Gav Thorpe's Blog, page 23
April 6, 2016
Interview with Combat Phase – March 2016
I’m a bit late in promoting this one, but here you can listen to an interview with Kenny Lull of the Combat Phase podcast, where we have a lengthy discussion about The Emperor Expects, and being part of the shared narrative that is The Beast Arises series (including my upcoming novel, book eight in the series, The Beast Must Die!).
Listen to the podcast (interview starts at 17:05).
**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**
Interview with Age of Sigmar Battle Reports: March ’16
I’m a bit late in promoting this one, but here you can read an interview I gave to the Age of Sigmar Battle Reports Facebook group, where I discuss what it was like writing in the new Age of Sigmar setting, and give some background to Arkas Warbeast himself.
If you’re playing Age of Sigmar, the Age of Sigmar Battle Reports Facebook group is well worth a look.
**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**
Interview with Age of Sigmar Battle Reports – March 2016
I’m a bit late in promoting this one, but here you can read an interview I gave to the Age of Sigmar Battle Reports Facebook group, where I discuss what it was like writing in the new Age of Sigmar setting, and give some background to Arkas Warbeast himself.
If you’re playing Age of Sigmar, the Age of Sigmar Battle Reports Facebook group is well worth a look.
**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**
April 2, 2016
Warbeast Round-Up
Warbeast, my first Age of Sigmar novel, has been out for a few weeks now, and here’s what people have had to say:
“The best of the Age of Sigmar series so far and also the first full novel length offering… Gav Thorpe introduces two very different but very engaging characters through whom he explores the personal struggles of the stormcast to be who they are and serve Sigmar. Fight, kill, win Epic work and look forward to more of The Warbeast in the future.”
– Dan Findlay-Robinson, Goodreads
“Just finished Warbeast. I have read all the Realmgate books and Arkas is by far the most characterful Stormcast so far!”
– Rob Fitzgerald, Twitter
And if you’ve not been paying attention to my blog, Facebook or Twitter feeds recently, you’ll have missed the following:
My Author’s Notes blog post has been really popular – there have been some great discussions, and wildly differing views, about Age of Sigmar in the comments. It seems people have also enjoyed getting a glimpse of the Black Library process behind the novel – it’s such a day-to-day relationship for me, I sometimes forget people might find it interesting. I’ll try and post more of this kind of material.
I also published the music playlist I used to write Warbeast, something that several people have said they are listening to as they read the book, and paint minis. An extract of Warbeast is available on the Black Library site, but you can read an, erm, extract of the extract, in this blog post.
I also posted about the cover art, and included some great minis of Celestial Vindicators that had been sent in by Paul Billinghurst.
**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**
March 29, 2016
Nu Thai Screw-Job
The latest edition of Grimdark Magazine includes a short story of mine called Nu Thai Screw-Job. This is a cyber-punk(ish) tale about sex and power, and the dangers when both are abused. Here’s a short extract:
I sit on the end of the bed and pull on black calf-length boots, ignoring Eric as he flops out of the pay-by-the-hour motel cot. Still thirty minutes on the clock but no point hanging around.
I scoped a taxi-port on the eighteenth floor earlier, and I already have my downgrid package ready to offload the moment I can hit a hard station. Twenty minutes from now I’ll be in the wilds and in the clear.
The door explodes inward, splinters from the frame and pieces of molten lock spraying across the room. A giant, snow-skinned blond amazon in black-and-red partial body armour steps in, the Securecorp logo golden on her chest, just above a smaller Okura/ Taisei Corporation kanji. There’s a heavy pistol on her belt and a shock-wand in her hand.
“‘I thought this was legit! I didn’t pay a byte!”’ Eric proves once again that he’s an idiot. Prostitution is not only legal on Nu-Thai, it’s taxed… His second mistake is making a bolt for the door.
Steroid-carved muscles bunch beneath anti-bullet weave as the enforcer thrusts, the flat of her hand connecting with Eric. The blow sends him spinning back onto the bed, a red handprint forming on his flabby chest.
I play it cool, eyeing the enforcer’s muscles.
“‘I think your night just got even more interesting, stud,”’ I say to Eric.
“‘Chemically celibate on duty,”’ a deep voice says from the corridor outside. “‘She’s not interested in either of you.”’
The man that steps into view is below average height, no taller than me, with an almost pitch-black complexion that immediately puts me in mind of the Axum Belt settlements, but his face is clear of tattoos and piercings. His clothes are non-descript, shirt and trousers, nothing different from what the glorious Eric might wear at work on a hot day, but his eyes are pure silver.
It’s the eyes that give him away, a telesynch, an instant before my head explodes with noise and images.
