I’m back with another Writer’s Interview. It has been my pleasure to spend some time with someone who is an inspiration and has supported me on so many occasions both onsite and on my livestreams of the past. Known for her love of Bosmer, beasts, and Skaal, please give a warm welcome to…
Hi Fawn, I am delighted to be able to catch up with you and get to know you better. Please excuse the terrible banner. Art is not my strong suit. Feel free to design your own, commission another, or tell me you’d like an expert to do it :)Please, tell me about yourself.
First off, the banner is awesome! Put a smile on my face when I saw it.
Tell you about myself? Ha, where to start. I’m a twenty-five year old college student (majoring in Creative Writing) living in the big ol’ US of A. I have been writing for about 12-14 years, but it feels like I’ve always been scribbling down ideas or coming up with stories in some form or another. Skyrim is my first Elder Scrolls game that I can remember playing, and Legends of the Skaal: Frost Moon is my first public fanfiction.
Damn, that makes me feel old :D Thank you for the kind words, too.
I’m just trying to translate that, “majoring” means working towards a qualification/degree, right? Sorry, in the UK we have a different terminology so please bear with. What are your plans once your qualification is achieved?
Also, it seems that you have always had a passion for writing, before starting Legends of the Skaal had you ever written anything of that length?
Yep, that is correct. I am working towards a degree in Creative Writing. Until I can get my own writing career started, I have been entertaining the thought of becoming a literary agent, or working in the publishing industry.
Legends of the Skaal is actually the longest work of fiction I have ever made. This story is a lot of ‘firsts’ for me, which is both really cool and really terrifying at the same time. It’s been a frustrating, rewarding experience with plenty of learning along the way. The story you’ve all been reading is actually draft #4.
Thank you for the clarification. Becoming a literary agent sounds like a worthy goal, as does starting your own writing career. For the latter, what would you like to write, and have you given thought to your own universe beyond the TES setting assuming you stay within the fantasy genre?
I recently had the pleasure of catching up with your Legends of the Skaal saga, found it to be a real page turner. For those who haven’t treated themselves yet, it is a tale of two young men from Solstheim who have a mysterious legacy, a story full of mysticism and tension. Could you talk me through what inspired it before I start drilling down to the details?
Thanks for reading LotS, that’s all any writer could ask for. An audience!
I knew ‘epic fantasy’ was a hard genre to write for if you didn’t REALLY love it, so Frost Moon was a way to play with an epic fantasy story without having to lay all the foundation first (magic systems, lore, races, cultures, etc). I enjoy fantasy, but urban fantasy or even historical fantasy is a little easier for me to write; a little more Fallout, a little less TES. I also enjoy fairy tale retellings, and urban legends. I would love to incorporate both elements into my own original works some day.
A few things inspired Frost Moon. After reading Dragon of the East, and Straag Rod, and other such epic pieces, I wanted to throw my own hat into the ring. However, I didn’t have the experience with other games that many of the writers here do. I didn’t think I had the knowledge to write something with a cultural hero, like Aelberon of Dusk, and do so successfully. And then I discovered the Skaal. They were isolated (much like I was, with only Skyrim in my repertoire of TES games), and that simplified things. We’d be in the same boat, my characters and I; discovering the TES universe nearly at the same time.
It took me a few rough drafts until I settled on the Skaal, though. :) But eventually everything fell into place.
The weirdest thing is that I’m not even a huge fan of fantasy. Used to be and that’s what led me to TES, but these days TES is the only fantasy I read. So apart from Okan and Lissette’s work, what do you read outside of the TamrielVault?
In regards to the Skaal, that makes a lot of sense and is a lovely insight into your approach to LotS. The way you depict them also resonates within me, you have captured their spirit and also added some things of your own that fit so seamlessly that they feel natural. How did such things like the messages in the smoke or Knorr and the Laughing Bear come about in terms of adding your own lore? That is my convoluted way of asking how you approach the lore and incorporate your own, if that makes sense.
I try to read a variety of things, though I find myself drawn back to the creativity and freshness of a lot of young adult works. I’m probably just a sucker for pleasant endings, but I enjoy stories that have everything wrapped up with a nice big bow—otherwise I’ll agonize over what happened to everyone if I get too attached to the characters and there’s no sequel. YA is one of the genres I would like to write in, so it’s also good to keep an eye on the market—though I’d rather sell a labor-of-love than a cash-grab. Urban Fantasy, Supernatural/Paranormal, unique retellings of old stories, modern fantasy steeped in mythology, urban legends and historical fantasy are all my go-to reads. I can name examples, but then this interview would be 8 pages long. xD
Messages in the smoke was partly inspired by an anthropology course I was taking at the time; it really revitalized my love of the Skaal culture, and got me thinking about what the Skaal would have on hand and how they would use it to interpret their world and the All-Maker. Smoke seemed like a great medium for divine messages, with enough margin for error in the interpretation to make Storn Crag-Strider that much more valuable. The other inspiration was the Disney movie, Brother Bear—an oldie but a goodie.
