Rod Somerville
With degrees in physics and mathematics, Rod Somerville has now worked as a science educator for over forty years. Beginning as an obsession with science fiction at a young age, his interest morphed into a life actively involved in the public education of science wherever he has gone, showing the universe to anyone around Australia who would stop and listen. After establishing and running a public observatory for several years at Uluru in Central Australia, he returned to the east coast where he still resides in country NSW.
Some questions for the author ...
What are the three most important things you have accomplished, aside from publishing a book?
Getting a 70 seat digital planetarium built in my home town of Orange, NSW
Setting up a public observatory at Uluru in Central Australia
Completed the Red Cross Murray River Canoe Marathon (403 km in 5 days)
In your own life, what influences and inspires you to write?
The desire to share knowledge and enthusiasm about the universe and science in general inspires me to write. My career has been disseminating information about science through multiple outlets and writing a science fiction novel utilising good science principles is simply the latest in a long line.
Which book or author has had the biggest impact on you, and why?
There are two authors that have had a major influence on me. Isaac Asimov, as it was his books (in particular, Second Foundation) that first gave me my love and wonder for the universe, as well as reading, when I was very young. Carl Sagan, as he showed me that science could be understandable and enjoyable for everyone through good writing.
What were your first experiences with writing
My first experience with writing was producing regular articles about astronomy aimed at the general public for various newspapers and magazines. These started very early on in my career and have continued until the present. My first experience in writing something longer than a newspaper/magazine article was to collect these articles, with modification to make everything flow better, into a general astronomy book.
In your opinion, what are the key ingredients for a good story or novel?
A simple, easy to follow plot with interesting characters and twists. Convoluted plots with multiple asides, storylines and strange, hard to pronounce, names just make a story difficult to read. Keep the story moving. Don’t get bogged down as the reader will get just as bored reading it as you did writing it. And have a clear point/aim to the story. Without that, it is just a rambling book of words.
How long do you spend writing every day?
It varies. In the beginning, I spent 1-2 hours a day, but the further into the book I got, the longer I spent. In the end I would be writing for about 8 hours a day and only stop because of other things that needed doing. When I do get the chance to write, I now like to spend at least 4-6 hours doing so in that session. That way I can keep some continuity in what I write. Even when I’m not writing, I am thinking about the storyline.
How long does it take to write a book?
I spend about a year running through ideas and coming up with storylines/characters/topics before sitting down to write. The actual writing only takes about four months. Once I start it is hard to stop. I then spend another year self-editing and rewriting sections before I feel it is at a stage for me to submit it to be published.
What is the most challenging part in writing a book, and what have you learnt from the process?
The first challenge is always to simply get started. Writing the first few chapters is an effort and requires discipline to sit down for an hour or two every day. But the more I write the easier it becomes. Another aspect of getting started that I find difficult is I try to force everything into the chapter outlines I have in my head. What I’ve learnt is to relax the formulaic outlines and let the story flow to where it takes you. Stick to the general plot but be flexible in how you get there.
What did you find most helpful when writing your books?
In the beginning I tried to make every sentence and every paragraph I wrote an end product at the time I wrote it. Perfect in spelling, grammar and importance. The problem was, that approach was very time consuming, often meaning I only wrote a paragraph in an hour of writing. Plus, it also meant I was so focussed on that paragraph or sentence that it was impossible to remember where I was wanting to go next. I lost so many good ideas in those early times simply because I wanted to make every sentence perfect from the start. It wasn’t until I decided to let go of that approach and just get the story and ideas down, complete with mistakes and bad grammar, that things changed. The only thing that then restricted the story, my ideas, and the plot direction, was the speed at which I could type, which often couldn’t keep up with my thoughts. Once a chapter/section was written I would then, and only then, go back and clean it up. So, the most helpful thing I did was to let go of the control I initially had and just let things flow. Worry about fixing up spelling, grammar and plot holes once the story was down. Oh, and peace and quiet. Outside noises and disruptions (like a neighbour’s dog that keeps barking all day long!) make it very difficult to maintain a train of thought.
What writing advice would you offer to your younger self?
Stop procrastinating. You have an idea, you have a vision on how that idea should be expressed, so just start writing. It doesn’t matter how good or bad or difficult it may be, just start writing. The good thing about writing is that every bit you do makes you a better writer. Even if what you put down is extraordinarily bad, you can always fix it later, or scrap it completely and start again if it turns out to be unsalvageable. Just begin and see where it takes you.
