About Robert Cano:
A unique poet and new author who hearkens back to the world of the classics, Robert Cano also brings his poetic voice to his prose as he scribbles his stories down in small and barely legible scrawlings. The world he has created is inspired by the likes of Tolkien, Le Guin, and Shelley. Building his world with incredible depth of lore and fascinating characters of all types and races, Cano’s artwork is of a classical mindset. Calming, despite, or perhaps because of, the darkness with which he writes.
Find yourself in that mindset and travel a world of beauty through the lens of suffering. Perhaps it comes from a cathartic effort to wrestle with his own demons, but Cano’s words are felt, sometimes they feel like a hug, and other times his words might pierce our soul. His poetic voice is visible through his use of metaphor and ability to describe things in a way the reader can see unfolding, almost as if right before their eyes. Truly an archaic stylization to his voice, Cano is an author worth reading, for his words are presented in a way that today’s authors no longer care for.
However, this also requires a very special reader. Are you this reader? Are his words for you?
What inspires you to write?
I think my initial inspirations for storytelling came from Tolkien as a kid. What inspired me to ever consider writing came when I read Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. There was something beautiful about the way he wove his words together. There could be such pain in his lines, but also such wonder and beauty. As I got older I began writing poetry, and that taught me how to create and structure my sentences in a similar way. How to juxtapose the beauties with the cruelties. It’s a tactic I use to this day.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
Thomas Harris really stands apart here. But I also love Steinbeck and Tolkien as mentioned above. Le Guin, Shelley. My favorite poets include Wordsworth, Tennyson, Dickinson.
Tell us about your writing process.
Well, I am what’s known as a ‘pantser’. Basically, I write the story from beginning to end, without an outline, one step in front of the other. I do have the basics of the story, however, in my mind. I know the beginning, middle and end goal, but all the little things in between are discovered as I go along. What we call ‘pantsing’ is really discovery writing. It works for me.
I do keep a notebook filled with notes. Specific to characters and their names, affiliations, etc. Also for settings within the tale – where is it located, what is its relevance, things like that. It helps to keep everything straight, and it gives me a bit of a cheatsheet so I don’t have to do searches through old manuscripts.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I don’t know if I can say that I listen or talk to my characters, but perhaps I will say that they talk through me. Their personalities and speech patterns, their movements, etc, all find their way out through me as I write or think. What are their behaviors? Speech patterns? Are they articulate? Or do they have regional dialect? Since a lot of my fantasy deals with royalty, what kind of proper greetings or introductions are necessary? These are all things that will certainly find their way out of me. Sometimes my wife and girls will laugh at me. I don’t mind.
What advice would you give other writers?
DON’T DO IT! But, if you must, take the time to really study the craft of writing. I have found the best way to do that is to read. What genres interest you? Seek out a variety of books in those genres and read them for content as well as style and structure. What stands out to you? Why? Look for the good and the bad. It helps to understand what doesn’t work just as much as knowing what works. I’ll leave it at this, nice and succinct. I can go on for days.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I went through an indie press known as Three Furies Press. We all work to build each other up as we go about trying to carve our own little place in the world. All those who have written a book and published, whether self-published, indie presses, or big 5, we all can attest to how difficult this market is.
For me, the biggest reason was having someone to edit my work for me. While I am an editor myself, I live by my own advice, which is to ALWAYS get eyes on your work that are not your own. Listen to them, fix what needs fixing, and without ego getting in the way. It’s tough sometimes to hear the criticism, but it is necessary to grow as a writer.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Honestly, I try not to speculate too much. It can get really easy to give up if I do. Not that there is no hope, but there is just so much to it that it makes it quite difficult to really ascertain.
I suppose the trends I see are showing that while ebook is still a big thing, there will always be a demand for the tactile paperback or hardback. I read some books on ebook, but I much prefer holding a book and flipping the pages, smelling the book.
I do hope certain aspects of the publishing process become easier or more straightforward, I guess. But it’s difficult.
What genres do you write?: Fantasy, dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, epic fantasy
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Robert Cano Home Page Link
Link To Robert Cano Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
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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.