It’s a bit touch-and-go with adding my own lore. TES is already so fleshed out over a span of so many years, I am always keeping in mind the possibility that what I have to add may contradict what’s already been established. That’s one of the reasons why I chose the Skaal; they don’t exactly have tomes of established canon, so that gave me a lot more wiggle-room to play around. As for Knörr and the Laughing Bear, I needed to lay down some roots for Kjeld’s ability. It felt a little cheap to say “here is a werebear and he’s not like other werebears because I said so”, without at least trying to justify this. And it was a REALLY fun exercise in writing fables. I had read a lot of original fairy tales before I started that, to get the right mood or theme in mind.
YA is a guilty pleasure for me, and J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy remain among my favourite reads. I can totally see you in that genre as your writing tackles some heavy themes without gratuitous violence and sex. Accessible, moving, and proving that darkness can be discussed in a mature manner while still remaining fun. Feel free to list any examples you care to :) I also hear you on the attachment to characters. You know when you’ve read a great book when you find you still care after the final page is turned.
Historical fiction is probably my favourite genre, close to thriller, and I can see the influence of the former more clearly now you bring it to my attention. I remember thinking that the messages in the smoke had a faintly Native American vibe juxtaposed onto a more Norse theme.
Knörr and the Laughing Bear remains Monkey Truth for me - rarely do I read something so good that it should have been in the game, another reason I keep barking up the “Fawn write lore” tree.
So, we’ve looked at your literary inspirations, before we return to LotS, would you mind telling me what other games or music inspire you?
I have many wonderful childhood memories thanks to the Harry Potter books, so another big fan here!
Just off the top of my head, here are a few of my favorites that deal with mythology and urban legend: the Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancy (this is a dark read, not for the faint of heart if you’re squeamish about blood and gore!), the Kane Chronicles and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, and so far I’ve been greatly enjoying the Lunar Chronicles, which are cyberpunk/futuristic retellings of classic fairy tales by Marissa Meyer. For you history buffs out there who also happen to like dragons, I recommend Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series. It’s a treat! Napoleonic wars with dragon combat thrown in!
I have an idea for a story involving ice wraiths, so there may be another standalone lore book like Laughing Bear in the future. :)
Ah, game or music inspirations. This is a fun topic! A lot of the more thematic soundtracks are really moving; Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, the soundtrack for Uncharted 1-3 (I have not yet had the pleasure of playing the 4th one, no spoilers!) really get to me. That opening score just makes my heart swell. I have put together a little playlist of songs that specifically remind me of Frost Moon; one of my favorite Kjeld songs is a recent Linkin Park number; “Nobody Can Save Me”, and Florence and the Machine’s “Breath of Life” is what I picture playing in the end credits if Frost Moon were ever made into a movie. The Skyrim theme for the Skaal (which I have on my ToC) is a great one to listen to before I sit down to write. It always reminds me of why I started writing the story in the first place.
Now as for games that really inspire me… These may have some subconscious influence, but the Prince of Persia franchise (yes, even the 2008 reboot that no one else liked but me), Shadow of the Colossus, Uncharted, and I recently got into Fallout 4 and I have been loving it so far. Tomb Raider (most recent one) was great, the Assassin’s Creed franchise (played all the way up to Revelations), is a major favorite, Bioshock 1, Until Dawn (perfect example of folk legends done right) and this little indie strategy game about battling folklore monsters in Canada, called Sang-Froid: Tales of Werewolves that I should really get around to finishing.
Ok, Naomi Novik and Neil Gaiman sound interesting, and you raise a wonderful idea for a topic: “What would be the soundtrack to your blog?” TM Spotted Fawn, get that posted! :D That’s an interesting list there, Tales of the Werewolves sounds like something for me to check out.
In terms of games, that’s another great list. I’m gutted I never got to play the last Uncharted released. Ok, so last question on inspirations: You mentioned Fallout, and seeing as that is TamrielVault’s other big franchise, any plans to write in that universe?
I don’t think I’ll be doing another big story like Frost Moon for the Fallout-verse, but there might be a few small stories worth telling! Fallout’s such a unique world, it’s my first real post-apocalyptic game, and there’s so much potential in the Wasteland for interesting narratives. I like Bethesda’s cheeky humor in some of their descriptions, too. I’d be tempted to try to bring that out in a short story somehow. Guess we’ll see!
