Ask the Author: H. Leighton Dickson
Answered Questions (9)
H. Leighton Dickson
Well you know the answer to THAT now! Thanks for giving me the nudge to wade back into the Goodreads waters...
H. Leighton Dickson
This was a hard one to answer, honestly. I literally wracked my brain for days and in the process of doing so, I came across some very interesting brain threads. They answer the question (sort of) but provide a few deeper answers that I had never really stopped to think about. Let me explain…
Now when I first read this question, I naturally assumed it was asking about a favourite ‘romantic’ literary couple. This is likely why I was so stumped. I am not a ‘girly girl’, never read romance or romantic fiction and while I love Jane Austen and the Brontes, it was less for the romance than for the complicated period pieces that they wove. With Austen, the manners, the wit, the banter, the plucky heroine overcoming and winning the day. With a Bronte, it was the mystery, the intrigue, the melancholy and the despair. Gothic angst at it’s finest, whether Heathcliff and Cathy or Jane and Rochester. But as satisfying as say, Lizzie and Darcy are as a couple, none of these would I consider my favourites. I couldn’t just pick one and be done.
No, I’m much more cerebral than that. Friendship was always what fascinated me, or more appropriately, partnership. Phileas Fogg and Passepartout or Aubrey and Maturin – those are the relationships that intrigued me to no end, so naturally, my very first instinct was Holmes and Watson. Funny, I know. I’m not a shipper (which is very popular these days), but I have always loved their relationship. Theirs is a friendship that goes beyond a good cup of tea and a mystery. There’s a mutual dependence that Doyle only touched on, but ultimately carried through his entire series. Not really an arc, it was just there in every story. Holmes, with his brilliant mind and Bohemian lifestyle, needed Watson to ground him, decipher him, humanize him (and not just for the reader. I believe for the character.) Same for Watson, a sharp and capable man in his own right, drawn to the brilliance just a star or two above him, needing to understand, to know, to reach, to grow. They have always been, and likely will always be, my favourite literary couple, and I will never tire of their stories.
That said, if I sat and tried to think about the question as indeed a romantic couple, who would they be??? I have such a lifetime of reading that to single them out would be tricky and I spent a great deal of time pondering the notion. I liked D’Artagnan and Constance. I liked Peter Pan and Wendy. I disliked Hermione and Ron, disliked Lancelot and Guinevere. Really, I think I must have deliberately avoided books with romantic plotlines like the plague.
As I have always said, Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Lions of al-Rassan is probably my favourite novel and the relationship of characters Jehane and Ammar captivated me. Upon taking this deeper, Jehane and Ammar may well have been prototypes for Fallon and Kerris, and suddenly, things began to twig for me. I had stumbled upon a theme.
Fallon and Kerris, Ivy and Sebastien, even at a stretch, Aryss and Stormfall. The same relational dynamic was displayed. Why, I asked myself. Where did this theme start?
Then it hit me. Tarzan and Jane.
I was a big Burroughs buff in my youth (along with Wells, Verne, et al) and being a zoologist, the notion of a man not only living but thriving in the wild thrilled me. He was raw, natural and elemental, understanding things that were beyond the experience of civilized society. Now add Jane, a product of her environment but better, with an open mind, a thirst for knowledge and a desire for more than what society had set out for her. Just like Fallon, just like Ivy. The wild man of the elements? Kerris and Sebastien. Intellect drawn to instinct, and vice versa like the yin-yang symbol I so love.
It’s always there if I keep digging. Phineas Fogg wants more, Passepartout makes it happen. Holmes is the lighthouse, Watson the sandbar he is built upon. Cathy is the aristocracy, Heathcliff the anarchy. Stormfall at war in his life with the sticks. And so it goes. Whether it’s romantic, filial, or philosophical, my favourite couple is the coupling of opposites and how they ultimately bring harmony to a story and sometimes a happy ending.
Whew. That was tough! I should have just said Black Beauty and Ginger over a cup of tea. But I thank the person who asked this question. It really helped me put a spotlight on some of my own personal themes and tropes and I’m sure I’ll be thinking about this for weeks to come.
