Thursdays of Sword & Sorceress 27: the Steve Chapman interview
This week’s interview is with Steve Chapman.
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1.) Tell us about yourself.
I’m an engineer by training and a publisher of technical nonfiction by profession. I live with my wife and daughter at the New Jersey shore, and when I’m not commuting in and out of Manhattan I write fiction.
2.) Why do you write?
Because I love stories, and love puzzling out why and how and stories work, and don’t.
3.) Sword & Sorceress is known for sword & sorcery centered around a strong female character. Is there any particular trick to writing strong female characters?
In a traditional pulp story the hero(ine) needs to both drive and resolve the story, irrespective of gender. Keeping that in mind generally yields a strong character. Maybe just because sword and sorcery has traditionally been a male-dominated subgenre, a female lead can lead to fresher takes on familiar tropes.
4.) What would you say makes sword & sorcery different than other kinds of fantasy?
I think of sword & sorcery as being pulpier and more action-oriented than traditional fantasy (Howard and Leiber as opposed to Tolkien, for instance). I think part of the longstanding appeal of Sword & Sorceress lies in expanding the sword & sorcery audience—and mode–beyond its traditional readership of teenage boys.
5.) How do you think ebooks and the Internet will change the way we read & write?
As a writer, I’m excited by the possibilities of bypassing traditional gatekeepers to connect directly with an audience, but as a reader I’m confused by the volume of unprofessional self-published material currently swamping the Kindle store. While I’ve heard it argued that the big trade publishers abdicated their gatekeeper function when they outsourced it to agents, I’m not sure that asking the reader to vet the slush pile is a practical response. It will be interesting to see how this situation resolves itself.
6.) Tell us about your Sword & Sorceress story.
Dead Princesses is the third S&S story about Princess Shada of St. Navarre, a martially adept but headstrong sixteen year old who struggles with the responsibilities of her position. Fortunately, St. Navarre is pretty regularly assaulted by one supernatural menace or another, so Shada is able to put her skills to good use while figuring out the complexities of her family and her station. In this story she faces an undead Shroud Maiden, looking to add Shada to her collection of murdered princesses.
7.) Can you share an excerpt from your Sword & Sorceress story?
The Shroud Maiden Lisle stepped from the shadows, a glittering dress of midnight coiled about her slim frame. Bone white ribbons twisted in her hair, pewter rings encircling her neck, wrists, and ankles. Shada’s skin tingled. The combination of magic and a Court tea party was almost more nightmare than she could handle.
Theo pushed Sienna toward the Maiden.
Lisle’s black-painted lips broke into a smile. A tiny spider, wet with spittle, climbed out of the side of her mouth.
Shada again felt the crawling unease Lisle had conjured in Kings Hall. The silver-dappled darkness was alive with movement, spiders and serpents, worms and maggots. She fought down the urge to get as far away from the Maiden as possible.
The Shroud Maiden traced Sienna’s lips with a black nail. “You’ll do nicely.”
Sienna’s face was blank, but the tears on her cheek glistened in the moonlight.
“I’m firstborn,” Shada said, her voice not nearly as strong as she’d hoped. “Deal with me.”
“The princess in motley has come to rescue her sister.” Lisle turned, clacking her talons together. “How exciting.”
Cottony furls of cloud passed below the moon, blocking its silver light. Shadows crept across the ruins. Where they touched the princesses’ dresses, colors faded and fabric frayed. In shadow, the girls’ radiant skin turned gray and corrupted, revealing pockets of white bone.
A hard knot of fear formed in Shada’s stomach. Lisle’s princesses were wights, walking corpses that were said to be nearly impossible to kill. She wasn’t facing a single undead monster, but a dozen.
8.) Recommend one other book or short story you have written that we should read.
If you like this story, the previous two Shada entries, Proving Grounds and Nemesis, in Sword and Sorceress 25 and 26 respectively, are worth a look.
9.) Recommend one non-fiction book that you haven’t written.
I’m a big fan of Ursula Le Guin’s Steering the Craft, a book of writing exercises focused on technical craft that is as useful on your own as it is with a class or writing group.
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Thanks, Steve, for the interview.
Check out our interviews with past S&S contributors – , , , Sword & Sorceress 25, and Sword & Sorceress 26.
And the novel featuring my Sword & Sorceress character, spy and assassin Caina Amalas, is now available for free in all ebook formats: Child of the Ghosts.
-JM
