Lore of Luquatra

[Justin]

I've found some folks have questions they'd like to ask me – either about Master of Sorrows, the Silent Gods series, or my writing process in general – and I felt it would be helpful to include other people's points-of-view in the discussion. I'll also try to include small updates and observations for folks that are interested in things that might otherwise not be worthy enough to include in a blog post.

General Discussion Rules:
(1) No drama.
(2) Keep spoilers in brackets.
(3) Be kind to all our marvelous readers and authors by respecting their POV's even when you personally disagree with them. That's the joy of reading since books (whether written or read) affect us all differently.

A word of warning: I'll try to keep my own spoilers in brackets, but some details may be ambiguously spoilery (like, for example, how my magic system works or the more innocuous questions of books' mythology and cosmology). I like to discuss those things when people show interest because it's not always possible explain those details in my books (though folks will notice that I do try to work it in there). Being opaque in my novels about those things isn't always for plot convenience or to perpetuate mystery – sometimes it's just all I could reasonably discuss without derailing the story, and I try to respect that. Outside my books, though, I'm generally more willing to discuss those things, particularly when I don't feel it spoils the series' plot points and character arcs. In those latter cases...yes, I'll be coy and and tell you to hold out and read the forthcoming books.

Cheers, and I look forward to future discussions.

Justin Travis Call

[Maryam]

Such a splendid idea! I cannot wait to dive into MoS and bombard you with questions!

I have one, however: did you listen to any music (instrumental or not) while writing? It's a passion of mine to always have a playlist for books I'm reading, and I was wondering if there were any songs you were listening to while writing or you feel resonate with the atmosphere/events/characters of the book?

[Justin]

Mary wrote: "Such a splendid idea! I cannot wait to dive into MoS and bombard you with questions!

I have one, however: did you listen to any music (instrumental or not) while writing? It's a passion of mine to..."

I have several! For the worldbuilding (and the series in general), I listened to a lot of Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down, which has sort of become a background theme to the saga. Every time I listen to it, I'm reminded of the opening scene of Wheel of Time when Lews Therin is walking through the remains of his home with corpses of his friends and loved ones surrounding him...and then, well...Dragonmount happens. So there is a touch of that running through the stories.

As for Master of Sorrows in particular, I listened to a fair amount of Apocalyptica (mostly the Amplified and Reflections albums), plus a dash of The Crystal Method (Vegas album). During revisions, I listened to Two Steps From Hell (great instrumentals), and I continue to listen to their albums whenever I want to write an "epic" scene.

In general (not just writing, but sometimes they overlap), I enjoy listening to Goo Goo Dolls, 3 Doors Down, TheFatRat, Apocalyptica, Audiomachine, Two Steps From Hell, MonsterCat, vocal trance/techno, Irish pub/folk music, power ballads and almost anything from the 80s.

[Maryam]

That is an incredible, utterly helpful answer! I now have a vivid vision and feel of the series, thank you Justin :)

And yes, oh Two Steps from Hell make for some epic scenes! I now need to go carefully make an equally epic playlist XD