I had the absolute pleasure this week of interviewing Richie Billing, author of the forthcoming Pariah’s Lament. Richie Billing writes fantasy fiction, historical fiction and stories of a darker nature. His short fiction has been published by, amongst others, Kzine, TANSTAAFL Press, Bewildering Stories, Liquid Imagination, The Magazine of History & Fiction, Aether and Ichor, and Far Horizons. He was generous enough to answer some questions about writing in general, and Pariah’s Lament.
In celebration of Pariah’s Lament releasing, I’m also going to be hosting a giveaway – stick around to the end of the interview to find out more!
Now, without further ado, let’s jump in…
Let’s start with some general questions to ease into things! What’s the last book you read and loved?
This question is harder than it sounds! I’ve been struggling for a while to get into a good book. One that grabs me from the off and refuses to let go. The last book to have properly done that was pretty much every book in Christian Cameron’s Killer of Men series.
An historical fiction series following the Greek/Persian wars, it follows Arimnestos of Plataea. Cameron did an incredible job of creating a character you truly care about. Which is a difficult task if you ask me, especially over 5 books. Once lockdown is over, I’m going on a trip to Greece!
Is there anything that you have to have for a writing session – books/snacks/music/etc?
In the past I used to insist upon a cup of green tea. In other periods I’d only write in certain places or even with just pen and paper! It all just depends on what I’m writing.
But I’ve become a bit less anal about my writing conditions. All I really need are peace, quiet and as few distractions possible. A tall order when you live beside a main road! I think it’s why my favourite place to write is outside, in the woods.
I use music a lot to motivate and inspire me too. Anything from the Allman Brothers to Jeremy Soule.
Do you write every day, or more as and when inspiration strikes?
I try to write each day, unless life decides otherwise. It seems the older I get the less free time I have.
But I do believe it’s a great habit to get into, writing everyday. You’re only going to improve. It’s practice after all.
That said, there are days when you just feel zapped and you’d sooner eat nails than write. It’s important not to force it, but I do find it necessary to push myself sometimes.
Inspiration can definitely give you that push you need. And it can come from anywhere. Books, tv, music—they’ve all inspired me to write.
Before Game of Thrones turned disappointing, each episode of that spurred me to write. And sometimes when I feel the wall of despair looming, I put on my epic fantasy playlist and smash it down musically.
Which leads me onto the question… where did you get the inspiration for Pariah’s Lament?
Pariah’s Lament is a story that developed over time. Big parts of it changed, but what remained constant were the characters. And that’s where I began with the writing.
To keep a reader engaged for 100,000 words is a tricky job. All of the books I’ve devoured in the past were because of characters. I wanted to see how they fared. So I knew I had to create characters readers will love in some way.
I think I achieved that more with Isy than Edvar. Mostly because of the positions each character begins in.
Edvar is privileged, Isy definitely isn’t. Her life has been far worse in comparison to Edvar’s. She’s struggled the whole way. Edvar’s story is about his fall and rise. Isy is already at the bottom. Her story is one of growth.
In terms of the setting, with this being a shared universe I was given a world and history and had to craft my story into that. It was frustrating at times but the result is one I’m pleased with.
Pariah’s Lament is told from multiple perspectives, and for most of the story we’re either with Edvar or Isy. Did you find one of these characters easier, or more enjoyable, to write than the other?
I preferred writing Isy’s story. But I do love Edvar’s fall, his rise and growth. But I love Isy’s just as much too, if not more. It’s a true transformation.
It transpired that I’d gotten quite attached to the pair of them. When I’d finally finished the book I felt a strange emptiness for a while, and I put it down to saying goodbye to the characters.
They were both really interesting. I particularly enjoyed the character development that we saw in Isy over the course of the story, do you have any favourite character arcs in fiction? And do you have any advice to other writers on how to write character growth?
Some of my favourite fantasy characters are the ones that have grown into greatness. Pug in Raymond Feist’s Riftwar Cycle is definitely one of my favourites. Tyrion Lannister too, particularly for his many peaks and troughs. I could name a dozen characters from A Song of Ice and Fire for the same reason.
Lately, I fell for Patrick Rothfuss’s Kvothe, and Arimnestos I mentioned before.
When it comes to character growth and writing I came up with my own method called character plotting. The idea is to chart the emotional journey of each main character as they face conflicts.
Depending on the outcome, they could develop positively or negatively.
Using this I ensure characters develop in the right ways, there are no jarring points, and it also helps you identify if your plot falls flat. If scenes are lacking conflict points you can see where and add them in.
Who’s your favourite secondary/supporting character in the story?
My favourite supporting character in Pariah’s Lament is Camos. He doesn’t feature much, but to me he’s quite memorable, mostly for his wit and heroics. I’ll say no more.
Iljasar is another character I liked for similar reasons, plus I like saying his name.
One character you might find curious is Jem. Though he features briefly, I think he’s important for a few reasons.
- He illustrates the indiscriminate nature of war. Everyone involved in battles and wars have their own stories and that can easily be forgotten. I wanted to tell one of those stories.
- Perspectives. I love to play around with them. And this was an awful lot of fun. Especially after writing from just two POVs for the first half of the book.
So if you wonder about Jem’s role, there’s a bit more behind it.