I DO have a Skyrim story unrelated to Frost Moon that’s been written, it just needs to be edited before I post it. Expect that to happen sometime this year. I’d like to get that out to everyone by the end of the month, but Frost Moon definitely takes priority. As of this interview, I’m writing chapter 30. This means there are only 14 more chapters left to write.
The end is near! I gotta keep pushing through. :)
It sounds like you have been busy, and I am super excited to hear of more Fawn stories in the works. Mmm, that’s an exclusive scoop right there! Can you tease me with any more details on that? :D
As for cheeky humour, I think you have some of that already. I am reminded of Kjeld’s and Reidar’s interactions in the early LotS chapters before they separated in Skyrim.
Do you find writing that banter comes easily? In terms of dialogue, you are able to make a scene tense or charming, fast or dramatic. Is that something that comes easily to you?
I sure can! It involves a certain Ossien of Sunhold and a certain Daedric quest. But that’s all you’re going to get! :)
As for fun banter, it’s one of my favorite things to write. It’s probably partly why the Bosmer are one of my favorite races of Tamriel. I enjoy humor and wit, and there’s rarely too much of it in my opinion. Reidar’s smart-aleck responses are a lot of fun! Thurza’s humor tends to be violent, Kjeld’s a little more subtle, and Mor’vahka’s is nonexistent, ha.
In terms of dialogue, these are things I’ve had to work on for years. I usually try to revise a chapter at least once before it gets posted, and I sometimes find myself going over old material to tighten up the dialogue, or make sure the right tone is set for the scene. It’s something I think still needs improvement, but I’m happy to keep working at it. Looking forward to the day when some of those things DO come easy to me.
Ossien of Sunhold… You know that RP profile needs fixing still, right? Thank you for the scoop, Ossien is another great character who I would be thrilled to read about!
Ok, so you have also answered a question I had been meaning to ask, which was “why Bosmer?” :D Obviously your excellent lore article on that race remains seminal reading, but other than that we have seen little Bosmeri fiction from you despite your passion for the race. I admit, ESO made Bosmer cool for me, so feel free to talk about them if you like :P
On the subject of revision, that opens up a whole ‘nother area of questions, such as how you handle changes to your creativity, what a typical writing session looks like for you, and how you handle writer’s block. Insights?
Ah! I’ll add fixing Ossy’s profile to my To-Do list, and that reminds me I still need to rewrite and reformat Tav’s…
Why Bosmer, you ask? I find them incredibly unique, they go against the ‘peaceful elves of the forest’ trope in a really creative, entertaining manner. I also find myself able to relate to them a bit more in terms of appearance - I am not a very tall person, and have a tanned complexion, so it’s easy to see myself in the TES world now that I know elves do not all have to be tall, fair, and obnoxiously pretty. Their connection with the earth, their ability to transform, and their sense of humor are all things I appreciate—especially the humor. They’re a great contrast with the Dunmer and the Altmer, who seem to take themselves very seriously all the time.
As for why there hasn’t been very many Bosmeri fiction from me, I suppose it’s because of Frost Moon taking up all of my attention and brain space. And I’m waiting for the next TES installment (fingers and toes crossed for TES6:Valenwood). I don’t want to get up to my eyeballs in lore and customs I’ve created to flesh out the Bosmer, only to have a brand new game come out that refutes every single thing, or found a way to do it better!
On to revision. For me, writer’s block is more often than not a lack of a clear outline, or a scene I do not have fully fleshed out in my head. I try to have a strong idea of what’s going on in each chapter and how it connects with the overall story before I sit down to write. My chapters tend to be about 2,000 words on average (though they’ve been far short or almost double that, occasionally), and depending on how clear the scene is, it can take me anywhere from two or three days to a full week to finish.
Speaking from recent experience, Chapter Thirty was a pain to write due to a vague couple of notes in my outline. I had to break down my notes, and do a bit of narrative problem-solving before I could write the next part. It took a few days for the next scene to really come together in my head. Sometimes that happens (probably a bit more than I want to admit, ahem), and sometimes the words fly onto the page.
If I’m feeling particularly pessimistic about my writing, or I just don’t FEEL like it (we all have those days, I’m sure) but I know a deadline is looming, I set a timer. Sometimes for fifteen minutes, sometimes for longer. I tell myself I can concentrate on this scene for fifteen minutes, then move on to something else. I often find that once I get started, it’s a lot easier to finish what I begin.
In extreme cases, such as after a long break, I have to dig up a writing program on my computer called Write or Die 2. You have to set the word count and the time frame. It will play an annoying sound if you take too long to write the next word (say, pausing for 30 seconds or so) and the screen will flash red.
