At BookArt101, we are delighted to have David Ashura, Author of the upcoming series – ‘Instrument of Omens’ and an Epic Fantacy Writer!
We had the good fortune of interviewing him, and we are certain his answers are going to inspire the inner writer in you! 🙂
Q.) When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer? Did you know from the beginning that you would write fantasy novels?
I think most people who love books discover an itch to write their own stories. For me, that occurred when I was in my early teen years. It was somewhere along the road of reading Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Riddlemaster of Hed by Patricia McKillip, and The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey. I loved all of those books and for different reasons. But it wasn’t until I read The Belgariad by David and Leigh Eddings that I had my first aha moment. It was a question of “I wonder what would happen if . . .”
From that point on, I knew I wanted to eventually become a writer. Of course, things like college, medical school, residency, fellowship, marriage and children slowed the process down, but I eventually made it.
Q.) Did you know from the beginning that you would write fantasy novels?
The short answer is ‘yes’ or ‘maybe’. I actually wanted to write sci-fi, but somehow over the decades, I’ve become a pure fantasist. Looking back, it isn’t much of a surprise given the books I listed as being the ones I loved the most throughout my childhood.
Q.) Who has been your constant source of inspiration since you started writing?
Writing is such a solitary pursuit. You hunker down with pen and paper or laptop or whatever and you’re alone with your words and worlds. And during the entire process, you sometimes only have the vaguest notion that the story you are creating is accurate to the story you envision.
When you come up for air, it helps to have a wonderful spouse and a good writing group of like-minded individuals so you can discuss the craft and decompress. I’ve been lucky enough to have both, and it’s the reason I have a writing career.
Q.) What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Do two quirks count? Anyway, I can’t write without music. I always open the manuscript first, but then I load up a bunch of songs on iTunes. I always start the music first and then get to the manuscript. Also, I can’t write in the same place for too long. I rotate writing between my study at home, my favorite coffee shop, and my favorite bookstore. Or at least I used to until the Covid crisis. Now, I’m locked at home much more than I would like.
Q.) If you could choose to be a book character for a day, who would it be and why?
Levi bar Alphaeus who is known as Biff, from Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s childhood pal. It’s a silly title in what may be one of the funniest, most wonderful stories about Jesus. In essence, Biff is not the worst of us, but he’s not the best and yet he’s loved anyway, which is comforting.
Q.) What are your upcoming projects? Can you brief us on the same?
Right now, I’m in the midst of a new series, Instrument of Omens, and the first book just came out, A Testament of Steel. This is essentially my love letter to Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time. It’s a huge story set in a world of myths and legends, but rather than a sprawling cast, such as in Wheel of Time or Game of Thrones, this one is going to be a focused, intimate story about two warriors, a man and a woman, who are connected in ways that stretch back well beyond the lives they know. Their journey of discovery is part of what fuels the story.
Q.) Before signing off, it would be lovely if you could give a message to our readers!
I hope everyone stays safe during the Covid situation, and staying safe often means staying home. That can obviously be a challenge, and there are only so many television shows and movies to watch and video games to play. But there are endless wonders in books, so happy reading!
Cheers!
If you enjoyed this interview, you will also enjoy our interview with Prateek Srivastava, here.