Writer: Alexander Arrowsmith
Workspace: I write in my study (a converted garage) overlooking a lovely bypass which held two cycling events at the 2012 Olympics, surrounded by book covers, books, Giant Scorpions and the occasional cat and human visitor. I work at my green leather-topped mahogany desk; something I dreamt for years of owning.
Take a closer look:
I do love a nice colourful box folder for my writing projects which are usually full of notes, scribbles, fight scene sketches, maps and, once completed, a printed and edited copy of the book.
How long do you write for each day?
I write for 2-3 hours a day depending on how quickly the things are coming from my brain to my keyboard.
How many words do you aim to get down?
For my Historical Crime novels, it’s 1,500 words a day, and for my Horror novels or short stories 2,000. The historical novels usually have frequent research stops for vital or trivial information required about Ancient Athens.
Longhand or straight-to-screen?
I use to write longhand many years ago, before computers came along (yes, I’m that old) but now its straight-to-screen with my terrible typing skills.
Do you have a time when you’re most productive?
I’m definitely a morning person. I write from around 08:30-11:30 am: anything past that and my brain turns to mush and my terrible typing then barely registers as any form of English. Afternoons I can’t do, but sometimes I write at night.
An internet connection – good or bad when you’re writing?
Good and bad. I normally close down Facebook before I start writing, but keep the internet on just in case I need to Google something for the story quickly.
Pillars of Blood is by Alexander Arrowsmith.