Flurries of
Words (FLOW) was lucky enough to catch up with best-selling Fantasy author D.P
Prior for a one on one chat about his work, life and new novel The
Nameless Dwarf
.
Here's what he had to say...
FLOW: I see that you have had many
careers--psychiatric nurse, personal trainer, editor, monk, actor....how do
these varied life experiences influence your writing?
PRIOR: During my twenty-odd
years working in mental health I got to see all kinds of conditions and behaviors.
It was mostly the personality disorders that influenced my writing, the
cognitive biases we all carry to some extent, one person’s propensity for
paranoia, another’s for depression; the image people have of themselves
contrasted with how others see them; difficulties people have in relationships,
or with self-worth, self-belief, or self-preservation.
My experiences also
helped me to look at how different personalities deal with trauma, which was a
huge help when writing Rhiannon in Cadman’sGambit, Best Laid Plans, and The Unweaving. Often in fiction, and
particularly in fantasy, we are presented with stock character types who have
predictable, even cliched, responses to the stresses placed upon them. I think
my experiences in mental health have given me a few more options to play with.
The Nameless Dwarf has
aspects of his character that were definitely influenced by my mental health
work. He has a degree of bi-polar disorder (much more serious in the depressive
phase), elements of low self-worth, and occasional explosive outbursts, which
are sometimes devastatingly violent. That said, he’s probably the most solid
and dependable character in the entire series, something the other characters
acknowledge, each in their own way.
The personal training
has had a small influence on the physicality of some of my fight scenes. It’s
more explicit in The Archon’s Assassin,
in which Rhiannon trains in a hardcore gym, with a host of recognizable gym
rats.
The editing experience
has been extremely helpful with reviewing subsequent drafts. I always do
anything up to six layers of self-editing on my books, but this is not enough
by itself. I believe you need to have another set of eyes go over the work and
so I use external editors, proof readers and beta readers.
In the later 90s I had
a five month postulancy with the Carmelite friars in Australia. That involved
living with a couple of religious communities, which helped with the Abbey of
Pardes characters in the Shader books. I studied theology at Notre Dame in
Fremantle, which gave me a lot of material for Shader’s internal conflicts and
for some of the moral dilemmas he faces.
I’m not sure how much
influence my acting had on my writing, except maybe through my familiarity with
classic texts (Shakespeare and Greek and Roman drama). There are little
tributes here and there, such as the way the weather sometimes mirrors a
character’s internal state (as in Macbeth).
Silas references King Lear briefly in
The Ebon Staff, and Otto Blightey
spouts the philosophy of cruelty found in the works of the French dramatist
Antonin Artaud.
I think, though, that
the effect of these multifarious careers has been to give me a broad view of
human nature in a variety of settings. For me it is the strange idiosyncrasies
that make the character recognizably human (even when they are not) and gives
the reader something to identify with. There is no “everyman”, no generic human
type that we can recognize as ourselves. We see ourselves in the failings and
peculiarities of fictional characters. That’s what makes us believe.
FLOW: Why so many different career paths? Are they a help or a hindrance with your writing and editing?
PRIOR: I guess I’m just weird. I don’t like the idea of identifying myself with one role (or at least I didn’t use to). I like to explore the possibilities life has to offer, rather than limit myself to one or two safe choices. I wanted to explore what I could do intellectually, spiritually and even physically, but I’m finally settling into my roles as husband, parent, writer and editor. This combination feels right and it’s where I’ll stay, I reckon. I’ll still keep up with my training, studying, music, film making, acting etc., but the core of my activities will be based around family, faith, writing and editing.
FLOW: So have you brought any real-life experiences
into your writing? For example, would
your family and friends be shocked to see themselves in your books?
PRIOR: A couple of choice
phrases can be attributed to my father (generally anything that involves a
toothbrush and a podex). There’s a fair bit of my wife in Cordy, and Magwitch
the Meddler has a lot in common with an old friend. Generally, though,
similarities are either unconscious or accidental, save maybe for the nomenclature
of certain Abyssal fiends.
