Literary Birthday – 21 September – John Gwynne

Happy Birthday, John Gwynne, born on 21 September 1968.

John Gwynne Quotes

1. I’m not sure how much moving around has affected the way I write, but I would suspect that it did have an impact on me becoming a writer. Moving around so regularly was definitely a part of why I read so much. Once you move three or four times during your childhood you get used to moving away from friends, and so for a long time books became my friends.
2. I think there’s a certain level of authenticity within fantasy now that readers expect, on a human, emotional level. But this doesn’t mean that every character needs to be a self-serving anti-hero.
3. I see the fantasy genre as expanding, rather than narrowly focusing on some genres and excluding others. I think there’s room for everyone, and every genre, as long as it’s written in an authentic, engaging way.
4. Tolkien, Gemmell, and Bernard Cornwell. A combination of those three would be my perfect read. Tolkien’s epicness and beautiful prose, Gemmell’s flawed characters and pacing, and Cornwell’s all-round perfection – character, gritty historicity and vivid, brutal battle-scenes.
5. My lifestyle is pretty hectic and disorganised – there are many, many medical appointments surrounding my daughter, and two of my other sons still live at home so there are a lot of distractions. It doesn’t help that my sons love their Viking re-enactment (as do I) and are often sticking their heads into my writing room and saying ‘Fancy a scrap in the garden’, whilst waving a sword or axe at me. So, it isn’t the easiest thing to sit down and make time to research or write.
6. I don’t feel overly comfortable in dishing out advice, but the one thing I can say is what worked for me. Write what you want to read. That’s what I did, and I guess the writers that you love to read will have an influence upon what you create.
7. Epic and intimate was my mantra, what I strove to create. By epic I mean sweeping, grand vistas and a conflict that rose above border disputes or politics, and by intimate I mean connecting with characters, caring about what happens to them.
8. I made the definite decision to have a go at writing in 2002, when we all came back from seeing The Two Towers at the cinema. We were all sitting around the table having dinner, and Caroline voiced again that she thought I should write a book. Of course my children all added their voices to that. Initially I told them what a silly idea that was, and gave a few reasons. Some quite important ingredients were missing, I said, such as plot, character, and a significant dose of talent. But the wave of opinion could not be silenced so easily, and after a while I thought, ‘Why not?
9. I approached writing Malice the only way I knew how, the way I’d learned at university. To read, read, read, and then read some more. So I did a ton of research.
10. Most of the time I don’t really feel like I know what I’m doing! I can tell you what has worked for me, though. Targets. Setting a daily/weekly word-count target. Even if I don’t hit them every week, they do help me to keep going and meet deadlines. Procrastination is my biggest enemy, and it must be routed out!

Source for quotes 1-3 : Grimdark Magazine and 4-5: Grimdark Magazine and 6-8: Fantasy Hive and 9-10: The Book Plank

John Gwynne is a British fantasy author best known for his epic fantasy series The Faithful and the Fallen, Of Blood and Bone, and The Bloodsworn Saga. Before becoming a writer, Gwynne studied and lectured at Brighton University. He also worked in a soap factory, dug ditches for a landscaping crew, and played double bass in a rock ’n’ roll band. His first novel, Malice, was published in 2012 and won the David Gemmell Morningstar Award in 2013. Gwynne’s Bloodsworn Saga draws on Norse mythology, Beowulf, and Ragnarök. Set in a grim world of mercenary bands, monsters, and fallen gods, the series includes The Shadow of the Gods, The Hunger of the Gods, and The Fury of the Gods. Gwynne is also involved in Viking reenactment. He has said that this experience informs the way he depicts fighting and equipment in his novels. Follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

Source for photograph: Author’s Website

by Amanda Patterson
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