With degrees in physics and mathematics, Rod Somerville has now worked as a science educator for over forty years. Beginning as an obsession with science fiction at a young age, his interest morphed into a life actively involved in the public education of science wherever he has gone, showing the universe to anyone around Australia who would stop and listen. After establishing and running a public observatory for several years at Uluru in Central Australia, he returned to the east coast where he still resides in country NSW.
Some questions for the author ...
What are the three most important things you have accomplished, aside from publishing a book?
Getting a 70 seat digital planetarium built in my home town of Orange, NSW
Setting up a public observatory at Uluru in Central Australia
Completed the Red Cross Murray River Canoe Marathon (403 km in 5 days)
In your own life, what influences and inspires you to write?
The desire to share knowledge and enthusiasm about the universe and science in general inspires me to write. My career has been disseminating information about science through multiple outlets and writing a science fiction novel utilising good science principles is simply the latest in a long line.
Which book or author has had the biggest impact on you, and why?
There are two authors that have had a major influence on me. Isaac Asimov, as it was his books (in particular, Second Foundation) that first gave me my love and wonder for the universe, as well as reading, when I was very young. Carl Sagan, as he showed me that science could be understandable and enjoyable for everyone through good writing.
What were your first experiences with writing
My first experience with writing was producing regular articles about astronomy aimed at the general public for various newspapers and magazines. These started very early on in my career and have continued until the present. My first experience in writing something longer than a newspaper/magazine article was to collect these articles, with modification to make everything flow better, into a general astronomy book.
In your opinion, what are the key ingredients for a good story or novel?
A simple, easy to follow plot with interesting characters and twists. Convoluted plots with multiple asides, storylines and strange, hard to pronounce, names just make a story difficult to read. Keep the story moving. Don’t get bogged down as the reader will get just as bored reading it as you did writing it. And have a clear point/aim to the story. Without that, it is just a rambling book of words.
How long do you spend writing every day?
It varies. In the beginning, I spent 1-2 hours a day, but the further into the book I got, the longer I spent. In the end I would be writing for about 8 hours a day and only stop because of other things that needed doing. When I do get the chance to write, I now like to spend at least 4-6 hours doing so in that session. That way I can keep some continuity in what I write. Even when I’m not writing, I am thinking about the storyline.
How long does it take to write a book?
I spend about a year running through ideas and coming up with storylines/characters/topics before sitting down to write. The actual writing only takes about four months. Once I start it is hard to stop. I then spend another year self-editing and rewriting sections before I feel it is at a stage for me to submit it to be published.
What is the most challenging part in writing a book, and what have you learnt from the process?
The first challenge is always to simply get started. Writing the first few chapters is an effort and requires discipline to sit down for an hour or two every day. But the more I write the easier it becomes. Another aspect of getting started that I find difficult is I try to force everything into the chapter outlines I have in my head. What I’ve learnt is to relax the formulaic outlines and let the story flow to where it takes you. Stick to the general plot but be flexible in how you get there.
What did you find most helpful when writing your books?
In the beginning I tried to make every sentence and every paragraph I wrote an end product at the time I wrote it. Perfect in spelling, grammar and importance. The problem was, that approach was very time consuming, often meaning I only wrote a paragraph in an hour of writing. Plus, it also meant I was so focussed on that paragraph or sentence that it was impossible to remember where I was wanting to go next. I lost so many good ideas in those early times simply because I wanted to make every sentence perfect from the start. It wasn’t until I decided to let go of that approach and just get the story and ideas down, complete with mistakes and bad grammar, that things changed. The only thing that then restricted the story, my ideas, and the plot direction, was the speed at which I could type, which often couldn’t keep up with my thoughts. Once a chapter/section was written I would then, and only then, go back and clean it up. So, the most helpful thing I did was to let go of the control I initially had and just let things flow. Worry about fixing up spelling, grammar and plot holes once the story was down. Oh, and peace and quiet. Outside noises and disruptions (like a neighbour’s dog that keeps barking all day long!) make it very difficult to maintain a train of thought.
What writing advice would you offer to your younger self?
Stop procrastinating. You have an idea, you have a vision on how that idea should be expressed, so just start writing. It doesn’t matter how good or bad or difficult it may be, just start writing. The good thing about writing is that every bit you do makes you a better writer. Even if what you put down is extraordinarily bad, you can always fix it later, or scrap it completely and start again if it turns out to be unsalvageable. Just begin and see where it takes you.