I write romance. I like to think it’s romance with heart and enough steam to compete with a hot mug of tea and keep those pages turning. So, I’m going to talk about what influenced me to march down this path. First, I was heavily influenced by all the fantastic romance authors of my day, Johanna Lindsey(greatly missed), Jude Deveraux, and Julie Garwood to name a few.
We’re talking, sexy, Fabianesque, badass, cinnamon roll heroes whether wearing tartan, business suits, or armor and engaging in all the exciting tropes of today, and maybe a few forgotten ones of yesterday–and the strong women who cleverly persuaded them to change their ways.
Remember the movie Romancing the Stone–the opening scene when Joan Wilder bawls like a baby and can’t find anything in the apartment to blow her nose after she finishes her novel? I wanted to experience that… and crying after writing an emotional scene or ending is real folks. Awesome!
In my youth, my favorite place to get lost in a good romance novel was climbing my way around to a remote ledge along the Pacific Ocean at places like Salt Point or Timber Cove. My parents were scuba divers and they’d be out all day freezing in their wetsuits while I cozied up in a rocky alcove with a bottle of pop and a bag of sunflower seeds, the ocean spread out before me and the surf crashing below my dangling feet. Often, whole families of seals would be lounging near my spot, and a grey whale would spout so close I could see the barnacles on its back. If I wanted to cry at the end, no one could hear me. It was heaven.
Salt Point State Park, California
But my stories must also be steeped in fantasy and paranormal lore. This brings me to the other side of my romance coin–the influence that came from my obsession with muscle-bound barbarians in the delightful, violent, and sexy eighties movies… thank you Schwarzy for blazing the trail.
Conan The Barbarian, Conan The Destroyer, and Red Sonja taught me that fantasy can take you anywhere you want to go in a plot. Yes, they might have come with lots of cheese, but it’s all in the perspective. Great actors like Max Von Sydow and James Earl Jones elevated the cheesy pizza grade movie to a steak dinner in my book. Enjoy all three movie trailers in this YouTube video.
Do you remember the other lesser enduring flicks like the one starring another of my favorite eighties hunks, Mark Singer, in The Beastmaster? I’m providing it below. Watch if you dare. 😉 I’d even consider my all time favorite fantasy flick, Willow, to be in the barbarian realm, and all the Highlander movies. Seems like where we had magic, we had to have barbarian hordes. This is the stuff of fantasy world building for me.
People think I’m crazy when I tell them I love being my age. But hey, it means that I got to spend decades steeped in all of the above while watching and being part of the exciting romantasy genre taking over the fiction landscape of today. Barbarians still have a role to play in romance and many of them have moved into space. I’m not surprised. It’s harder to imagine fierce horse cultures and warrior races clashing over territory across the vast steppes of the Earth we have today. So, why not fly off to unknown planets? That’s what I’m doing in a novel I have in the works, Caged Diamond.
Stay tuned for the story of MMA fighter Justina “Diamond” Jewel Blake who’s forced to fight for a planetary syndicate and the barbarian warrior she’s pitted against. You can follow me here and subscribe to my newsletter for updates.
I’ll leave you with a sci fi romance reading recommendation. A romance writer who brings to mind my old faves is Zoey Draven. Her Horde Kings of Dakkar series is a romping lot of fun and full of suspense. Here’s the first in the series.
“Write one. Read ten. Win thousands… The peer-powered short story competition where everyone receives oodles of feedback.”
Writing Battle
As a participant, I can attest to the oodles of feedback, which is one half of the backbone of this engaging community. The other half is Max and Teona. Last summer, I visited with the dynamic duo as they prepared to launch their revamped platform—and soon after—what was fun got funner! We’re checking in this month to see how it’s going. Here’s what one member had to say about Writing Battle.
“This is a growing community with a mix of experienced and curious writers. Sharing your work and feedback in the forums is invaluable.”
Matt Gamarra
In The Beginning
We learned during their visit in 2023 that software engineer Max Bjork wanted a chance to use his creativity in his working life. Like many of us back in 2020, the disruptions to our lives and routines wrought by the pandemic inspired big changes. As an amateur screenwriter, Max turned his creative aspirations to writing contest platforms, recognizing a need to offer more to participants like a robust and engaging community, easier navigation, and more ways to have fun during the contest. Max gave up his job, took over daytime parenting so Teona could get back to work after maternity leave as an EEG Technologist, and started creating. See our previous chat for the couple’s in-depth discussion on how Writing Battle (“WB”) got started.
The unique structure, engaging graphics, and shining personalities behind Writing Battle were an instant hit, and WB captured my attention from the first Instagram post.
Let’s Meet Writing Battle!
Thanks both of you for coming back for a chat in 2024! I’ve been dying to check in to see how things are going–in general–but especially since you launched the new design. What is your biggest highlight since July? And if you each have a take on that, we’d love to hear both perspectives!
Max: Thanks for having us back, Darci! I think it was the last interview we did with you that we announced a redesign of the site. Cool to do this again a year later and everything is in full swing with the new site. The biggest highlight I think is that this “product” (if you want to call it that) is feeling more and more complete. We’re really just refining at this point and that feels weird in a way since we spent years trying very different battle structures.
Teona: Things are great! We have come leaps and bounds when it comes to restoring some stability to our life when the battle gear comes off. There have been a lot of things that we have been able to put a happy little book-end on so that we can spend more focused time and energy on the business. A highlight for me would be the merch store–it is a part of Writing Battle that I helm and gives me more sense of connection to the community since I’m not a programmer and don’t have much to offer in terms of site features.
Darci: In other words, you both are totally in the groove. Awesome!
We talked about your phenomenal success last summer. There have been two Battles since then. Two of my peeps (a Canadian writing friend and my niece) signed up for the Fall Short Story Battle, which I participated in, and my niece participated in the Winter Flash Fiction event that just ended. So, if every member pulls in just one or two… yikes! This might be a good place to insert that WB’s slogan rocks! Write one. Read ten. Win thousands. Are we talking about exponential growth? What are the overall stats since last summer?
Max: Thank you for spreading the word about Writing Battle! You know, the slogan actually came from the community. If I recall correctly, Cristi Lynn, a previous winner from an early Screenwriting Battle suggested that slogan. She said it on the Forum and I immediately asked if I could use it. When we started these Battles we really thought that the reading part of the contest was going to be a chore. As it turns out, it’s everyone’s favourite part about the contest, so why not highlight the reading aspect.
Teona: Definitely seeing something along an exponential growth curve. It’s still amazing to us! It looks like we might 3X the Spring 2023 Battle. And, like you say, if one person pulls in one or two friends to join in the fun, it really just takes off from there.
Our New Year’s resolution with WB was to make long-term realistic and holistic goals for the year. So instead of saying we need to accomplish X,Y,Z… we set a single goal of 3000 participants for the Autumn Battle. We’re then able to reverse-engineer a path to that goal and then it has been more figuring out what that goal looks like in the shorter term in regards to the Spring and Summer battles. What has been so incredible and exciting has been seeing the numbers for the upcoming Spring Battle SMASHING the shorter goal in place for the Spring. It really looks like there is some snow-balling happening and we are just grateful the site broke when it did last year because there is no way this growth would have been stable or sustainable on the old platform. Our new website handles traffic with ease because it is built on Google’s infrastructure.
