About R.l.Bartram:
Author bio: With historical romance as his preferred genre, Robert has continued to write for several years. Many of his short stories have appeared in various national periodicals and magazines.
His debut novel “Dance the Moon Down”, a story of love against adversity during the First World War, gained him considerable critical praise, being voted book of the month by “Wall to Wall Books”.
His second novel “Whippoorwill” tells of a passionate affair between a young southern woman and a northern man at the beginning of the American Civil War.
He is single and lives and works in Hertfordshire.
What inspires you to write?
Basically, I like telling stories. A good idea is always worth sharing. It's a great feeling to be able to touch others emotions and affect the way they think, through the power of words, if only for a few minutes.
Every event in the world, large or small, good or bad, has been stimulated by the power of words.
I feel privileged to be apart of that.
Tell us about your writing process.
I prefer to write at my dining room table. I tend to write from 11pm to 3am. It’s quite then and you can hear yourself think. When I’m fully engaged on a book, I write every day, seven days a week. I always write in longhand first. Nothing goes into the computer until the final hand-written draft is finished and corrected. With “Whippoorwill” that took six months. I never write from beginning to end. I generally concentrate on the sections that interest me most at the time, until I have a pile of disembodied chapters. Then it’s a case of marrying them together.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Not exactly. However, I do have a rapport with them. Naturally I imagine what they're thinking and how they'd react to situations. As their characters develop, they become like family to me. So, when a story ends, it's hard to say goodbye. Nevertheless, they remain with me always.
What advice would you give other writers?
Fame and fortune are elusive elements. Write for the sheer joy of it. Never give up, no matter what the obstacles. Always believe in yourself, sometimes you'll be the only one who does.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Quite simple really. Agents kept telling me they were too full, even before they knew what I had to offer. Unless you're already established, or know someone, it's highly unlikely that you'll get into the traditional publishing market. On the basis of that, if I wanted to see my novel in print, I had to do it myself.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
The traditional market seems to have lost all momentum. Like the film industry, it's atrophied. They stick with what is safe and known. There's very little risk taking in that area.
I'd like to say that the self publishing market is alive and on the up. Unfortunately, it's now showing signs of the same dogma. Most companies don't offer more than a printed book. Even though this may be to a professional standard, the suggestion that they can promote it to any real degree is entirely bogus. Also, it seems that 99% of review sites are clogged or grinding to a halt, hence, no promotion there. Also many of the bloggers are starting to adopt the same high handed attitudes displayed by tradition agents, whilst a large number now refuse self published books.
All in all I think the two areas will remain distinctly apart, with self publishing eventually taking the same back seat it occupied in the past.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Historical fiction
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
R.l.Bartram Home Page Link
Link To R.l.Bartram Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on Troubador
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
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.
