Winterview with Author Glen Delaney

To celebrate 13 weeks of winter, Hàlön Chronicles will be conducting one interview a week for 13 weeks. We’ve also partnered with additional artists and authors for a few surprises throughout the winter. Join us on the hashtag #13Winterviews, or check out our blog hop for a sneak peek at who’s on the roster in the coming weeks.

Hosted by: K. J. Harrowick

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a Brit living in San Francisco. I married an American and ended up working for the British consulate in SF here where I help hardware and telecom companies set up in the UK. It means I get to see a lot of bleeding-edge tech, which helps when I write SF.

Most of my free time is spent writing, training for a half-marathon, and taking classes at the Crucible—a great organization where you can learn everything from blacksmithing, to leather-working, to fire-dancing.

2. What types of books do you write, and why?

I like world building on a massive scale, the more in-world obscure facts and history the better. Sometimes it feels I spend more time writing the submerged iceberg than I do writing story. Over the last year—and with help from great CPs—I’ve focused on improving my story-telling and character building.

3. What were your early influences, and how does this manifest in your work today?

Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman are two of my favourite authors. They’re both able to cover very serious topics with a strange, sometimes dark whimsy, and I try to write with a similar style. After reading Discworld, I love footnotes, but none of my CPs feel the same way. I tried to go for a more serious Jonathan Strange and Mister Norrell style of footnote, rather than straight up Pratchett, but even that’s been criticized. Now, I ration them across the novel and never when there’s an action scene, lest I feel the wrath and disdain of my CPs.

4. Are there aspects of the craft that excite you more than others?

I love referring to writing as craft. It makes me think of witches conjuring books out of cauldrons—eye of newt, a few adverbs, dramatic character death, and bats’ wings. I’ve probably talked enough about my love of footnotes by now… I actually enjoy editing. Reading through a chapter and finding where to cut the fat is strangely satisfying. Writing is a very creative and draining process. Editing feels more relaxed. Past Glen’s already done the work, now I’m just snipping at it.

5. What books or websites are your go-to places while editing?

I’m bad at using the resources out there. Wikipedia is my go to for facts. Otherwise, I steal links from my writer’s chat group and rely on the experience of folks like K.J. There’s a great community on twitter. If I ever have a question about something, it’s easy to tweet with #amwriting.

6. Tell us about your writing space (music/snacks/interruptions/etc).

I have a great view of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge at the sun room at the back of our house. Unfortunately, I rarely write there. Most of my writing takes place on the bus at 6am or in other snippets throughout the day. I usually stick with whatever I’ve been listening to on Pandora at the time. I do have two cats—the bane of any writer. Their interest in me seems to be proportional to how focused I am on writing. If I’m in the groove, they will find me, and they will walk all over my keyboard, and they will somehow unintentionally wipe my work. But that is a cat’s prerogative.

7. Tell us about your current WIP or your latest book release.

I’m working on an Urban Fantasy set in Birmingham, England. Birmingham has a reputation for being concrete and grey, but there’s a wealth of history and folk-lore surrounding the area, going back to the early Britons. The story’s set in modern times, but flickers back to the Industrial Revolution, and the men who started it. They apply the same rational scientific principles to magic as they do to chemistry or physics.

Curious to know more about Glen Delaney? Be sure to visit his website and connect with him on Twitter.

Don’t forget to check out this year’s Winterviews and partner interviews. You can also follow this blog and be the first to know when new content is released.