What an exquisite pleasure it is to interrogate a BL editor who also writes. Nick has published one Necromunda novel so far (Back From the Dead) and co-authored the The Inquisition and The Art of Warhammer background books. He also has an excellent website. This month he has two Warhammer books published: Oathbreaker and the background book Grudgelore.
Is he a poacher turned gamekeeper or gamekeeper turned poacher? I’ll leave you to make your mind up. Enough babble, on with the questions.
Q: Oathbreaker. Tell us about the premise behind the story. Is it a tale you've wanted to write for years, a gap you spotted in the existing literature, or is it linked to future campaigns and products? Or maybe all three?
A: Oathbreaker is essentially a story about pride, and the danger when pride, manifest as hubris, leads to recklessness and tragedy. Most of all, though, it is a tale about dwarfs: their culture, their beliefs, the legacy of their ancestors and the gradual deterioration of a once great and all powerful empire.
It's set after the War Vengeance but deep into the Time of Woes and long before Sigmar walks the Old World. Many of the greatest holds have fallen. Oathbreaker features one in particular: Karak Varn.
I wouldn’t say specifically that it’s a tale I’d always wanted to write. Certainly, though, the demise of the so-called ‘lost holds’ has always fascinated me. I did, however, always have a hankering to write a novel about dwarfs so from that point of view it was the realisation of that aim. Of course, now I want to write more. I suppose there was a gap in the market to an extent. There hasn’t been a dwarf novel released since Grudgebearer (not counting G&F as that’s a separate entity), so I guess it was about time, given their popularity, to bring out a new one.
Q: Tell us about the main characters and how you devised them - who came first, who last.
A: Uthor Algrimson is the main character of the book, a thane that hails from Karak Kadrin in the north and is venturing to Karak Varn because of an honour debt owed by his clan. When devising the characters, I had a pretty good idea as to who I wanted in the book and what role they would play. I sat down with my dwarf army book and sort of made a list of my favourite archetypes and how they could work as compelling and interesting characters. They all needed back stories and this was informed a little by the hold they came from, something I devised based on their proximity to Karak Varn.
As I knew I was having a big cast in this book, I needed, once I'd figured out who was going to be in it, to know how the characters would interact with each other: who would be friends, who would be enemies at first, how would the relationships of the dwarfs change based upon circumstances.
I decided I wanted to introduce my characters in two waves: the first batch formed the core of the lords that would be attended the war council. All of these characters, who I present in pairs in the book's opening few chapters, needed a reason to come to the hold be that a debt of honour, mutual concern at the growing hordes of greenskins in the mountains nearby or to improve relations with wealthier and influential holds. It was all in there.
Of the first wave, the main driver was Uthor. He's a dwarf with a dark past, pursuing misguided ideals of honour as a cathartic way to release the anger he harbours within him. He's very up and down with his moods; bullish and reckless one moment, melancholy and introverted the next. Rorek is his companion at the novel's outset, a kind of wacky engineer character who's basically been kicked out of the Engineer's Guild for constantly breaking with tradition.
To be truthful, though, the first character pairing was Lokki and Halgar. These are warriors all the way from Karak Izor, a noble thane who is the expedition's initial leader due to his regal heritage, and a venerable longbeard who knows that this mission is probably going to be his last and wants to go out fighting rather than drifting away in some forgotten hall of the karak. Finally, we have Gromrund and Hakem. These two couldn't be more different: a taciturn and sombre hammerer who values duty above all else, and a flamboyant and boastful merchant thane who is more concerned about his attire than anything else. There are a whole host of others but these guys form the core, at least the start and I guess they have are my favourites.
The second wave of characters comes in when the oath is made to retake Karak Varn and Uthor et al go to the High King for aid. In the modest military force they are given, a second strata of characters are introduced. They further complicate the dynamics at play and place stresses and strains on the existing relationships between the dwarfs.
As far as changes go, I had a pretty fixed idea in my mind about how all the character would work. In fact, there was only really one that altered and that was more in the shape of adding an additional character by way of support, rather than a change per se. To go into any detail would spoil one of the surprises in the book, so I’m not prepared to elucidate any further. Sorry!
Q: How tight a path do you have to walk with so many skaven stories on one side and Gotrek & Felix on the other? Avoiding overlaps must give you palpitations.