There are more extreme modes available, but I find the basic ‘obnoxious noise, flashing light’ is enough to put my fingers back on the keyboard.
Yeah, get those profiles fixed, Fawn. They’ll be like Christmas for Zonnonn! And me, saying that. I do like how deep your characters are. Both Kjeld and Reidar in LotS are very unique despite being brothers, and indeed have their own idiosyncrasies. One of the things I have noticed is that during their more quiet times, you use techniques to portray their personalities even during exposition. Kjeld’s point of view tends to be bracketised as he thinks, while Reid’s are quoted as he thinks, silently vocalising his thoughts. Is that something you deliberately planned?
After playing through the Aldmeri Dominion questline in ESO, I agree with your summary on Wood Elves. The Bosmer were a nice change of pace in Grahtwood and Greenshade, and of all the cultures I had met up until then, they felt the most real and well-rounded.
Your method of tackling writing difficulties is quite extreme :D I didn’t even know such programs existed! Since I have known you, you have been a strong supporter of Camp NanoWriMo. That must be quite an intense experience, does it entail any sort of ritual leading up to it to get you in the zone?
With Kjeld’s character voice, that was something that happened as I wrote about him. He has the more thoughtful, pensive voice, and I wanted it to flow evenly with the rest of his narratives. I didn’t want any descriptions I wrote about scenery or people to be a slog to get through, so interjecting Kjeld’s personality or views was a good way to do that as well.
With Reidar, I definitely wanted him to be a loudmouthed, opinionated little pain in the ass. He speaks his mind! He has a more blunt character style and I tried to reflect that in his chapters.
I’m a big big fan of Camp NaNoWriMo, and I’m so delighted that the idea took off after I posted a thread about it in the story corner. :) It’s the lighter, friendlier, more forgiving version of NaNoWriMo, which can seem way too intense for a college kid or someone just too busy for 50,000 words in a single month. I’ve found that the more planning I do, generally the better Camp NaNo goes for me; I try to get at least a basic working outline before I jump into it. Otherwise, my attention span wanders and then I lose interest.
As for rituals… Well, tea and chocolate helps keep me going throughout the event. ;) Can never have too much of either.
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy those moments when the characters are reflective and express their thoughts in their own way, and can’t say I have seen it so well done before.
Camp NaNo took off in a big way! How many have there been now? I follow the progress and am always impressed by the stats shared at the end. I think if I were to take part, I too would need lots of chocolate :D
Back to LotS, have you a favourite character, and do they sometimes surprise you?
Oh I think there’s been 2 or 3 now? This might be the second year of Camp NaNoWriMo, but I’d check with Sotek he’d know better than I!
My favorite character tends to change depending on whose chapter I’m writing, haha. Sometimes it’s Reidar (especially if I’ve been writing Kjeld chapters and Mor’vahka chapters, and need a break from the seriousness of those two), sometimes it’s Thurza though I know she hasn’t shown up as much as I would like. Mor’vahka’s intensity and unique back story makes him very interesting to write. I’m glad he made it into the story in such a big way. Kjeld is consistently probably my favorite. It’s fun to root for a character who tries hard to do good things, to make good choices, but his flaws can sometimes make that difficult. I know his strengths and weaknesses, and I also know the depth of his compassion.
The character who has consistently surprised me the most is Reidar. He was originally meant to be a minor character, a 13-year-old piece of comic relief for Kjeld’s early chapters in the Skaal Village. However, his voice got stronger the more I tried to ignore it, and before I knew it, I had a second protagonist with a story all his own.
Again, I’m glad this fiction work has gotten as far as it had, I truly did not expect myself to be interviewed or to be 20-something chapters into a novel that hasn’t imploded yet.
It might be fun to revisit some of these questions when book 1 is finished, to see if any of my perceptions have changed.
I admit that Mor’vahka is my favourite. I have not met a kitty so cool! :D Kjeld and Reidar are awesome too, though ;)
Thank you for allowing me to interview you, Fawn :) We can totally revisit the questions later and see how much, if anything, has changed. Is there anything I haven’t covered that you would like to talk about?
:) I think that’s it. Thank you for interviewing me, it’s been wonderful to talk about Frost Moon and I really appreciated the questions!
Can I leave a note for the readers?
A tremendous thank you to everyone who has been following along with Kjeld & Reidar’s tales. Can you believe it’s been almost two years (this December)? I want you to know that your support and your comments have been invaluable to me. They keep me going when the self-doubt and the apprehension take hold.
We’re approaching the final arc for Frost Moon, and I hope I can write a satisfactory ending for everyone who has been with me thus far. <3
Peace, love, and rotmeth!
