[Ruthwen]

Hmmm... I'm probably FAR too late to join in this post, and I'm still busy reading it, but... never mind, eh?

Are any of you writing serious fantasy?

I like to think so. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

If so, how have you dealt with the temptation to be imitative of Tolkien?

With great, humungous, amazing difficulty. Especially since in one of my worlds, I have a race of elves.

How long have you been working on your story, and why?

I'm working on a lot of stories. In general, I work on them for about two years, but most of them have been stewing for a year or six months.

What pitfalls have you faced and how have you overcome them — or not?

Well, at the start, the stories always move quite fast, at a good speed for readers. But as I get further in, and get to know my characters better, I slow right down, and it's more concerned with the characters than the plot. I'm still working on overcoming it.

How do you guys feel about including a *hmhm* sexual *hmhm* relationship in your story.

Well, apart from rape, prostitution and incubi, it's never really happened. I'll probably more imply things than actually state them, but I won't go out of my way to avoid them.

Next, how do you keep track of names etc. and phrases you like, that pop into your head?

I have a lot of blank paper floating around my bedroom, so I can generally scribble it down quickly enough. The only problem is locating it again afterwards.

Next, what inspires you? Is it everyday things, or something you read, or dreams? Or a mixture?

Loads of things inspire me. Dreams, things I see, song lyrics, reading books by other people... this thread has me on a MAJOR inspiration high. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

How do you feel about other people reading your work? Would you be brave enough to share it with the world and publish it or would you be like me (and Maika apparently), who are too scared to even show people we have known for years?

I don't mind other people reading it. Getting published is my dream.

Next, how long do you write for before you feel that it is finished and you can't do anymore without spoiling it?

Generally it's about two years from start to finish, not counting all the proof-reading and so on.

Do you illustrate your work or leave it to the reader's imagination? And do you want to design your own front cover or have someone else do it?

I occasionally draw pictures depicting scenes in the stories, but I'm not a great artist, so if I ever do get published, I think I'll leave that to the experts.

Niphredil Baggins: Your story sounds amazing. If you ever need someone to read it, I'm here. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Same goes for all of you. What talent there is!