With the release of Dublin’s Fierce City  edging closer, we’re catching up with another writer from the book. You won’t find him online, but here’s Tommy Arrigan!

1. What genre do you like to write in most?

Fantasy I suppose, as it’s where I seem to have ended up so far. There’s almost always some element of the impossible (or impossibly improbable!) in the mix.

2. Which author or authors inspired you to write?

If I had to pick one I’d say Aldous Huxley. Mostly because of his novel Antic Hay, which I found to be a powerfully poignant reflection on what we do with the time that we have in life. It feels like that’s what pushed me to the point of rolling my sleeves up.

3. Are you a planner or a pantser, and how does that work out for you?

It’s a spectrum! I’m trying to drag myself towards the planner end, but it’s so very far away…

4. What are you working on now?

Planning my next project, as it happens. Last Nanowrimo (also my first!) I wrote quite freely with just an overall story to follow, so I’d like to attempt something more structured to see how it compares.

5. What’s your one piece of advice for new writers?

Get started and keep going! It’s very easy to not get around to actually writing, so you really do need to actively set aside time for it. Even small amounts add up surprisingly quickly, provided you keep at it.

About Tommy

Tommy Arrigan is half country lad, half city boy. His youth was happily spent growing up in the sticks, before making his way to the smoke where he’s continued growing up ever since, not feeling quite done yet. This is his first serious stab at writing fiction, which has been much harder work than expected but all the more satisfying for it, and he feels anyone who likes the idea of trying should knuckle down and give it a real go. Among his favourite authors are LeGuin, Atwood, Huxley and Mieville. Musically, meanwhile, David Bowie reigns supreme.

About Dublin’s Fierce City

In Dublin’s Fierce City, nine writers from the group present seventeen tales of magic and wonder.

Explore a city of fairies and ghosts, where one is as bad as the other. Avoid the curses of witches, and escape the wrath of angels and demons. Survive alien invasions and all out war, and come out the other side seeing the whole world differently.

Buy it now on Amazon.