and with more enthusiasm. It will transform your creative life, and I don’t say that lightly. Since reading “The Artist’s Way” I have, quite literally, not experienced writer’s block (or a “dry spell”) once in over SEVENTEEN years.

In all honesty, I’m not sure I’d ever given much thought to a “target group” in regards to my writing. If somebody enjoys reading science fiction that deals with strong female characters and doesn’t shy away from addressing political issues, they’ll probably find my work intriguing. I don’t know. It has always been a surprise to me when someone said they liked my work—not because I didn’t believe it was good, but simply because it’s different when someone else makes that acknowledgment. Your perception of what works is not necessarily the same as what someone else perceives.

That’s an excellent question, and I’m not really sure if I can answer it properly. I’d like to say that my book(s) are entirely original, but what does that even mean at this point? Everything, at some point, is a derivation of something else, is it not? If I write a Haiku it could be argued that it is a culturally appropriated work based on a Japanese form of poetry, but the text I pen could still be “original” to an extent. As far as my novels go, yes, they are original. Have I made any compromises? If I have it is a small one, made to appeal to the English-speaking readership of the world who, I hope, will be purchasing the books (I honestly can’t say more about that as it would be a spoiler to the novel).

Mark Twain purportedly said, “Find a job you enjoy doing and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Anyone involved in the arts, or in the area of creating things, must—at some point—come to the realization that this is no ordinary job: it is far beyond setting words down on the page, or splotches of paint on a canvas, or whatever it is that we do to perfect our skills. Success, as far as I’m concerned, has nothing to do with the royalties that come from the sales of my books. Please, don’t get me wrong, I did not start writing my books to give them away, but I’m much more interested in writing something that has a lasting, enduring value than worrying about whether I make it onto the NYT Best Sellers List. That would be great, of course, but monetary success is secondary. As I’ve always said in regards to becoming a composer, “Nobody becomes a composer of classical music to get rich. Period.” If I wanted to get rich I’d have gone to Law School (except I’d have likely become a Civil Rights Lawyer … so … well, that wouldn’t have worked). Success is having someone tell me that they’ve enjoyed my book. That is an incredible feeling.

Something I really love about AllAuthor is that it helps me do something that I loathe … promote my work. Really, I can’t stress enough how much I’m not into marketing, but it’s true, I’m not. It just doesn’t come naturally to me. I carry my business cards around with me (which have a synopsis of my first book on them) and usually forget to give them to people when an opportunity presents itself. It isn’t that I don’t want to network with people and, perhaps, make a sale, it’s just that it goes against the grain … it seems unnatural for me. It’s a habit that needs breaking. Having said that, I would definitely recommend AllAuthor to others to help them promote their work.