Today I have an interview with fantasy author Ulff Lehmann, and a look at his book,
Shattered Dreams. Enjoy.
An Interview With Ulff Lehmann
Why don’t you begin by sharing a
little about yourself.
Hi, I'm Ulff Lehmann, and while I am
German I have decided to write in English. Primarily because I spent two thirds
of my reading-life reading English novels. I have lived in the USA as an
exchange student, and while I have always been interested in story telling, it
was only in my early twenties that I started to write. After a few years being
unable to put the phrases I wanted to say on paper, I realized that while I was
reading a hell of a lot, up to 6 novels a month, all of these books were in
English. Once that realization set in, I switched from German to English and
haven't looked back since.
That I am a writer and a storyteller, I
think my subconscious was always aware of, but instead of following my heart, I
chose a career in banking. A career which did not last beyond the 2 years of
training, which I finished more or less intact. After that I tried my hand at
being a college student, but dropped out after a thankfully unsuccessful
attempt to emigrate to the US.
I came home, and stood before the shambles of my life, so to speak. No
apartment, no job, no money in the bank. I moved back in with my parents, found
a job doing temp work, found an apartment, reclaimed some normalcy.
Sadly normalcy isn't all it's made out to
be. Jobs came, went, until I crashed. I recovered, got another job, crashed
again. During that time, my best friend finally convinced me to go to therapy.
Behaviour therapy set me straight, made me realize who and what I am, and I
wrote my first two novels, Shattered
Dreams and Shattered Hopes,
during that time.
Could you tell us a bit about your
latest book?
Shattered Dreams is the first part of a trilogy, a story that I have
been developing for the better part of 25 years, actually. It is a
multi-viewpoint story, the style pretty much inspired by A Song of Ice and
Fire, with chapters bound together by the specific dates something or many
things are occurring.
How long have you been writing, and
how many books have you published to date?
I think my first short story, a precursor
to Shattered Dreams, was released in
a German fanzine sometime in 1994. I had been dabbling before, but never on any
grander scale. Shattered Dreams is my
first published novel.
Of all the books you've written, do
you have a favourite?
Currently I am writing
the third part, Shattered Bonds, and
while I will always cherish Shattered
Dreams as the first creative task I ever brought to an end, I would have to
say that Bonds is my favourite.
Why did you decide to write in the fantasy
genre?
It was the first genre I really delved
into as a reader. Greek, Roman, Germanic Mythology, I've read so much fantasy,
I cannot remember it all. I'm fairly certain that I will turn to other genres,
eventually, once I have said all I wanted to say in fantasy for the time being.
What is the hardest part of writing fantasy
fiction?
Assuring people that not
only is your work no Tolkien clone, but that you have never even finished The Lord of the Rings because it bores
the crap out of you.
What do
you enjoy most about writing in the fantasy genre?
Fucking with people's preconceptions.
Who is
your intended readership?
First and foremost I write stories I would want to
read. That being said, since my tastes have changed dramatically over the past
decade or so, my intended readership is basically anyone who likes a good book.
The whole genre thing, the strict adherence to sticking to a specific kind of
novels, be it fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction, horror, is, in my opinion,
rather narrow minded. A book's good when it's good, and if the story of a
romance novel grabs my attention, I'll read that too.
Are there
particular challenges in writing for your core readership?
Since my primary audience is, initially at least,
myself, yes there are. I'm a tough nut to crack, I'm my own worst critic, and
to read anything without my inner editor screaming blue murder at stuff I
dislike is impossible. Prose has got so boring, to me at least. Show me a book
that has every sentence of almost every passage begin with "He..." or
"She..." and I show you a writer who never bothered to polish his
prose. Fifth graders write like that, and I hate it. Beginning every sentence
differently, weaving words into something exciting, that is tough.
What did
you enjoy most about writing your book?
Finishing it.
What did
you find most challenging about writing your book?
Finishing it.
Did
anything surprise you about the process of writing your book?
The stupid characters refuse to do what I want them
to! Seriously, the more I got to know the characters, the less the preconceived
path I had laid out made sense. In the end, I let the characters choose.
What did
you hope to accomplish by publishing your book?
My first hope was to finish what had begun during my
days at therapy. Finishing the novel was a huge step for me. Publishing the
book, is close second. Truth be told, I had not thought much further than that.
