Fantasy Worlds

Interview with Laura J. Underwood

This interview first appeared at Suite101 in 2004. I’m sharing it again because she is a wonderful fantasy author.

Laura J. Underwood is a Fantasy author of many talents. She is a librarian as well as a writer. Her many skills include being a former fencing champion and a harpist too. Ms. Underwood uses her many talents to provide entertaining Fantasy short stories and novels. The main worlds her stories are set in include Keltora and the harper mage world of Annwynn Baldomere. Her short stories can be found in different anthologies and magazines, while the books include: Ard Magister, Dragon’s Tongue and others.

More information can be found at her web site: http://www.sff.net/people/keltora

Debbie Ledesma: When did you decide to become a writer?

Laura Underwood: I’m not so sure that I ever really decided that for myself. Seems like I have always been writing down my fantasies from the time I could hold a pencil. I was one of those children whose imaginations always ran wild. I was reading on my own by the time I was three, which always amazed my parents. They thought I was mimicking the books they read to me, but one day I picked up a newspaper and started pointing to words and sounding them out. I was the only child in my first grade class who could read when I started school.

Because I was a rather solitary child (in spite of having siblings) I used to
daydream a lot. Put myself into the stories that I liked best, and I talked to myself a lot. I did a speech recently where I blamed my fantasy writing career on Mighty Mouse, because when I was little, I used to talk to Mighty
Mouse. My poor mother was under the impression in those days that talking to yourself was a sign of insanity, and she tried to discourage it because she worried what people would think (and there were those d 3ays, like when I made the bus driver stop the bus to let Mighty Mouse on, and I told the ladies at the church Sunday School that I needed an extra cookie and orange juice for Mighty Mouse–I honestly think those poor church ladies thought I was possessed…), so I started writing down my imaginings so I could read them to myself.

Of course, it is obvious that I was not willing to give up my imaginary worlds that easily. The only difference is these days, the talking to myself takes place on a laptop, and I call it storytelling. And because I keep getting those stories published, my mother thinks it’s pretty cool.

DL: Do you prefer writing short stories or novels?

LU: As a teenager, I thought I _was_ writing novels, though I suspect they were just novellas. In fact, my efforts at mystery writing were all novels.
But when I started to sell my fantasy fiction, I wrote short fiction, mainly
because I could produce more of it at a greater speed. But I love novels for the scope they allow. It’s the difference between a short sprint and lengthy marathon race. Both can leave you short of breath. One just takes longer than the other. I’m what one might call a “sneezing” writer (my friend David B. Coe always teases me about that). I literally toss everything on the page at a rapid pace and then clean it up in the editing phase.

DL: What authors influence your writing?

LU: Well, if we start with the earliest influences, those would be anyone who wrote fairy tales. When I was six, my great aunt gave me a beautifully
illustrated book of fairy tales (The Golden Book of Fairy Tales by Adrienne Segur who illustrated it as well) that I still have. It’s rather moth eaten and fragile, and my evil younger brother drew all over the pictures, but I did manage to find a reprint of it recently. I also read a lot of Greek and Roman mythology. I used to be able to recite nearly every story from
Bulfinche’s and D’Aulaire versions of mythology. And of course, I fell madly in love with Kipling and must have reread The Jungle Book over and over.

As for specific authors, Edgar A. Poe, Fred Fields, Shakespeare, but then I
advanced to Lloyd Alexander and George MacDonald and C. S. Lewis and Alexander Key in my teens. At that point, I actually switched to reading mystery novels and was a long time fan of Ngaio Marsh, Peter Lovesey, Dick Francis and many others. Then somewhere along the way in my early twenties, I rediscovered fantasy with Andre Norton, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Fritz Leiber. Barbara Hambly and Teresa Edgerton are now my biggest influences, though I am also fond of Lynn Flewelling, Esther Friesner and a host of other authors who write really good fantasy.

Surprising to most people is that I did not read any Tolkein before the movies came out. Now, of course, I see what I missed since I have gone back and read the books. They always seemed to wordy to me when I was a teenager and a librarian handed them to me, but now I can see a lot of the poetry in the work…I can also see the sources Tolkein drew from.

