Ask the Author: L.D. Taylor
Answered Questions (3)
L.D. Taylor
Because this series is loosely inspired by "The Song of Roland" (La Chanson de Roland), like the Song of Roland it will be in three parts (with different settings for each part). I felt it would be fitting to end the series in Europe: the place the Song Roland is set. I haven't yet decided if if the story will take place solely in France (the setting of the third part of La Chanson de Roland) or in one of the other countries Roland myths are set in. I expect France will play at least some part in the story.
L.D. Taylor
A family tragedy actually launched me into writing for teens.
Let's start with, 'why crime thrillers' though. I've always loved mysteries: I grew up on a diet of Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden (girl detective fiction) and graduated into 1930's classic crime novels and short stories. I looked originally at writing crime thrillers for adults, but I didn't like much of what was currently being published (too sordid). However, I quickly realised that in writing for teens: you're expected to keep it clean (whoohoo!) I was dragging my butt a bit though, when my eldest son (then 13) had an incident at school where a kid broke his arm (intentionally). We lived in rural Ontario at the time and had to make numerous trips into Ottawa to the Children's Hospital over the next couple of months. It was on one of those trips (2 hours each way) that I said, 'Ok. Let's see if we can come up with the outline for a mystery novel set in the video game industry." Everyone in the family (except maybe my daughter who was then 1) threw her/himself into it. That's why the first book is dedicated to my two sons: it was really born of their trauma (even my second son ended up having to leave school due to the commotion that followed with the school over how they handled this). So… you never know how something good can be born of something tragic.
Let's start with, 'why crime thrillers' though. I've always loved mysteries: I grew up on a diet of Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden (girl detective fiction) and graduated into 1930's classic crime novels and short stories. I looked originally at writing crime thrillers for adults, but I didn't like much of what was currently being published (too sordid). However, I quickly realised that in writing for teens: you're expected to keep it clean (whoohoo!) I was dragging my butt a bit though, when my eldest son (then 13) had an incident at school where a kid broke his arm (intentionally). We lived in rural Ontario at the time and had to make numerous trips into Ottawa to the Children's Hospital over the next couple of months. It was on one of those trips (2 hours each way) that I said, 'Ok. Let's see if we can come up with the outline for a mystery novel set in the video game industry." Everyone in the family (except maybe my daughter who was then 1) threw her/himself into it. That's why the first book is dedicated to my two sons: it was really born of their trauma (even my second son ended up having to leave school due to the commotion that followed with the school over how they handled this). So… you never know how something good can be born of something tragic.
L.D. Taylor
I get ideas for different elements of the story from different sources. For the mystery storyline I am inspired by the works of the "Queens of Crime Literature" (Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham). Working with the local police force (as a university researcher) for several months also helped me to write the "crime investigation" side of this story realistically (in the original Motive Games story, I leaned on my brother who is a sergeant with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police).
For the 'moral dilemmas', particularly around gaming, I get ideas from various researchers on the subjects I'm tackling (in this case, Dr William Struthers and Michael J Cusick).
As for my characters, my children and their friends give me an endless supply of ideas there.
For the 'moral dilemmas', particularly around gaming, I get ideas from various researchers on the subjects I'm tackling (in this case, Dr William Struthers and Michael J Cusick).
As for my characters, my children and their friends give me an endless supply of ideas there.
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