Today I’m happy to offer an interview with Aaron Safronoff, author Sunborn Rising (read my review here).  First, a bit about Aaron, and then we’ll get into some questions!

Aaron Safronoff is the author of the Discovery Award winning science fiction novel, Spire. Since his debut, he’s published a sequel, Fallen Spire, and a novella of literary fiction, Evening Breezes.

Safronoff’s diverse background includes the formal study of computer science, bio-chemistry, and culinary arts. However, most of his career has been in the videogame industry in quality, production, and design.

Today, Safronoff is the co-founder and Chief Storyteller of Neoglyphic Entertainment, and is busy writing his fifth novel, the second installment of the Sunborn Rising series.

Aaron: Thank you, Cheryl, for inviting me to answer questions for you and Tales of the Marvelous, on this virtual tour. Fun stuff 🙂 .

Cheryl: What advice would you give writers as they’re starting out?

Aaron: Get outside once in awhile! Seriously, your exploration of the world shapes who you are, and nothing will inform your characters better than having a breadth of personal experience from which to pull. Learn about something other than writing, unless you want to write about writing.

Cheryl: Do you have another profession besides writing?

Aaron: Today, I’m a full-time author, but I worked as a chef at a variety of restaurants in both Michigan and San Francisco, and worked for the videogames industry for several years in disciplines ranging from quality assurance to production to design. Also, I’ve had numerous odd jobs which I handled with professionalism – most of the time.

Cheryl: What is your next project?

Aaron: I’m deep into the second volume of the Sunborn Rising trilogy and expect that to take most of my time for next couple of years. Afterward, I’d like to get back to my portrait series, short powerful descriptions of how I see people, as well as return to my last independent novel project, Clay.

Cheryl: What is the last great book you’ve read?

Aaron: China Mieville’s Railsea, Joe Abercrombie’s World of the First Law (all six), and Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie. That’s right. I can’t count.

Cheryl: Do you write every day?

Aaron: Yes. I do not devote every day to the same kind of writing, but I certainly write every day.

Cheryl: In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?

Aaron: Evening Breezes and Spire, both first appeared written in the margins of scholastic notebooks, or taking up entire pages when I should have been paying attention in class. Today, all of my writing is done with a keyboard.

Cheryl: If you could go back in time, where would you go?

Aaron: I’d go back about five minutes in order to develop a better answer to this question.