-Spottedfawn
I’m back with another Writer’s Interview. It has been my pleasure to spend some time with someone who is an inspiration and has supported me on so many occasions both onsite and on my livestreams of the past. Known for her love of Bosmer, beasts, and Skaal, please give a warm welcome to…
Hi Fawn, I am delighted to be able to catch up with you and get to know you better. Please excuse the terrible banner. Art is not my strong suit. Feel free to design your own, commission another, or tell me you’d like an expert to do it :)Please, tell me about yourself.
First off, the banner is awesome! Put a smile on my face when I saw it.
Tell you about myself? Ha, where to start. I’m a twenty-five year old college student (majoring in Creative Writing) living in the big ol’ US of A. I have been writing for about 12-14 years, but it feels like I’ve always been scribbling down ideas or coming up with stories in some form or another. Skyrim is my first Elder Scrolls game that I can remember playing, and Legends of the Skaal: Frost Moon is my first public fanfiction.
Damn, that makes me feel old :D Thank you for the kind words, too.
I’m just trying to translate that, “majoring” means working towards a qualification/degree, right? Sorry, in the UK we have a different terminology so please bear with. What are your plans once your qualification is achieved?
Also, it seems that you have always had a passion for writing, before starting Legends of the Skaal had you ever written anything of that length?
Yep, that is correct. I am working towards a degree in Creative Writing. Until I can get my own writing career started, I have been entertaining the thought of becoming a literary agent, or working in the publishing industry.
Legends of the Skaal is actually the longest work of fiction I have ever made. This story is a lot of ‘firsts’ for me, which is both really cool and really terrifying at the same time. It’s been a frustrating, rewarding experience with plenty of learning along the way. The story you’ve all been reading is actually draft #4.
Thank you for the clarification. Becoming a literary agent sounds like a worthy goal, as does starting your own writing career. For the latter, what would you like to write, and have you given thought to your own universe beyond the TES setting assuming you stay within the fantasy genre?
I recently had the pleasure of catching up with your Legends of the Skaal saga, found it to be a real page turner. For those who haven’t treated themselves yet, it is a tale of two young men from Solstheim who have a mysterious legacy, a story full of mysticism and tension. Could you talk me through what inspired it before I start drilling down to the details?
Thanks for reading LotS, that’s all any writer could ask for. An audience!
I knew ‘epic fantasy’ was a hard genre to write for if you didn’t REALLY love it, so Frost Moon was a way to play with an epic fantasy story without having to lay all the foundation first (magic systems, lore, races, cultures, etc). I enjoy fantasy, but urban fantasy or even historical fantasy is a little easier for me to write; a little more Fallout, a little less TES. I also enjoy fairy tale retellings, and urban legends. I would love to incorporate both elements into my own original works some day.
A few things inspired Frost Moon. After reading Dragon of the East, and Straag Rod, and other such epic pieces, I wanted to throw my own hat into the ring. However, I didn’t have the experience with other games that many of the writers here do. I didn’t think I had the knowledge to write something with a cultural hero, like Aelberon of Dusk, and do so successfully. And then I discovered the Skaal. They were isolated (much like I was, with only Skyrim in my repertoire of TES games), and that simplified things. We’d be in the same boat, my characters and I; discovering the TES universe nearly at the same time.
It took me a few rough drafts until I settled on the Skaal, though. :) But eventually everything fell into place.
The weirdest thing is that I’m not even a huge fan of fantasy. Used to be and that’s what led me to TES, but these days TES is the only fantasy I read. So apart from Okan and Lissette’s work, what do you read outside of the TamrielVault?
In regards to the Skaal, that makes a lot of sense and is a lovely insight into your approach to LotS. The way you depict them also resonates within me, you have captured their spirit and also added some things of your own that fit so seamlessly that they feel natural. How did such things like the messages in the smoke or Knorr and the Laughing Bear come about in terms of adding your own lore? That is my convoluted way of asking how you approach the lore and incorporate your own, if that makes sense.
I try to read a variety of things, though I find myself drawn back to the creativity and freshness of a lot of young adult works. I’m probably just a sucker for pleasant endings, but I enjoy stories that have everything wrapped up with a nice big bow—otherwise I’ll agonize over what happened to everyone if I get too attached to the characters and there’s no sequel. YA is one of the genres I would like to write in, so it’s also good to keep an eye on the market—though I’d rather sell a labor-of-love than a cash-grab. Urban Fantasy, Supernatural/Paranormal, unique retellings of old stories, modern fantasy steeped in mythology, urban legends and historical fantasy are all my go-to reads. I can name examples, but then this interview would be 8 pages long. xD
Messages in the smoke was partly inspired by an anthropology course I was taking at the time; it really revitalized my love of the Skaal culture, and got me thinking about what the Skaal would have on hand and how they would use it to interpret their world and the All-Maker. Smoke seemed like a great medium for divine messages, with enough margin for error in the interpretation to make Storn Crag-Strider that much more valuable. The other inspiration was the Disney movie, Brother Bear—an oldie but a goodie.
