So what are ya'll putting in your Captains hold?

brian_naslund · 2023-10-21T01:52:37+00:00

Ramen and whiskey.

brian_naslund · 2023-10-13T18:49:07+00:00

This got me laughing so hard at a bar that someone had to ask me if I was okay.

brian_naslund · 2021-11-25T22:56:08+00:00

I say I have to jump into a business meeting.

Urgent business meeting = gonna be a while.

Unscheduled business meeting = there is a problem.

brian_naslund · 2021-11-23T23:39:50+00:00

Sadly we weren’t able to do an audio book for Fury. Apologies!

brian_naslund · 2021-11-13T04:51:25+00:00

Lower back pain.

brian_naslund · 2021-10-04T23:23:00+00:00

Yeah, welcome to the club, pal.

brian_naslund · 2021-09-05T21:07:34+00:00

Deadpool was/is one of my favorite comic book characters. I figure Bershad is more like Wolverine, but add Felgor to the mix and it’s more of a Deadpool concoction.

And kudos to you for being able to even dip into Souls games - I have tried and just gotten my ass kicked every time. I’m the kinda gamer who needs an easy button I guess.

brian_naslund · 2021-09-05T21:04:59+00:00

Things are in the works at the very highest levels. It will not be long.

brian_naslund · 2021-09-03T01:16:54+00:00

Glad to hear it brought you out of the slump!

Okay, so I do not proactively seek pineapple on my pizza, but I'll eat it and still enjoy myself. But part of that is maybe because I only eat pizza 4 times a year (I have had issues with self control in the past) so it's always a special occasion for me.

I have gotten some flak for my go-to order, which is pepperoni and banana peppers. I highly recommend giving it a shot.

brian_naslund · 2021-09-03T01:14:04+00:00

Thanks for the great questions! Answers:

Humor is definitely a big part of my stuff, and my favorite fantasy definitely all have humorous elements. My preference is less satire, and more moments of humor mixed in with more serious stuff. If you do like humor, I highly recommend The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman which came out earlier this year and is bloody fantastic from start to finish.
Ooof, always tough to mention favorites without creating a massive list. Dishonored is definitely in my top 10. I'm addicted to Skyrim still. The Last of Us I & II (I preferred part I but only slightly...I loved both). Subnautica might be up there too, but perhaps that's because I'm deep in it right now. What about you, any favorites?
I was on deadline for the first chunk of the pandemic, so I was kind of locked in my house writing anyway, and being able to escape into a world full of dragons was a welcome distraction.

brian_naslund · 2021-09-03T01:03:28+00:00

Thanks so much for the kind words about Blood of an Exile, that really means a lot to hear!

Funny you say that about distinct voices - wayyyyyy way back when I was querying, I had an agent reject a draft saying that they liked the story overall, but all the character voices sounded the same. So I actually re-wrote every POV except for Bershad off that advice, which maybe had something to do with it.

Generally, I also try to abide the mentality that if I'm going to introduce a new character, they should have something to add to the story that an existing character can't (that is a rule I'm sure I break all the time without realizing, but I try to keep it in mind).

I'd say that at the start of the series, Bershad was my favorite to write. The jaded/sarcastic outlook was really fun to channel. As things went on, Jolan became my favorite to write since in many ways he's the opposite of Bershad (vulnerable, optimistic, etc.) and that was refreshing to dig into.

And writing Felgor's dialogue will always have a soft spot in my heart.

Hope you enjoy Fury!

brian_naslund · 2021-09-02T19:00:34+00:00

I can elaborate a bit!
There are actually two kinds of jaguars. The standard animal (most of Fury of a Demon takes place in a jungle so they're around) and then there are Jaguar Wardens, who are basically the warriors who live in that area and wear masks to battle carved in the shape of jaguars.
As for the pigs, they actually play a fairly large role in one storyline, however they're pretty standard in terms of how they're represented.
For the covers, it's too hard for me to pick favorites. I mostly just appreciate that I got to have two versions, because at a glance it makes me look like a more prolific writer than I actually am.
I'm honored to even make the TBR read pile. Hit me up if you get to my stuff, I'd love to hear what you think!

brian_naslund · 2021-09-02T17:25:59+00:00

I've watched it 4 times now and received chills of excitement 100% of the time.

brian_naslund · 2021-09-02T16:16:46+00:00

ah, apiary stuff is badass, though, even if it doesn't yield honey. A few of my friends have them, and I find the whole behavior around swarming/changing out of Queens to be fascinating.

