Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m twenty-one years old and I live in Syracuse, NY. I’ve written and published my first book, Of Truth and War, on September 28th, and am excited to share it with the public. I grew up reading books, mostly in an escapism sense. Growing up impoverished and between homes, it gave me the life experience I was missing out on and also a way to escape my own head. I began with fantasy works from the greats like Gene Wolfe, Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson, Tolkien, etc, and eventually found my way reading other genres, and, even further than that, beginning to craft my own stories.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Of Truth and War. It was inspired at first by nothing more than a vision I had; this woman clad in armor, hair flaring out in the wind, standing atop some sort of rubble. In front of her, where she couldn’t see, stood a dark-haired man staring after her, these doppelgangers of his lesser years stretching behind him.
I had this vision in my head, and I knew it was going to be the premise for my first fantasy novel. So, I fleshed it out. And it became Of Truth and War.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t like to actually create images of my characters in my head. I prefer to think of a basic silhouette, or feature that describes them, and then tell people a bit about the character. I like to take the answers I get and make a mesh of them into one being, which becomes the full form of the character and how I view them.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Gene Wolfe, most certainly. Brandon Sanderson.
And my favorites of the non-fantastic variety: Fernando Pessoa and Mark Danielewski.
What are you working on now?
Besides marketing my most recent book, I’m planning and plotting my next book (which I’d already mostly worked out before finishing Of Truth and War).
It’s going to be an urban fantasy book, with a bit more modern themes and backdrops than I’d ever expect myself to write about. It’ll follow your typical Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, the Magicians sort of Magical Academy Trope, but I like to think it’s got a touch of uniqueness it’s adding to the genre that will surprise people.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still in the experimentation stage, but of course this one. Word of mouth and simple networking has been my go-to action for marketing so far.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you’re reading this, or aspiring to be an author at all, you’re a part of a great passion that has lived on since the most ancient of times. Don’t let any sort of fear – whether it’s rejection, bad reviews, or stumped ideas – overly affect you. It affects everyone, sure, but don’t let it OVERLY affect you. Follow the course of your passion to its end, and it’ll all fit together nicely from there.
Also, make sure you format good. I botched that a thousand times over, and quite well may still have,
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Any advice or quote by Marcus Aurelius. A favorite is: “If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
What are you reading now?
“Rebel Yell Edited and Introduced by Kevin Williamson”
What’s next for you as a writer?
To promote my most recent book, and begin the next! I’ll try and hone my craft along the way, and then who knows, maybe I’ll be really good or something.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
House of Leaves
Book of Disquiet
Shadow of the Torturer
Meditations
Author Websites and Profiles
Anthony Norton Amazon Profile
Anthony Norton’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account