Where do you get your ideas?
From everywhere! No matter what I’m doing, I try to have a part of my mind open for story ideas. When one jumps out at me, I write it down on a scrap of paper, then put that scrap in my “idea bank,” which is a large mug I keep on a shelf in my office. When I want to start something new, I look in the idea bank and see if anything I’ve placed there over the previous months is particularly interesting. Often, two ideas combined together make for a cool story idea. See the story sparks post for more about this process.
Any words of advice for an aspiring writer?
Finish your draft. It sounds simple, but it’s so easy to give up part way through when you get stuck. And you will get stuck. Everyone does at some point. But the lessons you learn by pushing through and finishing a draft are invaluable and will make the next project much easier.
Also, it’s important to be open to feedback. Other people will be able to pinpoint insufficiencies in your work that will be invisible to your eyes. If you can find trustworthy readers, hang onto them for dear life.
What are your favorite books?
The Prydain Chronicles, by Lloyd Alexander, The Beyonders series, by Brandon Mull, the Skyborn series, by Jessica Khoury, An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir, A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin, The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss, The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch, and anything by Naomi Novik, V. E. Schwab, or Brandon Sanderson.
What are your favorite video games?
In no particular order, Skyrim, The Witcher 3, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Beyond Good & Evil, Psychonauts, Jack and Daxter, Medievil, Spyro the Dragon, Final Fantasy VII, Breath of Fire III, pretty much all the Zelda and Super Mario games, but in particular, Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.
What are your favorite TV shows?
The Office, Parks & Recreation, Avatar: The Last Airbender
What are your favorite movies?
Toy Story, Clue, Spirited Away, The Matrix, the original Star Wars trilogy, The Lord of the Rings trilogy