Does being a published novelist feel different from being a published (and acclaimed) short story writer?
Bizarrely yes – which frustrates me. I adore short stories. But when I tell people that I have a novel coming out, their reaction is such that I feel like I wasn’t a real writer – in their eyes – until the novel sale. Both forms are hard in their own ways and can do different things, so it is a small thorn that novels are so often regarded as more legitimate than short stories. Your stories range from settings in past Earth history, such as in your novel, through modern times to future times and other planets. Is there a time or place you prefer to set your stories, or do other considerations determine a tale’s time and place? At the moment, I’m inclined to say that I prefer writing secondary world fantasies, because the level of research involved is soooooo much lower. But I’m in the midst of a historical fantasy right now, so my perceptions are skewed. The truth is that – for me –setting, story, and characters are all intertwined. There are just so many interesting places and opportu
