Well, here it is, Neolibrarium nation: The exclusive interview with Gail Z. Martin, author of the series “The Chronicles of the Necromancer”. The interview was conducted by Grand High Poobah. We hope you enjoy it.
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Q. You’ve managed throughout the series to create a very detailed system of belief with the eight-faceted deity of the Lady, including a little history and mythology. How does this work in your writing? Do the mythology and history develop to suit the story, or are there ideas already in place from which the story moves?
A: I try to make the world I’ve developed as real as possible to my characters and readers. In real life, there’s always more than just what’s happening in the present. We as individuals and our culture are products of the past and of our belief systems. I love to reflect that through the mythology and history that shape the world around the characters, and influence their choices. I have pretty clear ideas of the major tenets before I start a book, and then details evolve as the story unfolds. Book by book, I hope to take readers into a deeper immersion into my world.
Q. The third book, Dark Haven, ends with a cliffhanger of sorts, and Dark Lady’s Chosen picks up right where if left off. Do you get do decide where to divide the story? If so, do you find it difficult to decide where one book should end and the next begins when you know what happens next?
A. Yes, I get to decide where the story begins and ends. I tend to write in two-book sets, so my goal is to get to a logical stopping point that is also a logical beginning point. Since the story is too large for one book, that usually either means finding a break point about halfway through the plot, or coming to a natural break in the action.
Q. Inevitably in warfare, people die. Some characters, good and bad, have died in the course of the series. Do you find it difficult to “kill” a character or does it work because you know that’s just where the story goes?
A. If a character has become real enough to me to have a name, then I mourn their loss when the story demands it. Usually I know from the time a character is introduced what their story is, and how it ends. They go on their merry way and meanwhile, I’m writing and knowing that their clock is ticking down. It’s a necessity for the plot, but one of the least enjoyable parts of writing.
Q.Have you considered writing an anthology or “guide” foe the Winter Kingdoms that would include history, mythology, or side stories that don’t make it into the finished novels?
A. I’d love to. I’ve thought about it, but it’s not more than an idea just now. Perhaps after there are a few more books out.
Q. In Dark Lady’s Chosen, it is pretty much explicitly stated that bigger, badder things are on the way and our heroes are going to be the only hope of success. Without giving too much away, can you tell us if the antagonists we’ll encounter in the future are, or include, antagonists we have already met?
A. In The Sworn and The Dread (the next two books in the world of the Winter Kingdoms), you’ll see some bad guys you already love to hate, and some new really nasty threats. So it’s a little of both.
Q. Some holidays that occur in these books seem to resemble holidays that we know in real life – is this intentional or inevitable?
A. I’m a history buff, and if you look across cultures and time periods, human beings tend to celebrate the same kinds of things regardless of religion or culture: Harvest, Spring/fertility, the phases of the moon, the equinoxes and the solstices, etc. Even before modern transportation or communication made it possible to share ideas, it’s amazing how many similarities those celebrations shared just due to common human experience. I tap into that “memory†and try to give it my own twist. So the holidays have roots from many different traditions, places and times, but my hope is that they “feel†right.
Q. If your characters could write you a letter about their predicaments, what do you think they would say?
A. Well, Jonmarc would really just rather be left alone. Tris would prefer to have a nice, boring reign full of peace and prosperity. Cam just wants another beer.
Q. What do you find most difficult, or annoying, about writing as a profession?
A. It’s difficult to edit your own manuscript and catch everything, no matter how many times you read it (or how many people read it). There’s always something you miss that slips through.
Q. Who are your favorite authors?
A. There are so many, and I discover new ones all the time! A non-inclusive list would include: Mercedes Lackey, Neil Gaiman, David Eddings, Tolkien, David Drake, Piers Anthony, Laurell K. Hamilton, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Anne Rice, Joel Rosenberg, and so many others!
Q. If tomorrow, you could retire quite comfortably and live in the tropical resort (or other desirable location) of your choice, would you keep writing?
A. Absolutely. And with WiFi, now you can aspire to live in a tropical resort AND write. I hope to be doing this for a very long time!
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And so do all her fans. Neolibrarium would like to thank Gail Z. Martin for taking the time out from her busy schedule for this interview. Her latest book in The Chronicles of the Necromancer series, “Dark Lady’s Chosen“, is available from booksellers everywhere.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading it, and hope you share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Tags: Chronicles of the Necromancer, Gail Z Martin, interview
This books was a read for class, but I have to say it is one of the best books I have ever read. I am not generally a fan of westerns in literature, mainly because you can never be sure how accurate it is. I have read them before, because they were almost exclusively what my grandfather read, but in my own reading I tend toward entirely new worlds instead of older and more familiar worlds based on history.