It’s a bit touch-and-go with adding my own lore. TES is already so fleshed out over a span of so many years, I am always keeping in mind the possibility that what I have to add may contradict what’s already been established. That’s one of the reasons why I chose the Skaal; they don’t exactly have tomes of established canon, so that gave me a lot more wiggle-room to play around. As for Knörr and the Laughing Bear, I needed to lay down some roots for Kjeld’s ability. It felt a little cheap to say “here is a werebear and he’s not like other werebears because I said so”, without at least trying to justify this. And it was a REALLY fun exercise in writing fables. I had read a lot of original fairy tales before I started that, to get the right mood or theme in mind.
YA is a guilty pleasure for me, and J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy remain among my favourite reads. I can totally see you in that genre as your writing tackles some heavy themes without gratuitous violence and sex. Accessible, moving, and proving that darkness can be discussed in a mature manner while still remaining fun. Feel free to list any examples you care to :) I also hear you on the attachment to characters. You know when you’ve read a great book when you find you still care after the final page is turned.
Historical fiction is probably my favourite genre, close to thriller, and I can see the influence of the former more clearly now you bring it to my attention. I remember thinking that the messages in the smoke had a faintly Native American vibe juxtaposed onto a more Norse theme.
Knörr and the Laughing Bear remains Monkey Truth for me - rarely do I read something so good that it should have been in the game, another reason I keep barking up the “Fawn write lore” tree.
So, we’ve looked at your literary inspirations, before we return to LotS, would you mind telling me what other games or music inspire you?
I have many wonderful childhood memories thanks to the Harry Potter books, so another big fan here!
Just off the top of my head, here are a few of my favorites that deal with mythology and urban legend: the Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancy (this is a dark read, not for the faint of heart if you’re squeamish about blood and gore!), the Kane Chronicles and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, and so far I’ve been greatly enjoying the Lunar Chronicles, which are cyberpunk/futuristic retellings of classic fairy tales by Marissa Meyer. For you history buffs out there who also happen to like dragons, I recommend Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series. It’s a treat! Napoleonic wars with dragon combat thrown in!
I have an idea for a story involving ice wraiths, so there may be another standalone lore book like Laughing Bear in the future. :)
Ah, game or music inspirations. This is a fun topic! A lot of the more thematic soundtracks are really moving; Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, the soundtrack for Uncharted 1-3 (I have not yet had the pleasure of playing the 4th one, no spoilers!) really get to me. That opening score just makes my heart swell. I have put together a little playlist of songs that specifically remind me of Frost Moon; one of my favorite Kjeld songs is a recent Linkin Park number; “Nobody Can Save Me”, and Florence and the Machine’s “Breath of Life” is what I picture playing in the end credits if Frost Moon were ever made into a movie. The Skyrim theme for the Skaal (which I have on my ToC) is a great one to listen to before I sit down to write. It always reminds me of why I started writing the story in the first place.
Now as for games that really inspire me… These may have some subconscious influence, but the Prince of Persia franchise (yes, even the 2008 reboot that no one else liked but me), Shadow of the Colossus, Uncharted, and I recently got into Fallout 4 and I have been loving it so far. Tomb Raider (most recent one) was great, the Assassin’s Creed franchise (played all the way up to Revelations), is a major favorite, Bioshock 1, Until Dawn (perfect example of folk legends done right) and this little indie strategy game about battling folklore monsters in Canada, called Sang-Froid: Tales of Werewolves that I should really get around to finishing.
Ok, Naomi Novik and Neil Gaiman sound interesting, and you raise a wonderful idea for a topic: “What would be the soundtrack to your blog?” TM Spotted Fawn, get that posted! :D That’s an interesting list there, Tales of the Werewolves sounds like something for me to check out.
In terms of games, that’s another great list. I’m gutted I never got to play the last Uncharted released. Ok, so last question on inspirations: You mentioned Fallout, and seeing as that is TamrielVault’s other big franchise, any plans to write in that universe?
I don’t think I’ll be doing another big story like Frost Moon for the Fallout-verse, but there might be a few small stories worth telling! Fallout’s such a unique world, it’s my first real post-apocalyptic game, and there’s so much potential in the Wasteland for interesting narratives. I like Bethesda’s cheeky humor in some of their descriptions, too. I’d be tempted to try to bring that out in a short story somehow. Guess we’ll see!
