Interview William H. Russeth

by

Marilyn Gardiner

1) How long have you been writing?

Early in my career, I wrote a fair amount of advertising copy and a few magazine articles that ran in technical journals. I had no desire to write fiction until about five years ago.

2) Where do you do your best writing--in an office or at the dining room table--amid clutter or in a pristine environment?

Anywhere quiet. I have been known to take the laptop out on the patio, but generally I work in an office in my home. It has a fair amount of clutter--many mementos from traveling around the US and Europe.

3) Do you write on a regular schedule or spasmodically, whenever the mood strikes?

Definitely spasmodic. When I am into a book, I can write five or six pages on a good day, but then I will have nothing for the next day. Sometimes, if I am blocked on a plot point, I may not write for weeks. During that time I am thinking about it a great deal, constantly in fact.

4) Books are written in one of two ways: plot or character development. Which do you instinctively write from?

I think both are equally important. I see the plot as the road or journey that characters must follow and that would make me plot driven. Still, I understand that the qualities of each character strongly influence the directions they take and the choices they make.

5) Where do your ideas come from? The newspaper, listening to others in coffee shops, from your gut...where?

I am pulling most of my inspiration from ancient mythology and actual history. I am always amazed, when a true story is so fantastic that it is not believable. Another good source has been “The Icelandic Sagas.”

6) Do you write in more than one genre?

Maybe, I do not know yet.

7) From the thumbnail sketch, I assume you write Historical Fiction/Fantasy. What is it that fascinates you about the genre?

I have been fascinated with the idea of taking ancient myths and bringing them to life in plausible ways. Chricton’s book “Eaters of the Dead”, better know as the movie “The 13^th Warrior”, captivated me as it took the Beowulf legend and told the story in a way that it could have really happened. The book, not the movie, had a strong commitment to presenting the ancient Viking culture accurately which impressed me.

8) Do you have other books to your credit, or is Fires of Belenus your first published novel?

Nope, this is the first, but I am well along the way on number two, “The Cult of Camelus”.

9) Do you have a supportive family or writing group, or do you fight against the traffic when you sit down to write?

No, I am a lone wolf but I have started to communicate on line with a couple of the Wings authors.

10) What are a few of your favorite authors?

I have quite a few: Bernard Cornwell, Mary Stewart, Michael Chricton, and Stephen Whyte.

Oh, and cannot forget  James Fennimore Cooper

11) Do you have other credits: newspapers, magazines, short stories, etc.?

As I mentioned above, just a couple articles printed in technical trade journals.

12) If possible, among authors living and/or dead, who would you just love to sit down and talk to over a cup of coffee?

I would have to say Mark Twain. He is one of the few authors who has ever made me laugh out loud. I think being around his wit and intellect would an inspiring experience.

Much luck, William (Bill). I'll be interested to read your answers.