Break out the potions and spell books…it’s Magic May here on my blog! I’ll be interviewing two fantasy authors each week, so be sure to catch them all!
This week I’ve invited L.T. Getty, author of Tower of Obsidian to stop by. Thanks for being my guest this week, L.T.!
What is your favorite fantasy novel of all time, and why?
Currently, my favorite novel is Till We have Faces: A Tale of Cupid and
Psyche Retold by C.S. Lewis, known better for his non-fiction and the
Chronicles of Narnia. This novel is about using pagan retellings to exemplify Christian virtue - the story is told from the perspective of Psyche’s ‘evil’ sister who loves her sister out of possession. It utilizes many themes and literary tracts I enjoy – an unreliable narrator, a narrative that is about something greater then itself, and explores the concept of agape. If you are unfamiliar with the source of the story (Psyche and Cupid) I recommend everyone goes and reads an interpretation of it – we get it first as a novella in a novel in “The Golden Ass” by Apuleius, but I’ve seen numerous retellings if you’d rather not read straight from the latin interpretation.
Did you create maps of your fantasy world? How did that help you with your writing?
I didn’t have to for this one – although I did have to consult maps and consider the use of ships, transport, and how long the voyages would have taken. I have drawn fantasy maps for other projects – let’s just say that my mapmaking skills can use some work. Things very seldom work out to scale!
What do you take into consideration when coming up with names for your
characters?
I usually consider name meaning and character role. I was a little nervous about using a variety of Welsh and Celtic names for an English audience, but I was able to work around it. Aurore, the central antagonist, means Dawn, which
I’m sure is pretty obvious. Aoife, on the other hand, is pronounced Ee-fa, which is the Gaelic equivalent of Eva or Eve. Other times, I’m more concerned about presenting them to the audience for role and expectation. The two young
men-at-arms are named Aaron and Kale. Now, Kale is a name that one would probably associate with a knightly character, but I picked it because it sounds more like a hero’s name for the audience. Aaron is a common name used now, and the idea I’m presenting to the audience is Kale is the special knightly one, Aaron is just another ordinary guy – so I can subvert audience expectation later. Of course, in this example, I had to use names that would have made sense for the time period, so I basically just researched and made sure that these were names that could be used for that time period.
Tell us what your fantasy novel is about, in 25 words or less.
A young man is sent out to defeat an evil witch. His story centers around the tale of a princess who was never rescued.
THIS or THAT
Sauron or Voldemort?
Sauron. Voldemort lost to a teenager!
Merlin or Gandolf?
Gandolf, but mostly because of his actor.
Longbow or crossbow?
Longbow – I can shoot one pretty good.
Magic carpet or flying horse?
Flying horse – what can I say? I grew up with Greek Mythology.
Incantations or potions?
Aren’t potions chemistry? Incantations.
Where can we learn more about your books?
You can check out Goodreads or check out our mutual publisher, Burst Books.
This week I’ve invited L.T. Getty, author of Tower of Obsidian to stop by. Thanks for being my guest this week, L.T.!
What is your favorite fantasy novel of all time, and why?
Currently, my favorite novel is Till We have Faces: A Tale of Cupid and
Psyche Retold by C.S. Lewis, known better for his non-fiction and the
Chronicles of Narnia. This novel is about using pagan retellings to exemplify Christian virtue - the story is told from the perspective of Psyche’s ‘evil’ sister who loves her sister out of possession. It utilizes many themes and literary tracts I enjoy – an unreliable narrator, a narrative that is about something greater then itself, and explores the concept of agape. If you are unfamiliar with the source of the story (Psyche and Cupid) I recommend everyone goes and reads an interpretation of it – we get it first as a novella in a novel in “The Golden Ass” by Apuleius, but I’ve seen numerous retellings if you’d rather not read straight from the latin interpretation.
Did you create maps of your fantasy world? How did that help you with your writing?
I didn’t have to for this one – although I did have to consult maps and consider the use of ships, transport, and how long the voyages would have taken. I have drawn fantasy maps for other projects – let’s just say that my mapmaking skills can use some work. Things very seldom work out to scale!
What do you take into consideration when coming up with names for your
characters?
I usually consider name meaning and character role. I was a little nervous about using a variety of Welsh and Celtic names for an English audience, but I was able to work around it. Aurore, the central antagonist, means Dawn, which
I’m sure is pretty obvious. Aoife, on the other hand, is pronounced Ee-fa, which is the Gaelic equivalent of Eva or Eve. Other times, I’m more concerned about presenting them to the audience for role and expectation. The two young
men-at-arms are named Aaron and Kale. Now, Kale is a name that one would probably associate with a knightly character, but I picked it because it sounds more like a hero’s name for the audience. Aaron is a common name used now, and the idea I’m presenting to the audience is Kale is the special knightly one, Aaron is just another ordinary guy – so I can subvert audience expectation later. Of course, in this example, I had to use names that would have made sense for the time period, so I basically just researched and made sure that these were names that could be used for that time period.
Tell us what your fantasy novel is about, in 25 words or less.
A young man is sent out to defeat an evil witch. His story centers around the tale of a princess who was never rescued.
THIS or THAT
Sauron or Voldemort?
Sauron. Voldemort lost to a teenager!
Merlin or Gandolf?
Gandolf, but mostly because of his actor.
Longbow or crossbow?
Longbow – I can shoot one pretty good.
Magic carpet or flying horse?
Flying horse – what can I say? I grew up with Greek Mythology.
Incantations or potions?
Aren’t potions chemistry? Incantations.
Where can we learn more about your books?
You can check out Goodreads or check out our mutual publisher, Burst Books.
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