Author Interview: Andy Peloquin talks fantasy writing, traveling abroad and finding an identity
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| Andy Peloquin: Lover of All Things Dark and Mysterious |
Andy Peloquin--a third culture kid to the core--has loved to
read since before he could remember. Sherlock
Holmes, the Phantom of the Opera,
and Father Brown are just a few of
the books that ensnared his imagination as a child.
When he discovered science fiction and fantasy through the pages
of writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs, J.R.R Tolkien, and Orson Scott Card, he
was immediately hooked and hasn't looked back since.
Andy's first attempt at writing produced In the Days: A Tale
of the Forgotten Continent. He has learned from the mistakes he made and
used the experience to produce Blade of the Destroyer, a book of which
he is very proud.
Reading—and now writing—is his favorite escape, and it provides
him an outlet for his innate creativity. He is an artist; words are his
palette.
His website (http://www.andypeloquin.com)
is a second home for him, a place where he can post his thoughts and
feelings--along with reviews of books he finds laying around the internet.
Interview:
My hobbies include cooking, reading comics (mostly Marvel), working out, watching TV, and spending time with my kids.
What was the trigger for your most recent book?
The trigger was, oddly enough, a silly iPad game. I was writing this story about a bad-ass assassin (the Hunter), but I still didn't have a proper villain to motivate him to do the things he needed to do. The game I was playing was called "Dungeon Hunter", and it's all about a guy hunting down demons. I had so much fun playing it and there was such a wide variety of demons in the game that it set me thinking, "Hey, I could do interesting things with demons as the villains." It sort of grew from there, and has gone to some pretty fascinating places!
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
For this book, the hardest thing was the pacing. I was still fairly new to writing when I started it, so I had a lot to learn (still do!) about pacing, tone, and character development. Thanks to some amazing beta readers, I've made a lot of progress and I'm incredibly proud of the book.
From the moment I started writing, I knew it was going to be a series. I had initially conceived a trilogy, but three books just isn't enough to tell the story of this incredibly complex character and the world he lives in.
Do you develop characters from your personal experiences or draw from that of others?
That's an interesting question, one I'm not sure I can answer. I think all authors unconsciously infuse their characters with bits and pieces of themselves. It's hard to write a character with which you have no connection. It's much easier to write something that you can understand and identify with.
That being said, I try to write my characters as real people. I don't use people I've met in real life, but I strive to make the characters as realistic as possible.
Are your comfortable writing in different genres? What is your go-to genre?
I've thought of writing in various genres--particularly mystery and comedy--but as of yet, I haven't come up with a story line I can sink my teeth into. I don't have the scientific mind for hard science fiction, and fantasy is the most appealing to me.
I like dark/Gothic/grimdark fantasy because it allows me to explore the darker side of human nature. If people know that they're going to get murder, mayhem, and misery in my writing, it won't shock anyone when they read the twisted places my stories can go.
Is your writing genre one that you read a lot of? Why or why not did you decide to/not to write in this genre?
I have read a bit of dark fantasy, but there aren't that many writers whose works I enjoy in the genre. I read A LOT of fantasy novels in all genres. I try to stick to fantasy, though I occasionally stray outside the genre.
Fantasy appeals to me because it doesn't place a limit on my creativity.
Do you have a favorite writing theme?
I just discovered that my work all has a recurring theme: a lack of identity/home. All of my main characters (the ones I've written so far) have either been forced from their home, can't remember home, or were taken from their home at a young age.
It may have something to do with the fact that I was born and raised abroad, moving around from place to place. I have never really had anywhere I would consider "home", and subconsciously I have passed that on to each of my characters.
How long have you been writing?
I started writing seriously at the age of 15 or 16, but stopped around 19 or 20. I re-discovered writing around my 26th birthday, and have been doing it ever since--so almost two years.
When did you decide that it was time to take your writing public?
Pretty much right away. I had this story that was begging to be spread (The Atlantis story of In the Days: A Tale of the Forgotten Continent). It was so much fun to write, and I knew I had to let other people read it.
Is authoring your first job? If not, please tell us what you do when you’re not typing or writing away.
When I'm not typing or writing away, I'm typing and writing away! Heh.
I'm a freelance writer/blogger as my day job, so I spent all of the time I don't write fiction writing non-fiction. It's an odd switch to make, but I've gotten used to it.
Writers block is inevitable. Either a plot is not developing how you want or something about your character(s) feels missing. What’s something that you do to help find new inspiration?
I haven't yet suffered the dreaded writer's block. I credit that to a combination of:
· Knowing where the story is going beforehand
· An innate creativity
· An ability to trust myself to tell the story
· Alcohol/coffee
What is your next writing project?
Book 2 of the book is (fingers crossed) going to be coming out early next year. I'm about 75% of the way finished with it, and I've got the rough draft of Book 3 already written. I'm also working on a secret side project (set in the same world, but different characters) that will be published all at once when I complete this current series.
Now for one of my favorite requests - tell us a random fun fact about yourself.
I took martial arts for about a year and a half. Despite my 6' 6" frame, I was quite good--making it to purple belt (half-way to black belt) in that time. The Sensei said I could make black belt in 4 years (most people make it in 5 or 6). Sadly, because of my desire to write, I had to give it up.
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