Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Colin Harvey

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Today's interview is with author Colin Harvey. Enjoy!

Hi, Colin! Can you tell us a little about your background?

I’m 47, married to Kate for almost 20 years; no kids but two spaniels. I worked for Unilever for over twenty years before being made redundant last August. Since then I’ve been freelancing.

We're glad you're here today. Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

I have two!

The Silk Palace is an epic fantasy which has gone top five on the fictionwise (electronic) chart even outselling JK Rowling and Terry Pratchett for a week! The print copy has been selling well, as well, partly because the Library Journal said of it: “Harvey brings to life a compelling world of flying machines, wizardry, and divine magic.” While Bruce Boston, Bram Stoker Award winning author of The Guardener's Tale, said of it, “Harvey fashions a richly textured magical kingdom that is ripe with sensuality and filled with both wonder and horror. Intrigues, betrayals, murders, love affairs, transformations, and revelations combine to create a narrative of epic proportions.”

And at the end of this month I move into non-fiction! Katy’s Cookbook is a collection of recipes that have been gathering dust in our kitchen in a hand-written book.

What wonderful reviews and selling success - congrats! So what advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

i. Write. Write some more. Write every day – small amounts regularly are better than huge binges on an irregular basis.
ii. Finish what you start.
iii. Remember, nothing works equally for anyone, so any advice you’re given should be tried, but if it doesn’t work for you, discard it.

What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

SF / fantasy, and crime.
Two favourite authors; in SF it’s Alfred Bester, and in crime it’s Rex Stout. Apparently they lived next door to each other for a while!

Big question, now: how do you balance writing with the rest of your life?

My wife would tell you that I don’t balance it….but seriously, every writing minute has to be quarried out of life. Take lots of breaks – I work for 45 minutes, break for 15. On again – then off again. Exercise. I walk the dogs twice a day and go to the gym a couple of times a week. It’s important to exercise as much as you can, because writing is a sedentary, lonely occupation. But walking gives you time to think, as well.

Ah. Well, do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

I suffered for about twenty years. It ends when it ends, but I think the key is to convince yourself that it doesn’t matter. Take the pressure off yourself; write little bits and bobs – “thequick brown fox ran through the lobby of the hallway…” then see where it takes you.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I think about writing….



Colin, thanks so much for being here today. Readers, make sure to visit Colin's website and MySpace page - and have a terrific day!