Where were you born? Which is your favorite childhood memory?
I was born in the Hague, the Netherlands.
What are your hobbies apart from writing?
I am a passionate amateur musician, and when I’m not writing you can often find me playing the piano and singing. My voice, an extremely light lyrical tenor, is especially suited to singing Baroque repertoire and Schubert art songs. Though I’m not a very good pianist, I can play some simple accompaniments, and I do enjoy playing.
Another of my hobbies is cooking. I’ve enjoyed helping my mother and grandmother in the kitchen ever since I was little, and still like to experiment in the kitchen a lot.
Finally, I’ve always enjoyed cycling. This changed when I became wheelchair dependent, and for a couple of years I could not ride my bike at all. Then I got an add-on handbike which, as the name suggests, attaches to my wheelchair, and instead of using my feet to pedal, I use my hands. It’s magnificent, and I love riding my handbike.
What was your biggest dream as a child? Did it ever come true?
I wanted to become a classical singer. And I did – just not professionally. I also wanted to become a writer. So yes, my two biggest dreams did come true. I’m a lucky guy.
Who are a part of your family? How critical are they of your writing?
I share my home with two large Norwegian Forest Cats, Mozart and Rafaela, and a sweet little moggie, Thalia. And you’d better believe they are very critical of my writing. 😉
That said, I often discuss my writing with my daughter who is a writer, too. We regularly bounce ideas off of each other, talk about our characters, settings, plot twists… It’s a lot of fun. But even more importantly, we also tell each other when we think something doesn’t work. We don’t need to stroke each other’s egos.
What are some tips for writing literary fiction?
Master the craft. It’s not enough to know the basics, like spelling and grammar. Literary fiction is art. That’s what sets it apart from other genres.
Prose like a poet. Pay close attention to flow, rhyme, and rhythm.
Polish your work. Then polish it again. And again.
Also, understand that most readers prefer genre fiction over literary fiction. If you want to write for a living, write genre fiction instead.
How do you write a hook for a sci-fantasy with psychological thriller vibes?
I never really think about it much, but going back through my manuscripts, I can see a pattern. Usually, I create a hook by creating an emotional connection, which makes perfect sense when your writing is as character focused as mine.
Sometimes, however, I create a hook by simply plunging right into the action. The main thing is to grab the reader’s attention with something that will already give them a small taste of what might be coming. No more, no less.
Out of all the poems featured in "Purranormal Tails", which one is your favorite? Have you read them all?
I’ve read all poems that made their way into this charity anthology, but none of the short stories yet. (I’m looking forward to reading those, too.) My favourite poem is “A Rat’s Tail”, by Christiana Matthews. It’s just such a delightful poem, and so well written!
Are you a cat lover? Is this why you wrote the book, Mewsings of a Cat Lover?
Well, let’s see…
I wrote a poetry bundle with cat poems only, donated two cat poems to Purranormal Tails, have an entire section of cat poems in my latest poetry bundle “DAAN! Poems without Pretence”, and cats make an appearance in most of my stories.
That alone should be enough to show my utter devotion to our feline friends, but in case anyone is still not convinced, there’s more.
I sneaked my very first own cat into the house when I was about eight years old, and was devastated when my mother gave her to one of my friends. I brought my second cat back home when I was fourteen, and this time my mother allowed it. I’ve had cats ever since and couldn’t imagine a life without them.
What is the significance of the title of your book, The Prophecy?
The Prophecy is (you’d never guess 😉 ) about a prophecy, and a very important one, at that. The first part of this prophecy is fulfilled and brings doom to the entire world in “The Prophecy”. Although it is just a short story, it lays the groundwork for my debut novel “Night’s Reign” where a very reluctant Chosen One is destined to reverse the curse his forefather brought down on his house.
The Prophecy is a freebie for subscribers to my fantasy newsletter.
Since you haven't read any science fiction novels ever, how do you find inspiration to write your own?
Let’s get that misunderstanding out of the way. I don’t write science fiction. I write sci-fantasy, which is not the same. It’s fantasy with some science fiction elements. My fantasy universe consists of seven different worlds, each with their own levels of civilisation. Sor, the world where most of my stories take place, is a modern world with advanced technology – some of it slightly more advanced than ours.
Here are some examples of what the reader can expect to find on Sor: powered vehicles resembling cars, trains, and buses. Aircraft resembling our airplanes. Self-opening doors, lifts, computer-like devices. Advanced medicine, including DNA-testing, surgical procedures, and prosthetics that perform even better than our current prosthetics.
That’s about the extent of the science fiction in my stories. Nothing I would need to read science fiction for. I do, of course, do my research to make sure my “inventions” might actually become a possibility in our own world.
What's your writing schedule like? Where is the one place you feel you concentrate and write best in?
Do I need one? I write when and where I can. In bed, in the car (in the passenger seat, mind you!), in the waiting room at the hospital… And even when I’m out riding my handbike, I can still work out story details in my head. I don’t always need a computer or pen and paper.
When writing novels, is it better to have daily time-spent-writing goals or words-written goals?
I don’t think it really matters much what sort of goal an author sets, as long as he sets them and sticks to them. For me, daily time-spent-writing or words-written goals don’t work. As a Spoonie, I just wouldn’t be able to live up to daily goals. My body can decide to do all sorts of funny things at any given moment. So instead of daily or even weekly goals, I set monthly goals – and even then, I cannot always reach those goals. I definitely try my hardest, but will not beat myself up over it if I fail. There’s always next month. The one thing that really counts is that I keep writing.
Do you think an author could ever get bored of writing?
I don’t know about other authors, but I’ve been writing for roughly half a century, and I’m still not bored with it.
How many plot ideas are just waiting to be written? Can you tell us about one?
That’s not how it works for me. I don’t think in plots. I have characters that come to me and demand that I write their story. Right now, I’m writing the story of a young man called Tor. He was supposed to simply be a supportive character in my next novel, but as I was writing that book, Tor insisted that I needed to know his story first before I could write that novel the way it should be written.
Now, as I’m writing his story – which will probably turn into a novella, rather than the short story I thought would be enough – I see I made quite a few mistakes while I was drafting that novel. This is why it’s vitally important for me to listen to my characters and follow their leads. Even if that means putting a draft aside and writing another story first.
As for Tor and his story, what can I say without revealing too much? Let’s see… Tor is a young Ingravian lord who gets himself into trouble for disobeying a direct order from the House of Kings. This earns him thirty lashings and seven lifetimes of Rejection. Once he settles into his new life as a Reject, he wants only one thing: Revenge.
When did you join AllAuthor? What do you think of the experience so far? Do you have any feedback?
I joined AllAuthor in August 2022. At first, I didn’t think it would be very useful, but when I discovered and started using more of its features, I soon changed my mind. One of the things I love most, is the option to create beautiful gifs for your featured book. You can use them in so many ways! And, of course, I really like the Tweet scheduler a lot, too. I’ve currently got 14 tweets on rotation, and intend to add more soon. It’s such a convenient way to get word about your books out on Twitter regularly.