Darci: So exciting to hear the numbers! And I love that about the slogan being a community contribution.
A little side story on the fall Battle. I hadn’t been in touch with my niece, Arianna, for a few weeks, and I had no idea she’d participated until a few weeks after it was over. We could easily have ended up critiquing each other’s stories… but we didn’t. Still, the idea that we could have added another fun element to the contest.
Her story was excellent, too. She does audio narration and has a one-minute audio excerpt of The Emperor’s Noose on her website’s project page. I was super happy with my story, Little Shop of Honeybees, as it was my first whodunnit and I enjoyed researching how to write a locked room mystery. Every time I participate, I’m glad I took on the challenge of a new genre I might never have tried otherwise and happier each time with the results.
How is the feedback stacking up since launching the revamped platform? Has the revised structure made a difference in participation aside from the momentum WB had going already?
Max: Absolutely. There were over 3.5 million words of feedback written in the Winter Battle. 1 million of those words were written after the Battle was complete in Debrief. There’s still a lot of improvements to the site coming, but the revamped platform has helped with that.
Darci: Mindboggling!
To get an idea of how far you’ve progressed in the short time since starting up WB, I’m throwing out multiple questions. 😊 Have you reached a place where the business is starting to run itself, or does it still require a lot of hands-on attention? How much of that is the fun stuff, and how much is business? What constitutes both? Is this turning into a full-time business for you both?
Teona: It is definitely turning into a full-time business for the both of us. Our youngest starts school in the fall which means that I will have time in the day to dedicate to WB and to work on things we would like to see evolve in the future. I would say the vast majority of what I do is fun. I think Max will likely say the same. There is a lot of hands-on. There is a LOT of reading–and not just stories. We are constantly on the forums trying to keep an eye on the community to ensure that needs are being met and that members maintain the constructive space we believe WB to be.
Max: I don’t think Writing Battle will ever run itself, but my job as the sole software dev is to build systems that make things easier on Teona and I during a Battle. It is ALL fun. Honestly, I still love every second of every Battle. It’s been a full time business for a while now. We will be building the tools for Forum mods soon, so that will help some of the stress. With so many passionate creatives, you want to put out fires as quickly as possible, so the Forums require a lot of attention. Having a few mods might ease the workload a bit.
Darci: I’m sure I speak for the community when I say your joy comes through and we appreciate all the hard work.
WB opened an online merchandise shop. My Two Crows sweatshirt just arrived! I’m excited about the designs and to have something to show for my battles. Also, being a sticker and planner fanatic, I adored getting your stickers in my happy mail! What a great idea to offer merchandise. How is that going? Will we see more offerings–more designs?
Teona: The merch store has been a lot of fun and I get a little giddy knowing that there are people out in the wild sporting the WB logo! I handle the majority of the merch dealings because it isn’t too time consuming now that it is up and running.
Modeling my Two Crows sweatshirtLove me some stickers!
Once our littlest little starts school, I will have a lot more time to dedicate to expanding options and designs. I have been looking to source pottery mugs and had a prototype made but we are putting a lot of that on hold while we set up our new Tarot Card Decks that will hopefully be ready for purchase on the site late summer. I will let Max get into detail on this…
Max: Actually, I don’t want to go into too much detail because we’re still working on it. But I will say that there will be a card-collecting aspect to the site. You will get digital cards for participating in Battles and then if you order the physical cards, you’ll automatically get all of them digitally.
From My Fall Battle in 2023. Aren’t these amazing genres? The card turned up for me was Locked Room Mystery
Darci: OMG! We get the scoop right here folks. I love the card collecting idea! It shouts “huge hit!” I’m super impressed with my merch, and I must say the customer service was excellent. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Was it a tremendous undertaking adding a shop?
Teona: Long story short: Max said “I think we need a merch shop. Go.” And after panicking ever so slightly, I learned how to set up a Shopify store and a Printify print-on-demand service. It was very much out of my comfort zone at first (and perhaps a few tears of frustration spilled) but I feel I have a handle on it now and it works quite well!
Darci: You are so totally inspiring, Teona! I see the merch shop exploding in the near future. I’m trying to get up the gumption to add a shop on my website for signed paperbacks. Supposedly it’s as easy to offer a small line as it is for a larger one.
I asked this question last time, and I’ll ask again because I’m sure everyone wants to know. Who’s behind the artwork? How do you come up with so many wonderful ideas and illustrations for the slew of genre cards needed four times a year and for social media marketing?
Max: The Italian tattoo artist, Vincenzo Ingenito, does most of our artwork and he illustrated an entire 78 card tarot deck for us. We are also using Valerie P (@valerie_pl on Fiverr) for a lot of cards. We commissioned a few pieces of art from some folks from our community too. Oh! Someone is getting a Writing Battle inspired tattoo and used Vincenzo as the illustrator. The person that had the art commissioned gave us permission to use the illustration. I can’t wait for people to see it. It’s going to be a cool tattoo!
Darci: This is so fabulous! Thanks for sharing, Max. Check out Writing Battle’s Instagram page to see all the wonderful art and stay posted on everything Max just shared.
Let’s talk about the community. The WB forum is super active, and I love to see that. Do the conversations continue between the Battles?
Max: Things definitely die down in-between Battles in the Forums. I think that will change when we have more of a reason to come back to the site when a Battle is not underway. But you know – in the end, that’s probably healthy. Battles are pretty intense (haha it’s not just the name). People get fairly invested in each one and it’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. It’s probably a good thing to take a break and recoup before the next Battle. That being said, we are working on features that might keep more Ravens** engaged in-between Battles. **Our community members now refer to themselves as Ravens which is fairly bad ass.
Darci: That’s about what I expected. I think WB has settled into a very nice ebb and flow with the four yearly Battles.
Teona has been awesome about reading and sharing works by WB’s members and the newsletter is generous with its shoutouts. You’ve truly made it feel like family and it’s clear from your adorable Instagram reels that WB is a family affair in your household. What are some of the other activities going on in the community and what are a few of the recent highlights?
Teona: For a hot second we were going to plan an in-person meet up because we basically wanted an excuse to hang out with WB’s incredible community in person. It fell through because it turned out to be a bit more of an endeavor than we anticipated and I won’t be able to put in the hours for something like that until at least this time next year. We’re now looking at an in-person meet up for 2025!
Darci: Okay, now my heart is really pounding. Another sneak peek at what’s coming! A WB Retreat would be phenomenal!!
What routines have you found to be helpful to keep the productivity and creativity flowing for Writing Battle? Any tips or tricks you can share about staying organized and balanced with other aspects of daily and family life?
Teona: One thing we are looking to set boundaries on this year involves not trying to implement new features during a Battle. The intensity of programming AND running a Battle can take its toll and Max gets completely burnt out and needs time to decompress. So we have “official meetings” at least twice a week. It sounds kinda funny to me since we’re husband and wife and these conversations can happen at any time of day (and they do) but actually setting time aside with the purpose to brainstorm and discuss what’s working and what’s not is so valuable to how we maintain boundaries between work and home lives.
Max: Yeah, no new features while a Battle is underway is going to be huge. The plan is to get a lot done in-between Battles so during a Battle, I can just focus on the community and not coding new features.
