Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Michael Baeyens. I was born in Oudenaarde, Belgium, in 1982, and I work as an English teacher in a comprehensive school in Belgium.
Writing is my passion, and so far I’ve written two Dutch fantasy novels: Dochter van de Poorten and Scherven van Vergeten Tijden. I’ve written one Dutch short story, Een Erfenis (An Inheritance) and two English short stories, Island and Forsaken. My most recent project is The Fen: my first full-length English novel.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled The Fen. The story was inspired by a dream I had about a small, abandoned church in a forest. For some reason, its bells started ringing one night, and local villagers began flocking to it.
I live in Belgium, and the south of the country, the region known as the Ardennes, is known for its forests. I decided to base some but not all of the story there.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
It depends on what you would call unusual. One old-fashioned thing I do is write the first draft in longhand. I insist on using fountain pens and I’ve developed an interest in fountain pen ink. I’d say writing by hand creates an immediacy between the story and yourself. Also, you’re not staring at a screen when thinking, which in this digital age is a massive bonus.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve been a reader for as long as I can remember. I’d say my first steps into the world of fantasy were thanks to JRR Tolkien, though my absolute favourite series in that genre would have to be Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen.
Fantasy aside, I think my biggest influence has to be H.P. Lovecraft. I discovered his work, alongside that of E.A. Poe, W.H. Hodgson, A. Bierce, M. Shelley, M.R. James etc., when I started branching out from reading predominantly fantasy. I am enthralled by stories which hint at the limitless possibilities of the world beyond accepted reality.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on several projects at once: a few short stories, a collection of haiku, and a science fiction/fantasy novel which takes up most of my time. It’s the first time I haven’t focused exclusively on one project at a time, and I must say I find it refreshing.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To be honest, this is one of the aspects I’m still figuring out. I can say, however, that my personal website and my presence on social media have been instrumental in getting the word out there.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I don’t think I’m going to be breaking new ground with this, but I’d advise anyone who loves writing to keep practising and to persevere: writing is something which improves over time. Recently, I was shocked when I re-read something I had written ten years ago. Simply put, there was not a single sentence I would leave the way I had written it back then – which is a good thing!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write to make one specific reader happy. Quite often, that will be you yourself: you should write stories you would like to read. Afterwards, get a group of diverse, critical proofreaders and have them pick apart everything you’ve created. It will hurt (if you’ve put your heart into the story, that is) but you will learn a lot from the impressions your work leave on others. Note: you won’t be able to please all of your proofreaders and you shouldn’t try, either.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently studying Basho’s Complete Haiku (translated by Jane Reichhold) and Robert Tombs’ The English and their History.
What’s next for you as a writer?
The above-mentioned writing projects aside, I’m currently working on publishing my first poetry collection. Poetry, I’ve discovered, is a world apart from prose writing, and the journey has been most interesting so far.
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?
I’m going to go with the Malazan Book of the Fallen (given its 11,000 pages, I’m going to request an e-reader and a solar panel for this one), Lovecraft’s collected stories, The Lord of the Rings and MR James’s ghost stories.
Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Baeyens Website
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