I first met Tom some years ago, through mutual friends on
Facebook, as so often happens. We soon became friends and then colleagues,
writing for author and publisher Janet
Morris’ anthology of Heroic Fantasy, Heroika: Dragon Eaters, as well as
her wonderful and legendary series, Heroes
in Hell, which this spring (2017) will launch its 18th or 19th volume, (I
lose track, lol!), Pirates in Hell. Tom is not only a very fine artist and
excellent writer, he is also a great father, a wonderful husband, and a true
and kind gentleman I’m proud to know. Here are a few things about Tom you may
or may not know . . . things you definitely should know about this talented
man.
Thomas Barczak is an artist, turned architect, turned writer,
who finally got around to actually writing the stories he started dreaming about
as a kid.
His work includes the dark epic fantasy, Mouth of the Dragon, the illustrated epic, Veil of the Dragon, the Kindle
serials, Awakening Evarun (Parts I-VI)
and Wolfbane (Parts 1-2 of 3), along
with numerous short stories and flash fiction, including those published in “Heroika 1 - Dragon Eaters”, “Nine Heroes”, “Terror
by Gaslight”, and “What Scares the
Boogeyman”, as well as two volumes of the award winning “Heroes in Hell”
series, “Dreamers in Hell”, and “Poets in Hell”.
He writes because he can’t not write. He writes because he needs
to tell the stories he already started on way before, in his paintings, in his poetry,
and even before that, sitting around a table with friends, slaying dragons.
Here, then, is Tom Barzcak, in his own words, in a wonderful
interview that will surely touch your heart.
I don’t know that I, personally, have anything more to say more
than anybody else. But I do believe if I’m honest as a writer, and true to the
story that has been set before me, that once read, I will have given them
something. Perhaps something intangible, but it will be something I have given
to them, a gift that will last through them and hopefully be passed on to
someone else. And I may never know what that was. And I don’t need to. Art is
like that. If it’s done right, and if the recipient is willing, then I believe
that is exactly what should happen. And writing, I do believe, is art.
What
and who are some of your influences and inspirations?
My first exposure to
fantasy was The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. That and playing Dungeons and Dragons. It’s funny. Being
a geek is almost main stream today. But back then it was so underground. But it
was everything. You read. And then you re-read. There was no internet, so if
you didn’t understand something, or disagreed on something, you and your little
group of nerd friends would discuss and argue over minute points for hours.
Kind of like chat rooms today, but only with real people, whom you had to get
along with so you could still play in next weekend’s D&D game. You looked
forward to it ALL week. You had to actually wait.
As time went on I picked
up other influences of course. Today, mine are a small group of authors, some
of whom I’ve actually gotten to know, which is pretty cool. Janet Morris and Chris Morris. I remember seeing their Heroes in Hell series and Thieves
World, on the shelf of Waldenbooks when I was a kid. I admire them for their
craft, and for their mentorship of me.
Jim Butcher. I fell in love his Codex Alera series. He writes with a
depth and weight that I don’t see many fantasy authors write with. He doesn’t
preach to you. But he invites you to ask questions about how you look at a
great many things.
Walter Rhein writes with a gravity and honesty
that does the same thing. Seth Lindberg
does as well.
Honestly there is a lot of
fantasy that I don’t like. I’ll talk about that in a bit. But the work that’s
good is really good.
I have to add William Bernhardt. Most of his work has
been legal thrillers. His Ben Kincaid books were on the NYT best seller list,
though he also started writing urban fantasy a few years back. His SHINE series is really good. He taught
me structure. He, and Robert Ferrier.
They both really taught me how to write, through their lectures and through
their personal mentoring as well. Funny, both are novelists who have turned back
now to a love of poetry. They’re both really good at it too.
How and why did you decide to start writing?
It was kind of a bucket
list thing. I’ve always wanted to, I’ve always dabbled, but the catalyst was
when my 2 ½ year old daughter Olivia died. I think I needed something to do so
I wouldn’t go mad. I needed a creative outlet where it would be safe to bleed. So
I started talking to writers. I started going to writer’s groups and workshops.
I committed myself to the task of learning how to write a novel. And I will say
this, if you are just starting out as a writer, you have to be willing to
accept that you are going to write badly.
Only from there, could I ever really grow. Mostly, and I will say this
to anyone who is new to this, I had to willing to let myself be teachable.
What
genres and/or literary style do enjoy writing in the most?
Fantasy, epic and dark.
Sword and sorcery. Some Horror. Even my darkest work is redemptive in tone, and
my horror is more intellectual than slasher. I am realizing that with so many
young protagonists in my work, it is somewhat Young Adult as well. Mostly I
just write the story. But those are the categories where they usually end up.
Tell
us about your “Dragon” series, published by Perseid Press, and the latest
volume.
My new novel is called Mouth of the Dragon: Prophecy of the Evarun,
and is published by Perseid Press.
To new readers of my work, it introduces them to the world of the Prophecy of the Evarun, of which there
is another novel, Veil of the Dragon,
as well as a six part illustrated Kindle serial titled Awakening Evarun.
Mouth of the Dragon: Prophecy of the Evarun
is the story of what happens to a prophet when the prophecy he serves turns
against him. It is the story of his hunt for a Dragon which lurks in everyone
and everything around him, and whose only desire is to possess the prophet who
hunts it. It is both epic and intimate.
