Interview with Neil Goslin
Published 2013-12-20.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
The first story I ever wrote was when I was nine. It was called "Lien the Bugmaster". It was about a boy who could control insects and it was quite awful :)
What is your writing process?
I have learned to build my characters from real lifetime experiences and people. I then overlay a fantastical setting and try to focus on the human element.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I do not remember the first story I ever read. But reading books has always been like a close and dear friend to me.
How do you approach cover design?
I have done all my covers myself or I get covers from Dreamstime. I know that people do judge a book by it's cover and to think they don't is simply a nice fallacy to engage in for writers that have less than desirable covers.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
Hmmm. I would have to do with "Heat of Darkness", anything by David Eddings and Ben Bova and the "Metamorphisis" as well as some of Fyodor Dostoevsky's short stories because of the brilliance with which he writes. I don't know why, they simply move me, and that is what I want to do with my readership.
What do you read for pleasure?
I like to read Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth.
What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?
Schools, Libraries, Smashwords, Amazon and word of mouth.
Describe your desk
It's a mess :)
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up on a ranch in Horse Shoe Bend Idaho and really grew to love the outdoors. I think it has influenced me by simply instilling a work ethic in me at a young age.
When did you first start writing?
When I was nine.
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