DL: Do you use any mythology sources in your writing?

Celtic mythology plays a strong part, but not the stuff you usually see in the
D&D manuals (I really have a long rant there that I won’t go into here), but I
do mix a touch of Anglo-Saxon lore and old Norse lore in from time to time. Since my days of reading fairy tales and Greek and Roman mythology, I got into folklore, and have been an avid reader of older texts that were gathered in the 18th century. But I am also interested in Native American mythology (being part Choctaw and Cherokee), in English folktales, Scandinavian lore, and in the mythologies of India.

DL: Most of your stories are centered in two worlds- the Harper Mage and Keltora. Which world do you find easier to write about or prefer?

LU: That’s a hard one. I find both worlds easy to work in, though sometimes have to remind myself that they are not the same. Keltora is just part of the world of Ard-Taebh which is my “grand scheme of things” epic fantasy world. It’s a world where mages are genetic and magic essence is in everything, and mageborn are able to tap this essence so they don’t drain their own essence casting spells. And it’s getting more complex by the day. My latest project has put me in a position of taking a hard look at the history of Ard-Taebh and realizing that the part I write now is just one era of an even bigger milieu.

The Harper Mage world is one where the gods choose who will have the power, and then it is up to the mage to make the right sacrifice to release the power. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the power, and to have that power, one must give up one of the five senses. Oddly enough, it started out as a novel, and then I started writing the short stories, and the late Marion Zimmer Bradley started buying them. I would offer her other things, but she always asked for more Anwyn and Glynnanis stories, and as a result, the world has grown legs based solely on the short fiction. Anwyn is a fun character because he is always at odds with himself and his legacy. Makes for some serious angst. I still get requests from readers as to when I plan to write a novel telling the origin of his power. I have also written one novel where we learn the history of Rhystar and how he came to his power.

Of course, these days I admit that I have grown fond of writing in Selina
Rosen’s Bubbas of the Apocalypse Universe because I get to apply the mythology of my Appalachian roots.

DL: Who is your favorite character?

LU: That’s like asking who is your favorite child among the many you have given birth to. Probably depends on the project, but I will admit that I have a lot of fondness for Conor Manahan. That amuses me since the real focus of those stories is supposed to be Rhoyd who is the Ard Magister. But Conor sort of takes over when he opens his mouth, and it’s hard not to follow him around. There are times I want to be Eithne, except I doubt I would have her patience.

DL: What do you think is the important function of a Fantasy novel?

LU: To keep opening our eyes to the wonders of a world that “might have been.” I’m of the opinion that fantasy helps us to keep the storytelling techniques of our ancestors alive and well. Giving credence to things that never were can be fun. Fantasy allows us to tell and retell the favorite stories in a new way. If we can enjoy ourselves on the journey, all the better. If we can make the material seem fresh and new, it becomes even more “fantastic.” As a writer, I tend to write the tales I have always wanted to read, and the reward is hearing readers tell me that they think my worlds and characters are very real to them.

DL: With the success of the “Lord of the Rings” movies, do you think any of your stories would make a good movie?

LU: I think all of them would, but that is probably because I am a very visual writer and very fond of my own work. *g* I see scenery being played out in my head. I get up and practice fight moves from time to time. By now most people know that I am a former fencing champion and fencing coach who now does fencing demonstrations for the SFWA Emergency Medical Fund.

I would seriously love to see any of my books turned into a movie. Or a
miniseries. In fact, I think there are a lot of authors now who are holding up their hands in hopes of getting the attention of Peter Jackson. But if I had to pick only one, I suspect I would hold up my current projects Dragon’s Tongue and Wandering Lark because they have the sort of depth (at least I hope they have the sort of depth) that Jackson could have a field day with.

But of course, because I am a practical sort of person by nature, I won’t hold my breath. *g*

DL: What other stories are you working on for the future?