FLOW: Is it more difficult to edit your own work
than someone else's? As an editor, is
your work held to a higher standard (either by you or by your readers)?
PRIOR: I’m pretty brutal with
my own work, often cutting entire paragraphs. I also fuss about word usage to
an obsessional degree. If a word doesn’t seem right for a character I ponder it
for a while, particularly if I really like it, but I nearly always end up
cutting it if I have any doubts.
It is hard to keep
perspective, though, and sometimes I just can’t see mistakes because I’ve become
too close to the text. This is why the external editors and proof readers are
so crucial.
With other people’s
works I tend to make copious suggestions in the margins but try to do that
tactfully and to allow the writer the choice (after all, as indie writers they
are the ones in control). It is sometimes time consuming working with new
writers, but once I’ve grown familiar with their writing and with their
characteristic mistakes and style the process runs a lot more smoothly. It’s
great to work with the same author again and again as we develop a dialogue that
brings out the best in both of us.
I’ve not noticed my
work being held to a higher standard by readers. I expect it to be perfect, of
course, but I know it never can be. I’ve yet to read a book (mainstream or
indie) that doesn’t have errors. The goal is to keep them so minimal that they
don’t get in the way of the reading and spoil the illusion.
FLOW:
How much of yourself is in your main
characters? Do you identify with any one character more than another?
How? Why?
PRIOR: Chesterton said that a
bad novel tells us more about the author than the characters, so I hope I’m not
too prevalent in my works. I think, though, it is inevitable that an author
leaves traces of him/herself in every character, but some more than others. I
have characters who act as I would wish to act in certain situations, and other
characters (maybe Nils, Silas, Ilesa, Shader even at times) who act as I
probably would.
I think I identify
most with Elias Wolfe from the Shader books, but also with aspects of Dr.
Cadman and Shader himself (who both embody extreme versions of some of my
personality traits).
FLOW: I've read how Dungeons and Dragons was a
key influence in starting you on the path to writing in that genre. What
made you stick with the fantasy?
PRIOR: My interest in fantasy
pre-dated my interest in Dungeons and Dragons. I was introduced to the Conan
novels of R.E. Howard at a very early age. I also read Tolkien, Edgar Rice
Burroughs’ John Carter books, and Michael Moorcock. I started playing D&D
in 1979 and continued for a decade and a half. It resurfaced from time to time
in later years, but never with the same obsession.
I first started trying
to write a fantasy novel at age thirteen. The problem was, the main characters
were little guys with hairy feet who insisted were in no way, shape or form
hobbits!
David Gemmell’s novels
drew me back into fantasy in 1984 when I won a copy of Legend as the prize for English literature. I read all of his
subsequent books avidly and I don’t think anyone has quite come up to the mark
since his death a few years ago.
I generally dislike
the fantasy genre: too many farm boys, too many dragons, and way too much
“fantasy speak”. Of course, much of that has changed with the new generation of
writers, but here I dislike the move toward naturalism, including lengthy
descriptions of the taste of a meal, and a tendency to show human nature in its
worst possible light. Gemmell’s books can be brutal, but there’s always a sense
of good triumphing over evil, no matter the cost. In some of the new fantasy
books, it’s hard to tell the difference between good and evil, and generally
the worlds depicted are not worlds I’d like to inhabit.
There are genuinely
exciting writers emerging, though. I think Joe Abercrombie has a flair for
dialect, which finds its way into the narrative portions as well as dialogue.
His character building is also top notch, although he seems about as jolly in
his world view as Jean Paul Sartre at times.
I’m more excited about
the emerging indie fantasy writers at the present time. There’s such a wealth
of talent from writers who are staying the course and who are serious about
honing their craft. Those I’ve read and admire are David Dalglish, M.R.
Mathias, C.S. Marks, Moses Siregar III, Daniel Arenson, M.S. Verish, Debra L.
Martin, Robert J. Duperre, and Dawn McCullough White. There’s a bunch of others
I have loaded on my Kindle: Jon Creffield, Gerald L. Black, Carolyn Kephart ...