I DO have a Skyrim story unrelated to Frost Moon that’s been written, it just needs to be edited before I post it. Expect that to happen sometime this year. I’d like to get that out to everyone by the end of the month, but Frost Moon definitely takes priority. As of this interview, I’m writing chapter 30. This means there are only 14 more chapters left to write.
The end is near! I gotta keep pushing through. :)
It sounds like you have been busy, and I am super excited to hear of more Fawn stories in the works. Mmm, that’s an exclusive scoop right there! Can you tease me with any more details on that? :D
As for cheeky humour, I think you have some of that already. I am reminded of Kjeld’s and Reidar’s interactions in the early LotS chapters before they separated in Skyrim.
Do you find writing that banter comes easily? In terms of dialogue, you are able to make a scene tense or charming, fast or dramatic. Is that something that comes easily to you?
I sure can! It involves a certain Ossien of Sunhold and a certain Daedric quest. But that’s all you’re going to get! :)
As for fun banter, it’s one of my favorite things to write. It’s probably partly why the Bosmer are one of my favorite races of Tamriel. I enjoy humor and wit, and there’s rarely too much of it in my opinion. Reidar’s smart-aleck responses are a lot of fun! Thurza’s humor tends to be violent, Kjeld’s a little more subtle, and Mor’vahka’s is nonexistent, ha.
In terms of dialogue, these are things I’ve had to work on for years. I usually try to revise a chapter at least once before it gets posted, and I sometimes find myself going over old material to tighten up the dialogue, or make sure the right tone is set for the scene. It’s something I think still needs improvement, but I’m happy to keep working at it. Looking forward to the day when some of those things DO come easy to me.
Ossien of Sunhold… You know that RP profile needs fixing still, right? Thank you for the scoop, Ossien is another great character who I would be thrilled to read about!
Ok, so you have also answered a question I had been meaning to ask, which was “why Bosmer?” :D Obviously your excellent lore article on that race remains seminal reading, but other than that we have seen little Bosmeri fiction from you despite your passion for the race. I admit, ESO made Bosmer cool for me, so feel free to talk about them if you like :P
On the subject of revision, that opens up a whole ‘nother area of questions, such as how you handle changes to your creativity, what a typical writing session looks like for you, and how you handle writer’s block. Insights?
Ah! I’ll add fixing Ossy’s profile to my To-Do list, and that reminds me I still need to rewrite and reformat Tav’s…
Why Bosmer, you ask? I find them incredibly unique, they go against the ‘peaceful elves of the forest’ trope in a really creative, entertaining manner. I also find myself able to relate to them a bit more in terms of appearance - I am not a very tall person, and have a tanned complexion, so it’s easy to see myself in the TES world now that I know elves do not all have to be tall, fair, and obnoxiously pretty. Their connection with the earth, their ability to transform, and their sense of humor are all things I appreciate—especially the humor. They’re a great contrast with the Dunmer and the Altmer, who seem to take themselves very seriously all the time.
As for why there hasn’t been very many Bosmeri fiction from me, I suppose it’s because of Frost Moon taking up all of my attention and brain space. And I’m waiting for the next TES installment (fingers and toes crossed for TES6:Valenwood). I don’t want to get up to my eyeballs in lore and customs I’ve created to flesh out the Bosmer, only to have a brand new game come out that refutes every single thing, or found a way to do it better!
On to revision. For me, writer’s block is more often than not a lack of a clear outline, or a scene I do not have fully fleshed out in my head. I try to have a strong idea of what’s going on in each chapter and how it connects with the overall story before I sit down to write. My chapters tend to be about 2,000 words on average (though they’ve been far short or almost double that, occasionally), and depending on how clear the scene is, it can take me anywhere from two or three days to a full week to finish.
Speaking from recent experience, Chapter Thirty was a pain to write due to a vague couple of notes in my outline. I had to break down my notes, and do a bit of narrative problem-solving before I could write the next part. It took a few days for the next scene to really come together in my head. Sometimes that happens (probably a bit more than I want to admit, ahem), and sometimes the words fly onto the page.
If I’m feeling particularly pessimistic about my writing, or I just don’t FEEL like it (we all have those days, I’m sure) but I know a deadline is looming, I set a timer. Sometimes for fifteen minutes, sometimes for longer. I tell myself I can concentrate on this scene for fifteen minutes, then move on to something else. I often find that once I get started, it’s a lot easier to finish what I begin.
In extreme cases, such as after a long break, I have to dig up a writing program on my computer called Write or Die 2. You have to set the word count and the time frame. It will play an annoying sound if you take too long to write the next word (say, pausing for 30 seconds or so) and the screen will flash red.
