Meet Peter K Rothe

Every Friday, we meet a member of the BFS and peer deep into their soul (or, at least, a form they filled out). Want to be featured? Email us: online@britishfantasysociety.org

Name, including preferred pronouns
Peter K Rothe

Which region are you based in?
United Kingdom

Genre you write 
Sci-fi, fantasy and horror

Are you drawn to any specific SFFH sub-genres?

Epic Fantasy, Grim Dark Fantasy, Sci-Fantasy

Your influences

Tell us about the book/film/thing that got you into SFFH: What was it? How old were you? What impact did it have on you?

Final Fantasy X and Full Metal Alchemist were works of fantasy that truly struck me and made me want to write my own stories. This began when I was thirteen when I would sketch characters and write their epic adventures. Many years later, I wrote their story, a book I hope, one day I can share with the world.

More recently, the works of Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie and Stephen King have been major influences. Other influences are films by Mike Flanigan, Denis Villeneuve, Christopher Nolan, and games director Hideo Kojima (Death Stranding, Metal Gear).

How does that early influence show up in your work now?

My fantasy work tends to have a distinct, “final fantasy” flavour to it. Usually in elements of the world building. Although more recently, it will be topics I hear on podcasts, science books or whatever game I’m playing at the minute.

Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?

I draw inspiration from a lot of places, travelling, phtography, going to an live orchestra, to name a few. I am inspired by beauty, either the beauty of nature in a majestic landscape, or a powerful melody that moves me to tears.

Pictured below: some of the things that inspire Peter.

Who do you look to as a genre hero? Why?

Branden Sanderson would be my genre hero. Not just because of his incredible body of work, but also because of all the wealth of free resources he’s produced over the years to help aspiring fantasy authors.

Your work

You’re stuck in an elevator for 60 seconds with that hero, and they want you to describe your work. Give us the pitch.

I hope my work will one day inspire others too. My work draws from elements of my upbringing, the places I lived in—the Balkans, Spain, West and Central Africa— as well as my heritage—Germany and Cameroon. I currently developing a high, epic fantasy inspired by West African tradition and culture, with a bewildering magic system, mystical cultures and original races.

My other work is about a girl discovering she has the power to shape reality and what would happen if she was pushed to the point where she breaks it. I also wanted to portray accurate depictions of angels in the story, which are truly terrifying. 

What are you working on right now?

Two books, a YA Fantasy Horror, called The Girl Who Wished the World Away and an African Inspired High Fantasy with the working title: The Seven Tribes of Mesonga

Thinking about all of your stories/work you’ve done, which one sticks out most in your mind? Why?

The second book I wrote. It’s my most personal story and the one I feel most terrified about sharing with the world. Maybe one day, I will find the courage and craftsmanship to do it justice.

Where and when do you create/are you at your most creative?

Different times of the day will lend themselves to different types of work. I tend to work best at my desk at home. Mornings tend to be best for research, and evenings tend to be best for drafting and outlining. But I am always most creative about 10 minutes after I forced myself to sit down and write.

(Pictured left: Peter’s work space)

What’s the best advice you’ve received about creativity?

“Action precedes motivation”  – from one of my lecturers which I think they got from Robert McKain. Or as Steven Pressfield put it, “It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.”

What’s your writing soundtrack?

Shadowbringers from Final Fantasy XIV by Masayoshi Soken, or Dune by Hans Zimmer

The quickfire round

Sci-fi, fantasy or horror?

Fantasy

Quiet or loud?

Quiet

Dark or light?

Dark

Strict lines or genre blend?

Genre blend

Awards or bestseller?

Bestseller??? 

Fiction or non-fiction?

Fiction

Poetry or prose?

Poetic Prose

Plotter or pantser?

Plotter

Reading or listening?

Reading

Notebook or computer?

Computer

Favourite SFFH book of all time?

Oathbringer – Brandon Sanderson

Last book you read?

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor 

Any SFFH author on auto-buy?

Brandon Sanderson

(Check out all the Sanderson on Peter’s bookshelf, pictured right!)

Favourite podcast?

Joe Rogan Podcast

The home stretch

What’s the best thing about being a SFFH writer?

I get to play god and write legends.

Time to plug your stuff! Where can we find you and your work? What have you got coming up? Consider this your advertising space.

The best place to keep up to date with my work is my website: peterkrothe.com

I occasionally dabble in X(twitter): @Pearbite1 

I will be appearing in a couple of anthologies next year, but I can’t talk about them just yet. One is a sci-fi anthology, the other is gothic horror.