About Barbara G.Tarn:
Barbara G.Tarn had an intense life in the Middle Ages that stuck with her through the centuries. She prefers swords to guns, long gowns to mini-skirts, and even though she buried the warrior woman, she deplores the death of knights in shining chainmail. She likes to think her condo apartment is a medieval castle, unfortunately lacking a dungeon to throw noisy neighbors and naughty colleagues in. Also known as the Lady with the Unicorns, these days she prefers to add a touch of fantasy to all her stories, past and present – when she’s not wandering in her fantasy world of Silvery Earth or in her Star Minds futuristic universe. She’s a writer, sometimes artist, mostly a world-creator and storyteller – stories comprise shorts, novels and graphic novels. Her novella “The Hooded Man” has received an Honorable Mention at the Writers of the Future contest.
What inspires you to write?
Anything. From “what if” to fairy tales revised to gender role swaps (my Silvery Earth Amazons are quite good at keeping their men subdued) to a sentence read somewhere to a bit of dialog… anything can spark my wild imagination! 🙂
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m a pantser, unless I write historical stuff – which might include the history of my world or my universe, I have calendars for that as well. I outline only if I need to stick to certain events, but it’s a very broad outline, handwritten on a notebook that might change considerably while writing. I’ve tried to create character sketches, but it’s no use to me. I’d rather listen to them and watch them act in my head! 🙂
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
No, but I talk to the Muses that inspire them, and brainstorm with them about the coming story! 😉 The Muses are actors, so it’s like writing a screenplay for them and discussing it with them and they may ask questions about the character they’re about to play and things like that… And I used to put myself as a character in stories as well – not so much anymore, but until ten years ago… I felt an actress too!
What advice would you give other writers?
Love what you do. Keep learning. Keep reading. Keep writing. Keep telling stories to entertain yourself. I’m not successful by any other standards but mine – I can see my growth in the publishing industry, and even though it’s slower than I want it to be, I keep writing. And publishing. Long term thinking, guys. How do you see yourself in 10 years? 20? Dream big, but set realistic goals!
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I was always scared of legalese and contracts, so when the ebook revolution happened, I thought it was a good way to keep control on my writing and have some fun. I did most of my first covers, then I started hiring artists. I still haven’t recouped the expenses, but ebooks are forever, and I’m adding printed books to the catalog, so… I’m all set to be a micro-publisher in the 21st century!
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
It’s shifting, but it’s not going to vanish. I’ll still be writing 10 or 20 years from now, but maybe there will be other ways to put my stories out there. It’s a steep learning curve, but if I can do it at 50, so can younger writers more used to technology than I am. I grew up with typewriters after all! I’m sure I’ll figure out a way to send my paper books into bookstores and will keep selling ebooks on all major (and some minor) retailers all over the world. It’s a global market now… and even though it’s easy to get lost in this big ugly ocean, just keep your eyes on that lighthouse, and you’ll reach the promised land!
As a reader, I love ebooks for fiction, but I still buy physical books for comics, artbooks – and non-fiction. Most of my research is done online, since I live in a non-English-speaking country (so no library to go to), but my bookshelves are full and I’m very happy to keep novels on my Kindle or hard-drive – unless it’s a physical copy signed by the author!
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Mostly SFF – high fantasy, urban fantasy, science fantasy. Some contemporary stories, including m/m romance. Historical fantasy (vampires through centuries). Some are QUILTBAG or ACE friendly
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print
Website(s)
Barbara G.Tarn Home Page Link
Link To Barbara G.Tarn Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
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