“When I get started each day, I read through and correct the previous day's 2,000 words, then start on the next. As I reach that figure, I try to simply stop and not go on until reaching a natural break. If you just stop while you know what you're going to write next, it's easier to get going again the next day.” – Neal Asher
Born in England on this date in 1961, Asher has established himself as one
of today’s top science fiction writers – something he “sort of inherited” from
his parents, both who are educators and science fiction fans.
Although
he began writing while still in secondary school, he didn’t turn to it
seriously until he was nearly 30, working first as a machinist and
machine
programmer and then as a full-time gardener before a successful short
story
got him into writing full time.
Influenced by The Lord of the
Rings, The Hobbit and Roger Zelazny’s The Chronicles of Amber series, he soon
developed his own special setting, the so-called "Polity" universe. His fast-paced, action-filled stories encompassing many
classic science fiction tropes have made him a fan favorite in the genre’.
Asher has turned out dozens of books and short stories –
many of them award winning – since his debut piece in 1989. His advice to new writers is
to work on developing a regular writing routine (that 2000 daily words
mentioned above) and keep an active, inquiring mind. "For me," he said, "the writing process is the same as the reading process. I want to know what happens next."
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