The Story Behind the Story with Steve C. Eston of Fredericton, NB, Canada.

 

Steve is no stranger to theScribbler, having been our guest several times in the past.

He’s an excellent storyteller and weare happy to have him tell us about his contribution to the Path Anthologies.

If you missed his previous visits,please go HERE.

Read on my friends.

 

 

Steve C. Eston is the author of four books: The Burden of the Protector,The Conclave, Deficiency, and The Stranger of Ul Darak (Book 1 of The LostTyronian Archives – Available in December 2023).

He has been a lover of the fantastical and the scientific since he was ayoung boy. He wrote his first story by hand while still in elementary school —a five-page fantasy action/adventure about a tiger-masked ninja fightingmystical monsters that included his own illustrations.

When not spending time with his family, Steve try to make time for one ofhis numerous hobbies, which include reading, listening to music, playing videogames, watching movies, making puzzles, and playing hockey and tennis. He alsolove to travel and have developed an obsession with New Zealand after travelingthere in 2015 (visiting the set of Hobbiton and hiking alone the slopes ofMount Doom may have something to do with it).

For more information on his current writing projects and for free shortstories, visit him at www.sceston.com.

 

 

Working Title: Erasing

 

 

Synopsis: Ayoung girl and her family try to find an escape when their small villagebecomes the target of the powerful Sentinels.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story: ‘Erasing’ is my contribution toSpring Paths: An Anthology, the third book in the Paths series, which regroupsshort stories inspired by the four seasons. It continues to be amazing to workwith the authors of the Seasonal Collective in putting these books together.I’ve learned a lot from each of them and hope we will keep going for severalyears to come. At this point, we’re already thinking about the next instalment,Summer Paths.

Ineach book of the Paths series, I try to create a short piece that complementsor expand on one of my publishes books or stories. For example, the events in‘Erasing’ take place around 10 years before the beginning of my upcoming highfantasy book, ‘The Stranger of Ul Darak’. It is a great story on its own, whileproviding background information about one of the main characters, as well asshowing how powerful and dangerous the Sentinels, a key organisation in theseries, are.

Writingside stories  like ‘Erasing’ is a greatway for me to explore characters or events that I wouldn’t normally get thechance to discover. I’ve come to cherish and look forward to creating theseshort pieces.

 

 

Aquestion before you go, Steve:

Scribbler: Can you tell us about the perfect setting you have, ordesire, for your writing? Music or quiet? Coffee or tequila?  Neat or notes everywhere? 

Steve: There is a big difference between theperfect setting, and the reality of my writing. Years ago, I used to have achair in a corner of our guest bedroom and I would write every morning, betweensix and seven, closing the door, and putting on headphones. Those were the goodold days.

Now, we have moved and added four young children toour family. I do not have a dedicated writing space any longer, and I need tobe creative and flexible, balancing writing with my new responsibilities as aparent. I try to be as consistent as I can, and write regularly, even if onlyfor fifteen minutes.

I prefer to write with headphones, listening toinstrumental music that fits with the story I’m writing. Movie or video gamesoundtracks tend to work well for me. For example, I listened to the soundtrackof the movie The Adjustment Bureau while writing ‘Deficiency’, my sciencefiction thriller. More recently, I used the soundtrack of the movie TheFountain while writing my upcoming high fantasy book, ‘The Stranger of Ul Darak’.I’m also working on a new dark fantasy series and listen to the soundtrack ofthe Witcher 3 video game while doing so.

I scribble ideas and notes in several notebooks that Ikeep all over the house, and the cars. I also use my phone, texting myself so Idon’t forget ideas that appear, often at the most random of times. When I havea minute, I copy and consolidate everything in a series of documents I keep onmy laptop, one for each of the fictional worlds I write into.

 

 

Thanks forbeing our guest this week, Steve. Thanks for being part of the SeasonalCollective. Wishing you a ton of success with the new book coming soon. I amanxious to get my hands on ‘The Stranger of Ul Darak’. 

And a HUGEthank you to our visitors and readers.

 

****If youare intrigued by Steve’s novel - ‘The Stranger of Ul Darak’ – watch here December 16thfor the SBTS of the book.

Mark it in your calendar.