Interview With Author R.G. Triplett

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

Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.

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.

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

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/

Fantasy, Dreams and Heroes: A Review of Becoming

My Review of Becoming by Marc Johnson:

I found the book an allegorical and metaphorical banquet, full of symbolism, with many of its characters standing as fantasy archetypes. Part myth, part dark fable, Becoming by Marc Johnson is a swirling gathering of lyrical thoughts, characters and images dancing outward in a non-linear story.

Becoming follows the quests of several characters: a boy, his father and their companion, a sister and brother and a hero as they wander through dreams and darkness. They embrace and fight against destiny but are inevitably drawn to their fate.

The book is a wonderful exposition that muses on the concept of the epic fantasy, while telling a rousing tale of good and evil laced with a sense of the unreal. It is a caprice of obscure complexity that makes your head spin (in a good way). Threads of thought on culture, religion, human nature and society seem to float through the pages as well, sweeping into the mix and blending well.

The book is poetic prose, imagery, parable, and character study strung along a twisting surreal road, and the narrative is beautiful to read. I had no problems with the existential nature of this book, but it may not be for all tastes. But if you are in the mood for a mind-bending, thought-provoking voyage, I recommend Becoming.