So I challenge you to think about who your favourite literary couples are, and why? Drop me a note once you’ve thought it through!
Now when I first read this question, I naturally assumed it was asking about a favourite ‘romantic’ literary couple. This is likely why I was so stumped. I am not a ‘girly girl’, never read romance or romantic fiction and while I love Jane Austen and the Brontes, it was less for the romance than for the complicated period pieces that they wove. With Austen, the manners, the wit, the banter, the plucky heroine overcoming and winning the day. With a Bronte, it was the mystery, the intrigue, the melancholy and the despair. Gothic angst at it’s finest, whether Heathcliff and Cathy or Jane and Rochester. But as satisfying as say, Lizzie and Darcy are as a couple, none of these would I consider my favourites. I couldn’t just pick one and be done.
No, I’m much more cerebral than that. Friendship was always what fascinated me, or more appropriately, partnership. Phileas Fogg and Passepartout or Aubrey and Maturin – those are the relationships that intrigued me to no end, so naturally, my very first instinct was Holmes and Watson. Funny, I know. I’m not a shipper (which is very popular these days), but I have always loved their relationship. Theirs is a friendship that goes beyond a good cup of tea and a mystery. There’s a mutual dependence that Doyle only touched on, but ultimately carried through his entire series. Not really an arc, it was just there in every story. Holmes, with his brilliant mind and Bohemian lifestyle, needed Watson to ground him, decipher him, humanize him (and not just for the reader. I believe for the character.) Same for Watson, a sharp and capable man in his own right, drawn to the brilliance just a star or two above him, needing to understand, to know, to reach, to grow. They have always been, and likely will always be, my favourite literary couple, and I will never tire of their stories.
That said, if I sat and tried to think about the question as indeed a romantic couple, who would they be??? I have such a lifetime of reading that to single them out would be tricky and I spent a great deal of time pondering the notion. I liked D’Artagnan and Constance. I liked Peter Pan and Wendy. I disliked Hermione and Ron, disliked Lancelot and Guinevere. Really, I think I must have deliberately avoided books with romantic plotlines like the plague.
As I have always said, Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Lions of al-Rassan is probably my favourite novel and the relationship of characters Jehane and Ammar captivated me. Upon taking this deeper, Jehane and Ammar may well have been prototypes for Fallon and Kerris, and suddenly, things began to twig for me. I had stumbled upon a theme.
Fallon and Kerris, Ivy and Sebastien, even at a stretch, Aryss and Stormfall. The same relational dynamic was displayed. Why, I asked myself. Where did this theme start?
Then it hit me. Tarzan and Jane.
I was a big Burroughs buff in my youth (along with Wells, Verne, et al) and being a zoologist, the notion of a man not only living but thriving in the wild thrilled me. He was raw, natural and elemental, understanding things that were beyond the experience of civilized society. Now add Jane, a product of her environment but better, with an open mind, a thirst for knowledge and a desire for more than what society had set out for her. Just like Fallon, just like Ivy. The wild man of the elements? Kerris and Sebastien. Intellect drawn to instinct, and vice versa like the yin-yang symbol I so love.
It’s always there if I keep digging. Phineas Fogg wants more, Passepartout makes it happen. Holmes is the lighthouse, Watson the sandbar he is built upon. Cathy is the aristocracy, Heathcliff the anarchy. Stormfall at war in his life with the sticks. And so it goes. Whether it’s romantic, filial, or philosophical, my favourite couple is the coupling of opposites and how they ultimately bring harmony to a story and sometimes a happy ending.
Whew. That was tough! I should have just said Black Beauty and Ginger over a cup of tea. But I thank the person who asked this question. It really helped me put a spotlight on some of my own personal themes and tropes and I’m sure I’ll be thinking about this for weeks to come.
So I challenge you to think about who your favourite literary couples are, and why? Drop me a note once you’ve thought it through!