Darci: I really appreciate getting a glimpse into what you’ve learned as you grow with Writing Battle.
What advice can you offer to those who would love to leave their mundane jobs to pursue their dreams?
Max: Oh, if you’re reading this and you are thinking about starting your own business or side hustle, go for it! Even if Writing Battle was deemed a failure and shut down for whatever reason, this entire journey would still have been worth it. I’ve met the coolest people and have learned so much from them – and learned a lot about myself. It’s hard work and expect to work long hours, but there is a price to pay for not pursuing your dreams too. I promise that you won’t regret it.
Teona: Have a “yes-buddy” in your corner. There are going to be people who give unsolicited advice and who are going to help you find reasons not to follow a dream. There has to be at least one person in your life who will listen and encourage you without question. And I know for Max and for Writing Battle, this person wasn’t always me… I became a bit more certain about WB when it transitioned from an amorphous and iterative early idea to an actual thing with rules and a schedule. Max’s brother has ALWAYS understood what WB could be way before it was WB.
Great insights, and what a blast it has been catching up. Any parting words of advice?
Max: Thank you, Darci! My parting words of advice would be to reach out to Teona at teona@writingbattle.com if you are someone that is thinking of participating in Writing Battle but are a bit short on cash at the moment. Our amazing community organized a “Spartan Fund” to help fund entry fees. Please reach out to her if this is you or if you know someone that may appreciate a Battle ticket.
Teona: Thanks so much for having us again! We love the questions and are grateful for the opportunity to connect with you and your followers!
One thing I’ve discovered during this writing journey is you never know how or where you’ll come across your next great resource. So long as you keep your finger on the online pulse, surprises will come along. I happened to come across a Twitter post by Fantasy/Horror Writer E. B. Hunter sharing Richie Billing’s Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed.
I followed the link and was blown away by the wealth of help I found there for indie writers and ended up with two amazing new connections and getting involved with a great Discord community. E. B. Hunter will be visiting my Spotlight again in April.
Let’s meet the author
Richie Billing writes all kinds of stories, but mostly fantasy fiction. His tales often explore real-world issues, zooming in on the characters and their troubles. Richie worked as a lawyer for a number of years before giving it all up to pursue writing.
His short fiction has been widely published, with one story adapted for BBC radio. And in March 2021 his debut novel, Pariah’s Lament, was published by indie press Of Metal and Magic Publishing.
Richie also hosts the podcast The Fantasy Writers’ readers of his acclaimed craft book, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook. When not writing, Richie works as an editor and digital marketer and teaches creative writing both online and in his home city of Liverpool. You can also find his writing in more formal publications like the Solicitors Journal.
Most nights you can find him up into the early hours scribbling away or watching the NBA.
Let’s Get Started
Thanks so much for visiting my blog, Richie! I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to ask you about your writer’s life and works. I just took a dive into the rich world of Tervia and got lost in your wonderful tales, and I thought we could start by having you give us a glimpse into your current projects like The Hills of Moragon. What else can we look forward to and when?
RB. Thank you so much for inviting me! It’s a pleasure to share this space with you.
The Hills of Moragon was a project that began as a novella and ended up a novel. I wanted to keep it as a novella but after chatting with a publisher they said they’d be interested in it but only as a novel. So I decided to give it a go and by the time I’d finished the publisher had gone under.
The story is now called Elanta and it’s about the great risks and sacrifices people make for love, familial love in particular. It’s my take on the classic fantasy trope of good v evil, with more monsters and magic than previous stories I’ve written.
I’m also editing a novella set just before the novel. That one’s about a revolution in a city within the same world and serves as a critique of capitalism and its negative impacts on humanity, society and the environment. It’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a while. A way to express my inner frustrations.
DLL. These sound amazing, and what a story about how your novella took on the life of a novel. Thanks for sharing that.
I had a hard time choosing a favorite story in Tales of Tervia, though I did have a preference for the fishing adventures. But if I had to choose a favorite character, I’d pick the elderly nana in Forgotten. What a moving tale of what it might be like to be reminded by our past that we aren’t forgotten. It was a beautiful thing when she reached back to her love and found the will to carry out her last act of bravery. Which of these tales is your favorite, and which character? …If I can be so bold as to make you choose.
RB. I’m glad you like Nana because she’s my favourite too. That was the first story I ever had published and it’s also one that means a lot to me. I was moved to write something because of things that were going on in my life at the time and it all came out on the page.
I’m also a fan of Mal, and she features in my novella too. I really do like The Pigeon Catchers story and it’s the kind of thing I’m definitely gearing more toward.
DLL. How awesome is it that I picked your favorite! I loved The Pigeon Catchers too and wanted more. It’s nice to know we will see some of these characters again.
Richie offers this wonderful collection for free! Click on the cover to find your copy.
I’m dying to know if you love to fish because I was right there casting my line. These tales gripped me in part because of my memories of traveling through Great Britain and the narrowboats on the canals, and I confess I’ve spent a great many lazy afternoons watching CountryHouseGent chug along the English countryside in Aslan. Can you talk about the inspiration behind your immersive settings–the fantasy and the real?
RB. A lot of my fantasy stories do have the landscape you’d expect—leafy forests, hills, lakes, rivers. Some readers say they’re bored of this kind of setting, but it’s what I’m surrounded by and what I love to immerse myself in.
One of my favourite places to go for inspiration is a little village called Hough Green, not far from Preston in England. JRR Tolkien stayed in a college in the village while writing his stories and there’s a great walking trail you can do called the Tolkien Trail. He supposedly did it each day. It’s an ideal source of inspiration. You have rolling hills and meadows, thick forests with streams meandering through them, carrying the water downhill to a big river that you follow.
And I did enjoy fishing for a good spell! If you’ve ever watched River Monsters with Jeremy Wade, there’s an easter egg in the story Noodlin’ in homage to that.
DLL. Thank you, Richie, for sending me on a little adventure. Such beautiful, inspiring country.
You’ve amassed a substantial body of short stories. Another book on my TBR is Flying on the Ground. Love the cover! How many have you published to date? Can we look forward to more collections? And how exciting was that moment to learn one was selected for the BBC?
RB. I really enjoy writing short stories, but they’re not something I do often anymore. Much of the past 4 or 5 years has been devoted to novel writing. But I like a short project.
My biggest problem with short stories is knowing the most effective way to utilise them. I just want people to read what I write, but sometimes sending them to magazines won’t get you any readers. So I do enjoy putting them into collections or even publishing them individually as small books and promoting them myself.
The BBC adaptation news was very exciting. It wasn’t something I expected, but it was a lot of fun and a little bit strange to hear it go live.
DLL. It’s interesting to get your take on finding homes for short stories. I’ve found that same problem. I used to think readers would enjoy short stories as quick reads over breakfast like the ones in subscription magazines back in the day, but I’m realizing fiction fans want the novels—and with fantasy—the bigger the better.
Now for your fantasy novel. How long did it take you to write Pariah’s Lament, and what was it like to finish it and let it go? Can you give us a glimpse of what we’ll find when we dive in? And how does it fit with Of Metal and Magic?
RB.Pariah’s Lament took me about a year to draft and about 18 months to edit (part-time). The editing was a little tricky because it’s part of a shared universe, so it has to tie in with things beyond my creation.
