Ask the Author: Bruce Burns
Answered Questions (6)
Bruce Burns
With moderate success...
Honestly, I dig into the concepts of relationships, duty, and honor. I write for an Ideal Reader (though who that is may change) and close friends first and foremost, so loyalty to them drives me to keep typing when I don't want to.
Duty and honor go back to the fact I have a really medieval/samurai view of the world. There's this theme in Judeo-Christian scripture that whatever you find for your hands to do, do it with all you've got. My best translation of the Greek on that one is "out of your very soul". So, when I don't feel like doing the work, I can dig into some of my old-fashioned values. There's something rewarding in looking back on a day of hard work when it wasn't fun or easy that I don't get when I just had a blast.
In retrospect, when I reread what I have written when every sentence was an effort, I can't really tell where that starts and ends. I try and do the work, because it does work.
Honestly, I dig into the concepts of relationships, duty, and honor. I write for an Ideal Reader (though who that is may change) and close friends first and foremost, so loyalty to them drives me to keep typing when I don't want to.
Duty and honor go back to the fact I have a really medieval/samurai view of the world. There's this theme in Judeo-Christian scripture that whatever you find for your hands to do, do it with all you've got. My best translation of the Greek on that one is "out of your very soul". So, when I don't feel like doing the work, I can dig into some of my old-fashioned values. There's something rewarding in looking back on a day of hard work when it wasn't fun or easy that I don't get when I just had a blast.
In retrospect, when I reread what I have written when every sentence was an effort, I can't really tell where that starts and ends. I try and do the work, because it does work.
Bruce Burns
I am really a relationships sort of guy.
Stephen King talks about an Ideal Reader, the one person that we tell the story to in our hearts. I have to agree wholeheartedly.
I write to share my stories first and foremost with my close friends. For me this is so important that I literally have three books or so that have stopped halfway through because the person I was telling the story passed out of my life for one reason or another.
Then there is my naturally contrary nature. I'm unapologetically agonistic. Things that happen about my real-world passions or experiences guide me to the points I want to make, the ideas that make the effort worthwhile so that I can share with others.
That's one reason why my books always dance in and out of controversy. I hated the idea that sexual victimization of guys is just fine, a-la the rape of Arthur in Arthurian mythology, so it became a theme in the Song of Lagrandil, how it does matter, what are some ways men become survivors, and how faith can interact with it. The anti-homosexuals bigotry in the church and the anti-Christianity hatred in the homosexual movement show up a lot in my new semi-steampunk series. It doesn't form the core of my stories, but it definitely fills my world with side-dishes. I'm really enjoying the interplay between a secular humanist starship captain and devoutly religious knight-heroes in the St. Gavin's Ghost series.
Stephen King talks about an Ideal Reader, the one person that we tell the story to in our hearts. I have to agree wholeheartedly.
I write to share my stories first and foremost with my close friends. For me this is so important that I literally have three books or so that have stopped halfway through because the person I was telling the story passed out of my life for one reason or another.
Then there is my naturally contrary nature. I'm unapologetically agonistic. Things that happen about my real-world passions or experiences guide me to the points I want to make, the ideas that make the effort worthwhile so that I can share with others.
That's one reason why my books always dance in and out of controversy. I hated the idea that sexual victimization of guys is just fine, a-la the rape of Arthur in Arthurian mythology, so it became a theme in the Song of Lagrandil, how it does matter, what are some ways men become survivors, and how faith can interact with it. The anti-homosexuals bigotry in the church and the anti-Christianity hatred in the homosexual movement show up a lot in my new semi-steampunk series. It doesn't form the core of my stories, but it definitely fills my world with side-dishes. I'm really enjoying the interplay between a secular humanist starship captain and devoutly religious knight-heroes in the St. Gavin's Ghost series.
Bruce Burns
I have two works in progress right now:
The Pilgrim's Path is the second book in my new semi-steampunk series, St. Gavin's Ghost. The Pilgrim's Path is going to be more than twice the length of The Rogue of An Dinas. There is a lot more room to see the land of Nemed, the airship technology and how that plays into the political tensions there. The first book took place almost entirely from the Salasian culture, and the second book will be mostly in Salasian-occupied Nemed where the Teague family is from. I'm having a lot of fun with Robert Cooper's mentor, Sir Kenneth, and there will be more too see about the mysterious ghost of Gavin St. Just, and just what his plans are for our heroes.
I'm also about fifty thousand words into the third Adrian Campbell book, Giant's Rage. In the first novel Adrian went from wanderer to hero. In the second he went from a team member to a hero. The world is pretty well established now, and it's time to shake up the status quo. The Shadow War isn't going to stay in the shadows, and suddenly the big conflict means that Adrian has kids and family to look after, and there's no way THAT could go horribly wrong... It's like I have spent two novels building this world and now I get to play Godzilla to the story's Tokyo, and so far it has been a ridiculous amount of fun.
When those two stories are out sometime in 2015 I'm starting the next trilogy of novels in the Song of Lagrandil, which will look at the changes to the world now that the Beast Lord invasion has stalled and Tour Hote has fallen. Some characters are going to have to grow up and there's an immense power vacuum that will bring some hidden parts of the past to light.
