Q&A: with The Demon Cycle author Peter V. Brett

Peter V. Brett is a fantasy author famous for his Demon Cycle series. Peter wrote his first novel The Painted Man, and part of his second novel The Desert Spear, on his phone while commuting to and from work in New York City. Peter’s latest book The Core was released in October 2017. Peter answered questions from students on Campus Society about his experiences writing fantasy and shared advice on how to get started in the industry. Questions with timestamps: 14:22 - How difficult was it to format and/or edit your book on that chunky old computer-phone? Did you do most of it at a later date, or did you regularly edit throughout the writing process? 16:52 - What inspired you to write your books? Was it something around you or an event that happened? Where could I get them from? Are they all linked by the same story? 20:42 - What do you think fantasy offers as a genre that makes it particularly exciting to write and be relevant to a wide variety of readers? 20:56 - Would you say that well-written fantasy can change the world and if so, is this something you aim to do throughout your own writing? 23:37 - What are your thoughts about dystopian fiction? Do you feel that it accurately portrays the world we live in today? Thanks! 26:47 - What drew you to fantasy as a genre? Did you grow up reading fantasy, or was it the genre you believed you would have the most fun with? And do you have any advice for prospective fantasy writers? 33:00 - What advice would you give amateur writers when their motivation to actually sit down and write is very low, even though the ideas are there? 33:55 - What advice would you give to any student wanting to write a book? Any tips or tricks to make it seem less daunting? 35:52 - What made you consider writing as a career? 36:05 - Have you ever experienced writer's block, and if so, how many times and how often? 39:25 - Does spending so much time in PR and editing help you in editing your novels? 43:12 - How did you come up with all the names for your characters and cities in the Demon Cycle? 46:08 - Bit of a weird question, but what is that thing in the background? The Gollum-looking thing. 50:57 - How would you go about promoting fantasy to people of colour? I would say there was a lack of fantasy driven books directed towards people of ethnic backgrounds. 54:44 - I've heard the best way to get good at writing is to write more. Were you part of any writing groups? 57:03 - Would you say writing fantasy is relatively easier than writing a thriller as there are no restrictions or rules as to what can happen in the fantasy world? 1:01:01 - What's your advice on building worlds and strong character arcs? 1:03:13 - Which side-character's story did you enjoy writing the most? 1:05:10 - When you get an idea for a new story, do you prefer to create a detailed plan before writing, or do you think it's better to just start writing and see how it goes? Website: www.petervbrett.com Twitter, Instagram & Facebook: @PVBrett —————————————————— Subscribe: http://bit.ly/SubToCampus and ring the bell to stay in the know 🔔 —————————————————— Join the biggest student community in the world: http://www.CampusSociety.com Follow us: ‣ Facebook -   / campussociety   ‣ Twitter -   / campussociety   ‣ Instagram -   / campussociety   —————————————————— For all the best in student news, student tips, student guides, uni memes, dating, gaming, film, tv, budgeting, revision and more. —————————————————— #PeterVBrett #Interview #DemonCycle