By the end, I was very much fed up with the editing but I was satisfied with what I’d done. But that was the extent of my elation. I actually felt a bit down and I think it was because I was saying goodbye to something that had been a part of my daily life for nearly three years. A part of you asks, “what now?”. And I missed the characters too, which hopefully is a testament to how well-formed they became.
As for the story itself, it’s an underdog’s tale about two young adults who get swept up in a conflict between two warring kings. These two characters, Isy and Edvar, are very different and have very different stories, but their fates are intertwined. It all comes to a head in classic fantasy fashion—epic battles, lots of heroic moments and a touch of humour and romance.
Here’s what one reviewer had to say about Pariah’s Lament:
Great Debut Fantasy Novel! – I’ve been waiting for the release of Pariah’s Lament since listening to the audiobook version of the first chapter Richie Billing released some time ago. In his debut novel, Billings takes his readers on a journey of misfits–Isy, mistreated by her family and rejected by her community, and Edvar, a young man struggling to step beyond his father’s broad shadow. In their own ways, they champion the plight of the Amast, a persecuted race facing extermination by an invading army. Their fates intertwined, they join forces to stand for the things they believe in. Along the way, they confront deprivation, the intrigues of government officials, and the prospect of sacrificing their lives.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Pariah’s Lament is that it’s part of a larger universe of tales focusing on the same world but written from a variety of perspectives in the Of Metal and Magic–like crowd-sourced fantasy. I look forward to seeing further developments in this realm!
J. Christopher
DLL. This might be a good spot to share the link to your online classes. I took the one on how to write fantasy characters a while back. Lots of great stuff! I loved the help on creating character arcs especially.
What can you share with us about your best experiences in getting your stories out in the world? What have you found to be pitfalls?
RB. Getting my stories out there to enough people is still a hill I’m yet to conquer. It’s a current focus of mine however and I’m determined to get my head around it.
The best thing to do is to make the process of someone accessing your stories as easy as possible. That unfortunately means listing them on Amazon, which is the biggest marketplace for books. There are lots of different strategies people use, like giving away the first book for free and advertising other books within it.
Some people pay for ads, but these can be expensive if you don’t know what you’re up to with them, so be careful.
Book tour companies and PR agents should also be used with caution. Some are very good, but others are useless and will use AI to create re-hashed reviews of your book. This happened to me last year. So always check independent reviews before pushing ahead.
The best method I use for promoting books is my mailing list. I have campaigns that run automatically and every now and then I see spikes in sales and downloads when those emails go out, so this is the most effective method. But it takes time to build a list, engage with people and create that positive relationship.
Social media is also a good option but not one I’ve invested much time in so can’t really comment. I just know that there are millions of new posts each day and getting noticed can be tricky, but if you collaborate with others and support each other, you can get better results.
DLL. Millions of new posts, new authors, and new stories. Sometimes I feel like a castaway bobbing around in a vast sea trying to send up a flare. That’s why I love chatting with authors like you who are willing to share your experiences. Thank you, Richie!
RB. This book I decided to put together to help people with their writing. It’s made up of lots of expanded blog posts and articles from my website that discuss different aspects of writing that I’ve found the most helpful over the years.
I find a lot of craft books a bit stuffy and overly complicated so I try to simplify a lot of things here, breaking them down into more understandable chunks.
You can find a lot of advice on the key aspects of storytelling and advice from bestselling authors and award-winning editors. I also have some advice and guidance on getting published and building your author platform.
DLL. You can get a copy of Thoughts on Writing when you join Richie’s community.
You say you get grumpy when you can’t write. I know the feeling. But you give us so much of your time producing your resource-packed podcasts, newsletters, blogs, live panel discussions, and appearances as a guest speaker… and the list goes on. I get the sense you have an equal passion for helping others reach their potential. Can you tell us how sharing your craft came about and your plans going forward? What are some of the highlights in this exchange?
RB. I do have a passion for helping other people. That’s something I’ve always had and something I get the most satisfaction out of in life. When I began to study creative writing properly I produced a lot of notes. When I mustered the courage to make a website I decided to type up those notes for blog posts. People seemed to find them helpful so I kept on doing it and that led to a couple of books and a podcast on writing, which at the beginning I would have sworn I’d never do, so I’m proud that I’ve challenged and pushed myself to do those not-so-introverty things.
As for future plans, series 3 of The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed podcast comes out on 14th March, or on 1st March if you subscribe on Patreon. I’m aiming to create more video-based content this year, but hold me to nothing because time has a habit of slipping away from me.
DLL. Exciting! And thank you for sharing your experience with putting yourself out there.
Which Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed episode should we start with and what is your favorite topic you’ve explored with your guests?
RB. My favourite episode is the one on body language with Joe Navarro. I’d decided I wanted to cover the topic so set out to find an expert in the field. Joe popped up on Google and he was everything I was looking for and more—a former FBI special agent, author and lecturer. He agreed to do it and we had an awesome chat. It was only after did I realise how big of a deal he is. He does Ted Talks all around the world and is one of if not the leading expert on body language, so I’m still really honoured that I got a chance to speak with him and learn from him. And you all can too if you listen to the episode. It’s a good one to start with but you can pretty much listen to whatever one you want in any order. I design it so you can listen by topic but there are some continuity elements so if you like to listen chronologically you’ll get that side too.
DLL. This is a great one! I worked with a retired FBI agent who was our investigator, and the stories he could tell—about crimes that I thought were boring... Makes for great fiction. And understanding body language is so important for a writer. I highly recommend a listen.
My other favorites are A Lawyer’s Perspective on Writing Fantasy and Jobs in Fantasy. And there are so many more! You can find all the episodes on your favorite platforms here.
Let’s turn to your writers’ life. What are your best practices for balancing life with your writing passion? What techniques have you discovered to help you stay creative and productive?
RB. It’s difficult to find balance. We have lots going on in life and we don’t always have enough time to do things like write and read. When you do find the time though I’d say protect it like a bear guarding her cub. Otherwise, you’ll find it filled by something else and you’ll get frustrated that you don’t get to do what you want to do. The main thing is not to beat yourself up if you don’t or can’t write. Just try to make time for it the next day.
Sometimes having smaller windows can lead to greater productivity. There’s less time to waste so you have to make the most of things. Having too much time can see you procrastinate!
So I like to set output targets rather than time limits. I aim for 1,000 words a day when drafting stories. If I have a full day to write I’d increase that to 2,000. But then I’ll forget about it as I write and just keep focused on the next sentence to try and churn out as much as I can.
DLL. I love that image—a bear protecting her cub. Perfect!
Where is your favorite place to write? As a provider of lots of tools for every aspect of the craft, what are your favorites to have at hand? Do you have favorite effects you set up in your writing space to help with your creative mood?
RB. My favourite place to write was my little old shed back in my childhood home. It was outside in the yard, because I like the quiet and the fresh air. It was big enough for a single chair and for years I shared it with our little rabbit Tilly. She used to sit on my knee while I typed away. I had a world map drawn on the inside wall too. But sadly it was dismantled and we’ve moved house. I don’t really have a good space to write in right now. I just try and get some done in any quiet spot possible.
DLL. Okay, this just made me think that someday folks will be talking about Richie Billing’s writing shed like Tolkien’s walking trail. I love it!