It comes as a blur at first: a child, six years old, her birthday party. She seems vaguely familiar, I don’t know why. Then the scene rewinds, a montage of her getting younger and younger. A piercing flame jets through my cortex. I’m standing on the steps of the Nevermind clinic, having my last moment of panic before the foetal adoption appointment. The child looks at me with her beautiful green eyes. The child. I never even gave her a name.
It all becomes clear, as does my vision. The telesynch turns off his full spectrum state-of-the-art transmission matrix, dropping me back in the room.
“‘My… daughter?”’ I take a breath. And another. It doesn’t calm my racing heart. “Who… Where is she? What happened?”
“‘If you want her to live, listen,”’ he tells me.
I’ve been tinkering with a new sci-fi world over the last few years, and this story is another set in the same universe as Driver Not Found, and End Transmission.
For those that are interested, here’s my music playlist for Nu Thai Screw-Job, but the tracks have been very similar for everything I write in this new universe. For that cyberpunk feel I went for electronic-based music, rather than traditional orchestral or rock tunes. Blade Runner is a given, let’s be honest. While there is no action as such in the story, the inclusion of the Shockland, Dredd and Fury Road soundtracks adds some pulse-pounding beats that helped push me through the tension of certain scenes. The Deus Ex and Ex Machina (I see a theme in the naming conventions here…) soundtracks provide a more ambient vibe. Some of these tracks were suggested by fans after a call on Facebook, so big thanks to you for your participation, now you can see why I was asking!
Grimdark Magazine is relatively new, and you can get your copy for less than the price of ermm… something that’s £1.67, or an even more spanking deal if you go for a back-issues bundle. If you haven’t come across them before, here’s their spiel:
Grimdark Magazine presents the darker, grittier side of fantasy and science fiction. Each quarterly issue features new authors to take you through their hard-bitten worlds.
You’ll get short fiction pieces from some of the big names and new talent in grimdark science fiction and fantasy, as well as articles, interviews, excerpts and whatever else we think will appeal to you. We’ll push the boundaries of the sub-genre before they’ve had time to settle, and look forward to you joining us.
Enjoy the growing sub-genre of science fiction and fantasy that authors like George R.R. Martin, Mark Lawrence, Joe Abercrombie, Sarah Cawkwell, Kameron Hurley, Graham McNeill, and so many more are championing. Our stories are grim, our worlds are dark, and our morally ambiguous protagonists and anti-heroes light the way with horrible decisions and gallows humour.
**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**
March 25, 2016
March 2016 – Q&A
This is a compilation of questions that have been emailed and messaged to me recently.
If you want to ask about anything, you can post a comment here or get in touch through the contact page (and newsletter subscribers can just reply to any of my emails).
Tegeus asked: Hi, sorry for my bad English. I’ve read everything you wrote in Warhammer and Warhammer 40k world and I like your work very much if it is possible, please tell me: why the old Warhammer world was abandoned? so many stories left untold… is it possible to write again about that world? I found very few stories about chaos dwarfs and I guess it would be a beautiful subject, thanks for your books!
Thank you for contacting me. It’s been many years since I worked within GW so I don’t have definite answers to why Age of Sigmar was created. However, from my experience I would say the following reasons were certainly part of the issue:
* Warhammer as was needed large numbers of models to function – unlike 40K it isn’t possible to play the old rules with just ten or twenty models. Even if prices were lower this makes it very hard for people to start playing – the barrier of collecting and painting maybe fifty or sixty miniatures was too high.
* The background was derived from very popular but widespread images and archetypes as well as history. Although this made it very familiar and recognisable, in also meant that many companies are able to produce similar miniatures without license and undercut GW sales. The new imagery and names are more easily defined and legally protected.
I don’t think there will be any opportunity to write in the World that Was – certainly not at the moment while Age of Sigmar is being established. Even if some folks have been put off, GW have to put their weight behind the new setting and system to give it the best chance of succeeding – they would risk splitting what audience they have if they returned to the Old World right now.
And on a similar note (and referencing some advice I gave out about starting at the end of a story), Shawn asked: Hi Gav! Thanks for all the news and thanks again for the writing advice. I’ll try working backwards with 250 words and see what that does. Do you work backwards when writing full length novels? The reason I ask is because, if the BL editors like it and hire me, I’m afraid I won’t be able to capture that same style by starting from the beginning on an assignment. It sounds like you have been quite busy. I hope you can get your fantasy novel out there. Do you find it hard to write your own fantasy after writing so much science-fiction, or does the difficulty stem from the fact that it’s unfamiliar ground and not the Old World? Thanks for your time and all the gaming news too.
I’ve written about my planning process here, and it basically does start at the end, in a way. Even a novel, or a whole series, is building up to a point or illustrating a theme and it is towards that theme that the plot has to direct the reader.