Speaking of Jem and his experience with war – your battle scenes are notable for being clear, without being slow-paced. What are your main tips to other writers when it comes to writing action sequences?
Thanks! A few people have commented on the writing of the battle scenes now so it’s good you’ve asked.
A while ago I came across some advice from Brandon Sanderson which I’ve stuck to ever since. He follows three rules when writing fight scenes:
- Clarity reigns supreme
- Blow by blow can be boring
- Show instead of tell
I’ve written a guide to these three things on Of Metal and Magic Publishing’s website, which you can read here.
What are your favourite kinds of scenes to write? What do you find hardest?
I love big, epic battles. Helms Deep, Minas Tirith kinda vibes. It was inevitable then that Pariah’s Lament would have a few sizable clashes.
But on the other hand, these scenes can be the most difficult. You’re basically trying to describe chaos. I feel like I took a chance on the double siege that features in the story, and I spent an age working out the logistics, but it’s what I like. And write what you want to read, they say.
Is there anything you had to cut from Pariah’s Lament in edits that you wish you’d been able to keep in?
I probably could have written another 10-20,000 words to be honest. There were times when I had no choice but to advance the story and resist the urge to detour.
Lots of readers say they loved the worldbuilding and I think most of my added words would go toward that. But you always run the risk of overdoing it on the worldbuilding side, and I’d rather leave people wanting more than choking on detail.
The world of Pariah’s Lament feels very fleshed-out, do you have an established process for world-building? Is it something you do a lot of before you start to write, or does it emerge as you’re drafting a story?
Another good question! The worldbuilding for Pariah’s Lament was a little different. With it being set in a shared universe, much of the world physically had been determined, as well as part of the history too.
Armed with that knowledge I had to create my own world within that. So I honed my focus to one region in particular, and the relationship between two neighbouring nations.
Oddly enough I didn’t spend a great deal on the world. Nowadays I worldbuild through necessity. If the story needs a town or city, I’ll create it. I won’t do it in advance. For me it’s a more efficient way of writing—focusing on the world around the characters.
But I do like to go off on detours and give readers that little bit extra, which seems to have worked here, thankfully!
Fair enough! What other books (or movies/TV shows) do you think Pariah’s Lament is most like?
Tough one. I suppose shows like Vikings and Game of Thrones that have that gritty medieval setting. For the grand fantasy battles I suppose I’d have to say Lord of the Rings, just because there’s nothing else like it that I’ve seen in film.
Do you think you’ll write anything else set in Soria (the world of Pariah’s Lament)?
For sure. I have a short story that serves as the bridge between Pariah’s Lament and a possible sequel. Though at the moment I’ve got no plans to write one. I like the idea of a standalone fantasy novel. They seem quite rare. And things tie up quite nicely at the end of the book I think.
Are you working on anything new at the moment?
I’ve got a few too many things on the go at the moment.
Post release day I’ll be looking to launch my online store for writers—everything from tshirts and hoodies to mugs and bags, designed with the writer in mind.
I’m looking to finish a fantasy novella too called Elanta, and chip away at my next novel, a scouse crime fantasy. I’ll say no more.
If you’d like to keep up to date with happenings and get a wheelbarrow-load of free books too, head over to my site, www.richiebilling.com.
Lastly, thank you Laura for hosting me today. It’s been an absolute pleasure and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed answering each and every question. I hope you enjoy the answers.
Thank you for your time Richie, it was a pleasure!
If you’d like to read my review of Pariah’s Lament, you can do so here.
For those of you who are interested in reading Pariah’s Lament (and I highly recommend it!) you can buy it here and/or check it out on Goodreads. It comes out on Wednesday 17th March. You can also, thanks to Richie, be up for a chance of winning a digital copy!
Pariah’s Lament Giveaway
Head over to my Twitter page and check out the giveaway tweet. To enter, simply retweet the giveaway tweet and make sure you’re following me!
If you win, you’ll get a free digital copy of Pariah’s Lament!
The winner will be chosen on Wednesday 17th March, 7pm GMT, and will be randomly drawn from the pool of entrants. I’ll get in touch via DM to let you know, and to sort out sending over the copy of the book.
Praise for Pariah’s Lament
“The story was perfectly paced and I was so wrapped up, wanting to know how it was going to end that I read the entire thing in one go.” Worlds Unlike Our Own
“There is a glorious balance of elements in Pariah’s Lament. You have deep political intrigue, strong, engaging characters, humour in even the darkest moments, and dynamic pulse-quickening action.” Bookends and Bagends
“Masterful world-building, top-notch political manoeuvring, and all the classic elements that make epic fantasy so amazing.“ The Book Suite Book Blog
“Other than Brandon Sanderson, Billing has written my favourite battle scenes where they’re epic and grand.” Sarah Lillian Book Blog
“With themes of vengeance, betrayal, and unity, Pariah’s Lament made for an exciting and adventurous read.“ Bookish Beyond Book Blog
“Billing shrewdly delves into the very relatable, human need to actualize and belong.” Mark Brooks, Author
“Couldn’t put this down… compelling characters and really vivid worldbuilding.” C.T. O’Mahony, Author
“Billing has a knack for writing descriptions that can make readers feel like they’re walking in the character’s shoes.” Anna Civolani, Editor
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