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Like a flock of dive-bombing gulls, the great stones of the Yurrish trebuchets and catapults twisted and turned in the air. One jagged chunk struck the bow of a Karraban galley and splinters and shards burst forth to a chorus of cracks and screams. Another great boulder obliterated the masthead of a nearby ship, hurling those upon the deck overboard.
More missed than struck. The yellow tide did not falter.
Driven forward by oars, the Karraban fleet ate up the water, moving in a diagonal line. The trebuchets were taking an age to reload. From his vantage point, Jem could see those on the quay hurrying to winch back the catapults. At the sound of a frantic horn, the arms of the catapults were unleashed and clusters of iron balls, stones and rocks rained down on those ships leading the Karraban charge, puncturing hulls, sails and decks.
Still they came.
The trebuchets, ranges adjusted, loosed again and once more struck a destructive blow. The Karrabans still persisted. Yurrish archers upon the quay walls unleashed their first volley. Unfortunate rowers upon the open decks screamed, and the momentum of a number of ships waned, oars falling slack or tangling with others. One talented, or lucky, archer struck a helmsman and the galley veered into another, scraping its side and snapping its oars, and, no doubt, the arms of a few oarsmen too.
The Karrabans answered with arrows of their own, their archers placed in crow’s nests and platforms built amongst the rigging. The air quickly grew thick with darts. The persistent shouts and cries of men were incrementally drowned out by the great crashes of stone against wood as the loads of catapults and trebuchets fell. The frenetic scene around the quay wall absorbed Jem’s attention. Creeping into the top of his vision, looming behind the chaos, came the first of the great galleons. Its rowers slowed, turned portside, level with the quay gate.
"Sir, the galleon carries the thunder. You must stop it!" Jem shouted.
Gundar looked to where he pointed and nodded. He dispatched messengers to the quay and artillery stations. Jem spotted hatches opening on the portside of the ship. Catapults continued to fire at the galleys, though some quick-thinking engineers had turned their aim to the galleon.
Their loads fell short. The trebuchets were still reloading. They were the only ones who had a hope of hitting it, if any of their operators had the presence of mind to know where to aim.
One by one, their great wooden arms swung forwards. Huge rocks hung in the air like eagles.
Everyone upon the wall had their eyes upon them, hoping they struck, willing them to do so, and despairing as they watched each one splash harmlessly into the water.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with . . . Richie Billing . . .
Thank you very much for hosting me on your fantastic site. It’s an honour to be able to share this space with you and your followers.
How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
I’m quite a visual or cinematic writer. My job is to transfer the images in my mind into yours and I spend a lot of time thinking of interesting ways to do that.
To achieve that as best I can, you’ll probably find my general prose clear and easy to follow. While I appreciate a florid touch, clarity is much more important to me.
My stories tend to reflect my working class background. My characters are often underdogs, or flawed in some way, or maybe corrupted by the harshness of their situation and the world around them. To me, this is what reality is like, and while it’s all well and good reading about the strifes of kings and queens, that’s not the kind of story I can relate to.
You can learn more about me and my writing on my website.
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?
I’ve always enjoyed writing. And when I think about it, that probably began in university. I found myself quite taken by the prospect of doing essay-based projects. I loved doing the research and learning lots of new things and then composing all of that into a coherent piece.
Writing fiction I found difficult at first. The words flowed out of me no problem, but the quality was poor to say the least. I’ve spent years learning, studying, practicing—and that never stops.
It’s all helped me refine that flow of creativity a little bit so that what I do spew onto the page at least makes sense enough to edit.
I’ve had one period where I really struggled to get this “flow” going. It came after finishing Pariah’s Lament, funnily enough. I decided to take some time off and when I came back to it I felt as if I’d forgotten everything.
It was more of an Imposter Syndrome issue in the end—the bane of my writerly existence—and I was able to get back to it after a while.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?
This all depends what mood I’m in. Sometimes I can just pull out my phone if I’m just standing idly waiting and can tap out a few words. You always write more than you think too, which is nice.
Other times I have to settle down and feel at ease so that I can properly immerse myself in the scene. It can depend on the type of scene you’re writing too.
As for a routine, I try to write every day, but sometimes it just isn’t possible with all of the other jobs that pile up. When I get a full day of writing to myself, I like to write for a few hours in the morning, take a break around lunch time for a few hours, go at it again mid afternoon, break again in the evening, and then have a late night session into the early hours. If I can keep a handle on procrastination I can usually get quite a lot done.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation?
I always struggled with creating characters until I came across the author and playwright Lajos Egri. His “Bone Structure” approach changed everything for me.
It’s a method that allows you to learn everything about your character—not just what they want for breakfast, but why they want it. Using simple questionnaires, you first have to define their physical appearance, then their sociological background (family upbringing, friends, social class etc) and lastly, their psychological state, which is the result of the first two. Egri calls these the three dimensions—a way of creating a three dimensional character.
I also try to define what a character wants above all else in life, and what they’re most afraid of. Both things are powerful motivators.
After following this process I usually have a good sense of a character, but I don’t rigidly define them. I’m getting to know them still, and as they move through the story I learn even more about them. And sometimes they can change the plot in unexpected ways.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character(s)? If so which one(s)?
I actually found myself pretty close to the two main characters in Pariah’s Lament—Edvar and Isy. And I only realised this when I’d finally finished the novel and sent it all off. There was a noticeable absence. Though fictional, I’d spent an inordinate amount of time with these characters—creating them, growing them, learning all about them. And when the novel was done, they were gone.
In the end I felt a little bereft, so they’re definitely two characters I’ve forged a close bond with.
Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
I’m currently working on two projects, both at very different stages. One is a high fantasy novel that’s currently being pitched to agents. It follows the story of a young mother fleeing a brutal war with a race of creatures called rymlaks (half ogre, half goat). Along the way she discovers more about the war, why it’s being waged and who by. It all very much explores the classic fantasy theme of good vs. evil. This is my interpretation.
The other project is set in the same world and is more of a novella. It follows the events of a single day in which the oppressed people of a grossly corrupt city rise up and overthrow the government. It’s been a lot of fun to write and it’s one I’m publishing independently so you’ll see it soon.
That’s all I’m working on at the minute. If you’re reading this and you like the sound of what I’ve just described, you can join my mailing list to stay in the loop for any new releases as well as get some free books and short stories.
Where would you spend one full year, if you could go ANYWhere, money is not a concern? What would you do with this time?
I’d love to spend a prolonged period of time in India. So much about the country fascinates me. I love the rich culture and history—stretching back thousands of years. I love the food and I find the people tremendously kind and welcoming. Hinduism also interests me and I’d love to learn more about that too. And also the country is incredibly beautiful, with lots of different animals, plants and landscapes. It’d be an amazing place to spend a year, exploring, traveling around and writing in between.
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