Greetings Dragons!
Yes, it's that time again. I got the opportunity to sit down with author Eric Staggs to talk about him and his upcoming book, "The Serpent Rider." Join me as I put Eric under the microscope.
Eric grew up in New Mexico and moved to Wisconsin when he was a teenager, just in time for high school. His youth was fairly typical. He got into writing without even realizing it.
"One day I realized I’d filled an entire notebook with the adventures of an Orc hero. It was a form of escapism. From algebra, specifically. Before I knew it, I was in the computer lab during every free hour writing science fiction stories about clones. Ultimately, I guess I was exploring the existential crises without realizing it."
Eric always seemed drawn to genres like science fiction and fantasy, which have consistently stayed his favorites.
"I think it’s a form of escapism again. If I wanted to read about real people and drama and suffering, I’ll just look out the window. The Sci-fi/Fantasy genre has so many powerful authors – Asimov to Zelazny there’s something for everyone."
Eric is a huge fan of Sword and Sorcery/low-fantasy pulp fiction. Authors like Michael Moorcock and Roger Zelazny are his primary inspiration and have filled him with ideas for his own stories. It's authors like these that make Eric want to be a better writer.
"When I read works like Dune by Frank Herbert, I feel inspired but humbled as well. The complexity of these stories is staggering. I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention Robert E. Howard and his epic hero, Conan, as an inspiration. Perhaps somewhat dated, Conan is nevertheless sword and sorcery adventure pulp at its finest."
The direct inspiration for "The Serpent Rider," came from his lifelong obsession with the myths of great sea monsters and the lore of Atlantis, the lost city of legend. Interestingly enough, Eric suffers from thalassophobia, the fear of the ocean, deep water, and what could be lurking therein. Eric saught to use this fear and channel it into his writing, in order to give the world of "The Serpent Rider" the intensity and authenticity it called for. Eric sees his thalassophobia as ironic for someone who lives on the shore of Lake Superior.
When writing his stories, including that of "The Serpent Rider," Eric has gone through several different methods. He's used just about everything imaginable. From spiral notebooks to computer software like Scrivener, Pages, Word, and Final Draft. The list goes even goes on from there. When it comes to hardware, Eric's used an iPad, a desktop iMac, and a PowerBook laptop.
"If I were to be stuck with any single software forever, I guess I would say I prefer Scrivener. But I’ve found that a beer and a notebook are the best places to start. I work out key events in the story I want to tell, then fill in the flesh later. Index cards and notebooks are by far the most useful tools. That and a fresh pen."
"The Serpent Rider" wasn’t initially conceived of as a series. However, after discussing the book with a few of his beta readers, it became apparent to Eric that there are many additional stories about many other heroes of Atlantis that need to be told. With that in mind, he has many stories in the series planned out, even though I won't commit to an exact number at this time.
"The ideas keep piling up and swirling around. I’d like to work out a straight sci-fi story, but I feel like Atlantis has so many additional stories."
Eric's book is intended to be a fun and fantastical read. He had fun writing it, with the hope that everyone who picks it up will have just as much fun reading it.
"I’m not writing a historically accurate epic, it’s a myth built on a myth. Just relax and enjoy the ride. Tell a friend. Let them enjoy it too."
Here's a quick summary of the book from the author himself:
As a child, Keteris of Atlantis never dreamed he’d become a Serpent Rider. One fateful day he came face to face with Long Shadow, a dread sea serpent with a reputation for being untamable. Keteris and Long Shadow, against all expectations, bond and become Rider and Serpent. Meanwhile, Atlantis’ tyranny of its vassal states and the free people of the Inner Sea reach a critical point. Keteris finds himself a central player in a war that he does not believe in. Keteris, duped by a sorceress spy, loses his Astrodextria, a tool that can expose the location of Atlantis. The people of Atlantis turn on Keteris, punishing him for his perceived lack of responsibility. His accomplishments forgotten, Keteris is imprisoned in the Ortorios, a half-sunken dungeon where Atlantis’ enemies are put to be forgotten about. Betrayed by his own people, Keteris finds himself traveling to strange places and making unusual allies to stop a world-spanning war before it starts. But will Atlantis accept his aid? Or will centuries-old prejudices bring mighty Atlantis to the brink of destruction?
We hope you've enjoyed this look under the microscope at Eric Staggs and his upcoming novel, "The Serpent Rider." Have any more questions for Eric? Let us know down in the comments, or try asking in our Author Chat.
-Jay