A: Surprisingly it's not too bad. I had the advantage with this story that it was set so early on in the chronology of the dwarfs. Certainly, it is set in a time that we (Black Library) have not explored before. I also believe that an author needs to make his own mark on a particular race and will have his own vision of what they are like. None is wrong; none is right, providing you stick to what it as the heart of what the race is all about. I knew I had a strong story and strong characters (including the skaven and the greenskins, as well as the dwarfs).
I also do a lot of research into my background and my wargaming experience with Warhammer definitely helps. I've been reading this stuff for years, too and drink it up as avidly as any fan. I remember going back through my dwarf army books (all three editions) and the other background material I had (including novels, the skaven and orc & goblin books) and reacquainting myself with the material. It certainly helped, form a dwarf point of view, that I was writing the Grudgelore background book at the same time, too.
I guess when I delved into the core source material I was trying to get into my head what a dwarf thought about, how he was different to a human for instance and how he would react to certain situations. It was sort of 'method' writing I suppose (I did actually grow a bit of beard and I'm pretty short already so that was covered, I just didn't go for the beer gut).
Q: Do you find yourself accidentally breaking rules in your early drafts that you, as a BL editor, would feel obliged to point out? And is it tough being edited by a co-worker?
A: I think I did pretty well on that front. Having read so many synopses and seen the pitfalls and mistakes that other authors sometimes make, I was in a pretty good position to make sure that my story didn't fall down in that way, or indeed break any 'rules'. There were some mild tweaks here and there but detail stuff really and the synopsis went through the whole commissioning process with relative ease.
I'm lucky working with Lindsey in that she is very supportive and always gives loads of great advice when she edits. Everything she suggested was up for debate and really added to the quality of the novel.
The thing for me was to treat this project as if I were a freelance author unaffiliated with the Black Library in any way. The tricky part was getting Lindsey to let me write something in the first place! (There's a lot more flaming hoops when you're a staffer and you have to give preference to other authors wherever possible, as is only right).
Q: It feels as if the book draws heavily on Tolkien's legacy - Moria, Durin's Bane, The Hobbit - is that deliberate.
A: It’s hard not to really, though I like to think of it as an homage to that particular master of fantasy literature. I confess that I did watch the Moria scenes in the Fellowship of the Ring movie again to help inspire me. But I also arrayed a host of art work form the dwarf army book and some cool concept material from the forthcoming Age of Reckoning game a\rounds my work station, too. I was keen to get across the majesty of the dwarf holds as well as their sheer immensity. Conversely, I wanted to portray Karak Varn in particular as a fallen kingdom, a sad and lonely shadow of its former glory that served as a metaphor for the decline of the dwarf realm as a whole.
Q: What do you find the hardest part of writing a novel (and what's the easiest)?
A: The hardest part for me is always finishing it. There never seems to be enough time to do that final check, to make that last finessing touch, and you’re never quite satisfied – could I have done that differently, did I do him justice and so on.
The easiest part is when you get so engrossed in the story and the milieu that the narrative just flows. Characters start to talk for themselves and know what they’re going to say before you (as the author) do! That is immensely gratifying, especially when you’re a good chunk of the way in and you’ve set up something that is about to pay off or you’ve reached a crucial juncture of a character arc that you’ve been waiting to reveal.
Not sure if that really answered the question, but hopefully added some insight J.
Q: How long did it take to write Oathbreaker? And how easy was it to fit in with your day job?
A: It was about a three to four month turnaround to write Oathbreaker. I was pretty stretched at the time I seem to remember, working on the novel and Grudgelore, whilst doing some freelance editing, too. I didn’t take a leave of absence, I just did my day job and then when I got home I worked on the book. I can usually get through about 1,000 – 2,000 words in a night in the week and then 7,000 – 10,000 at the weekend. It was a lot of hard work, though immensely enjoyable, but I guess that’s just what it takes.
Q: Grudgelore is your other book published this month (with Gav Thorpe). Tell us more.
