A little introduction.
Hi Fraser. Thank you very much for the invitation. It's a pleasure to be here. What can I tell you about me besides that I'm a writer of fantasy books?
Well, my living arrangements might be of interest. I live in a cozy house-share on the outskirts of Copenhagen in Denmark. I spend my days with my wife, our Ragdoll cat, the heroically fluffy Mr. Muffin, and the other denizens of the house-share: one of my oldest and best friends and his big family.
I take a walk around the nearby lakes every day, and the fresh air and beauty really help me to get into a writing mood. Here is a picture of a swan I drew inspired by the swans I walk past. I’ve used it as a vignette in one of my books.
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When did your love of books begin?
I've loved fantasy since my mother read the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings aloud when I was a kid. But I read and like lots of other genres too, like biographies and science-fiction.
When did you start to have the wish to become an author?
As a young man, I had plenty of ideas for book plots and I was sure I'd write my first book before I was 18.
I had this great idea for a LitRPG novel (way before the genre was a thing,) an epic fantasy about gods and elves, and a science fiction book taking place in a dystopian Copenhagen following the war and ecological collapse.
Ah, the wonder of youth, so many ideas, and the confidence of the completely untested.
So, did I do it?
Well...Life happened...in a bad way.
How have you found the process for becoming an author?
Well, I can tell you that the beginning was like a naked trek across a twisting path covered in barbed wire.
I was in a car accident when I was 17, came close to dying, and spent years finding my way back. Since I could not work for long periods at a time, it forced me to forget about book writing.
Instead, I focused on what I could do and so I wrote short pieces in magazines about roleplaying games and computer games. It was this "fun stuff" that eventually led me to university where I got my bachelor's degree in Journalism, and to over 20 years working as a journalist. I've tried my hand at most things over the years, like print media, TV, web, and communication roles at major corporations.
Still, the dream of writing books never left me, and one day my life (read: my wife) allowed me to follow my dream. I released my first book in 2020. I was 50 years of age.
This December, I'll publish book number four.
What would you say to those wanting to become an author?
It's never too late, but it's a lot of work to write a book, so you'll have to really want it.
Tell us about your book/books:
My books are epic/high fantasy mixed with Sword & Sorcery fantasy.
My first one was Doomsayer Prince. Read about it here:
https://runesnielsen.com/brief
My latest one was called A Company of Adventurers. Read about it here:
https://runesnielsen.com/tales-of-kjeldale-series
What do you love about the writing/reading community?
Being a writer can be lonely, sitting by yourself writing. So, it's important to find others to talk to. It's always interesting to talk to people that do the same thing you do, and it's smart as you can learn so much from others with more experience.
I do interviews with other fantasy authors.
https://runesnielsen.com/author/author-interviews
And I've created a free guide about how to publish books.
https://runesnielsen.com/author
I also write articles about AI art.
https://runesnielsen.com/news/2022/8/18/ai-art-and-why-its-a-whole-new-game-with-stable-diffusion
If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?
I know I like books that end on cliffhangers BUT don't worry, all my series will end on a positive note. You don't have to worry about that!
Where can people connect with you?
My webpage
https://runesnielsen.com
Instagram (I post images every day)
https://www.instagram.com/rune.s.nielsen
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1318760974938958/
https://twitter.com/RSNielsenAuthor