It’s astonishing that you gave up a career as a lawyer so you could follow your creative passion. Have you ever looked back?
RB. Not really! I didn’t like the job in practice. It’s a lot of stressful work for little reward, but I’m moved by a strong sense of injustice, and I also hate insurance companies, so I’ve carried that with me into my digital marketing job. That’s mostly focused on marketing for law firms so I’m putting my knowledge to some use.
I do still draw upon my experiences, though. In the novella I’m editing right now, there’s a workplace accident in there and references to factories and different industries so it follows me around.
DLL. Awesome!All the best to you, Richie, in life and your endeavors!Thanks again for stopping by!
You can join Richie’s Discord community, his Patreon, and stay posted on Richie’s offerings and works on his website and Instagram.
The journeys I end up on as I conduct research are a major part of the joy I find in writing. This month, I wandered into the Golden Age of Pirates and discovered all the fun facts that aligned with my precious memories of a favorite Disneyland adventure. If you’ve visited Pirates of the Caribbean in that magical park, you’ll know what I’m referring to.
I shared this in part in my recent newsletter, in case it looks familiar, but I wanted to expand on the fun facts and resources. Towards the end, I’ll give you a glimpse of the pirate story I’ve started for an anthology.
I’ve long asked myself why these infamous men who engaged in short careers rife with heinous acts of mayhem were such romantic figures who still capture our imaginations and sense of adventure hundreds of years later. The words of the most successful pirate, Black Bart, might give you an idea.
In an honest service there is thin commons, low wages, and hard labour. In this, plenty and satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power; and who would not balance creditor on this side, when all the hazard that is run for it, at worst is only a sour look or two at choking? No, a merry life and a short one shall be my motto.
— A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates (1724), p.213–214
Bartholomew Roberts, aka John Roberts, aka Black Bart
And just look at them. They were swashbuckling commanders of the fastest ships who wore tricorn hats shaped into their own rebellious fashions, kept pets like parrots, wore a brace of pistols in a sash slung over their broadcoats and a cutlass hanging from their belts, just to name a few of the iconic images. They lived by a democratic code of conduct customized for life aboard their ship, which gave them a semblance of order among chaos critical to the company’s success. [This image was acquired on Pinterest, shared by Beyond Geek]
They came to their ends in action-packed battles like Blackbeard (allegedly shot and stabbed multiple times before succumbing) or were hung, covered in tar, and put on display in a cage like Captain Kidd.
A fun fact shared in an article by Disney Adulting on the history of Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean; Disney’s Imagineers used real skeletons donated by a university medical center until improved technology allowed them to be replaced and returned for proper burial. Click on the image to learn more.
Pirates flew flags of doom known as the Jolly Roger like this one still in existence and referenced in Wikipedia, and allegedly wove smoking firecrackers into their beards (Blackbeard again) to terrorize their enemies.
Some faced these relentless dangers and horrible ends simply because they wanted a life of excitement and adventure. Stede Bonnet, the gentleman pirate, gave up his family, wealth, and a leisurely life on a Barbados plantation, bought a sloop he named the Revenge, employed his pirate crew, and set sail for his first raid knowing nothing about seafaring, fighting, or commanding a ship.
No one knows what motivated the Englishman to change his life so drastically, but it begs one to attribute it to boredom and discontent with his perfect life (some say his wife). This story is the most fascinating to me because of this man’s dramatic arc, though there are so many great characters to pick from.
It is harder to fit heroic women into these tales since they were banned by the code from life at sea and relegated to the background as pirate wives or prostitutes in pirate havens.
There are astonishingly two famous women, who turned out to be fiercer pirates than their not so impressive captain, Calico Jack (John) Rackham, who were tried for piracy and pardoned as expectant mothers, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Another great story, though much of it must be drawn from sketchy historical accounts and their trial documents.
So, how do women figure into the fictional pirate legends so many people love to write about? Well, when you write fantasy, there are endless possibilities and plenty of loopholes in the pirate code at your disposal.
My story will involve a pirate captain who wants his pardon and yearns to retire to his plantation, but his crew isn’t on the same page. After a fierce storm, they come alongside a piece of wreckage and two mysterious castaways… and this is where my bent for fantasy comes into play and will loosely involve sea god mythology.
I hope you enjoy this opening scene.
It was the company’s first day of meager sunlight after the darkest storm in Bastien Marceau’s memory. The struggling brightness was welcome, which said a lot about the bizarre weather dogging the Salty Pearl since the day five months ago when his crew forced him at sword point to sign the articles of agreement and command this cursed vessel.
The reluctant captain’s skills and sheer luck had kept their losses low and this time, even as the heavily repaired and vulnerable mainsail was torn asunder by the force of nature, no hands had met their end. The quartermaster was even now rallying the men for a vote to allow their new commander to live another day.
Bastien didn’t waste this rare moment of calm worrying about his fate. Instead, he enjoyed the breeze brushing against his face as it carried the scent of sand, coconut, and spice. It comforted his troubled soul like the image he carried with him of his sugar plantation bathed in the glow of a sinking sun. His dream waited for him on Saint Dominique… if he could just break free.
D. L. Lewellyn
My latest writing journey started when I wanted to understand the anatomy of a pirate ship. I found Gold and Gunpowder on YouTube and meandered happily into a rabbit hole.
At least they are for my three-part Starlight Chronicles because I finished the third book! It’s such a dream come true that I’ve been shouting this out every chance I get.
I knew it would be a poignant phase in my new writer’s life–finishing my first novel. I’ve been living with these magical beings for three years. Or, I should say my pod people who were seeded in my brain by what had to be mysterious aliens have been in my head through my sleep, my waking hours, and any type of consciousness in between for a very long time. It goes without saying how much I will miss them.
Except… they won’t be gone forever. I’ve got loads of spinoff stories planned, and even a couple in the works, though for the next year, I will head down a different path. Two novels are calling me, and they’re in a different genre–new adult / sci-fi fantasy. I guess my aliens decided I needed to visit their world for a while.
Ah. The joys of writing fantasy fiction. So many roads to travel.
Thank you for converging with me on this path from time to time and letting me shout in joy.
Here is a recent Writing Battle short story that I hope you will enjoy reading as much as I did writing it! – My first Whodunit. Writing a mystery was one of those daunting dark tunnels in fiction that I never thought I would travel down but super glad I did thanks to a contest prompt. I had five days and 2000 words to work with, and that included research! Hopefully, I succeed in stumping you! But if not, have fun anyway.😊
Little Shop of Honeybees
By D. L. Lewellyn
Honeybees and a shop full of bright gladiolas, much too cheery a setting for such a dark tragedy unfolding in this twisty whodunit.
###
Detective Orin Denton knelt over the body of the florist and sniffed. Lemons. The smell was predominant despite the flowers filling this charming shop in Old Towne. The deceased, known as Audrey Seymour, a female, age twenty-eight, five-foot-two, one hundred twelve pounds, lay prone by the front door, phone in hand, and covered in angry welts. Her lips distended in a grotesque smile, her swollen tongue protruding beyond them.
It wasn’t hard to pinpoint her killers. Dead bees surrounded her, and more of the little honey beauties buzzed around the shop. He shook his head and glanced again at her ID. Their victim had been a beauty herself, and today was her birthday.