A: Grudgelore is the first background book devoted solely to the dwarfs. It centres of the culture of grudges specifically and recounts such well-known events as the War of Vengeance and the Fall of Karak Eights. Written from an Imperial scholar’s point of view but also including direct transcriptions by the dwarfs themselves (this forms the bulk of the book’s narrative), it delves into all aspects of dwarf culture. Co-authored with Gav, the book is rammed with historical battles, profiles of heroes, little known dwarf facts, brand new art, maps and diagrams. It even has an updated lexicon of Khazalid with some never-before-seen words in it (added by Mr. Rick Priestley himself, no less!). The idea was to produce a book that people would go back to time and again, a real dwarf resource that genuinely added to the already great pantheon of existing material. It was a great labour of love to write (as I’m sure Gav will agree) and we both think that fans will absolutely love it.
Q: Which idea came first?
A: I’ve got to say that they both pretty much emerged at the same time and happened to coincide. I think Grudgelore might have had it by a whisker but I’d always had a hankering to write a dwarf novel, too and working with Gav on the background book was a great way to support that.
Q: As you're a BL insider, you're in a great position to give us the low-down on the commissioning procedure. How does it work in your case? Is it the same for every book, every writer?
A: The procedure is pretty straight forward really. We take a pitch (a rough idea of a novel in its most conceptual and basic form) from an author. Assuming this looks fine, we then proceed to a synopsis (a more detailed, but still outlined, plot) with accompanying character biographies.
We then have a meeting with various members of the team and effectively pitch the author’s idea to see if it passes muster (basically will it fit into the range and is it commercially viable). If it does then the synopsis is then worked up into a chapter-by-chapter breakdown that provides much more detail about how the book will flow and is broken up.
It was just the same for me, though it’s true that the further down the line an author goes with his career the easier it is for them to write the next book in the series, say, but the plot and characters must still be top notch.
Q: Has doing the one role given you a greater perspective on the other?
A: Definitely. I suppose I get to see both sides of the coin as both editor and writer. I understand the inherent frustrations in both roles in what has to be a reciprocal relationship. It’s certainly easier for me to empathise with authors but I also understand the need to balance that with the requirements of an editor, too.
Q: Of the books you've written which is your favourite and why?
A: That’s tricky. I’ve only written two novels for the Black Library and there’s always going to be a soft spot in my heart for Back from the Dead, my first novel based in the Necromunda setting. But I’ve done some short stories too that have appeared in a three of our anthologies and the escapades of my Knights of Morr were always a pleasure to write and I’d love to take these guys further.
Dwarfs are my favourite Warhammer race, though, and writing Oathbreaker was a real joy for me. I felt immersed in the culture and the environment and grew attached to my characters. I’d love to revisit the survivors of this tale that simply grew larger in the telling. Grudgelore, too, was a real pleasure to write and though I’m biased, of course, it’s my favourite background book that we’ve done. Oathbreaker though, for me, was special so I guess I’d have to pick that.
Q: Which genre of BL's output to you like best and why?
A: That’s a tricky one. Warhammer is my favourite universe and I really like the Darkblade books in particular. Horus Rising blew my mind and Dan’s exploits in both Eisenhorn and Ravenor really struck a chord with me as they emulated a lot of what I love in crime thriller fiction with a SF twist, of course. To be honest, though, I don’t think it would be right of me to settle on just one genre as I love a lot of books from both.
Day on day I am constantly surprised and delighted by the novels we have coming through our doors. Heldenhammer, the debut Time of Legends novel by Graham McNeill, is simply stunning and epic. And only recently in fact, I read the latest instalment of the Blood Angels books, Red Fury, by James Swallow – boy did that rock! Truly awesome stuff.
Q: You recently picked the winners for BL writing competition. How did you go about selecting them?
A: We’re looking for something that gets us excited. We want slick writing that sets pulses racing or fires off the imagination like an atom bomb or even something than really speaks to us. We also look for diversity and confidence, maybe a new twist on an old favourite or simply a rip-roaring tale that extols all the best virtues of a given subject and just does it really well.
Planetkill was interesting as entrants really went for it in the imagination stakes. We could have received 600+ entries about Inquisitors ordering exterminatus after a planet was lost to Chaos, tyranids, necrons etc but instead we got some pretty interesting interpretations. It made the job harder but also more satisfying.
Q: The winners then get published in a short story compilation. To an outsider the whole thing sounds like a very tricky balancing act. How do you avoid duplication of style and content? I imagine you already know what short stories you have from in-house authors and the like. What's the perspective from the hot seat? And how hot is that seat?
