Simon: Editing and revising, as every time you think you've finished, you find something else that needs to be changed. However, it's almost always for the best and benefits the story, so attention to detail is vital.
6.SR: What element of writing has given you the most difficulty? How did you improve this weak point?
Simon: I think perhaps the revision process, as I just mentioned, but it's really a case of practice makes perfect. I found with my second novel that I needed to make far fewer changes as I went along.
7.SR: How and why did you develop your interest in science fiction and fantasy?
Simon: I became immersed in science fiction as a boy. The original Star Trek series springs readily to mind, along with many other influences. I read a lot of science fiction novels and collections of short stories, as well C S Lewis, Tolkien, other fantasy writers and ghost stories. I also read a tremendous number of comic books as a child, so much so that my parents became a little concerned. However, my teacher at the time assured them that at least I was reading something. And of course comic books were great for the imagination. I leapt headfirst into those stories of superheroes in what was probably the golden age of comic books in the 1960¹s. The stories took me across the universe, into strange dimensions, into the land of the Norse gods or had me swinging from the New York rooftops. Pure escapism perhaps, but terrific for a child. At high school I studied history a great deal, and have retained my interest in the subject up to present day. I also read voraciously on ancient civilizations, mysteries, the supernatural, and the unexplained.
8.SR: How are you like Matthew, your protagonist in "The Alchemist's Portrait"?
Simon: I'm not sure if I am. However, as I mentioned earlier, I believe I'm writing for the boy I was at that age, whether consciously or unconsciously. When I first thought seriously about writing, my own children were very young. I wasn't interested in writing for the very young and I'm not an illustrator. Once I decided to write for the eight to twelve age group, I found myself drawn to the sorts of things that interested me at that age; science fiction, time travel, the unexplained, ancient mysteries, fantasy, ghost stories, myths and legends.
