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Interview – David Pilling
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Interview
– When did you start writing, what moved you to start writing?
I have always liked writing short stories, but started to write in earnest when I was still in regular full-time employment. This was in the form of articles for local history magazines and short fiction for printed journals and online zines. After that it was a natural progression to writing full-length novels and books.
– Tell us about your book. Why should everyone buy it?
The Champion (I): Blood and Steel is a dynamic, fast-paced historical action adventure that will appeal to fans of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and Simon Scarrow. It is also a highly original tale that takes place in an unusual setting – the wars in Spain and conflict between England and France in the late 13th century – which usually take a back seat to conflicts inside the British Isles, especially the Scottish wars of independence.
– What is your all time favorite novel/book? What makes it special?
That would have to be The Once and Future King by TH White. I have a natural fondness for the book since it was the first full-length novel I ever read. It is also, in my opinion, the most subtle and psychologically complex treatment of the Arthurian legend, in which the famous characters of Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere are depicted with a sensitivity and depth not found in any other version of the legend. White’s book also inspired me to write my own (albeit very different) Arthurian saga.
– Tell us a bit about your writing process.
It is fairly straightforward. I write best in the mornings, powered by at least two cups of strong coffee, and try to write at least a thousand words a day on a current project. The afternoons are usually given over to social media, updating my blog and research.
– What author would you love to have dinner with?
William Shakespeare, so long as there was a translator on hand. Or possibly Charles Dickens, if only so I could quiz him on his complicated domestic arrangements.
– Tell us about your hobbies and passions other than writing.
I like to explore the countryside of the beautiful part of West Wales that I am fortunate enough to live in. I also do a lot of original research, which means I am constantly working on my language and interpretation skills: Welsh, Old French, Latin etc. Otherwise I am passionate about music and play the guitar, quite badly.
– We have many followers who would like to start writing a book or are already writing their first book, any advice for these brave people?
Write about a subject that will sustain your interest long-term, otherwise you might be in serious difficulty when you get to the third book in the series…also, remember this is supposed to be fun.
– How often do you write, daily, every other day or?
Daily, more or less, although it is important to take breaks. The human eyes and neck can only endure so much strain.
– What are you reading at the moment?
I tend to read two books at once, so at the moment I am ploughing through Anna Comnemna’s Alexiad, and a translation of Charles-Victor Langlois’ French biography of Philip the Bold.
– How is it to be an author in your country? Do you have good support from the local public?
People generally show polite interest, but there isn’t a great deal in the way of tangible support. COVID has had a damaging effect, of course, and affected publishers as well as local resources such as public libraries. There is little funding for authors that I am aware of.
– Certainly you have had some interesting episodes as an author, fans related or others, share one of them with us.
The most surprising is to discover that friends of friends, or of close family, have turned out to be fans of my books. Even more surprising, when it turned out they didn’t realise I was the author!
– A final message for circleofbooks.com readers.
I would like to thank the superb team at Circle of Books for all the great work they do supporting authors, raising awareness and reaching out to potential audiences.
Thank you David Pilling. We at circleofbooks.com wish you much success!
Click here to visit the author page here on Circle of Books.
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