A: Before the competition even opens, we do have a list of ‘in-house’ authors that we know are going to be feature din the anthology and what they will be writing about, so that definitely helps with balancing things out. We also have several stages of approval, often selecting say twenty or so as a first cut that are judged on several criteria. One of those is obviously writing quality and plot, but we also look at subject matter too.
Sometimes we have to make some very tough decisions if two stories are borderline, and have similar subject matter. This twenty-something is then broken down into a second cut of around ten and we apply the same criteria again but now we’re looking at the overall spread of stories that could go into the book. Here’s where we try and strike our best balance. Of these ten, we could get anywhere from between six and three entrants that will be asked to write the actual story. There’s sometimes some fall off here, too, and hopefully at the end we get about three to five really good stories for the anthology.
As for the seat, well its temperature depends on what stories we get and whether they set our world on fire or not.
Q: Who are or were the biggest influences on your writing?
A: I read a lot of crime thrillers, surprisingly, and by far my favourite authors; Robert Crais, Lee Child and John Connolly, have definitely had, and still have, a big influence on my writing.
In saying that, The Lord of the Rings (at least in part) was inspiring for me growing up as was the Dragonlance Chronicles and Tales by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman and, of course, Legend by the late, great David Gemmell (though the first book of his I actually read was Winter Warriors). Latterly, in the fantasy and SF genre I’ve been influenced by early William King and Jack Yeovil. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson also had a big impact on me as a writer (and wanting to be a writer).
I am reading John Connolly’s The Killing Kind at the moment
Q: What other Warhammer books do you have underway? Any 40K?
A: I’ve got a second dwarf book on the go at the moment. Its working title is Honourkeeper (which may or may not be final). It’s actually a separate story from Oathbreaker and is set just before the outbreak of the War of Vengeance (so more tales of dwarf antiquity). Unsurprisingly, elves are the chief antagonists this time but it doesn’t start out this way, far from it, and I think readers will be intrigued at how the story reaches this point of conflict.
Warhammer 40,000-wise, I’ve got a hankering to write an Imperial Guard novel on the Praetorians but this isn’t confirmed in any way. On my website (which you can reach at www.nickkyme.com), you’ll find a web only Necromunda short story that I’m writing just for fun. It’s kind of a sequel to Back from the Dead and ties up a few loose ends. This is a piece of fan fiction by me, really and a way of saying thanks to all the people that bought it as well as adding something cool to the website.
Q: What about away from BL? Are you writing any other books for different publishers or genres? Is there a hidden masterpiece you have been working on for years?
A: I have ambition to write books for other publishers, but that would be tricky with the conflict of interest at the Black Library and
Solaris.
I do have a masterwork that I intend to finish one day, a SF epic that I’ve been working on for years in one form or another. In fact, I’ve written two or three novels that I’d like to pursue further and expose to the wider publishing world. But who knows? Never say never…
Q: Now for a bit of McCarthyist witch-hunting. 40K and Warhammer WFB. Were or are you a fan or player?
A: I am indeed and have been for years. As I mentioned earlier, my favourite system is Warhammer. I’ve got a HUGE dwarf army (about 4,000 points of which is painted) and also have Empire and Vampire Counts armies, too. For Warhammer 40,000 I play semi-regularly against my older brother with Necrons and Witch Hunters. I don’t get to play as often as I’d like, though.
Q: What do you think is the most common misconception of a writer's life?
A: That it’s glamorous and you end up rich. It’s just not the case (well, to start with at least). It’s not easy, either. You have to put in a lot of hard work and need to be able to respond well to criticism. Being precious but also, conversely, heeding the persistent editor in you is the bane of any writer.
Q: Any practical advice for aspiring BL writers?
A: Read a lot, and widely. Read books about writing and hone your skills. Don’t take critique to heart and resolve to do better next time. Don’t give up, and write about what you love and know first of all. Write fiction and not colour text, and know the distinction between each. Your characters should be real people (albeit in context) – remember this and, if you do it well, others will want to read about them. Have fun with it and enjoy it.
Q: When you become Evil Overlord for the day, what rule would you impose on the genre (apart from giving yourself a lifetime's worth of novels to write)?
A: I’d ban this question. :)
Interview by Martin Belderson
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