The Pilgrim's Path is the second book in my new semi-steampunk series, St. Gavin's Ghost. The Pilgrim's Path is going to be more than twice the length of The Rogue of An Dinas. There is a lot more room to see the land of Nemed, the airship technology and how that plays into the political tensions there. The first book took place almost entirely from the Salasian culture, and the second book will be mostly in Salasian-occupied Nemed where the Teague family is from. I'm having a lot of fun with Robert Cooper's mentor, Sir Kenneth, and there will be more too see about the mysterious ghost of Gavin St. Just, and just what his plans are for our heroes.
I'm also about fifty thousand words into the third Adrian Campbell book, Giant's Rage. In the first novel Adrian went from wanderer to hero. In the second he went from a team member to a hero. The world is pretty well established now, and it's time to shake up the status quo. The Shadow War isn't going to stay in the shadows, and suddenly the big conflict means that Adrian has kids and family to look after, and there's no way THAT could go horribly wrong... It's like I have spent two novels building this world and now I get to play Godzilla to the story's Tokyo, and so far it has been a ridiculous amount of fun.
When those two stories are out sometime in 2015 I'm starting the next trilogy of novels in the Song of Lagrandil, which will look at the changes to the world now that the Beast Lord invasion has stalled and Tour Hote has fallen. Some characters are going to have to grow up and there's an immense power vacuum that will bring some hidden parts of the past to light.
Bruce Burns
First, learn the language. There are rules to any form of communication, and the written word is no different. An author can and sometimes should break the rules, but without a real effort language can become the greatest barrier between your story and your reader.
Then, keep reading. As you read you will find humility (when you see work that awes and inspires), encouragement (when you see someone published and you feel you can do better), and guidance (when you build an ever enlarging repertoire of tricks from the things successful writers use).
Finally, don't ever stop. Maybe your writing will take off after you die and your descendants will be fabulously wealthy. Maybe you will hit it big at the age of fifty after thirty years or effort, or your next book will be an international best-seller. The only way to find out is to persevere. Writing is HARD work, more so than non-writers can imagine, but the first time you watch your work really impact someone's life, entertain them, and bring them joy it is all worth it!
Then, keep reading. As you read you will find humility (when you see work that awes and inspires), encouragement (when you see someone published and you feel you can do better), and guidance (when you build an ever enlarging repertoire of tricks from the things successful writers use).
Finally, don't ever stop. Maybe your writing will take off after you die and your descendants will be fabulously wealthy. Maybe you will hit it big at the age of fifty after thirty years or effort, or your next book will be an international best-seller. The only way to find out is to persevere. Writing is HARD work, more so than non-writers can imagine, but the first time you watch your work really impact someone's life, entertain them, and bring them joy it is all worth it!
Bruce Burns
Writing is the pure joy of shared imagination.
It is fine and good to have imaginary worlds and friends in him with whom I can have adventures, learn lessons, and build memories.
I am pretty sure that ninety-nine percent of all children have had that, but the discipline and hard work of writing is an investment in a bit of contemporary magic. Now my dreams, hopes, and imaginary memories become so much more than my own.
The shared experience just makes those dreams richer for everyone involved. I work much harder to provide a great experience for my readers, and that extra effort provides me with much better dreams to share.
That sounds very artsy-fartsy, but I think that when we share our dreams we are participating in the oldest human ritual that was more than pure biology, and that is magical indeed.
It is fine and good to have imaginary worlds and friends in him with whom I can have adventures, learn lessons, and build memories.
I am pretty sure that ninety-nine percent of all children have had that, but the discipline and hard work of writing is an investment in a bit of contemporary magic. Now my dreams, hopes, and imaginary memories become so much more than my own.
The shared experience just makes those dreams richer for everyone involved. I work much harder to provide a great experience for my readers, and that extra effort provides me with much better dreams to share.
That sounds very artsy-fartsy, but I think that when we share our dreams we are participating in the oldest human ritual that was more than pure biology, and that is magical indeed.
Bruce Burns
My Song of Lagrandil series is set at the end of a lost colony world with both magic. I wanted to go back and look at how that world really came to be. There were a lot of ideas I didn't have room to explore fully in Song of Lagrandil; the rise of the Orion Kingdom, the Gray Wanderer, how technology and magic came to exist side by side, et cetera.
The Gray Wanderer role goes back to the start of the Orion Kingdom, and he has always been a Zorro-type figure. I'm old enough to remember spoofs of Zorro like the film Zorro the Gay Blade. So, I thought it would be interesting to take a Christian twist on that and make an action hero tapped into the controversial issues of homosexuality and faith.
The various ideas boiled down to: Ex-Gay Zorro in Space. I'm really excited to tell the story of a rising society instead of a falling one, with a more steampunk mechanism, optimism, and fun.
The Gray Wanderer role goes back to the start of the Orion Kingdom, and he has always been a Zorro-type figure. I'm old enough to remember spoofs of Zorro like the film Zorro the Gay Blade. So, I thought it would be interesting to take a Christian twist on that and make an action hero tapped into the controversial issues of homosexuality and faith.
The various ideas boiled down to: Ex-Gay Zorro in Space. I'm really excited to tell the story of a rising society instead of a falling one, with a more steampunk mechanism, optimism, and fun.
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