FLOW:
How do you find time to write with all
of your various commitments? What is your first priority?
PRIOR: My first priority is
to my wife and children and to my faith. Once that’s all in place I take care
of my editing commitments and make sure I leave enough time to write. When I am
working on a novel I like to set aside at least an hour a day, often much more.
This tends to be between 4.30 AM and 7 AM, before everyone wakes up. This works
well even when I am editing as the commissions tend to occupy the times when
the baby is napping during the day and then I can work uninterrupted in the
early evening. If I have deadlines to reach, I have been known to work through
the night.
I also set aside time
for physical training most days and like to get out and about whenever possible
(particularly now we live in Florida).
FLOW: There are pretty deep ethical issues in
virtually all of your works. How has
your faith contributed to your storylines?
PRIOR: There’s a thread of
redemption running through the Shader
books, and it even features in TheNameless Dwarf. It’s not clear cut in either series, though. Shader is a
melting pot for some of the contradictions in human nature, especially for
those of us striving to follow the Christian ethic. Shader does well up unto a
point but he keeps getting pulled back to his violent ways. He can justify it
to a point – he’s severely pushed, but worse than that, he’s faced with
situations where not to act could cause more harm. There’s no easy spirituality
for Shader, nor for any of the other religious characters in the series, and
elements of Shader’s journey are definitely drawn from the mysticism of St.
John of the Cross, complete with dark nights of the soul. I suppose that could
be attributed to my time with the Carmelites.
None of the characters
in my books, no matter how evil, are beyond redemption (and that is sometimes
part of their tragedy). Even Otto Blightey, the Liche Lord of Verusia, could be
redeemed, but for all his theological knowledge he can’t believe it (and
neither could his thousands of impaled victims, if they were asked).
FLOW: Your Nameless Dwarf series has been very
successful but it is quite a different flavour from your Shader series, even
though both take place in the same universe. Why the difference?
What explains it?
PRIOR: The Shader series is vast, complex, and
involves a large number of point of view characters. The Nameless Dwarf, however, focuses on four point of view
characters and gradually reveals them to the reader so that we get to know
their most intimate thoughts and desires. Nameless himself is quite a lovable
character (when he’s not being violent or depressed). He has elements of
Hilaire Belloc, Falstaff, and Oliver Read in his personality, so he’s great fun
in a tavern.
I think the humor in The Nameless Dwarf really helps to
engage readers. There’s a lot of wordplay between Silas and Nils, innuendo between
Nameless and Ilesa (and a sicker kind from Otto Blightey), and Nameless is
never short of a one-liner or a song. There’s a fair bit of humor in Shader too, but most of it comes from
Dr. Cadman and Elias Wolf, whereas the other characters are much more troubled.
I suspect that is the key difference: Nameless is a much more likable character
than Shader, although I think Shader is certainly intriguing and has very human
flaws to his character. The contrast is a bit like that between Druss the
legend and Thomas Covenant.
FLOW: What one thing would you really like
your readers and our audience to know about you and your work?
PRIOR: I have a wonderful
family who inspire my writing but also help out: Theo and I bounce ideas around
for days on end, usually on a long walk. He also likes to listen to the stories
read out loud, which is when I catch most of the errors. Paula picks up on my
continuity problems and also formats, proofreads, and helps promote the work.
Cordelia is just cute (she’s only 10 months old).
FLOW: So is it fair
to say that your family makes a big contribution? How do they respond to your work? Are they really into it? Politely listen? Something in between?
PRIOR: They tell me they are
really into it! I think my wife is proud and Theo used to really enjoy drawing
the characters. He even started putting together some film clips for a proposed
Shader book trailer a while back, and
he’s made a few comedy Nameless Dwarf animations, which are on Youtube. When I
was working on The Scout and the Serpent
I used to read aloud to Paula and Theo in the evenings. That’s something we
should get back to as it was a really nice use of our time together.
FLOW: How much research goes into your books?
