Alexander Altanis,

Author of Imprisoned

 

Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your

My name is Alexander Altanis and I come from Greece. I grew up in the capital, and am currently a sophomore in university, on  Computer Engineering. I began studying english from a very young age with an English teacher.

 

What inspired you to start writing?

Reading stories and books as I grew up, I always had a tendency to write something of my own. I suppose there are things I  want to express which can't be expressed via other art forms.

 

Who is one of your favorite authors?

Risking to sound typical, I must say my favourite author is J.R.R. Tolkien. Others include Umberto Eco and Guy Gavriel Kay.

 

What are some of your favorite books?

"The Silmarillion" by JRR Tolkien, "The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley, "Il nome della rosa" by Umberto Eco, "The  Sarantine Mosaic" by Guy Gavriel Kay. 

 

Give us a one sentence description of your winning story.

A man is wrongfully thrown into jail, and we follow his thoughts around during the two days he spends imprisoned.

 

Besides writing, what are some of your hobbies or interests?

I listen to, play and try to compose music, I read books, I wander the internet somewhat, I DM RPGs. I am also immensly  interested in logic and philosophy and plan to read as much as I can on those fields some day.

 

Are you a gamer? Any favorite games?

I am, and I especially enjoy strategy and CRP games. Some of my favourite titles are Medieval:Total war, the Baldur's Gate  Series, Plaanescape Torment, Starcraft, the Diablo series, and Warlords Battlecry.

 

What is your favorite type of music?

 I listen to various musicians from different genres, although most of them are metal. I generally listen to dark music.

 

How long have you been writing?

I wrote some poetry two years ago and have continued to ever since. I didn't write any prose until last year.

 

What kind of stories do you most enjoy writing?

I haven't written all that much so as to be able to answer that question with any amount of certainty, but I suppose the  fantasy style is where my affection lies.

 

When you sit down to write a story, do you know where you are going or do you "see where the pen takes you"?

 It all begins with a simple idea, either an image, a sentiment, something that looks worth writing about. This idea usually  determines a part of the story, and then I go on as the pen takes me.

 

What has been your biggest learning tool or experience as far as writing is concerned?

 I don't see how learning enters into it. I believe my writing is more or less improvised, although I must say that Guy  Gavriel Kay's writings widened my horizons concerning narratoing and viewpoints.

 

Is there anything else you would like to add? (something interesting about yourself or an interesting experience you've had)

 Nothing there to add, nothing there to say. I only want to meet interesting people and live memorable times.