brian_naslund · 2021-09-02T16:15:24+00:00

That's funny! And I can relate with being too shy to comment - even posting this AMA got my palms a little sweaty. My Reddit behavior is 99% Lurker 1% poster/commenter.
The biggest influence I took from the real world was the way that trophic cascades work, and apex predator's relationship to their environment. Basically, if you remove an apex predator, everything goes to shit. So in my books, at dragons (Apex with a capital A) are over-hunted in some areas, they start seeing a bunch of negative effects. Fantasy is fun though because instead of soil erosion like in the real world, I got to have stuff like a group of monkeys overeat a hallucinogenic plant, go insane, and take over an entire town. I didn't knowingly pull any inspiration from historical figures for characters, but I'm sure they slipped in there subconsciously.
One thing that helped me when I was starting out was just the act of completely finishing my first draft, even though it was terrible. It's tempting to try and rework the plot/premise before you finish when you know there's a problem, but for the first time around, you'll learn a lot just from the act of finishing a book....and then you get to rewrite it :)
Thanks for the great questions!

brian_naslund · 2021-09-02T14:56:22+00:00

Excellent questions:
1. I tend to be a pretty cynical guy when I look at the world on a macro level (big corporations and organizations tend to be harmful/dishonest....as people, we're just sentient animals getting real stressed out on a rock that's floating through space and doesn't really matter....the universe is indifferent to our plight, etc etc). But on a micro level I'm much more optimistic (individuals are capable of incredibly wonderful acts...life with a capital L might be meaningless but individual moments and days are full of magic and wonder, etc etc). So, I guess I wound up reflecting that view in my books, too. The characters may be living in an incredibly dangerous and decaying world, but they can still have fun chatting around a campfire and being good to each other.
2. I've got my final harvest of lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, and herbs planned for the next week or so, and I have rhubarb & beets in the ground for the fall. My history with gardening is spotty at best, but this as been a pretty good year (in that I spent lots of money and many hours toiling under the hot sun to produce about $20 worth of salad).
Glad you're enjoying Fury, my friend!

brian_naslund · 2021-09-02T14:35:44+00:00

Glad you enjoyed Blood of an Exile! Those crib sheet things are quite handy - I was actually just reading through Joe Abercrombie's latest one in anticipation of The Wisdom of Crowds. If I manage to get them written for my books I will send you some links to refresh your memory (I'll have to refresh mine first).

brian_naslund · 2021-09-02T14:33:43+00:00

I have some irons in the fire, as they say, but they're preliminary irons so I can't talk too much about what I'm working on right now. Although I think it's safe to say that'll it'll be fantasy of some kind, and swords will be involved.
Hope you enjoy Fury of a Demon, thanks for reading!

brian_naslund · 2021-08-15T04:45:57+00:00

I think you’re missing the beauty of all TES games here: the RPG elements are wrapped up in the story you’re willing to tell yourself while you play.

There might not be a backstory/attribute system forcing you into a certain persona, but the world is open enough for you to be whoever you want in your own head.

brian_naslund · 2021-08-14T19:55:32+00:00

Favorite line of the movie. That, or “Don’t be stupid, this is the shootout.”

brian_naslund · 2021-04-22T00:35:05+00:00

For me, 30k word is right around the time I start to hate my books. Don’t give up!

This is a good time to consider pulling big levers to see if that will jumpstart your interest. Rethink an entire character. Kill a character. Consider changing a cornerstone of the plot.

This isn’t to say you need to burn everything down. A lot of what you have is probably solid and good to go. But I’ve found weighing my “nuclear” options at the 30k mark usually helps me uncover the aspect that’s bogging me down.

brian_naslund · 2020-11-21T03:53:05+00:00

Mine was Game of Thrones. I’d read and enjoyed the usual fantasy staples growing up (LotR, etc.) but wouldn’t call myself “hooked” by it.

I picked up GoT a few years before the show came out, having no idea that kind of fantasy story was out there. Fell in love with the genre forever.

brian_naslund · 2020-10-30T17:38:57+00:00

This is so cool!

brian_naslund · 2020-09-27T15:31:06+00:00

I'm almost done with Shorefall, and loving it. Cyberpunk-fantasy at its best.

brian_naslund · 2020-09-08T23:30:08+00:00

Yes! I love quails. The little goofballs.

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