LU: I just finished editing Wandering Lark, which is the sequel to Dragon’s Tongue (a novel that will be coming out from Meisha Merlin some time later in 2004). I also recently finished a “collective novel” called Shadow Song, which is set in Anwyn’s world and essentially ties together what happened to that message he carried that I mentioned in “Harper’s Moon” and “The Black Tower.” Of course, I don’t have a publisher for that one yet, but it’s the book Marion was always pushing me to write.

I’m currently working on a couple of short stories that I have been asked to provide for future anthologies, and because everyone keeps asking me “What happens next? after Ard Magister, I am working on the further adventures of Conor, Eithne and Rhoyd under the tentative title of Box of Bones. It takes place about three years later. Rhoyd is getting close to preteens mage-wise, and he’s a lot bolder and more trusting of his own power, but there are times when the little boy in him gets in the way. It brings back characters like Michan (From Chronicles of the Last War) and mentioned “The Demon-Bound” as well as the late Fenelon Greenfyn.

Selina Rosen and I just finished collaborating on a “gonzo” mystery novel we’re calling Bad Lands that we are seriously hoping will become a series. I have a soft spot for mysteries still, and writing this book was like going back to my roots of writing mysteries. Plus the characters are a hoot.

I am also hoping to get around to editing Anwyn’s first novel one day and
marketing it and a couple of independent novels set in Ard-Taebh. I have a book about Ginny and Manus (who appeared in a number of my Sword and Sorceress stories) that I am calling The Hounds of Ardagh that is almost ready to submit.

Of course, what I actually get into working on for publication next (besides
the short stories) is probably going to depend on how well my novels Dragon’s Tongue and Wandering Lark do when they come out. (An author’s career is only as good as their numbers.) There’s a trilogy that follows those two books that deals with how Keltora took the High King’s crown and another trilogy in the works dealing with Rhoyd’s Aunt Genna. Plus one day, I want to go back and write something in the time of the Shadow Lords. There are a lot of places in my own worlds that I have not begun to explore. So who knows what stories are hiding there?

DL: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

LU: Keep writing, rewriting, revising and resubmitting. And keep reading as well–everything you can get your hands on, be it history, biography, folklore, archaeology, letter and memoirs as well as what you want to write. You can’t learn to write if you can’t take time to read. And you can’t write well if you don’t read broadly enough.

Above all, never give up. I see so many beginners who want instant success, and I can tell you after thirty years of writing, there is no instant success. Not without hard work. It’s something you earn by taking the steps of the ladder to publication one rung at a time. Too often, aspiring writers will think there is a secret they are missing out on. A handshake, a wink, a password. Trust me. If they existed, I would have found them and bottled them and made myself rich by now. *g* As one of my own mentors would have said, “It takes time to become an overnight success…”

Personally, I’m still waiting. *g*

DL: Thank you very much for the interview.

Patricia McKillip

Do you like riddles? Mysteries? Patricia McKillip is a fantasy author that can evoke these things and leave a reader wishing for more. She has written many novels with great depth and realistic characters. Her deft, poetic use of language in her novels leaves memorable images in the reader’s mind for years. Many of her books have created outstanding, unforgettable fantasy worlds.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a story about a sorceress, her strange pets and her learning to deal with humanity. Sybel grows up alone in a magical castle with only the animals in her strange menagerie for company. When Coren enters her life, her world is turned upside down. This book is a moralistic story with a legendary quality and surprised people by winning the World Fantasy Award in 1975. It foreshadowed the talent of her next endeavor.

The Riddle Master trilogy ( The Riddlemaster of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire, and Harpist in the Wind ) is a wonderful epic fantasy bordering on true originality. These books are full of riddles and complex human characters. Morgon of Hed is a simple man, coming from an agricultural community, who likes riddles. Radearle is an independent woman seeking her destiny. Together they embark on a tale of adventure, mystery and fulfillment that doesn’t end as readers would expect. Along the way we are treated to a story which requires thoughtful reflection after reading the books.

