Geoff
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
What is it that set's your writing apart from the host? In other words what will make me pick up your books and keep on picking them up? Cheers Geoff PS not trying to be aggressive, really need to prioritise my expenditure and time.
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Geoff,
Thanks for asking...and it's a completely appropriate question. I do a lot of AMA's (Ask me Anything) on reddit and this question was asked of me a few years ago. I hope you don't mind me stealing from it because (a) I doubt anyone will find that post and (b) I think it is still relevant.
Let me first preamble this by saying, I write books books that "I" want to read and after analyzing some of my favorite books (Watership Down, The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings, The Stand, Harry Potter) there are some commonalities that arise. They are all books with (a) great characters who I want to spend time with (b) are faced with incredible challenges and rise to the occasion even when leaving it to someone else would be the easier path and (c) take me to a place that is interesting and put my foot on an adventure I would like to take myself.
So keeping all that in mind, I present to you my "Top 10 Reasons to read Riyria."
1.) A traditional fantasy that’s not a Tolkien clone, but also isn’t morbid to the point of having to down a pair of Prozac to get through.
2.) All six books were written before the first was ever published, enabling the weaving of threads and planting of clues about ongoing mysteries, allowing readers the added pleasure of trying to unravel the plot twists.
3.) Unforgettable characters that provide scenes both heartwarming and heart-wrenching that will make you cry in the end—not because they die a horrible deaths (although some do), but because you don’t want to leave them.
4.) A story that is gritty to the point of killing off half the cast, and yet always leaves the reader feeling people are basically good and heroes can and do exist.
5.) A finished series with a designed arc that ties up all loose ends and as such provides a truly satisfying conclusion.
6.) Written for adults, but without gruesome violence, sex, or profanity so that it can be read by people of all ages and shared with the whole family.
7.) Lacking the overly grim portrayal of some fantasy worlds, it is infused with humor including witty banter and laugh-out-loud moments even during dire and serious moments.
8.) Designed such that each book is better than the one that came before, so if you like the first, you won’t be disappointed with the last.
9.) Written to be an “easy read” it lacks the intimidating wall-of-world-building-information, utilizes modern dialog rather than archaic speech, and is paced like a thriller to keep the pages turning.
10.) Written with an emphasis on character and plot it packs an emotional punch focusing on reading entertainment rather than intellectual allegory.
There you have it. I hope that helps, and regardless of read, I do hope you enjoy it. Oh, and I should mention I'll be doing another AMA on the /r/fantasy sub of reddit on March 24th. I'll start posting answers at 7:00 PM but you can ask questions anytime during the day.
Thanks for asking...and it's a completely appropriate question. I do a lot of AMA's (Ask me Anything) on reddit and this question was asked of me a few years ago. I hope you don't mind me stealing from it because (a) I doubt anyone will find that post and (b) I think it is still relevant.
Let me first preamble this by saying, I write books books that "I" want to read and after analyzing some of my favorite books (Watership Down, The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings, The Stand, Harry Potter) there are some commonalities that arise. They are all books with (a) great characters who I want to spend time with (b) are faced with incredible challenges and rise to the occasion even when leaving it to someone else would be the easier path and (c) take me to a place that is interesting and put my foot on an adventure I would like to take myself.
So keeping all that in mind, I present to you my "Top 10 Reasons to read Riyria."
1.) A traditional fantasy that’s not a Tolkien clone, but also isn’t morbid to the point of having to down a pair of Prozac to get through.
2.) All six books were written before the first was ever published, enabling the weaving of threads and planting of clues about ongoing mysteries, allowing readers the added pleasure of trying to unravel the plot twists.
3.) Unforgettable characters that provide scenes both heartwarming and heart-wrenching that will make you cry in the end—not because they die a horrible deaths (although some do), but because you don’t want to leave them.
4.) A story that is gritty to the point of killing off half the cast, and yet always leaves the reader feeling people are basically good and heroes can and do exist.
5.) A finished series with a designed arc that ties up all loose ends and as such provides a truly satisfying conclusion.
6.) Written for adults, but without gruesome violence, sex, or profanity so that it can be read by people of all ages and shared with the whole family.
7.) Lacking the overly grim portrayal of some fantasy worlds, it is infused with humor including witty banter and laugh-out-loud moments even during dire and serious moments.
8.) Designed such that each book is better than the one that came before, so if you like the first, you won’t be disappointed with the last.
9.) Written to be an “easy read” it lacks the intimidating wall-of-world-building-information, utilizes modern dialog rather than archaic speech, and is paced like a thriller to keep the pages turning.
10.) Written with an emphasis on character and plot it packs an emotional punch focusing on reading entertainment rather than intellectual allegory.
There you have it. I hope that helps, and regardless of read, I do hope you enjoy it. Oh, and I should mention I'll be doing another AMA on the /r/fantasy sub of reddit on March 24th. I'll start posting answers at 7:00 PM but you can ask questions anytime during the day.
More Answered Questions
Ersan
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Michael, what kind of work did you do during your 10 year hiatus? What was life like for you when you decided to get back into writing? Were you getting antsy? Did you have some kind of a transformative breakdown? I know these are personal questions... Whatever you choose to share will be much appreciated.
Susan
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Hi Michael. My favorite part about your series were your vibrant female characters. They were strong, capable and kind and in the world of fantasy were female characters are sometimes misrepresented or neglected I particularly appreciate it. They felt like real people and this may be a silly question, but I wonder if any of them were inspired by women you know in real life?
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