I wanted to write a new
kind of fantasy. I wanted to write a fantasy that honors the genre it dwells
in, but at the same time, maybe, redefines hopefully it a little bit as well. I
hope that I’ve done that with Mouth of the Dragon. With Mouth of the Dragon: Prophecy of the Evarun, I believe I have. Not
arrogantly. Not disrespectfully. But I can’t help but think the reader will
question a few things that for so long have been held as canon for a genre that
sells itself as one where anything is possible. I hope you never see dragons
the same again.
Besides
the “entertainment factor,” what do you strive for in your writing?
Depth and weight. I want
the reader to gain something other than the passage of time, when they put down
the book. I want them to have gained something.
I don’t know that I, personally, have anything more to say more
than anybody else. But I do believe if I’m honest as a writer, and true to the
story that has been set before me, that once read, I will have given them
something. Perhaps something intangible, but it will be something I have given
to them, a gift that will last through them and hopefully be passed on to
someone else. And I may never know what that was. And I don’t need to. Art is
like that. If it’s done right, and if the recipient is willing, then I believe
that is exactly what should happen. And writing, I do believe, is art.
Would
you say that your stories are more plot-driven or character-driven?
I hope a bit of both. I think
they need to be.
If the story is only
character driven, then that implies there are no larger forces at work. I just
don’t think life is like that. Whatever our dogma, religious or atheistic, we
all exist in larger plots that we are to varying extents powerless over. To
ignore that I think would be unbelievable.
If the story is
only plot driven, then it will lack intimacy and empathy both. It too, would be
unbelievable.
And isn’t that the first
goal of the writer, to suspend disbelief?
What
can you tell us about your latest work(s) in progress?
I am currently working on
my third novel, Hands of the Dragon:
Prophecy of the Evarun. I am loving it, so far. I am also working on what I
hope will be my third story in the Janet and Chris Morris’ Heroes in Hell series. When I’m done
with those I have the start of an architectural thriller I am rather excited
about. After that, perhaps some poetry.
What
are some literary goals you’d like to achieve?
Literary
goals: I want to always keep challenging myself. I want to challenge and
broaden the depth of my primary genre, fantasy, or of any genre I write in. I
want every book, every story, to be better than the one before. I don’t ever
want to get lazy, and let my story depend on something someone else has already
done. There are no new ideas, but I do believe, as a writer, I have to take
responsibility for every one of them.
What
genre of fiction have you not yet written for, but plan to in the future?
Hate to say it. Thriller.
The one that so many do. But like with fantasy, I know I’ll have to do it my
way. You can only write what you know. And I don’t know forensics, but as an
architect, I do know what makes buildings fail. So I’ve started dabbling with
an Architectural Thriller. Lots of destruction and only the love of a son for
his mother can stop it. See, it already sounds good.
Name
a few of your favorite literary characters and tell us why they are your
favorites?
Good question. Making me
think. Frodo Baggins, from Lord of the
Rings. Tavi, from Codex Alera.
What
are some of your all-time favorite films and TV shows?
Star Wars, all of them, and Lord of the Rings.
Tell
us about your writing habits, such as: Do you outline extensively? Do you
create your characters first, or your plot? Do you listen to music while
writing, and if so, what kind?
I believe the story is
already written. It’s reality, out there, somewhere. I just get to take peeks
of it and tell the reader what I saw. My biggest job is telling it in a format
that the reader can understand. That’s where the structure and outlining come
in handy. There are some inviolate rules concerning story structure that will
either make you or break you. Won’t go into them here but they really are what
make a story work. And the best idea can fail if you don’t follow them. So I
have a format that I use to make sure I follow them. It involves a loose
outline and I write in sections. Not chapters. I don’t write from beginning and
end. I bounce around between whatever pieces of the story show themselves to
me. The outline keeps things on track and the bouncing takes away any excuse
for writer’s block I might have. That, and I’ve gotten to learn to write 15
minutes at time. No excuse for not writing.
I do listen to music. Film scores, or classical, mostly. Outside
of those, I really like Dead Can Dance.
What else can you tell us about yourself and your reading
habits?
I don’t read nearly
enough. Not as much as I would like to. When I am doing good at it though, I
might read 20 minutes a day. I would love to have the time to read more.
What are you working on now? What can we expect next from you?
Bigger. Better. More.
Seriously.
There are so many
challenges as a writer I would like to take. So many paths I’ve yet to see
others try and take. Some of them no one may ever know but me, but I think I
still have to take them. You asked me in the beginning why I started writing.
One of the reasons is simple. Because I want to write the kind of stories that
appeal to me. Hopefully they will appeal to a lot of other people as well, of
course. But I have to believe I got this gig for a reason. Other people have
their gigs. But this gig, this one is mine. I plan on taking it as far as it
can go.
Thank
you for such a great interview, Tom. It has been a pleasure, and I look forward
to Mouth of the
Dragon. I
guess I’ll be soon sharing the covers of another Heroes in Hell volume with you.
Many blessings to you, my friend!
Many blessings to you, my friend!
TOM'S AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
PERSEID PRESS/IGNITE YOUR IMAGINATION
TOM’S PAGE: VEIL OF THE DRAGON
MOUTH OF THE DRAGON
TOM’S FACEBOOK PAGE
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