There are more extreme modes available, but I find the basic ‘obnoxious noise, flashing light’ is enough to put my fingers back on the keyboard.
Yeah, get those profiles fixed, Fawn. They’ll be like Christmas for Zonnonn! And me, saying that. I do like how deep your characters are. Both Kjeld and Reidar in LotS are very unique despite being brothers, and indeed have their own idiosyncrasies. One of the things I have noticed is that during their more quiet times, you use techniques to portray their personalities even during exposition. Kjeld’s point of view tends to be bracketised as he thinks, while Reid’s are quoted as he thinks, silently vocalising his thoughts. Is that something you deliberately planned?
After playing through the Aldmeri Dominion questline in ESO, I agree with your summary on Wood Elves. The Bosmer were a nice change of pace in Grahtwood and Greenshade, and of all the cultures I had met up until then, they felt the most real and well-rounded.
Your method of tackling writing difficulties is quite extreme :D I didn’t even know such programs existed! Since I have known you, you have been a strong supporter of Camp NanoWriMo. That must be quite an intense experience, does it entail any sort of ritual leading up to it to get you in the zone?
With Kjeld’s character voice, that was something that happened as I wrote about him. He has the more thoughtful, pensive voice, and I wanted it to flow evenly with the rest of his narratives. I didn’t want any descriptions I wrote about scenery or people to be a slog to get through, so interjecting Kjeld’s personality or views was a good way to do that as well.
With Reidar, I definitely wanted him to be a loudmouthed, opinionated little pain in the ass. He speaks his mind! He has a more blunt character style and I tried to reflect that in his chapters.
I’m a big big fan of Camp NaNoWriMo, and I’m so delighted that the idea took off after I posted a thread about it in the story corner. :) It’s the lighter, friendlier, more forgiving version of NaNoWriMo, which can seem way too intense for a college kid or someone just too busy for 50,000 words in a single month. I’ve found that the more planning I do, generally the better Camp NaNo goes for me; I try to get at least a basic working outline before I jump into it. Otherwise, my attention span wanders and then I lose interest.
As for rituals… Well, tea and chocolate helps keep me going throughout the event. ;) Can never have too much of either.
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy those moments when the characters are reflective and express their thoughts in their own way, and can’t say I have seen it so well done before.
Camp NaNo took off in a big way! How many have there been now? I follow the progress and am always impressed by the stats shared at the end. I think if I were to take part, I too would need lots of chocolate :D
Back to LotS, have you a favourite character, and do they sometimes surprise you?
Oh I think there’s been 2 or 3 now? This might be the second year of Camp NaNoWriMo, but I’d check with Sotek he’d know better than I!
My favorite character tends to change depending on whose chapter I’m writing, haha. Sometimes it’s Reidar (especially if I’ve been writing Kjeld chapters and Mor’vahka chapters, and need a break from the seriousness of those two), sometimes it’s Thurza though I know she hasn’t shown up as much as I would like. Mor’vahka’s intensity and unique back story makes him very interesting to write. I’m glad he made it into the story in such a big way. Kjeld is consistently probably my favorite. It’s fun to root for a character who tries hard to do good things, to make good choices, but his flaws can sometimes make that difficult. I know his strengths and weaknesses, and I also know the depth of his compassion.
The character who has consistently surprised me the most is Reidar. He was originally meant to be a minor character, a 13-year-old piece of comic relief for Kjeld’s early chapters in the Skaal Village. However, his voice got stronger the more I tried to ignore it, and before I knew it, I had a second protagonist with a story all his own.
Again, I’m glad this fiction work has gotten as far as it had, I truly did not expect myself to be interviewed or to be 20-something chapters into a novel that hasn’t imploded yet.
It might be fun to revisit some of these questions when book 1 is finished, to see if any of my perceptions have changed.
I admit that Mor’vahka is my favourite. I have not met a kitty so cool! :D Kjeld and Reidar are awesome too, though ;)
Thank you for allowing me to interview you, Fawn :) We can totally revisit the questions later and see how much, if anything, has changed. Is there anything I haven’t covered that you would like to talk about?
:) I think that’s it. Thank you for interviewing me, it’s been wonderful to talk about Frost Moon and I really appreciated the questions!
Can I leave a note for the readers?
A tremendous thank you to everyone who has been following along with Kjeld & Reidar’s tales. Can you believe it’s been almost two years (this December)? I want you to know that your support and your comments have been invaluable to me. They keep me going when the self-doubt and the apprehension take hold.
We’re approaching the final arc for Frost Moon, and I hope I can write a satisfactory ending for everyone who has been with me thus far. <3
Peace, love, and rotmeth!
-Spottedfawn
