Robert Milton has been with Athanatos/Bard since 2013, after he won the Novel Contest.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads
*Author Interview*
Q1: Why do you write?
I started writing because, in high school, I had certain thoughts and dreams that wouldn’t leave my mind until I wrote them on paper. This continued to plague me, and by the time I’d finished college, I had numerous journals full of sap and scribble. And this still holds true today…stories and poems, random encounters, things I don’t want anyone to know and things I want everyone to know…all poured onto paper and out of my mind.
Q2: How would you describe your writing ‘method’?
My writing method can only be described as chaotic and inconsistent. I want to write daily, even weekly, but I simply can’t. No time, no drive, and no talent. I can’t force myself to write in moments like these. But when I have a wonderful thought or a story that intrigues me…then I find the time to sit and write, and hope that the talent shows up at some point.
Q3: How would you respond to the classic question, “Is there Christian art, or artists who are Christians?”
I’ve read of non-believing artists that have been intrigued by religion or history, and have gone on to paint or sculpt some of the most beautiful pieces of art I’ve ever seen. How God might use these pieces of art to speak to and move others will never be known. But I’ve read where God used a donkey to speak His truth, so yes….there’s Christian art, AND artist who are Christian, AND Christian art done by the hands of a non-believer. And God will use them all.
Q4: Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring authors?
Write. Fine tune. Rewrite. Hone your craft. Read your favorite authors, read authors you aren’t familiar with. Learn your style, learn your flow. Be patient, take criticism. Write for yourself, not for others. And have fun…if you can;-).
Q5: Which of your creations has brought you the most joy?
My first published novel, Seed of Doubt, has brought me the most joy. From the inkling-of-an-idea that sprang to life years ago, until final completion just recently…telling this story was one of the more difficult things I’ve ever done. I wanted to tell it right, tell it true…do it justice. To develop characters people care about, to create a timeline that makes sense, to flow from one thread to another…these were relatively new to me, and to do them successfully has brought true joy in my writing.
Q6: Which has brought you the most heartache?
Poetry brings me the most heartache. Easily. Poems are what I’m scared to tell other people, scared to tell God. So I write them down…cry them out. Even today, I have a million things I want to say…that I simply can’t. That’s heartache. So my journal takes the punishment. This is the blessing and the curse of The Poem.
Q7: Is there anything you’d like to say?
“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” – Anton Chekhov