About JR Robberts:
JR Robberts grew up in Pretoria, South Africa with his grandparents. His passion for writing and all things artistic started from a young age, earliest work was at thirteen with poems published in a special anthology called Taking Flight. His first published short story was A Dog Called Mungril written especially as a charity project for his mothers love of animals and her organisation.
His current project, The Journey of Secrets started off as a mixture of stories written on paper from his school years up till now. He is currently working on the second book in the series and hope to continue the series for quite some time along with other smaller projects.
“I’m a dreamer. What I write comes from inside, a place so deep that sometimes it is scary but at the same time exciting to see what I am capable of. I know I’m a newbie but writing to me is not about fame or fortune. I’m a story teller and what is important is my voice and how far it carries. If I can touch someone with my words then I am happy. The rest is just a bonus.”
What inspires you to write?
Most of what I write comes from past experiences, what might seem like just another story with the usual characters carries a lot more weight with me. Most of my characters are symbolic, they represent something real in my life or a part of me that was before.
If I have to choose just one word that inspires me to write I guess it would be pain. To me it is something that never leaves you, it is something that you can draw from at any time, it is the most honest and purest part of myself.
Tell us about your writing process.
I don’t follow a step by step process.
I am a dreamer so I find that as I write my story evolves, my characters might take me somewhere totally unexpected, they make me think more than just defining them on paper as a set person with no room to grow.
I feel outlines bind me to keep it within the box and I personally don’t like being confined to just one idea so neither should my characters and settings where they find themselves. All in all it’s a process of evolution.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
YES! I listen to them, sometimes I even fight with them. I believe as a writer of fiction you have to, especially if your story won’t be captured in just one book.
What advice would you give other writers?
Keep it honest. Don’t pretend to be someone on paper that you are not, I know it’s a weird thing to say yet it is the easiest mistake to make. I read at times, most times I don’t because I am always afraid that it might influence my writing in a negative way.
I do not argue that you can learn from other authors but if we are to learn from anyone it must be done without losing your individuality, your voice so to speak.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
It is still a tricky business to me. I still research, I am still finding my feet. The world out there is big and sometimes pricy.
When I wrote my very first book it was all just about getting it out, so I did it the easiest way I could just to be able to say; Yay! I published a book. My first book is not my pride and joy but I leave it as a reminder to myself of where I started.
The best advice: Don’t rush! Take your time.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think a big change is coming. A change that is going to see many books from unknowns out there make it big. I see publishing as a flavoured candy, eventually one flavour is not going to satisfy anymore. The greats will always remain great but readers and film makers out there will always want something new, something fresh and just because you might be the most popular candy available on the market right now doesn’t mean that it’s over for the rest of us. I believe publishing is expanding beyond what was once considered as great or good enough.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Drama
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
JR Robberts Home Page Link
Link To JR Robberts Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
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Twitter
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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.