PRIOR: I try to write about
things I already know about -- fantasy, arms and armor, religion, mysticism,
magic, and relationships, but occasionally the plot requires that I research a
subject to add layers of credibility to the language I use and the
descriptions. I did a lot of research on sailing for Best Laid Plans and did the same for blacksmithing for Bane of the Liche Lord. I looked into
volcanoes for The Archon’s Assassin,
which came in handy for Bane of the LicheLord too.
I tend to make a lot
of notes, particularly regarding terminology. I use a lot of this in the first
draft but often cut it back to a minimum later as I don’t want to draw too much
attention to the research.
FLOW: You've mentioned a couple of books which haven't been released yet (Unweaving, The Archon's Assassin). Can you give our readers a general idea of when they will come out? Are there any spoilers you can share with us? What's next for Nameless? For Shader? Harry Chesterton?
PRIOR: The Unweaving is about ¼ written and will be my primary focus for the first part of 2013. The Archon’s Assassin is the next book in the series after The Unweaving but it’s already ¾ written and will follow soon after. Archon’s marks a huge shift in style in the Shader series and brings it much closer to The Nameless Dwarf style. Nameless features throughout, although he’s got some serious troubles, and we get to see the notorious Dr. Otto Blightey on his home turf. I have the first ¾ in second draft and can’t wait to get back to working on this book. There’s so much happening, so many things to put ion place for books 5 and 6, and so many new characters to develop.
I’ll take a break from Shader once Archon’s is out but plan on finishing the series in 2014 with Book 5: Rise of the Nameless Dwarf, and Book 6: Saphra. The story arc for the entire series has been ready for nearly two years but it’s not something I want to rush as there is so much to tie together. One thing I have decided for books 5 and 6 is that the focus will narrow down and that there will be 3-4 point of view characters.
I have also started work on a Shader short called The Seventh Horse, which is a prequel to the Shader series. I have notes for a short novel about Shadrak the Unseen tentatively called Wolf on the Hill, as well as plans for another novel called The Nameless Dwarf Wants You, which is likely to feature Shadrak, Ilesa, and possibly even Harry Chesterton.
Regarding Chesterton, I’m planning on him going back to his roots (he was a character I invented at school and turned up in virtually everything I wrote at the time – I guess he’s a bit of a Mr. Benn character (for those in the know). I’ve been planning to re-start the Thanatos series in a much more traditional SF/fantasy/action style rather than the experimental style of Thanatos Rising. I may still keep the first person narrative, though, as a tribute to the John Carter books.
FLOW:
So, what’s with the zombie fetish?
PRIOR: Theo got into Resident Evil and from there went on to Marvel Zombies. We ended up watching Shaun of the Dead together and then went
on a six month zombie fest, watching pretty much anything we could find in the
genre until we were sick to death (!) of it. All this zombiemania inevitably
led to me putting zombies in The Axe of
the Dwarf Lords as well as writing a zombie short for The Gate 2 (edited by Robert J. Duperre) called The Indian Rope Trick.
We’ve made a few
zombie short films as Dizeazed Productionz (available on Youtube). Most of the
time I get to play the zombie so Theo can shoot me in the head (sweet!)
FLOW: Is there anything else you would like to add
or tell our readers?
PRIOR: I’d like to thank
everyone for helping to make indie publishing possible through their support.
Every purchase, every review, every blog comment or email makes all the hours
of writing and editing worthwhile. Writing a book would be meaningless without
readers. The process of writing is only complete when a reader is engaging with
the story. I’ve received a lot of help and encouragement along the way, mostly
from people I’ve never met in the flesh. So don’t be shy. If you’ve read any of
my books, send me an email (I always respond), even if it’s just to say hi.
Leave a review, comment on my blog. Every bit of feedback is invaluable.
You can find me at http://dpprior.blogspot.co.uk or email
me at derekprior@yahoo.co.uk
All the best and have
a shogging good holiday.
FLOW: Thank you very much and have a great holiday too! :-)
D.P. PRIOR's books are available everywhere e-books are sold! He is also the editor in chief at Homunculus Editing Services
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