Dan Watt

I was greatly influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien's poem One Ring, and Robert Browning's Childe Rowland to the Dark Tower Came. Frank Herbert's quotes at the beginning of every chapter of his Dune series woke something deep inside me.

Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave showed me how to write first person and the importance of research.

BARD: Bearer of the Gemstone is full of what I call lyrical poetry, as a story about bards should be. Most of my stories include poetry or songs.

My other influences are historical fiction. Edward Rutherfurd's Sarum; Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth; Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; H.G. Well's Invisible Man and others. Along with Joe Haldeman's The Forever War and John Wyndham's The Chrysalids. These stories encouraged me to write exploratory stories.

I have Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe, the Doctor Who series, and Monty Python to thank in helping me create Lucy and The Snivel Chair and Dragon: A Medieval Spoof.