#Interview with @BrandonMLindsay, #Author of Shoreseeker

About the Author:

Author's Amazon Page

Brandon M. Lindsay grew up in the Seattle area and lives in Tokyo, Japan. He now has a son, whom he is trying to teach how to slay dragons. It's a work in progress.
His fantasy stories have won awards from the Writers of the Future contest and are published in anthologies alongside stories by Brandon Sanderson, David Farland, and other fantasy greats.







Brandon on the Web:
Website * Facebook * Twitter

Interview with Brandon M. Lindsay

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?

I had always drawn and written small books about aliens and dinosaurs when I was a kid, and even tried my hand at fanfiction when I was in middle school, so wanting to write was never a switch that I had to flip. The desire was always there, if in the background.
But the moment I decided to pursue it seriously was after playing Final Fantasy 7 for the first time. I was floored by the idea that games could have stories like that, with depth that could rival any of the books I had read. I decided that stories were the most important thing in my life, and that there were stories that only I could tell. So I proceeded to tell them.

What inspires you to write?

One of the greatest sources of inspiration for me is a story that doesn't achieve its full potential. I walk away thinking, "If only this had happened..." It gets the gears turning and gives me a seed of an idea that may turn into something useful later on, or perhaps even the premise of a full-fledged story. I love the idea that new stories are the continuation of a conversation started by older stories.

How did you come up with the idea for your current story?

My current series, called the Farshores Saga, has quite a few moving parts, so it's difficult for me to pinpoint which of its ideas came first. But I think one major image that influenced me was an opening scene in Death Note, where some monsters are sitting around in a dead world. I saw that and wanted to write in a world like that, where the monsters had nearly wiped out humanity and they were all that was left. That formed one of the major premises of my books.

Are there some stories tucked away in some drawer that was written before and never saw the light of the day?

Yup! My first novel was a quarter-million-word monstrosity (unfinished when I abandoned it!) back when I thought a more literary style *cough purple prose cough* was best.
I also wrote a script for a sci-fi game, which I may get around to making if they ever find a cure for aging.

Tell us about your writing process.

I have what I like to call a shotgun approach. I write in a completely scattered fashion, each scene a shotgun pellet which hits the paper target at a different time. I usually start with a few overarching ideas and images, and a few very concrete scenes in my head, which I write first. I use these as anchor points for the rest of the story to build on. After that, I tend to write certain character or story arcs in chronological order, though I may skip between two or three at the same time.
When I come to a really complicated or climactic scene, I actually sit down and outline. The only part of Shoreseeker I outlined was the last quarter of the book, but I outlined it very thoroughly, and the final product looked a lot like the outline.

What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?

I relish in the suffering of my characters, but in order to really show a character's suffering, the story must show what they love. The section of the story just before the main character Tharadis loses everything was a real gut-punch to write, and it was very personal. It's also foundational to the plot of the series and the themes found throughout. I wouldn't change a thing about it.

If you were to be stranded on the famous deserted island, what three things would you carry?

My Kindle, my computer, and my family. Hopefully this island has power and air conditioning.

How do you spend your free time? Do you have a favorite place to go and unwind?

I spend a lot of my free time (is there such a thing?) hanging out with my kid, who's the raddest little dude I ever did meet. As far as a favorite place to unwind, I live in Tokyo, and I think the best place to relax and read or even take a nap is on the train. As long as it's not rush hour.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list?

I'm not sure if this really counts as a bucket list item, since I'm not the one actually doing it. But a dream of mine is to write a fantasy novel so cool that Blind Guardian, one of my favorite bands, writes a song about it. They've done songs for the Wheel of Time, Elric of Melniboné, the Dark Tower, and even an entire album based on the Silmarillion. I consider a song by them about one of my books to be the absolute height of success as an author.

What do you have in store next for your readers?

SOUL-CRUSHING EMOTIONAL TRAUMA (in the form of a sequel called Drawingpath). Enjoy!

About the Book:

Check out the Book on Amazon

It was supposed to keep them safe.

For six hundred years, Andrin’s Wall protected the remnants of humanity from a scourge that devastated them: beastly monsters called the sheggam. But centuries of relative peace have relegated the sheggam to myth and superstition.

Tharadis, the Warden of the independent city Naruvieth, must protect his people and their homes from threats more immediate than ancient legends. The Council of the Wall aims to finish building the Runeway, a magical construct spanning the whole of the Sutherlands, no matter who gets in their way.

But after a knight with sheggam magic flowing through his veins seeks protection in Naruvieth, Tharadis uncovers a menacing secret: the Runeway itself is built from sheggam magic, magic that isn’t supposed to exist on this side of Andrin’s Wall.

Not only must Tharadis confront scheming politicians, rogue knights, and ominous prophecy, he must draw his blade for the greatest battle humanity has ever faced.

For the sheggam are already here.