Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob is an English American author in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is most famous for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth6 August 1934
writing would-be firsts
I did not know at first that it would be a series; I discovered after the first novel that I had more to say about it, so I did another. And another, and then the readers demanded yet more.
humorous writing fantasy
When I started writing this, I found that I simply couldn't take fantasy seriously, so it became humorous, and continued from there.
writing would-be fiction
It would be easier to write a novel without reader input, but I feel the fiction is richer for it.
writing views different
I never do a full outline, and if I did, I would not feel bound to it, because the view from inside a scene can be different from the view outside it. But neither do I just start writing and see what happens; I am far more disciplined than that.
writing years wife
Have a working spouse, because you won't earn a living from writing - not at first, if ever. My wife worked for years to support us.
writing cutting rocks
Here's a secret: fictive text doesn't necessarily flow easily. Most of the time it's more like cutting a highway through a mountain. You just have to keep working with your pick, chipping away at the rock, making slow progress.
writing eight years
Keep writing, because not only does practice improve skill, it gives you more chances to score on the market. I did that for eight years before making my first sale.
mean writing work-out
Normally I work out a general summary of what I mean to do, then start writing, and the details can be different from my anticipation. So there is considerable flow, but always within channels.
english-writer faster light possible published science space
Much of what is published is actually science fantasy, seeming possible but actually impossible, such as faster than light space travel.
too-much pleasure
But I don't read or listen for pleasure. I have too much else to do.
fathom make-sense all-things
All things make sense; you just have to fathom how they make sense.
pain opponents dangerous
That most dangerous of opponents: the one who took pains to comprehend the position of his adversary.
letters months email
At present I answer about 100 letters a month, and read 300 emails.
wish needs i-want-you
I wish my readers took less of my time - about a third of my working time goes to them - but I love and need them all.