Yes, I wanted people to be touched by it, and given that one reader has already
started to read the book again, I believe I have accomplished just that.
When did
you realize you wanted to be a writer?
To me there's a difference, between conscious and
subconscious realization. I've always been creative, in terms of story telling.
I discovered role playing games in my early teens, and lived out my natural
desire to tell stories there. When I started developing my main character for
the short stories (who would later become the protagonist of the novels) I
think I had an inkling, but since I was so stunted in the self awareness
department, I did not really follow through. When I started therapy in earnest,
that's when it literally punched me in the face.
Can you
tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas originate? Do you have
a certain writing routine?
A three part question, fun! I start with the routine,
because the process and the routine go hand in hand. The day before I return to
writing, I make sure to go to bed so that I wake up at around 8 to 8:30 in the
morning. From there, I fix a cup of tea (well, tankard is more appropriate,
seeing that the bugger holds 0.75 litres) switch on my TV and watch one episode
of a drama and two episodes of a sitcom. I also have my breakfast during that
time. When the second episode of whatever sitcom is done, I shut off the TV,
switch on the stereo to blast something metallic through the speakers, loud
enough that it will reach me under the shower. After that, and before I get
dressed, I change the song to The Blood of CuChulainn and then get into my
clothes. With the final notes of Blood ending, I open my windows, put on my
shoes, grab whatever non-fantasy book I am currently reading and head to my
favourite café. There, I enjoy the novel whilst drinking a large cappuccino.
Then, with my mind clear, I return home, switch on my writing computer and the
stereo with my "writing-soundtrack" and begin.
The process is rather straight forward. I check where
I left off, recheck some of the previous chapters to get my bearing, and write.
I generally have a good idea of what I want to do, where the story will go, and
while that first day of writing is mostly spent fixing some stuff from where I
left off and before, I add another few pages before I stop. The following days
are the same, only now I am fully back in the zone and new pages start flowing.
Ideas... good question... I'd say the primary idea
comes from somewhere between waking and dreaming, that blank space between
thoughts. That sounds better than, I get some damn good ideas under the shower,
or while taking a dump, or shortly before falling asleep, which is the
shittiest time to have any ideas because you have to get your ass out of bed
and write the ideas down. The rest is basically following these ideas with
logic.
What is
your greatest challenge as a writer?
Making sure everything is logical.
Do you
have a favourite author, or writing inspiration?
George R.R. Martin, Bernard Cornwell, Tad Williams.
How do
you research your books?
I read non-fiction.
What
advice would you give beginning writers?
Read, read, read, read, and read outside your comfort
zone. If you only play in your sandbox and never in the forest or whatever, you
will never understand the larger world. And stop looking at fucking Twilight
for inspiration! You get about the same amount of crap from staring at used
toilet paper!
What do
you like to do when you're not writing? Any hobbies?
Movies
How did
you become interested in movies?
Best alternative to reading books.
Are you
working on another book?
I am currently working on the last part of the trilogy
that starts with Shattered Dreams.
What’s
your next project? Any upcoming book secrets you care to reveal?
Not sure yet. I want to finish the trilogy first, then
worry about what comes next.
Author Bio:
German born but English writing author, Ulff Lehmann, was raised reading, almost any and everything, from the classic Greek to Roman to Germanic myths to more appropriate fiction for children his age. Initially devouring books in his native language, he switched to reading English books during a year long stay in the USA as a foreign exchange student.
In the years since, he has lost count of the books he has read, unwilling to dig into the depths of his collection. An avid fantasy reader, he grew dissatisfied with the constant lack of technological evolution in many a fantasy world, and finally, when push came to shove, he began to realize not only his potential as a story teller but also his vision of a mythical yet realistic world in which to settle the tale in he had been developing for 20 years.
Author's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Ralchanh/
Shattered Dreams by Ulff Lehmann
For two years the mercenary Drangar Ralgon has kept his back to his dark past. Afraid to live, afraid to die, Drangar tries to ignore the abyss that lies behind him. Now, faced with a war he wants nothing to do with, he finally turns around and gazes back.
Inspired by the vigorous style of George R.R. Martin's A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, and in the vein of historical fictioneer Bernard Cornwell, SHATTERED DREAMS brings to life a stark, uncompromising tale of a man's path to redemption.
You can find Shattered Dreams at:
Amazon (US)
Amazon (UK)