When it comes to actually writing, I usually start at the beginning and just work my way through, but I know some authors, because they have a solid plan in place, can jump around and write the chapters and scenes out of order (I sometimes do this if I run into a mental road block somewhere else and want to keep writing).
Writing my own stuff and Black Library fiction isn’t all that different, though BL needs more research these days. Having a world already created takes away lots of the decision-making required, but in terms of creating compelling narratives, characters and a convincing setting with the text itself, the challenges remain the same. The biggest problem is reining in the ideas into a single novel – I don’t want to be writing a huge book so some areas of the world I’ll need to set aside for the moment and hopefully explore in future books.
Tyler asked on Twitter: How do you pronounce Silverblade’s first name?
Think ‘Theo’ (soft ‘th) – Thee-udd-err-iss
**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**
March 23, 2016
Publishing Advice
I was recently contacted by someone asking the following:
I am working on a fantasy novel manuscript and was just wondering how do I get in contact with publishers? I’ve been looking at some websites but I am still not sure where to send the actual manuscript to be read. I also can’t afford an agent or anything like that so I know I’m probably at a disadvantage.
Any advice would be appreciated.
I’ve responded directly, but thought it may be useful for others, so am also publishing it here on the blog.
There are two main ways to get a novel published (aside from self-publishing which is also worth a look but something I haven’t done myself so can’t comment on in detail). Some publishers have ‘open submissions’ or ‘submissions windows’ that allow un-agented authors to send in their stories direct to the editors. These are becoming more commonplace. The best way to find out is to have a look at the publishers’ websites and look for their submissions guidelines. It’s also useful to follow them on Twitter or Facebook as open submissions windows will be advertised on social media.
For the best chance, make sure you read the submissions guidelines carefully, and look at the other types of books they publish to see if yours is a natural fit for their line.
The other traditional route is to secure yourself an agent. This is much the same process – do some research to find out who represents fantasy authors, and have a look to see who they currently represent to see if they are looking for the sort of thing you are writing. As with the open submissions, be sure to check the agent’s guidelines for format, length etc and follow them to the letter.
Money should not be an issue. An agent will typically take 15% of any advance and earnings secured by a deal with a publisher. This is important – DO NOT PAY MONEY TO A PUBLISHER OR AGENT UP FRONT. There are unscrupulous organisations that are nothing more than vanity presses who will charge writers to use their services, promising royalties later but never delivering. All monetary transaction should flow from the publisher TO the writer. Never pay for marketing, editing or any other part of the process that should be included in the publishing deal. This is where agents can be worth their 15% – getting you the best contract possible.
Some combination of the two is possible – always make sure you let an agent or publisher know if you have a submission elsewhere. If you secure interest from an open submission you may want to contact agents to help negotiate the contract – overseas rights, digital and marketing are all areas they can squeeze out a last few concessions above and beyond the base advance and royalty rates.
These days agents accept the necessity of simultaneous submissions, but do them the courtesy of letting them know, and don’t do it in such a way that it looks like you’re trying to use it to leverage their interest. Similarly, if you do get accepted by someone, let other agents and editors know so that they can remove it from their pile of manuscripts awaiting consideration.
As with the submissions, check the details on how long until you can expect a response. If you do not hear back follow-up when directed.
A good cover letter is essential – have a look at these posts for some advice on synopsis and pitches.
It is unlikely you will be accepted first time, or even for this book. Persistence is required in the selling of work as well as the writing. You must also steel yourself to the distinct possibility that you may not know why your work is being rejected – some editors and agents will include a bit of explanation, but quite often you will receive a form reply thanking you for your interest and nothing more. Specific feedback is unlikely. Pay attention to the detail though – they may like your writing but not the idea, or think the manuscript lacks polish, and so on. From this you will be able to tell if it is worth resubmitting a different story later, or to cross them off your list of potential contacts.
I’m always happy to answer questions about the world of writing, so if there’s something you think I can help with, you can get in touch via the Contact page.
**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**
March 11, 2016
The Dice Cup – Nottingham’s First Board Game Café
Last weekend saw the grand opening of The Dice Cup, Nottingham’s first board game café. If you’ve been keeping up-to-date with my hobby blogs you’ll know that I’ve been trying to make more time for gaming of every variety. A problem that many people have with gaming is finding a venue that’s central for everyone playing, big enough for the game you want to play, and that serves a good cup of tea. When I first saw the Kickstarter campaign for the Dice Cup last year (thanks for drawing my attention to it Amber), it was a no-brainer that I would back it.
The Dice Cup has actually been open for a month or so now, but they have been waiting for delivery of their Geeknson gaming tables before setting a date for the grand opening. If you haven’t seen Geeknson yet, dust off your wallet and head on over to their website (when Sammy is of an age to stop drawing on tables, we’ll definitely be considering getting one). I’ve been in a few times and managed some games already, and it’s a great space. It’s ideally located on Mansfield Road next to the Victoria Centre bus station (used to be an art supplies shop for those who remember), and just a short walk from the city centre and Royal Concert Hall tram stop.
