Ask the Author: R.M. Archer
Answered Questions (9)
R.M. Archer
All of my works thus far are standalones, yes!
Several of the short stories in Short Story Collection vol. 1 connect to a larger universe but can be read on their own; Calligraphy Guild, similarly, is a standalone story even though it takes place in a world I intend to explore further in the future.
Lost Girl stands completely on its own, and the same is true of The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles.
Several of the short stories in Short Story Collection vol. 1 connect to a larger universe but can be read on their own; Calligraphy Guild, similarly, is a standalone story even though it takes place in a world I intend to explore further in the future.
Lost Girl stands completely on its own, and the same is true of The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles.
R.M. Archer
I don't put as much time into worldbuilding for things like (standalone) short stories. Because I love worldbuilding so much, novel-length works tend to lead to more extensive worlds later on, lol. But some projects definitely get more worldbuilding beforehand than others, and it really just depends on how much I need for the project (which I'll be writing a blog post about shortly) and how much I like the world for its own sake.
Making a world feel dynamic without spending a whole lot of time on it—whether for a short project or a first draft or whatever the case may be—is something I cover in The Worldbuilding Toolbox, too!
Making a world feel dynamic without spending a whole lot of time on it—whether for a short project or a first draft or whatever the case may be—is something I cover in The Worldbuilding Toolbox, too!
R.M. Archer
Yeah, it was actually really interesting how much Asian fantasy came out all at once in 2022, lol.
As for what inspired me to write it (back in 2018)... I think it might have just hinged on the name Duyên and the fact that I had a half-Vietnamese best friend at the time. I was exploring a more diverse array of cultures via my worldbuilding and Asia seemed like a logical next step, I guess. In the end, Virilia took inspiration from Vietnam, Japan, and China.
As for what inspired me to write it (back in 2018)... I think it might have just hinged on the name Duyên and the fact that I had a half-Vietnamese best friend at the time. I was exploring a more diverse array of cultures via my worldbuilding and Asia seemed like a logical next step, I guess. In the end, Virilia took inspiration from Vietnam, Japan, and China.
R.M. Archer
I always hate this question, lol. It's often hard for me to pinpoint the source of an idea.
I started The Shadow Raven after reading Heartless by Marissa Meyer, and Nissa was inspired off of Jest. Um... that's the only part of it I can really identify, lol. The world already existed, so I just fit the characters into it.
With The Last Assassin I wanted to see what happened to Catessa after the end of The Heart of the Baenor, so I wrote it.
I don't remember where the idea for The King's Paladin came from, but before too long I decided the three of them would be cool if they were interconnected, so I started having a lot of fun intertwining them and now they're 100% inseparable, lol.
I started The Shadow Raven after reading Heartless by Marissa Meyer, and Nissa was inspired off of Jest. Um... that's the only part of it I can really identify, lol. The world already existed, so I just fit the characters into it.
With The Last Assassin I wanted to see what happened to Catessa after the end of The Heart of the Baenor, so I wrote it.
I don't remember where the idea for The King's Paladin came from, but before too long I decided the three of them would be cool if they were interconnected, so I started having a lot of fun intertwining them and now they're 100% inseparable, lol.
R.M. Archer
Ooh, retelling. Retellings are awesome.
I actually haven't read a lot of classics (I know, shame on me as a writer), so I might not have a great answer for this. I've enjoyed retelling Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. The Raven by Edgar Alan Poe could be interesting as a retelling. A few of my favorite classics are The Scarlet Letter, Tom Sawyer, and Fahrenheit 451, but I don't think any of those could be easily retold. Frankenstein and Jekyll and Hyde would both be good for retelling.
Interestingly enough, of the five I just suggested for retelling I've only actually read two, I'm simply familiar with the stories of the others, lol.
Hopefully that helps. :)
I actually haven't read a lot of classics (I know, shame on me as a writer), so I might not have a great answer for this. I've enjoyed retelling Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. The Raven by Edgar Alan Poe could be interesting as a retelling. A few of my favorite classics are The Scarlet Letter, Tom Sawyer, and Fahrenheit 451, but I don't think any of those could be easily retold. Frankenstein and Jekyll and Hyde would both be good for retelling.
Interestingly enough, of the five I just suggested for retelling I've only actually read two, I'm simply familiar with the stories of the others, lol.
Hopefully that helps. :)
R.M. Archer
Music helps. The Spotify playlist for the trilogy I'm working on is almost eight hours long, and still growing. Music generally gets me into a mood to write. Sometimes I don't really need "inspiration," though, I'll just sit down and start writing, trying to hit my minimum for the day, and the next thing I know I've written 700 words or more. Not all days are like that, obviously, but discipline is better than inspiration and you're not going to get a book done without at least some measure of discipline.
R.M. Archer
Mm... almost all of it, honestly. Creating worlds that didn't exist before, making readers feel, creating characters that you spend a lot of time writing and get to know really intimately, polishing something you created into something worth reading... The whole thing is just really cool. At least until you hit marketing.
R.M. Archer
I'm mostly likely to either succumb to it and not write until I have motivation again or just write through it. (The latter works much better than the former.)
R.M. Archer
As far as writing goes I'm working on the second book of a high fantasy trilogy.
I'm also working on editing the prequel to that series, which I intend to publish in February 2019. I'm super excited about that and I'm really enjoying editing it and making it better. Currently I'm working on the third draft. :)
I'm also working on editing the prequel to that series, which I intend to publish in February 2019. I'm super excited about that and I'm really enjoying editing it and making it better. Currently I'm working on the third draft. :)
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