About the Author

What's your daily routine?

I get up in the morning between 7 am and 8 am and make myself a big cup of coffee, take the long commute to the office, being my full -time job, and of course, start writing. I tend to write slowly but solidly until quite late at night. I aim to sleep at around 11 pm, but the writing urge will often kick in when it turns dark, and I’ll write past 1 am. I write for at least seven or eight hours daily, if not more. I also write whenever the opptunity represent itself. From notes to chapters.

How do you plan your chapters?

I tend to have a rough idea of how the chapters should be: page counts somewhere between 14 and 25 pages in manuscript form (A4, single pace, 12pt), typically broken into character POV sections. If they’re over or under that, though, it isn’t the end of the realm—what matters is stopping the chapter where it feels natural to stop. Transition is also important; you need the reader to want to read on, to be curious enough to turn to the next page. It’s almost like writing a series of twenty-odd cliffhangers. Chapters can be any length and have any number of sections, though—as, with all literature, there are no hard-and-fast rules.

How long does it take you to write a book?

The length of time it takes me depends on all sorts of things. My first attempt at a novel (which went through numerous edits and versions) took about two years (so far), primarily because I juggle writing and real life.

Do you ever write to music?

Always—but solely when inspiration to be detangled—but I do edit with music, especially instrumental music without lyrics or something soft and relaxing that doesn't encroach on my train of thought. Lofi Beats or lounge jazz is one of my absolute favorite playlists. I also love listening to film soundtracks and trailer music: Two Steps from Hell, James Newton Howard, Ramin Djawadi, Trevor Morris, and Hans Zimmer. There are certain music genres that each character vibes too, such as Ayaz leans towards Hans or Nordic music.