Ms. McKillip turned to science fiction for a time, but eventually returned to fantasy with The Sorceress and the Cygnet and The Cygnet and the Firebird. The author demonstrates her gift for evoking powerful images and stories with language in these books. Readers are presented with a mystical world of constellations that are gods, which mingle with quirky humans. These fantasy worlds are full of wonder and striking beauty.

She wrote a book based on Brian Froud’s art work of fairies. In In Something Rich and Strange, two human characters deal with encounters from fairy folk of the sea. This book is illustrated with beautiful art work that inspires a quest story full of strong images of the ocean. A person feels like they are there. Though a hard book to find, it is a treasure to read.

Patricia McKillip has created fantasy worlds that readers will enjoy for many years to come. Every new book by her adds to the Fantasy genre stories of depth, emotion and wonder. Her lyrical forays into Fantasy should not be missed by lovers of the genre.

Other books by Patricia McKillip:

The Changeling Sea

The Book of Atrix Wolfe

Winter Rose

Song for the Basilisk

Riddle-Master- – The trilogy in one book.

Alphabet of Thorn

Solstice Wood

Ombria in Shadow

Od Magic

The Bells at Sealy Head

Bards of the Bone Plain

Tamora Pierce

With the huge popularity of the Harry Potter, young adult Fantasy has exploded. More publishers are publishing books for the young adult reader, introducing new voices to the genre or exposing older authors to new audiences. Tamora Pierce in one such author. She writes entertaining books with strong characters and interesting plots. Adult readers can enjoy her many books also. Ms. Pierce sets most of her stories in her Fantasy world of Tortall.

Her first book series is the Song of the Lioness quartet. The books tell the story of adolescent Alanna and her quest to become a knight in a world that does not allow women warriors. Alanna: The First Adventure finds her traveling through the forest, dressed as a boy on her way to the castle to train for a knight. She encounters the Goddess who aids her with her destiny. The second book, In the Hand of the Goddess, continues Alanna’s story as she becomes squire of the young king. In the third book, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, Al ¿anna spends time in a desert kingdom doing further growing and training three children in the use of their magic gifts. Alanna must save her nation from a war by going on a quest in the last book Lioness Rampant. She is a great character to follow through the four books.

Ms. Pierce’s next four book series is called The Immortals. This series follows the character of Daine. She is a girl with the wild magic talent to talk with animals and change her shape. The books follow Daine through several adventures as she grows and uses her powers to save her kingdom from threats to it. Wild Magic, Wolf-Speaker, The Emperor Mage and The Realm of the Gods are the books in this series.

The Circle of Magic books is a series of loosely connected stories of four young people with magic talent. They all go to a temple that trains each one in the use of their particular magic. Each book tells the story of the one ˇof the four characters as they grow and join together in friendship with their training. Magic Circle: Sandry’s Book covers the story of Sandry master of needlecraft and fabrics. Magic Circle: Tris’s Book tells the story of Tris who controls storms. Daja is a smith mage and her story appears in Magic Circle: Daja’s Book. The last book is Magic Circle: Briar’s Book, which follows the story of the thief Briar and his plant magic. These books are entertaining for young readers.

Keladry wants to be a knight. She takes advantage of the law allowing women to become warriors by entering training. The Protector of the Small series follows her through her training years. In the first book, First Test, Keladry must undergo a year’s probation and finds friends before entering training. In Page she spends time overcoming the grueling training by demanding teachers. Squire prepares her for the final test before becoming a knight while dealing with problems like bullies. Lady Knight has Keladry wanting a combat post, but put in charge of a refugee camp instead. The series is an entertaining story of a young girl’s dreams.

Favorite characters from a previous series return in the loosely connected Circle Opens series. Sandry must train a young boy with magic talent and they must save the city from a brutal killers in Magic Steps. Briar, the streetwise boy, returns in a new book trying to thwart an evil woman killing off the gangs in Street Magic, which has a lot of action. Cold Fire features the return of Daja as she settles in a northern city with her mentor for winter. There she encounters twins with magic talent and an arsonist burning the city. Shatterglass concludes the series with the story of Tris who must try to capture a serial killer. The book is mostly a mystery with interesting magic and strong characters.