“Charlie, you got the pest guy coming?” he called out.
“Any minute, sir.”
“The one I suggested?”
“None other.”
“Thanks, Charlie. Will you let Mrs. Appleby know the honeybees will be rehomed along with the rest of the hive?”
“You bet, boss.”
Mrs. Appleby lived above the shop. Her balcony was loaded with flower boxes to attract her pets. She’d been the one to show him the large hive constructed by the bees inside the crumbling brick wall by the back door. Further deterioration on the inside of the shop seemed to be how the bees suddenly gained access to the banquet of floral delights.
Denton flipped his notebook while he knelt by the body and scanned the room. The decent-sized space was packed with buckets of flowers, shelves of plants, and a myriad of tasteful decorations. The shop was nestled between a bookstore and a restaurant. Main Street edged the front, an alley ran along the back, and generous windows graced both sides. A wall lined with refrigerated shelves had a vestibule on the other side, which the florist used for an office and where the backdoor and hive were located.
When the first responders arrived an hour earlier, the shop was locked. There were no signs of a break-in.
The elderly Mrs. Appleby had seen no one but the bee victim and her frequent visitor, the ex-boyfriend, the entire day. She’d heard nothing unusual except when Vincent Stubbs, in her words, “Pitched a fit because Audrey continued to resist his charms.” She was horrified to think her babies had done wrong. “I never thought for a minute they would invade her store. I don’t understand how they broke through. Still, the lemongrass should have kept them away.” Good questions, and why Denton’s sleuth senses vibrated.
“Do you know if she had any family?”
“She told me once she was all alone.”
Not quite, he thought. She had her flowers.
The alley-side windows were designed as a greenhouse because Audrey Seymour raised much of her own stock, including lemongrass, which she distilled into essential oils. A search on his phone pulled up a contradiction. Beekeepers touted lemongrass oil for attracting swarms to new locations, while other sites pointed to the home remedy benefits Mrs. Appleby mentioned. A repellent. The oil was also used to preserve cut flowers, especially gladiolas, which the shop had in profusion.
Denton’s gaze rested on the sunny boxes. Gladiola was his wife’s favorite. He pictured the sparkle in her eye if he were to bring home a mixed dozen and imagined all the creative ways she would thank him. He sighed. Thinking of his wife always centered him… letting him listen to the voice of his victim.
Audrey Seymour smelled citrusy. She wore a pretty new dress—new shoes. She’d tried to call for help… and died alone. There had to be more to this than a series of misfortunes.
“Charlie. Is the Coroner on the way?”
“I’m here, Denton,” said a florid, breathless man stepping through the jangling door.
The detective gave the medical official time to examine the body.
“Well?” Charlie prodded.
“The majority of the bites are around her neck. Note the colors of her dress. Bees attack dark colors because they signify a marauder, and necks are a favorite vulnerable target. Her heart gave out from anaphylactic shock.”
“Another reason to admire bees,” Charlie said under his breath. The doc’s eyebrows shot up. “Sorry, I was referring to their incredible defense arsenal. Her death was tragic,” Denton said with feeling. “Was she allergic?”
“Severely. Have you found her EpiPen? She had to have one.”
“Charlie?” Denton called over his shoulder.
“Desk drawer,” he called back. “Unused. I also found a torn-up gift box that might belong to the dress. It’s got a store label.”
“Good work, Charlie.”
###
The evidence binder was expanding pretty fast for accidental death, and Denton was flipping through it again as he sat at his scarred, coffee-stained desk—his home away from home.
His junior detective partner sat across from him and handed him one of the three donuts he had on a napkin before eating half a maple bar in one bite.
“Boss, I know that look,” Charlie said after swallowing his doughy breakfast with an impressive amount of coffee. “You’re convinced this wasn’t an accident. What’s spiking that uncanny crime radar off the charts?”
“Her EpiPen, for one, Charlie. We have a sharp business owner who’s deathly allergic to bees working in a shop full of plants that draw them.
“Let’s say lemongrass attracts, though she thinks it repels. Let’s say she had no idea about the beehive outside her door and was careful about inviting insects into her shop. Audrey Seymour had an EpiPen to rely on if the worst happened. People with EpiPens keep them on their person at all times, regardless of the care they take to limit the risks—not in a desk so far out of reach.
“I also think she was waiting for someone to meet her besides Stubbs. Have you tracked down the dress?”
“That’s why I’m here. You’re going to love this.” Denton raised a bushy eyebrow, and Charlie delivered his gift. “A person named Miriam Greene bought that outfit… and another exactly like it.”
“Two sets of identical clothes? What does that suggest to you?”
“Someone wanted to look like our victim.”
“Are the security tapes downloaded yet?”
“Just finished.”
“Let’s take a look, and then we need to track down Greene.”
Charlie cleared his throat.
“I was saving the best for last because I wasn’t sure where your head was at. Vincent Stubbs was picked up on a domestic disturbance six months ago. Audrey never pressed charges.”
###
Denton set a paper cup full of sludgy liquid in front of Vincent Stubbs. The handsome dentist had bags under his red-rimmed eyes that could float a boat.
The detective took his seat, sipped his coffee, and grimaced at the cup as he set it down and cleared his throat.
“According to Mrs. Appleby, you had a habit of showing up at the shop and campaigning loudly for Ms. Seymour to go on a date. Is that a fair assessment?”
“It’s fair,” Stubbs said as he raised his downcast eyes. “I loved Audrey, and she loved me, but I messed up. I’ve been trying to fix it for months. Audrey is… was independent, sassy, and stubborn. I craved every minute with her.” His brow furrowed. “Am I here because you think I killed her? Because I thought it was the bees.”
“No sign of honeybees when you helped her lock up before leaving?”
“Not a single bee buzzed around the shop that day or any other day I was there.”
“Why did you stay so long if you weren’t getting anywhere?”
“I believe I answered that. Being with Audrey was everything to me, even when she was preoccupied with her flowerbeds… She could grow anything. Audrey was the embodiment of life.”
“So, she gardened while you pitched dinner out?”
“Audrey’s hands were always busy with her plants.”
“Did you buy her that dress?”
“No. I asked her about it, though.” Stubbs let Denton see his resentment before adding, “I wanted to know if I should expect someone else to show up because there was something secretive about her that day, and she grew more insistent about me leaving when she closed up.”
“Why were you reported for causing a domestic disturbance?”
Stubbs winced, picked up his coffee, smelled it, and set it down.
“I worked myself up after a few too many when she went out with another guy. Our wires were crossed. I thought we were more committed.”
“Hmmm. It seems you still believe that. Does that shop always smell of lemons?”
“Lemons? She loved her lemongrass. But it was never overwhelming. I… I don’t… What does that signify?”
“Maybe nothing. Did you know it was her birthday that day?”
“Of course, I knew. That’s why I wanted to take her to dinner.” His eyes sank deeper. “Shit! Twenty-eight is too young!” He dropped his head into his hands.
###
“You’ll want to buy me at least two beers for this,” Charlie said as he barreled up to Denton’s desk and waved a thumb drive at him. Denton gave Charlie an expectant grin.
