The story behind the story

My writing process is a mix of structure and enthusiasm. Once I’ve formulated the idea for a book, I sit down and write what I call the First Fifty.

The First Fifty are the first fifty pages of the novel. They come fast and furious, and if I’m still excited after they’re finished, I know the book has legs.

When I started Dragon Run, I wrote the First Fifty from a dragon’s point of view, Lord Archovar’s to be specific. Those words didn’t come easy. I fought and struggled and wrote and rewrote...