Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Richie Billing
Book Titles: Pariah’s Lament
Released: March 17, 2021
Genre: High Fantasy
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “Pariah’s Lament”?
Billing: I absolutely love an underdog story. Some move me to tears, especially if the odds are incredibly great. I’ve always wanted to write my own to replicate that. Write the story you want to read, they say. And despite it being a fantasy, I wanted the focus to be on the human side. The emotional journey of the underdogs as well as their steps to glory. I like to explore real-world issues in my writing and this lets me do that. So all of these things combined to inspire the story that Pariah’s Lament became.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process, or your book?
Billing: You may be interested to learn that Pariah’s Lament is a story set in a shared universe. This means that myself and a group of other writers all create stories set in the same world. We build and populate it together, weaving our tales where we can.
Pariah’s Lament also has a pretty unique structure. It reads like a novel, but it’s split into ten episodes, with each episode having its own chapters. Why? Fair question. It’s a marriage of sorts between the traditional format, and the one we now see on tv—Netflix, Prime and the like. We watch things in series and episodes and we read in chapters. Let’s blend them together and see what happens. I was unsure at first but I came round and early reviews have been very positive! I also use each episode to tell a piece of a separate but related story too, so watch out for that.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Billing: I think what I’m beginning to realise is that it isn’t the technical aspects of writing that are the most difficult to overcome, but the mental challenges. Having not just the determination to complete a project, but the belief too.
For me, doubt was an ever presence when writing Pariah’s Lament. It would whisper in my ear and tell me I’m no good and that nobody will like it.
That was a huge challenge for me. And I think it affects a lot of other people too.
Other demons that threaten our success include procrastination and a lack of focus. There’s so much to distract us in our lives. It’s important to learn how to drown it out and focus on the project.
And then having the willpower to complete it. Ignore the voices, the negativity and rejection. Write for yourself, because you love the very act of scribbling words.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Billing: I don’t think I’ve ever experienced the classic form of writer’s block, where you can’t think of any ideas. What I have experienced before, though—following a break I took after finishing Pariah’s Lament—is that I lost all belief in myself. I came back to writing and it felt as if I’d never done it before. It panicked me a good bit for a while, which only made things worse. I suppose there are two choices you have when this happens. Give up or struggle through with determination to overcome it. I did the latter and my belief came back.
If "Pariah’s Lament" were adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Billing: This is a great question and not one I’ve never considered before, so it's tricky.
I think perhaps Colin Morgan, who played Merlin in the tv series, would make a good Edvar. Or if you were maybe going for the more comic angle, Michael Cera.
Isy is a tougher one. Because she’s a fellow scouser and cracking actor, Jodie Comer (Killing Eve).
The guys who played Roose Bolton or Stannis Baratheon in Game of Thrones would make a good Tesh, and Ashara’s got more of a Sean Bean as an older Boromir vibe.
What is your favorite book, genre, and/or author?
Billing: My favourite genre is fantasy. I do love crime and historical fiction too, but whenever I stray too far from the genre I find myself yearning for dragons. I blame The Hobbit for getting me hooked. I read that book as a youngster, and then when I was about 10, the Lord of the Rings films came out. That won me over forever. My favourite author, though, despite my love for Tolkien’s storytelling, is George RR Martin. The type of fantasy he writes—and he does it so magnificently—is exactly the kind I like.
What are you working on next?
Billing: A fantasy novella! I’ve had an idea for a fantasy world for a while called The Hills of Moragon. It’s a wild place with a scarred past. And I’ve been having lots of fun exploring these histories. This novella is serving as a sort of origin story for a novel I have planned too. It’s got my own incarnation of orcs, so if you like that kinda fantasy, as well as tense, action-packed stories, this will be for you.
Learn More About the Author and Pariah’s Lament Here:
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.
His debut novel, Pariah's Lament, will be published by Of Metal and Magic Publishing on 17th March 2021. He co-hosts the podcast The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed, a venture inspired by the requests of readers of his critically-acclaimed book, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook.
Most nights you can find him up into the wee hours scribbling away or watching the NBA. Find out more at www.richiebilling.com.
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