Her most recent series focuses on the daughter of Alanna through her coming of age. Alianne wants to be a spy but her parents will not let her. Trickster’s Choice follows her as she is kidnapped and becomes a slave on far away islands. Trickster’s Queen returns to Alianne’s story as she helps the rebellion to end slavery. These books are filled with the author’s usual entertaining combination of a strong female character, interesting plot and vivid action centered on the theme of racism.

Tamora Pierce is the author of several young adult Fantasy books. She explores her created world of Tortall with young characters that have inner strength and various talents. Each of her series are coming-of-age tales set in different parts of her fantasy world. Adult readers will enjoy her books too. She is a good author to read while waiting for the next Harry Potter book. More information can be found on the author’s web site at: http://www.tamora-pierce.com

Michelle West

Fantasy authors create imaginative worlds and populate them with interesting characters. Readers flock to these worlds in great numbers to get away from reality for a short time. One Fantasy author that creates intriguing worlds and cultures is Michelle Sagara West. She brings her works to life with vivid, detailed prose that captures the imagination. Her books have strong themes and not everything is black and white. The books and stories are entertaining, but leave you thinking.

Ms. West wrote her first Fantasy series as Michelle Sagara. The series of The Sundered starts with Into the Darklands. This tells of the battle between the forces of the Bright Heart and the Dark Heart. Erin is a warrior of the Bright Heart and Sarillon or battle leader of the army. She is defeated and captured by Stefanos of the Dark Heart. Renamed Sara, she carries on a strange romance with him. By the end of the book, Stefanos places her in an enchanted sleep. Children of the Blood picks up many years later. Sara awakens from her sleep. She and a boy, Darin, are the only ones left with the powers of Light. They must try to survive in Stefanos’s empire. The third book Lady of Mercy shifts its focus to other characters. Sara and Darin meet a rogue and another man who might have magic that is not of the Light or Dark. Chains of Darkness, Chains of Light brings the series to a conclusion when Sara and King Renar must venture into the Dark Empire to save the last source of the Light.

Her next series is the duology of The Sacred Hunt written as Michelle West. This takes place in a different world. In one kingdom there lives the Hunter Lords. Each Hunter Lord has a companion that follows him. The Hunter Lords and their Huntbrothers must submit themselves once a year to be hunted by the Hunter god. One pair is always sacrificed. Hunter’s Oath is the story of street orphan Stephen who becomes a Huntbrother to Ghilliam of Elseth. Ms. West further deepens the story and adds a new culture in the second book Hunter’s Death. Stephen and Ghilliam must risk breaking their oath when they travel to another city. They face a battle with the evil god Allasakar. The book is full of interesting characters and conflicts with various gods. A lot of court intrigue adds to the story.

Ms. West’s recent series is the Sun Sword. These books focus on the culture and some of the characters from her last book. The Broken Crown takes place fifteen years later and introduces Diora. She possesses the forbidden magical talent of influencing people with her voice. This sets into motion events which might free Allasakar. In the next book, The Uncrowned King, we get the story of Valedan of the Dominion and his struggle against the evil god. Jewel of House Terafin returns in The Shining Courts where she and Avander must face Allasakar too. The latest book, Sea of Sorrows, brings all the characters together from the previous books. They must embark on a quest to find help in the battle against Allasakar that keeps building. All the books contain detailed images and imaginative plots. There should be one more to complete the series.

From the beginning, Michelle Sagara West has been an entertaining author to read. She writes books of involving plots. likable characters and powerful themes with considerable talent. Her works have become increasingly complex and vivid with each new book. Ms. West’s Fantasy worlds are wonderful. Readers will continue to watch her grow for years to come.

RA Salvatore Interview

Born in Massachusetts in 1959, Robert Salvatore’s love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computer science to journalism receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic.

