Ask the Author: Eric K. Barnum
Answered Questions (9)
Eric K. Barnum
I do. It's at www.facebook.com/forsakenisles
You can also find me at www.forsakenisles.com and erickbarnum.com
You can also find me at www.forsakenisles.com and erickbarnum.com
Eric K. Barnum
I knew the meds had stopped working when the incessant voices in my head grew louder and louder against a background of scratching. I picked at the painful scab on the back of my neck until I felt teeth under my skin, and the screaming began.
Eric K. Barnum
The story of dark elves vs surface elves is almost a trope in fantasy. Years ago, probably while reading the Drizz't books, it occurred to me that drow would not be able to survive as a society they way they are portrayed. I began re-imagining what it would look like and borrowed heavily from Dune's House Harkonnen. It led me to conclude that, in this reimagining, the drow would last exactly as long as they had a common enemy. So, what happens when they win?
They colonize the surface world and take their battles out under the sunlight, that's what. It's an alien world deeply pockmarked by never-ending warfare against breathtaking, but destroyed ancient mega-cities. If you can't find a story or two to tell in Merakor, you might be better-suited for romantic comedies.
They colonize the surface world and take their battles out under the sunlight, that's what. It's an alien world deeply pockmarked by never-ending warfare against breathtaking, but destroyed ancient mega-cities. If you can't find a story or two to tell in Merakor, you might be better-suited for romantic comedies.
Eric K. Barnum
I have a notebook of ideas. I scan through it and find an interesting story. Then, I sketch it out. Most go back into the notebook. Some stick with me. Test readers help a lot as I can imagine or actually tell the book proposal to them. When their eyes come alight with interest, I know I have an interesting one.
Eric K. Barnum
I have two projects going on right now in June 2017. The first is wrap up of my next book, "Syliri & Bruce", due out August 2017. While waiting on cover art and test reader comments, I've started writing the next one, "Merakoran Agendas".
I'm way too excited for Syliri & Bruce and just barely dipping my toes in the first 1,000 words of Merakoran Agendas.
- Syliri & Bruce follows the Dar Tania by 5 years. Syliri is this amazing medusa. She and a human ranger (Bruce) fall in love while exploring the early empire of Morbatten. They discover a death cult of slaadi and track the ensuing war.
- Merakoran Agendas will pick up a year after Bomoki's Gate with one of the primary characters in it, Marcello. Marcello, his real name is Ash, was rewarded the dragons with an ancient map of the lost civilization of Merakor, on the other side of the world. He's going to assemble a team and try to get to a Tower of Sorcery shown in this map. Except that dark elves control the entire continent and use the surface world as a proxy battlefield for their internecine conflict.
I'm way too excited for Syliri & Bruce and just barely dipping my toes in the first 1,000 words of Merakoran Agendas.
- Syliri & Bruce follows the Dar Tania by 5 years. Syliri is this amazing medusa. She and a human ranger (Bruce) fall in love while exploring the early empire of Morbatten. They discover a death cult of slaadi and track the ensuing war.
- Merakoran Agendas will pick up a year after Bomoki's Gate with one of the primary characters in it, Marcello. Marcello, his real name is Ash, was rewarded the dragons with an ancient map of the lost civilization of Merakor, on the other side of the world. He's going to assemble a team and try to get to a Tower of Sorcery shown in this map. Except that dark elves control the entire continent and use the surface world as a proxy battlefield for their internecine conflict.
Eric K. Barnum
Pick a story, any story, and write it. Congrats! You're now an "aspiring writer"! To become an actual writer, you're going to obsess over each and every aspect of that story until it's awesome.
Eric K. Barnum
It's something I enjoy doing in the in-between moments of life. I also don't sleep particularly well and writing is always there for me. All my life, I've had these stories in my head. I find that the more voice I give these stories, the more interesting and observant my internal world becomes.
Eric K. Barnum
So far, I've not been challenged with writer's block. I do have times where I feel my writing is flat and boring. I'll *** these sections so I can go back later. I imagine I'm sitting in a meeting with a bunch of RPG players. I slap the text out and say, "Okay crew, we need to add some pizzazz to this!" I start doing it. I find that this happens most often when the book has not really found its voice yet. By which I mean, the idea of the book has to transcend just a storyline. At some point, in slogging through the hard parts, I find the book's voice and boom! Back in business.
Eric K. Barnum
I tend to read for either learning or fun. As such, I'm anxiously awaiting the "Beren and Luthien" book from Tolkien's estate. I'm also chugging through Sanderson's "The Way of Kings". Following that, I'll probably grab some industrial reading into Epicetus. For my birthday, my wife promised to get me an out of print copy of Gilgamesh. I'm way too excited about Gilgamesh.
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