The space is huge, large enough to house three distinct areas without feeling over crowded. The first area is the games and comic shop – they can order in pretty much anything you like, but already have a good stock on site. The second area is the café and general gaming space. The drinks pass the Gav taste test, as does the cake selection (I wanted to be thorough so I could give you my honest opinion. You’re welcome.). The tables in the café area are rough and ready, but do the job perfectly for those just popping in for a cup of tea, or a quick game whilst in town. Just off the café there is also a dedicated gaming room, for those wanting somewhere quieter to run an RPG or such.
The main gaming area, with the Geeknson tables, is in a separate section along with shelves and shelves of games to play – quick card games, European classics, family games – there was something for everyone. I was pleased to see some games that I had donated on the shelves, hopefully they’ll get a bit more use than they had with me.
We managed to get babysitters for Sammy so had the whole day to game. To make the most of it we picked what we knew would be a lengthy game – Sid Meier’s Civilisation. Kez and I had both played it before, but many years ago, so pretty much had to start from scratch learning the rules – it took us nearly two hours to set the table up and have our first turn. What was to be a game played for fun became much more important when we were given a Geeknson bottle opener as a prize for the winner.
Despite the time available we didn’t get to finish the game, and called in Steve (one of the owners) to act as independent adjudicator. Despite the economic wealth and advanced research of my Germans, the game went to Kez with the cultured military might of her Chinese civilisation. Although I claim the moral win as I had a democracy.
The guys that run the Dice Cup are really friendly, and are on hand to recommend and demo games if you’re trying something new. They also do regular ‘how to play’ game videos on their Facebook page. Although they call themselves a board game cafe, miniatures players are welcome too, so if you’ve struggled to find somewhere to play, you should give them a try.
There was a really great atmosphere, with an encouraging number of families and women there too. People stopped by tables to see what others were playing, discussions were had about all things gaming, and everyone was really friendly, and clearly happy to have found a home for their hobby.
This blog has probably come across like an advert for The Dice Cup, but the age of the geek is upon us, and if we don’t support venues such as this now, we’ll lose them altogether. And I for one want somewhere I can hang out with my tribe and enjoy tea and games, hopefully until Sammy is old enough to not just grab everything off their shelves!
**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**
March 10, 2016
Warbeast – Cover Art & Painted Minis
The Age of Sigmar books have a definite style which marks them out from the rest of the Black Library publications. It’s a very graphic approach, which really makes them pop off the shelf. This particular cover for my new book Warbeast, features ‘Decimator’ by Knightex, and the ‘Pestilens vs Knights Excelsior’ art by Alexandre Chaudret.
As well as inspiring artwork like that above for Warbeast, Age of Sigmar is inspiring stunning miniatures such as these heroes of the Celestial Vindicators sent to me by Paul Billinghurst. Painting miniatures is a part of the hobby I really enjoy, but I could never claim to have even a tenth of the skill of these. I’d love to showcase more painted miniatures here – send in any photos you have (e-mail / Facebook / Twitter) of your Clan Pestilens, Celestial Vindicators, and Knights Excelsior and I’ll post my favourites up on my website.
**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**
March 9, 2016
New Releases: Legacy of Caliban & Doom of the Elves
This week sees the publication of two collections featuring my work, both available now from Black Library.
The Legacy of Caliban eBook collection (ISBN: 978-1785721915) is available now, and contains the trilogy of Ravenwing, Master of Sanctity and The Unforgiven, plus the short story collection Lords of Caliban which includes Honour of the Third, A Hunt in the Dark, Battle-Brothers, Accept No Failure, Holder of the Keys and All Must End. You can find out more about these stories by clicking on the links. If you want to see how these books fit together, take a look at my Reader’s Guide.
This eBook collection, available from Black Library, is a great way to get nearly all of my Dark Angels work in one place – all you’ll need to round things off are The Purging of Kadillus and Angels of Darkness.
The other collection is The End Times: Doom of the Elves, the second Warhammer End Times omnibus, which contains my novel The Curse of Khaine, along with Bride of Khaine by Graeme Lyon, Siege of Naggarond by Sarah Cawkwell, and Deathblade by CL Werner. As the title suggests, this binds together a chunk of the elven tale of the End Times, charting the final great battles of Naggaroth and Malekith’s last invasion of Ulthuan. (If you want to know how the story started… Well, that’s all the way back in The Sundering.)
You can pre-order The End Times: Doom of the Elves in paperback now, and it will be available on Saturday 12th March (ISBN: 978-1784961626)
**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books.**