H. Leighton Dickson
Oh I was hoping someone would ask me that question! I actually have a series of soundtracks that I listen to while writing the Upper Kingdom series, including Tan Dun's 'Hero' and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and Ramin Djawadi's 'Game of Thrones', but if I were to pick a theme, I'd have to say either 'Marco Polo' or 'Night Ride Across the Caucasus' in Loreena McKennitt's wonderful CD 'Book of Secrets.' That entire CD is very evocative of the haunting Celtic and Asian blend that continue to inspire the Upper Kingdom.
Oddly enough, while I was writing TO WALK IN THE WAY OF LIONS, I went through a huge Lord of the Dance phase, and my kids will often say "Oh that's Kerris' theme!" ('Breakout') or "Oh, there's Sherah!" ('Gypsy') You can hear Ursa in 'Warriors', Ling in "Celtic Dream", Sireth in 'Lament' and Fallon in any of the singing pieces. It's kind of funny that I can listen to that CD and pick out the subtle shaping of scenes including the powerful scene in Book 2 where the Alchemists converge on Sireth in the tent. If you listen to that piece of music ('Nightmare'), you can literally see the scene play out in your head.
I think if Kirin were to have a theme, it would have to the theme "Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn" - so powerful and majestic and a little sad.
What do you think? Do you have a piece of music that you listen to when you're reading the Upper Kingdom books?
And thanks for asking - great question!!!
H.
Oddly enough, while I was writing TO WALK IN THE WAY OF LIONS, I went through a huge Lord of the Dance phase, and my kids will often say "Oh that's Kerris' theme!" ('Breakout') or "Oh, there's Sherah!" ('Gypsy') You can hear Ursa in 'Warriors', Ling in "Celtic Dream", Sireth in 'Lament' and Fallon in any of the singing pieces. It's kind of funny that I can listen to that CD and pick out the subtle shaping of scenes including the powerful scene in Book 2 where the Alchemists converge on Sireth in the tent. If you listen to that piece of music ('Nightmare'), you can literally see the scene play out in your head.
I think if Kirin were to have a theme, it would have to the theme "Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn" - so powerful and majestic and a little sad.
What do you think? Do you have a piece of music that you listen to when you're reading the Upper Kingdom books?
And thanks for asking - great question!!!
H.
H. Leighton Dickson
Many things inspire me. Usually something I hear, i.e. a piece of music, a news headline, a book title, a pattern on fabric. I am very sensory - the world stimulates me and charges my brain, which is equally left- and right-brained. I can combine science/math/logic with the artsy/big-picture/intuitive side of things and I think that brings real balance to my writing.
H. Leighton Dickson
Ooh, big decision. I just finished COLD STONE & IVY 2: The Crown Prince and I'm torn as to whether I should finish the trilogy with CS&I 3: The Seventh House, or Upper Kingdom 4 - BONES IN THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON, or something completely different to give my brain a rest! :D
H. Leighton Dickson
Learn the craft. Really. Write what rolls out of your brain but don't leave it at that. Chances are it's amateurish. Write it, leave it, read it, fix it, reread it, leave it. Read something else then go back. Learn grammar. Learn spelling. It's important if you want to get better. Like any profession, you are presented with a skill set. Learn it.
H. Leighton Dickson
The creative process. I love to create and for me, it's so gratifying when all the threads that I've woven really come together. The characters, the plot, the subplots, the arcs - it really is like weaving threads of different colours and thicknesses to create a tapestry that actually looks like something in the end!
H. Leighton Dickson
I think. I think, think, think, think, think. I write a little (which is bad I suppose - I should write a lot while I have 'the block' but I don't!) Sometimes I try to generate ideas through reading books or watching movies that are similar (i.e. Anime for the Upper Kingdom series, Steampunk for COLD STONE & IVY) but for the most part, I spend a heck of a lot of time just thinking.
H. Leighton Dickson
Confession time - I was writing fanfic for years, honing my craft with the help of the online community. During a NaNoWriMo month, I took one of the most popular stories (I won an award for it!), adapted it to make it very original and COLD STONE & IVY was born. That one will be published traditionally through my agent, and I just finished the second draft of CS&I 2: The Crown Prince.
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