HUSKINS: Hi Heath, thanks for
joining us on Realm of Ideas. So, for
the new readers who are unfamiliar, tell us about The Hungering Saga? What is
it?
PFAFF: Pleasure to be
here! The Hungering Saga is my first
series of epic fantasy novels, and an introduction into a world where clear
distinctions between good and evil should never be made. Motivations, as in real life, aren't driven
by a desire to do evil or to do good, but by the decisions of great men and
women who are trying to build a world that fits their ideal image.
A new reader shouldn't
jump in expecting to love everything about the main character. He's a young man who finds himself in control
of inhuman power. His understanding of
the world is very narrow, and his heart is ruled by the impulses of youth. The book unwinds from his perspective, and I
think it's interesting to watch him justify some of the decisions he makes in
the pursuit of what he considers important.
I hope the reader will find that interesting as well.
HUSKINS: What was your initial
inspiration for the series?
PFAFF: That is a hard question
to pin an answer to. The concept of
creating these chimera that roved through the world like living legends was
inspired by a Japanese animated series called Claymore. The main character in that story, Claire, has
the heart of a demon, which gives her extraordinary power. I wanted to take that further. I wanted to create a "hero" that
was almost as much monster as man, and one who would need to battle internally
almost as much as he did externally.
I also drew inspiration
from the hundreds and hundreds of fantasy novels I've read over the years. I love those stories, but at the same time I
was tired of reading the standard good versus evil tale that had been told time
and time again. I wanted the darkness in
my world to be more organic and real.
HUSKINS: How long have you been
writing? And was it something you always
felt compelled to do, or something you developed a passion for later in life?
PFAFF: I have been writing, in
one form or another, since I was twelve (so twenty years). Telling stories was always something I've had
a passion for. I wanted to be a lawyer
for a short period of time in my life, but I quickly came to my senses and
decided that I was going to be a famous writer.
I just wish I'd paid more attention in English class growing up because
my poor editor has repeatedly threatened to strangle me.
HUSKINS: A lot of writers have
the “watershed moment,” a moment when they read a book or a short story and
decided they wanted to be a writer. Did
that happen for you? If so, which book
was it?
PFAFF: I was twelve and I was reading Pet Sematary by Stephen King, and the damn thing had me up until 2
a.m. just flipping page after page. I
couldn't believe that one person could build so much out of nothing with just
words. To me Stephen King was, and still
is, a god. He brings life to things that
have never, and could never, really exist in our world, but he does it in such
a way that you can't help but feel like you're a part of what he's
creating. I would have that man's
children.
HUSKINS: Your character Lowin
Fenly struggles between light and dark.
Is that something that fascinates you greatly?
PFAFF: Everyone struggles
between light and dark. Some of the
harshest criticisms I've received on the books have been in regards to people
straight out hating Lowin. I believe
someone used the word "cad" to describe him. Lowin is given the name "Noble" by
a man who wishes to wield him like a sword, and some people see that as a point
of contention since Lowin's actions are often nowhere near noble, but this contradiction
is what his character is about.
If you were sixteen years old, and you became one of the most powerful men in the world over night, what would happen to you? Did you make great, noble decisions when you were in your teens? I know I didn't, and I wasn't even afflicted with unnatural power. So, yes, I am fascinated by that struggle between light and dark. Lowin is a young man who wants to be good, but he has no one to guide him towards what that is, so he makes rash decisions based on what he wants at any given moment. I love that concept, that straddling of the line between right and wrong.
If you were sixteen years old, and you became one of the most powerful men in the world over night, what would happen to you? Did you make great, noble decisions when you were in your teens? I know I didn't, and I wasn't even afflicted with unnatural power. So, yes, I am fascinated by that struggle between light and dark. Lowin is a young man who wants to be good, but he has no one to guide him towards what that is, so he makes rash decisions based on what he wants at any given moment. I love that concept, that straddling of the line between right and wrong.
HUSKINS: What is it about the fantasy genre that you find most compelling to write in?
PFAFF: The limits. There aren't any. When you're writing fantasy you build your
own rules for the world, and then you can bend and break them as you see fit. I enjoy sci-fi and horror writing as well,
but fantasy is such a huge, open space to create in. I feel like I could write fantasy for the
rest of my life and never run out of fresh ideas. My notebook is packed full of story concepts
that I will probably never get to.
HUSKINS: What are you reading
right now?
PFAFF: I just finished an
excellent novel by Chad Huskins called Psycho
Save Us. (*Author's note, I didn't push Heath to say this, nevertheless it brought a smile to my face*). I'd highly recommend it to
anyone looking for a different, visceral story that really takes you beyond the
bounds of expectation. Currently,
though, I'm reading the new Brent Weeks novel The Blinding Knife. Weeks is
one of my favorite new fantasy novelists.
HUSKINS: What is your favorite book of all time, and why?
PFAFF: This question is the
hardest one yet. I'm going to cheat
because it would be impossible to pick a single favorite. In no particular order, Gene Wolfe's Torturer series, Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind, and David
Gemmell's Waylander series.
HUSKINS: What advice do you have
for writers, or any artists for that matter, who are trying to make it?
PFAFF: Do what you love. I know that's very generic advice, but
nothing is going to help you more. Study
the form of art/writing you want to create, and just keep working at it. If you want to write then you should be
writing every single day. You don't need
to write pages of text every day, but you should be putting words to paper
(digital paper) and perfecting your technique to the best of your ability.
The only other thing I
can offer is to learn to accept constructive criticism. Find people who are better than you, and if
you can get them to read your material (or look at your art, as it may be),
listen to what they tell you. Most of
time they're not trying to hurt your feelings, and if they're willing to give
you some of their time, then you take the feedback they give you and use it to
make yourself better.
HUSKINS: What do you think about
the indie book scene? Do you think
there’s still a lot of life and potential left in it, is it getting stronger,
or do you think it’s being diminished?
PFAFF: This is the best time
to be a part of the indie book scene.
It's growing really rapidly, and services like Amazon are giving us
"nobodies" a chance to prove that we're not actually nobodies. I'm not saying there aren't bad indie writers
out there, but some of the best writing talent in the world is waiting in the
wings, trying to be discovered in a system that is hostile to new talent. As a writer I'm excited to get my material out to the public. Over forty thousand people have copies of my books in their possession, and that is something I only dreamed of just a few years ago. I've even got a group of fans who are eager to see my next project, and that is a really cool thing for a little guy like me. I love them for standing by me, and I love the scene.
As a reader I'm also excited. I have read some really great new stories that probably would have vanished into slush piles, and I can pay the people who made those stories directly. Amazon, of course, takes a cut, but not as much as the big publishing houses. It's a great time to be in this scene.
Following that I will probably put some work into the Hungering Saga follow up. Fans are still eager to hear more about that world, and I have mountains of notes on the events following those in the original three novels, so that seems like a good place to look next.
HUSKINS: Where can our readers
find your books?
PFAFF: Right here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Heath+Pfaff
HUSKINS: Thanks, Heath. Last but not least, do you have any social
media you’d like our readers to know about so they can follow you?
Stop by and check out my contests and Steam game giveaways!
(Pfaff just had a December sale kicked off! The entire Trilogy is on sale for $2.99 for the rest of the month. Plus, the people who buy the book and like the Facebook page will are entered into a contest to win some great prizes. http://www.amazon.com/The-Hungering-Saga-Complete-ebook/dp/B006ELWCK0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354921883&sr=8-2&keywords=Hungering+Saga)
As for me, you can follow me on Facebook and Twitter: @ChadRyanHuskins
Visit my website: www.forestofideas.com
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