His first published novel was The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988. Since that time, Robert has published numerous novels, including the New York Time bestselling The Halfling’s Gem, Sojourn, and The Legacy. Robert held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990. Over three million R.A. Salvatore novels have been sold with many translated into different languages and audio versions. CrossGen will be releasing his latest graphic novel, DemonWars volume 2: Eye for an Eye, later this year.

In the fall of 1997, Robert’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers were donated to the R.A. Salvatore Library at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. When he isn’t writing, Robert attends his three children’s hockey games, horse shows, and fencing events. His gaming group of 18 years still meets on Sundays to play everything from Nintendo 64 to the AD&D game, and even set up its own company: Seven Swords. His hobbies include softball, hockey, and music, particularly a good blast of Mozart while tooling down the highway. He makes his home in Massachusetts, with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin, their dog, Puddles, and a calico cat named Guenhwyvar.

More information about his books can be found at his web site: http://www.rasalvatore.com

Debbie Ledesma: How long have you been writing? Was it difficult getting published?

R.A. Salvatore: I started writing in 1982. I finished my first novel in the spring of 1983. I wasn’t planning on publishing the book; I just wanted something to distinguish me from the other “Social Security numbered” working stiffs. I wanted something my kids would someday show to my grandkids.

Well, friends read it and loved it and said I should publish it. So I tried – and got hammered with rejection letters. That just made me more determined, though. If you tell me I can’t do something, I get very stubborn and work hard to prove you wrong. I landed my first book contract in 1987.

DL: Do you find writing books based on role playing games easier to write then your own creations?

RAS: No. In both cases, these are my own creations. In both cases, it’s the scope of the book itself, not the amount of world building I need to do or the amount of world research I need to do, that determines the difficulty of the book. One of the most difficu lt books I’ve written was Sojourn because I had to bring the Drizzt story in line with a previously written work, namely The Crystal Shard.

If you look at my work in the Realms, you’ll see that I’ve spent a great amount of time finding places to stay out of other peoples’ way. Icewind Dale is my creation, as much as is Corona of the Demonwars saga. Same with Menzoberranzan – using the mythologies of Gary Gygax and others instead of the real-world mythologies I used in the Corona setting.

Working in a shared world can be frustrating of course, as when things are printed that affect your work and for which you were not consulted. It can also be incredibly rewarding, like when Ed Greenwood and I shared ideas of what Longsaddle should look like.

DL: Do you have ideas for any other books besides your current series?

RAS: At this point, I don’t even know where my current series is going! I do hav eon other book that I’m planning to write, but I’m not starting it un Átil next year and I won’t talk about it, because when it comes out, it will be under a pen name. I don’t want anybody reading it with any preconceived notions.

DL: One of your most popular characters is Drizzt. What do you think readers find appealing about him? Who is your favorite character to write?

RAS: Drizzt is a classic romantic hero. Misunderstood, often wrongly persecuted – sounds like High School, right? Add to that his indomitable spirit and high moral code and his ability to kick some butt and you have someone who offers hope to people who feel powerless.

That’s what I think, but I honestly don’t KNOW why Drizzt has become such a huge popular hit.

My favorite character to write? That changes all the time. Marcalo De’Unnero from DemonWars would be up there, as would Bruenor and Drizzt. Pikel Bouldershoulder is a blast, but Oliver deBurrows of the Crimson Shadow books takes the prize for comedy, with Pikel and Thibbledorf Pwent coming in at a second-place tie.

DL: How is The Highwayman different from your other books?

RAS: First of all, it’s a stand-alone novel. You don’t have to read anything before it or after it. It’s a book, not a piece of a larger series, and that seems unusual in fantasy these days. This has been my plan since I started DemonWars: I wrote seven books to define the boundaries – magical, social, geographical and political – of the world and now I can go there and just tell stories.

Second, I made The Highwayman>/u> more human-centered than anything I’ve ever done. There are non-human monsters, but every named character is human, and some, like Bransen, are very, very human. I wanted the book to be accessible to people who don’t read fantasy; the book a Drizzt reader can give to his girlfriend who keeps asking him what he’s reading.