Recently, we had a most amazing Historical Fiction Smackdown, hosted by Sissa Romanova and Alice_Iceflower through this account. It was a bloody battle for the crown of King of the Smackdown, but in the end, the winner warrior was Gordon Ashley, who did not disappoint us with his amazing entries.
Of course, we could not miss the chance to interview him!
Tell us a bit about you, please.
I recently graduated university with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Yay! Think of all the career options! Humanities degrees are the best. Cough. Anyhow, I’ve joined the precarious labour bracket of society until I can land something better. Writing is my only solace. (Congratulations on the graduation! :D )
Why did you join Wattpad?
Well to be perfectly honest, it was almost entirely due to the influence of my sister @CharlotteAshley. She mentioned that she was participating in a few Wattpad smackdowns (and how much fun they were), and she encouraged me to give them a try. (I guess we should thank Charlotte as well for that :P)
What are your favourite genres to read? And the ones you avoid reading?
My favourite genres to read are: (in no particular order) Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, and Fantasy. Yeah yeah, I’m into escapism alright? That said, there are plenty of subgenres within fiction that I avoid. A particular romance involving vampires comes to mind. (Oh, we understand it perfectly!)
In your opinion, what makes a good writer?
A writer is someone who can think up an idea and put it on paper. A good writer is someone who can convey that idea in a way that is appealing to an audience. That means no matter how cliché or overused an idea is, if the author is clever about how he or she deploys it, it can be great. (Now, that is a great quote! Someone should write it down on an inspirational note!)
What motivates you to write?
I’m the sort of person whose imagination tends to keep them up at night. It’s a problem. I’ve often gotten up out of bed to write down an idea I’ve had. I can’t afford to lose them! (Haha, guess we all can relate! )
You are the winner of the Historical Fiction Smackdown! How does it feel?
I was feeling pretty fly, until @CharlotteAshley crushed my ego. What a jerk. Nothing like family to cut you down to size... sigh. (Awww... Don't be so cruel, Charlotte! :P )
How was the experience of competing in the Smackdown?
The experience was very humbling. When surrounded by so many great stories, you cannot help look at your own and wonder; do I even belong here? Maybe I have a bit of an inferiority complex. Haha! (Your stories are great as well! They surely belong here! :D)
Had you written anything Historical before?
Nope! First time writing. Watch as I flex my metaphorical writing chops. Urrggghhh. (Hard to believe that!)
Do you have any favourite HistFic books/authors?
When I was a youngin’ I absolutely gobbled up the works of Bernard Cornwell, but more recently I’ve taken up a few books by Edward Rutherfurd and Amitav Ghosh. (Great influences!)
From all the SD rounds, which one was your favourite?
My favourite round would have to be a toss-up between the Japanese tanka round and the Revolution round. Having to use a tanka as a central element of the story was a stroke of genius, but I have a special place in my heart for revolutionary history. (The Japanese round was meant to hurt, we're glad you liked it!)
Do you have plans to write more Historical Fiction stories?
Of course! I enjoy posing moral dilemmas within my writing, and what better place is there to do so than within a historical narrative? History tends to be very judgemental towards certain parties and individuals, so it is quite fun to play a little devil’s advocate. I believe people are not inherently bad, but simply have their own thoughts and justifications for their actions (excluding the mentally ill of course). Evil is more often than not found to be quite dull. (We're looking forward to read more HistFics from you!)
What do you think about the Historical Fiction genre?
The genre of Historical Fiction is great. I mean, honestly, what other genre does most of the work for you? Please don’t jump down my throat for that one. It was a joke! A joke! (Haha, we'll remember that next Smackdown! >:D)
Apart from Historical Fiction, what else do you write?
I’ve written some science fiction as well, and I intend to write fantasy in the future. Hell, I might even give horror a try. The more the merrier? (Absolutely!)
Will you be entering future HFDS’s?
I guess I better eh? (Just kidding, I would love to!) (Yes, you better! >:D)
Do you have any tips for other Historical Fiction writers?
Do your research. I cannot stress this enough. You can always do more research. My own stories could have been given so much more depth if I had committed to researching them more! (Great advice, take note, everyone!)
That was Gordon Ashley, hereby declared King of the Historical Fiction Smackdown! Wear your crown with pride, you deserve it!
Check out Gordon Ashley's entries for the Smackdown by clicking on his profile (on the dedication above), and stay tuned for his updates by following him!
