Q&A Thursdays #11: Jenny’s Question

I bet you thought I’d forgotten this series reprise, and it has been a while since the last post on 15 December. Howeverz, tis not forgotten and presto—today it’s Jenny’s Question. 🙂

USA

Jenny: My question is broader than just Daughter Of Blood, but I wondered what inspired you to create the series? And how you keep it all going?

I’ve talked about influences before in a number of places, and there are a lot of them, but usually I hone in on an early love of myth and legend, fairytale and folklore, as well as books, reading, and storytelling generally. The more specific “sparks” for the The Wall Of Night series are diverse, but in thinking about your question today, I think I would point to a passion for epic fantasy and fascination for history that flowed together into this story. I specifically wanted to tell a story that was “classic epic fantasy”, too, at least in its outward trappings (which is why I’ve deployed so many of those outward trappings 😉 ) but also explored the motivations, allegiances, and behaviours of individuals and peoples caught up in major events. I know that’s pretty ambitious stuff and I don’t know if I’m pulling it off at all, let alone “ripping” it — but if I tell a great story along the way, that people have fun reading and get something out of, then I’m happy with that.

From another perspective, I believe why I started writing and how I keep going have the same answer: I love storytelling and writing, I love the characters and how they evolve and acquire a life of their own within the story. Without that, when the going gets particularly gnarly and the whole matter of writing the book (because in a sense the WALL series is one story, told in four parts) takes me to dark places, I don’t think I could keep going.