“Greene was messaging Audrey’s phone. They’re cryptic, but one mentions sending Audrey a gift on their special day. I’ve got more. Greene is an alias. She used a burner phone. She wasn’t so careful with the dress receipt. We’re tracking down her fake identities to get to the real name, but…” he paused and waggled his brows in his version of a drumroll, “under one name, she’s wanted for elder abuse… on a large scale. She’s a con artist, boss.”
“Well done, Charlie. We just need to put Greene inside that locked shop and prove she messed around with the hive, and we’ve got murder instead of an accident.” Denton cocked his head. “I’d say from the height of the bounce in your step, you have an address?”
“You ready to take a drive to New Towne?”
Denton glanced again at the enlarged image from the security camera he’d been examining and grabbed his jacket.
The car rolled to a stop in front of a grungy Seventies tract home. The blinds were closed, and the place looked lifeless. “It kills me that New Towne is rundown, and Old Towne is the lively side,” Denton mused. Charlie snorted and opened his door. They approached with caution. Dead places were the most dangerous. Denton knocked, and they waited.
“Ms. Greene?” He called out, using his best cop voice to penetrate the door. “I’m Detective Orin Denton. My partner and I would like to ask a few questions.”
Seconds ticked by. Then footsteps, followed by clicking deadbolts. The door cracked open on a chain. Denton flashed his badge, though he couldn’t see her face. The house was dark, and she hovered in the shadows. He watched for suspicious movements, then laid it on her.
“I’m sorry about the death of your sister, Ms. Greene. Can we talk?”
Charlie’s breath hitched, and his eyes bored into Denton, but Denton had eyes only for the woman who, to his relief, opened the door wider.
It was their victim come to life. Healing stings covered her face, neck, and arms.
“I’ll be damned,” Charlie breathed. “A twin.”
###
After sitting across from Janet Seymour, aka Miriam Greene, Denton spent a full minute staring at her. She stared back.
“So… you thought becoming Audrey would get you out of trouble?”
She shrugged. “I gambled on an opportunity.”
“You were a perfect match on the security cameras.”
“Took weeks of planning, but worth it to confront the sister who made our dying mother send me to Juvie.” Her eyes turned flat. “Once I discovered the beehive, the rest was easy. I dowsed her with a homemade lemongrass lure, pickpocketed her EpiPen, and pretended to need the toilet so I could use the heel of my shoe to open the hole in the brick the bees had started.
“But it all went wrong,” Denton concluded. “My sister didn’t want me to die. Go figure.” Janet snorted and sat back. “She shoved me out the door and locked it even as she succumbed. I used my EpiPen while I watched through the window.” Her eyes gleamed. “How did you know there was a twin? Was killing her on our birthday over the top? Because I wondered about that.”
If you would like to support an independent author who loves to share her stories, this story along with an eclectic anthology of more fun tales is available for 99 pennies at your favorite bookstore. Thank you!
I had a rare week to myself in my small home set on a rural two acres. It’s a quiet spot normally, very little traffic, quiet neighbors, and the music of nature surrounding us. Inside, the place is occupied by one person besides me and two canine kids. Not a big family as families go. But my three are active and keep my home lively. I didn’t realize how much until the human went on an ebike excursion with a friend.
So, after cleaning the house to my satisfaction (also a rare treat), I rolled up my sleeves and got busy writing. I was certain that it would be the most productive week of my writer’s life… Until I kept pausing to listen to the silence. It called to me–needed me to break it up–to liven up my surroundings… like I was used to.
Recently, I interviewed an author who talked about her writing space being in the corner of her game room, the hub of her family. Her advice to other writers was to learn how to tune things out. Coincidentally, as I prepared for the interview I came across a Medium blog that provided famous writers’ advice on daily writing routines. Completely different writers from different eras and backgrounds all had similar advice when it came to sticking to a daily routine. Tune out distractions.
My favorite was from E. B. White, the author of Charlotte’s Web, my most adored book as a child.
This was the edition in my extensive childhood library, too. Isn’t that the best title you’ve ever seen on a cover?
I never listen to music when I’m working. I haven’t that kind of attentiveness, and I wouldn’t like it at all. On the other hand, I’m able to work fairly well among ordinary distractions. My house has a living room that is at the core of everything that goes on: it is a passageway to the cellar, to the kitchen, to the closet where the phone lives. There’s a lot of traffic. But it’s a bright, cheerful room, and I often use it as a room to write in, despite the carnival that is going on all around me.
In consequence, the members of my household never pay the slightest attention to my being a writing man — they make all the noise and fuss they want to. If I get sick of it, I have places I can go. A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.
E. B. White
Can silence be a distraction? I learned this week that it can. Did I learn how to tune it out? Eventually. I got lots of writing done. But I’ll be glad when my hubby gets home. Next to him in the living room is where I’ll be writing for a good long while.
I have been waiting to chat with this author for too long and I’m excited to welcome Linda Ling to my blog and talk about her exciting debut series, The Land of the Sun.
I’m in the middle of Sundred and finding the pages turning fast! This amazing complex fantasy world was presented in a concise, clear manner and I was able to dive right in and get immersed. I found the division of the lands captivating right off and wanted to know how the rent in the world would be resolved and Faelyn’s part in it. I love all the names of the characters and was taken immediately with Faelyn and Khare.
Here is what one reviewer has to say about Sundred…
This whole year has been tough reading-wise as I’ve only had a few books that I really LOVED.
It’s nice to have another book to add to that list with Sundered by Linda Ling. Five stars!!!
There’s a good amount of worldbuilding upfront that took a bit to get into and internalize. But once I met Princess Faelyn and Khare, I was hooked.
I loved Faelyn’s strength, impulsivity, and passionate personality – as I am writing a similar FMC for my second book, I found myself feeling inspired by how well Linda brought her character to life!
I think one reason fantasy can be hit-or-miss for me is because I always want my fantasy to be grounded in real problems that I can relate to. Even though there are kingdoms and magic and cool creatures (I loved the Sarpentii), there also are struggles of finding your identity, unpacking family trauma, and fighting for your voice as a female in a world of male leaders.
There were several POV changes and while sometimes I struggle with keeping up, the shifts were seamless. Each new voice brought a new perspective to the story within this vast world.
I loved the resourcefulness yet imperfections of the characters, the careful reveal of mysteries, and the beautifully engrained magic and worldbuilding
Well done Linda and I can’t wait to read Forged!!!
Kyle
Let’s meet the author.
Linda is a self-published author with a passion for reading and creative writing. Her favorite genres are fantasy and paranormal. She juggles a full-time job as a doctor, being a mom, a wife, and the editor of a local newsletter. Linda is a pen name under which she has published her epic fantasy trilogy and a children’s book.
All That Glitters Is Not Gold, was just released in July 2023 and is a standalone prequel novel in the Land of the Sun fantasy series.
Thank you for visiting with me today, Linda! [Let me know if this is your preferred name for our interview]
The first question I’ve been dying to ask is how you came up with this world, its place names, and the character names. To me, it is well thought out and crafted yet also organic and real. Did you create the world first, or the story?
LL. Thank you so much for reading Sundered and for your thoughtfully curated questions! The world and its story came at the same time if I think about it. Years ago, I had a dream about a king and queen separated by a desert due to a misunderstanding. I thought, why not write a story where they become reconciled? And why not get a rambunctious princess to lead the way in finding her family? The result, Sundered.
