An interview with...
John Allison
Tell us one of your first experiences where you realised that language had power.
Probably when I was a baby.
I cried and people listened.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would you say?
Just write anything now!
Have you ever written under a pseudonym?
Yes. It was Rocco Afterlife.
What kind of research do you do for whatever it is you’re writing?
I like authenticity so I try to include factual info.
I take the time to read about related topics before I write (for fiction).
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters of a different gender to you?
I have probably written more using female characters. I enjoy it and it can make a story more interesting. So if I need a knight I’d make "him" female.
Do you believe in the dreaded Writer’s Block?
Absolutely not.
People think they need to have a plan! I loosely create a character and let him loose. I watch him, see what he does, where he goes, who he meets. It is his story, not mine.
Probably when I was a baby.
I cried and people listened.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would you say?
Just write anything now!
Have you ever written under a pseudonym?
Yes. It was Rocco Afterlife.
What kind of research do you do for whatever it is you’re writing?
I like authenticity so I try to include factual info.
I take the time to read about related topics before I write (for fiction).
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters of a different gender to you?
I have probably written more using female characters. I enjoy it and it can make a story more interesting. So if I need a knight I’d make "him" female.
Do you believe in the dreaded Writer’s Block?
Absolutely not.
People think they need to have a plan! I loosely create a character and let him loose. I watch him, see what he does, where he goes, who he meets. It is his story, not mine.