Today, author R.G. Triplett stops by for a chat, and to give a glimpse of his new fantasy novel, The Great Darkening.
Interview with R.G. Triplett
I think I would call myself
an artist at heart. The way I cook, the way I write, the way I communicate and
make music and tell stories - even the way I smoke a cigar and savor a good
bourbon - always comes with the motivation to discover or uncover a new aspect
of beauty. In each moment, with whatever medium I have access to - whether it
be horses, or holy scriptures, or hyperbole - beauty is what I hope to find,
and frequently what I hope to create. Also, I would call myself a bit of an
epic nerd. I love stories with layers of history and allegory.
I may or may not have won a
few Fantasy Football championships in my day and I currently have a garden
going in the backyard that happens to have a very skewed vegetable to weed
ratio.
You've recently released a
fantasy novel, The Great Darkening. Can
you tell us a bit about the book?
The Great Darkening is what I would call an epic allegory, where we follow not just the
hero in the story
and the surrounding cast of supporting characters, but we also follow the greater story of the changing world they are set in. Their world is in the midst of losing its only source of light, and because of that, the citizens are in the midst of losing their last hope for life as they know it. Hidden in the layers of myth and magic and battles and beauty is a bigger tale of becoming that I am so excited for the readers to discover.
and the surrounding cast of supporting characters, but we also follow the greater story of the changing world they are set in. Their world is in the midst of losing its only source of light, and because of that, the citizens are in the midst of losing their last hope for life as they know it. Hidden in the layers of myth and magic and battles and beauty is a bigger tale of becoming that I am so excited for the readers to discover.
As a writer of fantasy, what
appeals to you most about that genre?
I love the layers of myth.
Probably one of my most favourite works of fantasy is Tolkien’s Silmarillion. All of its layers of
history and culture shape both the story and the world that it finds itself in.
I can't help but get a bit
lost in the imagining and in the reflection. One of the most compelling things
about this genre is that it offers the opportunity to see yourself or your situations
mirrored in the lives of the characters. I think I somehow walk away from these
types of tales knowing that both their story and my story still go on.
Can you tell us about your
writing process? Where do your ideas
originate? Do you have a certain writing
routine?
I love to create in
community, I love to pray and dream out loud—I process life better with people, and I think I create better
with people too. But when I sit down to my Mac Book, and I put on a few epic
soundtracks to listen to... sometimes the story just finds me.
In the nine months that it
took to write TGD, there was not a single day of writer’s block. I honestly
feel the pleasure of God when I write.
What is your greatest
challenge as a writer?
My greatest challenge is
probably is wrestling through the inconsistencies, and coming to the realization that some of my "brilliant" ideas might not be so... well thought out.
What sort of research did you
do for The Great Darkening?
My biggest research had to do
with naming characters and places within the world of Aiénor. I want names to
have meaning—not just to sound good, but to have that extra layer of
believability and depth to them.
So I researched etymology,
naming places and people groups based on the inspirations for their cultures. I
am not an expert in language at all, but I had fun learning and diving into the
different languages and people groups.
When you’re not writing, what
do you do for fun? Do you have any hobbies?
I love having adventures with my kiddos, and if I had my way, I would be
around horses all day every day.
Who has inspired you as an
author?
C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, John Eldredge, Calvin Miller, Lev Grossman, Eugene
Peterson and Rob Bell. Those poets right there have been HUGE inspirations for
my heart.
What’s next for you?
Well, as we speak, I am 50,000
words into book two of the trilogy! I can’t wait to bring the next leg in this
epic journey to everyone who has become involved in the story of Haven.
The Great Darkening
You can find out more about the author and his book at his website: http://epicofhaven.com/
The Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/epicofhaven
The Great Darkening is available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Great-Darkening-Epic-Haven-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00I8DVQUO/
The Great Darkening
When the great burning tree
of Haven begins to die, leaving the otherwise unlit world of Aiénor in a state
of ever-growing darkness, a young man sets upon a quest to discover a new
source of light before the unknown evils lurking in the shadows unleash their
fury upon the unsuspecting world.
Fear strikes the citizens of
Haven at the diminishing of their holy tree, and they determine that the only way
to fend off the impending dark is to set about making their own light. There
are plenty of trees in the forests of Aiénor to burn. But what happens when the
timber has been consumed and the great tree has failed?
Could it be that one will
emerge who will uncover the prophecies of old and seek the promised light?
You can find out more about the author and his book at his website: http://epicofhaven.com/
The Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/epicofhaven
The Great Darkening is available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Great-Darkening-Epic-Haven-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00I8DVQUO/
1 comment:
I loved his book, THE GREAT DARKENING!!! Can't wait to read book 2!!!
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