The races and cultures have a basis in traditional fantasy races like the Fae (elves and fairies and such), but you’ve put your spin on them as well as created hybrid races and new races. This must have been so fun to immerse yourself in as a writer. How long did it take you to craft it all and finish the series?
LL. The entire series took me 10-11 years to complete. Here’s why. I wrote the first half of Sundered way back when but then hit massive writer’s block. Life also happened (like finishing my residency and kids). It was only some time during the pandemic when I decided to complete what I’d started, and then the remaining books took a year to finish the initial drafts. So it was a very slow start but a rapid finish!
DLL. That’s amazing. So many writers I’ve interviewed had some kind of turning point during the pandemic. Difficult times equal new outlooks on our priorities it seems. I find that fascinating and amazing that you had this story in you for so long.
I love how there is a mix of different levels of technology in The Land of the Sun depending on what side of the rent or separation you’re on. There’s a feel of modern mixed with Medieval. How did that come about?
LL. I honestly have no idea! I always knew Tir’Sunaa (where we first meet Princess Faelyn in her father’s kingdom) would have tanks and guns but no magic. To contrast that, I envisioned Elvarue (the kingdom of Faelyn’s mother) to be more medieval, and less advanced but bolstered by powerful magic and traditions around magic.
DLL. That must have been a fun way to build this world with two completely different systems to write about, like writing two stories.
The review provided above talks about how fantasy works best if it is grounded in real problems that make the main character and story relatable despite the fantastical settings. Can you talk about the importance of this element to you as a writer?
LL. I definitely try to do that in every story I’ve written, because it makes the story more real, more emotional. I’ll focus on Sundered for this question. This book is special to me because of the strong themes of family. No family is perfect. Each family has its own dynamics, and every member has their quirks. We talk a lot about the found family trope, but I grew up with a huge extended family with its warmth and love, but also clashing points. I wanted to portray that in Sundered. So you have Princess Faelyn growing up without her mom and eldest brother, but having her dad and her slightly-older brother around. Then, she sets out to find all her other relatives and experiences what it’s like getting to know all these people for the first time as a young adult. Found family in both senses of the phrase.
What is the main inspiration behind writing high fantasy and separately, paranormal fantasy? These are my two preferred genres as well and if you’re like me, you did a lot of reading in these genres, but what else motivated you to go this direction?
LL. I love both genres too! I went with publishing high fantasy first because out of all the stories I’ve written all my life, I felt that Sundered and its subsequent stories were more coherent and complete than the other things I’d written. But as implied, high fantasy is not the genre I wrote in first. My first stories were about vampires in an urban setting, but without other paranormal elements and with some magical realism involved.
This series is categorized as young adult. Is this your preferred market? I believe you’re working on a new vampire series [feel free to correct or modify anything]. Is that a young adult series also? Are there other stories in these or other genres in the works?
LL. Perfect question to follow up from the last one! Sundered is young adult-ish, with a lot of coming-of-age elements. But I would say that as the books progress, the characters mature and develop as more stuff happens to them, and by the end of the series it’s no longer very young adult. This makes the series a challenge to market, I realize. But it’s true to the stories and characters. I’d say that as a writer, I like exploring adult themes while keeping the story suitable for young adult readers who have the capacity for reading these older themes. Therefore, my upcoming vampire series is like that.
Other stories – for sure! The universe of Princess Faelyn wouldn’t let me go after I finished my trilogy. That’s why I wrote the prequel, and that’s why I ended up writing a bunch of sequel drafts set in the same world. But my vampire WIPs were calling for me, which is why I’ve switched gears for now. I even churned out a contemporary romance novel last year, though where that’ll end up going is anyone’s guess!
DLL. It sounds like you’re striking the right balance for your audience. That is such a difficult thing to do. I can’t wait for your vampire series. As you’ve just proven, these are great genres for generating multiple stories from one, and I totally get it when you say your universe wouldn’t let you go. I had no idea my secondary characters were writing their own stories as my series came to life. And all of them are calling to me. I really wish I could become a faster writer!
What or who is your biggest inspiration and set you on the path to becoming a writer?
LL. I grew up reading Michael Crichton, some Stephen King, Anne Rice, Christopher Pike, and RL Stine (you can see some common themes there). These authors inspired the types of stuff I write about. One very influential TV series was Buffy too. I can’t talk about my vampires without talking about Buffy. She’s the OG bada$$ FMC.
DLL. LOL! I wonder if they knew back then Buffy would never die. I’m so glad we have so many seasons for inspiration, and then there’s Angel…
Can you share your top three books? Or in the alternative, top three authors?
LL. That is such a hard question to answer! Let’s go with authors: Anne Rice, first and foremost. And my recent other top 2 are Jay Kristoff and Sarah J Maas.
What can you share with us about being an independent writer and self-publisher? Did you learn things as you went? Do you have a team who helps you with editing, marketing, and artwork? I love your cover art. How did that come about? Do you have favorite tools or software that you use for these services?
LL. All I can say is that self-publishing is hard work! Nothing goes perfectly. But it’s been an incredible learning journey, figuring out all the various moving parts of publishing my books, all the pitfalls, and so importantly connecting with a community of like-minded readers and writers! Thank you for loving the covers of my books. I won’t go into the agonizing details except that I’ve always outsourced my covers and each had its own headaches to deal with, but I’m happy with the results! That being said, I like playing with Canva and CapCut too.
DLL. I appreciate that insight. I haven’t tried outsourcing yet, but I want to! I love Canva, though. Just when I think I can’t come up with something, inspiration hits and it has everything I need.And thanks for the tip on CapCut!
Do you have plans to someday find an agent or go the traditional publishing route?
LL. So I tried to query my romance novel earlier this year and got crickets. Yay, that makes me a real writer, right? I might try again next year. We’ll see how that goes. Otherwise, my fantasy and vampire stuff will remain in the self-publishing realm where I retain full creative control of everything.
DLL. Awesome. I think you’re doing fabulous growing your community and getting your books shared as a self-publisher.
As far as your writer’s life, do you have a favorite place to write? What are your favorite techniques or methods you use to stay creative and productive?
LL. I have a handful of favorite places to write, it doesn’t always stay the same. But I work best when it’s quiet, and when I can put my phone away and not get distracted with social media. I set aside some time every day for writing, reading, and exercise because all of this just helps me relax and unwind, which also helps the creative process.
What advice can you share on how to balance your creative life with work and family?
LL. I have no easy answers. My kids are no longer so young and dependent on their mom, and they understand that mom likes writing and telling stories. My husband also understands that this is an important aspect of who I am now, and knows to give me my space. Conversely, I don’t let writing and creativity consume me so I neglect my family. That would be a big no-no.
Do you have any parting advice for those who want to pursue a writing career?
LL. Read and read and read. Then write and write and write. Don’t be afraid to learn, to make mistakes, and grow. You’ll only get better.
Fantastic! Thank you so much for visiting with me today and sharing your insights. All the best to you, Linda!
I was just chatting with my writing buddy in Scotland about pushing on despite the relentless Imposter Syndrome and this popped up in my inbox. I love synchronicity. Enjoy a little boost to quell that inner editor. And remember writing is all about the joy.
By D. L. Lewellyn 