FAQs
> Who are you? <
Alexander Linton. But you already knew that…
> How old were you when you started writing? <
The short answer is that I wrote my first (very short) story in 2005 and started my first novel in 2009. The long answer is more complicated…you can read a bit more about it on my bio page:
> What got you into writing? <
It all started by playing a huge amount of story driven games in my childhood. Namely, I played a lot of The Legend of Zelda, classic Bioware games, and a whole lot of JRPGs. What really solidified my love for stories was playing my favourite game, Skies of Arcadia, when I was about thirteen. The feeling of adventure and the way the game drew out my childish imagination has stuck with me my entire life, and I think completing that game was when I first decided I wanted to spend my life creating stories and giving people those same feelings I felt.
At first, I wanted to create video games and tell stories that way. But leading up to college and university years, I very quickly learned that; 1) making games is expensive, 2) the barrier for entry into the industry is massive and seemed insurmountable at the time, and 3) making games wouldn’t neccessarly mean that I would be creating the stories myself. As cool as it would have been to be part of the creation of someone else’s story, I decided early on that that wouldn’t quite do it for me.
So instead, I found that writing ticked every box; the types of stories I make are limited only by my imagination, there was practically no barrier for entry into getting started, and I am indeed creating my own stories. Though this all started as just a means to create stories as a hobby and develop my skills in doing so, the art of writing very quickly grew into a passion in of itself and I became obsessed with it.
And so, here I am today doing just that!
> Where do you get your ideas? <
Just by living, paying attention to life, reflecting on life, then thinking about how to make those reflections more interesting until they eventually turn into a story. My stories are a weird concoction of lived experiences, challenges to philosophies and established norms, and blending them together to see what comes out. As for how I go from sitting in front of a blank page to having a brand new world and story for you to hopefully enjoy, I’m afraid your guess is as good as mine!
> Any advise for first time authors? <
I’d say not to think of yourself as a first-time author. You’re first and foremost a writer. So, to be a writer, keep on writing as much as you can. When it becomes second nature, keep up the momentum and keep writing. When you have your finished copy and you’re ready to sell, keep writing your next work. Get your skill and inspiration for writing by writing a lot, reading a lot, and living life thinking about what you want to write as much as possible.
In my experience, the life of a writer doesn’t change much from before you publish to after you publish. Writing is writing, and I love the experience now as much as I ever have. The only difference has been that I write a lot more these days since it’s part of my bread and butter, and so life is better for me in that aspect than it was before
Being an author seems to carry a more specific label of someone who is published and earning money from their work. For that person who has done it for the first time and is looking for next steps, my advise would be not to take advice from other authors too closely to heart based on their own experiences. For every author you ask about their journey, you’ll hear a completely different story, and after a while, the common threads from one story to the next seem to disappear. The lesson from that is that it’s up to you to form your own journey based on your own circumstances and goals, not to model your journey based on someone else’s. Do stuff, make mistakes, makes strides, and keep doing what feels honest and good to you!
> Who are your favourite writers? <
My favourites, and biggest inspirations, are Haruki Murakami, George RR Martin, Keigo Higashino, Alan Moore, Eiichiro Oda, and Andrzej Sapkowski
As a bonus, I’ve always loved Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist and I’ve finally started getting into his other works. So far, I’m pretty sure he’s going to be on my favourite list soon too!
> Can you read my manuscript/story ideas and give me feedback please and thanks? <
Partly due to time constraints and partly due to a legal nightmare, I’m unable read any books or stories upon request. Sorry!
> …then can you direct me to someone who will? <
Partly due to time constraints and partly due to a legal nightmare, I’m unable to direct you to any specific parties who may read books or stories upon request. Sorry!
…that aside though, beyond the general advise of finding editors, I recommend finding and going to places that people in the industry would go. Things like writer’s conferences, conventions, signings, socials. Go with a solid and brief pitch for your story in mind, talk to everyone who catches your interest, and see what sticks and with who. Though you can find editors and fantastic analytical readers online, I’d suggest adding that element of meeting in person will give both the editor a gauge of your enthusiasm and a clear picture of your story, and will give you the writer an idea of their enthusiasm and a feel for whether it’s someone you’d enjoy working with. Don’t forget; the work of a writer and an editor is collaborative, so make sure to work out if you’d enjoy the collaboration aspect with them too
> Can I write a fanfic or create art based on your work? <
I love seeing creations based on my world. So long as you:
1: Credit Alexander Linton as the original creator and copyright holder of the intellectual property, and
2: You don’t ask me to read any fanfic stories (sorry to be mean, I promise this is for all our sakes!),
then I’d be more than happy and would be honoured for you to write or draw anything based on my work
> Can you sign my book/poster/something else based on your work? <
It would be my pleasure. However, I can only offer signings in person at events I’m attending. If you’d like to meet me and have me sign anything, you can see where and when I’ll be here:
> Do you charge for autographs/book signings? <
Nope. I never charge fans for signings or autographs of any kind, so please disregard any sources that say I do!
> Are your characters based on real people? <
Never anyone specific. Of course, every creative digests their experiences from life and either consciously or subconsciously echoes them in their work. In a writer’s case, I would say everyone we’ve ever met has in some way informed how we create and write characters. However, I never use specific people as a model for my characters.
The way I see it, everyone is their own copywritten work!
> How can I contact you? <
Please use the contact form via my contact page:
Or you can reach out via email:
> Do you do public readings or take part in panels? <
Yes and yes, I do indeed. You can see where I’ll be and when via this page:
If you’d like me to attend any specific readings or panels, please reach out via email:
> Do you do workshops or class activities? <
Because of the aforementioned time constraints, sorry to say that my schedule is quite limited for creating and running workshops or activities. However, please reach out to me via email if you’d like me to attend or run any events, with as much detail as you can give, and I’ll do my best to be accomodating:
> Do you teach writing or hold any seminars? <
I currently don’t teach or hold seminars for writing. But I do attend panels and take part in industry discussions, where the topics are typically more specific aspects of writing (like world-building, character writing, narrator voices, etc)
> Why aren’t you coming to x event, and will you ever come? <
There are a few possible reasons. One may be due to (you guessed it) time constraints making it difficult for me to attend. Another is that I could not make it happen for some logistical reasons. Or it may simply be an event I haven’t considered attending until you mentioned it! So, please feel free to send over any suggestions for events you’d like me to attend through my contact form:
Otherwise, you can find the list of events I’m attending and have attended here: