SPFBO 9 Author Interview - Nathan Hartle

What inspired you to write your SPFBO entry? Is there a particular story, personal experience, or idea that sparked this book?

Summoning and Sacrifice grew out of my lifelong love of creating stories and my desire to write a fun fantasy adventure novel. Things quickly got out of hand and, four books later, the story has not just fun and adventure but also a lot more drama and an epic scale.

How would you describe your writing process? How did it evolve during the creation of this book?

I write when I have a specific story I’m trying to tell. During those times, I try to write daily to keep the creativity flowing. I plan my stories before I write them, so if I don’t have a story planned out, it does me little good to write because I don’t produce much.

When I’m not writing, I plan the next thing I’m going to write. In recent months I’ve planned my next series to the point where I’m ready to start writing again.

This is my first book, so before it, I had no writing process. My process, as it has since evolved, is pretty simple. I just sit down when I get a chance, plan out the specific scene I’m going to write that day, including the character’s motivations and whatever secrets they’re keeping from each other, and then write based on that. I find the more I plan, the easier writing is.

What challenges did you face during the writing or publishing process, and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was finishing the first draft of the series. I wrote it all before publishing this first book, and with everything else that happens in life, it took years. I started this book in 2011.

The second biggest challenge was the complexity of the publishing process. There’s a huge amount to learn, and if you don’t take it a little bit at a time, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. I’ve learned slowly by reading a lot and asking a lot of questions in Facebook groups like 20 Books to 50K and Wide for the Win. Those groups have been invaluable.

Who are your biggest literary influences and how have they impacted your writing style?

My biggest influences are probably the authors Frank Herbert, Dan Simmons, and Walter Miller. It’s strange for a fantasy writer to be so influenced by a bunch of sci fi writers, but all those authors transcend genre. They all write fairly simple, elegant prose that’s accessible and beautiful.

Frank Herbert’s Dune helped spark my love of world-building, intrigue, and mysticism. Dan Simmons inspires me, particularly in Hyperion, with his ambitious scale and the way he tells stories within stories. And Walter Miller’s A Canticle for Leibowitz gave my writing a fascination with myth and faith.

How do you approach world-building in your fantasy novel? What elements do you think are essential for a compelling fantasy setting?

I do a metric ton of planning before I start writing. It’s an extremely messy and disorganized process. Ideas come in drips and drabs, and over time, seemingly unrelated notions combine to form cool concepts for settings. One important thing to me is the aesthetic of a world—how does it look? What historical period, if any, does it most resemble? Once that’s established, it guides the tone of the story and the sorts of ideas that fit within it.

Settings can be compelling for many reasons. Some are fascinating because they are complex, exotic, and original, others because they are grounded in actual historical settings, others because they conjure up awesome visuals or feelings of nostalgia. I don’t think there’s a single set of requirements.

If you could give a piece of advice to the main character in your book at the start of their journey, what would it be?

Shada, if you read this, don’t go in that temple. And don’t talk to strange clouds of mist.

As a self-published author, how do you navigate marketing and promoting your work?

I’ve just begun the marketing process. Since, by all accounts, it’s hard to make money with paid advertising until you’ve got a few books published, I’ve focused on social media. I’ve also tried to take pressure off myself by managing my expectations. It takes time to start selling a lot of books.

What made you decide to participate in the SPFBO competition? How do you think this experience will benefit you as an author?

I’m hoping the competition will help me publicize the book. I’m also looking forward to connecting with readers, other authors, and publications like this, because authoring can be a solitary job and it’s nice to talk to people.

If you were to win SPFBO, what impact do you think this would have on your writing career?

It would be extremely helpful in terms of getting my name, and my book’s name, out there. To an extent, I think it would be like hitting fast-forward on my career—the destination would be the same, but the ETA would change.

What's next for you after SPFBO? Are there any upcoming projects you can share with us?

I’m revising my current series and starting the next one. My next series, still unnamed, involves lots of assassins, magic, and epic goodness. I’m really looking forward to starting it in earnest.