a question & answer with blake polden
Who are you and what do you write?
My name’s Blake, and I write anything with comedy and found family at the heart of it. Most of the time it includes magic, but occasionally I challenge myself to write in the real world (and make it as magical as I can).
What about the fantasy genre are you drawn to?
It’s always been the sense of escapism for me. A world where a magical curse is the problem, coupled with annoying goblins or grumpy orcs. You could be having a truly terrible day -- i.e. you work retail, are being crushed under the weight of capitalism, you ran out of milk, and now you’re expected to drink tea without it, etc. etc. -- and all of that just fades when you open the book and the world is full of spells and whimsy and tricksy little hobbitses! I think that escape, not an outward escape, but rather an inward one; for reading, and indeed writing, are in inwards escape. And it is in slaying the dragon (or making friends with it) that give you not just a good time -- a comfort amongst the everyday drudgery -- but they teach you things that I believe are far more readily absorbed into the psyche. I think that is what draws me to it most. The awesome power of a flexible reality where the rules don’t apply.
Which fantasy authors inspire you?
Terry Pratchett -- not just for his comedy, but for his characters and his subversion of tropes. What a mind that man had, and how lucky we are to be able to spend time in the worlds he created. Katherine Rundell. If you haven’t read any of Rundell’s writing, I implore you to stop what you’re doing and go down a rabbit hole on it. (I will wait for your return to this article.) (Are you back now? Okay, good!) Diana Wynne Jones. Philip Pullman. Jessica Townsend. Natasha Pulley. (I could go on, but I’ll stop for risk of this list being a mile long!)
What do you approach first when creating fantasy worlds?
The characters first. Always the characters first. Without them, I fear, the world doesn’t matter much. At least, not to me. So I’m afraid the world gets built around them, and then refined and added to and removed from with every new draft. I do think, in fantasy worlds in particular, some good hard and fast world rules are needed. It is through these rules that you can have the most fun.
What makes a good fantasy story?
If you were to remove the fantasy, would it still be a good story, or would it crumble to bits without it? That, for me, is the secret to a good fantasy story. It is a story that places its character first and foremost. It challenges the character and makes it grow and feel uncomfortable and cosy and loved and hated. There’s a unique kind of magic in stories that manage to make the characters feel real, whether they be a warlock or a taxi driver.
What advice would you give to fantasy writers?
Have fun. It is a cliché, but it is true. Have fun. Have fun. Have fun! What is the point if you’re not enjoying yourself? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to say writing will be a breeze every day. But I do think if you can remind yourself to enjoy it more often, your work will thank you for it, and so will your mind! (Be kind to your mind; it does an awful lot and has quite the bloody workload for itself without you adding made-up worlds and characters and magic on top of all that!)
What am I reading at the moment?
Richard Osman’s latest in the We Solve Murders series, We Chase Shadows. (I adore Osman’s work)
There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm (looking like one of my favourite reads of the year!)
Dungeon Crawler Carl series, I’m on book 4 at the moment!
What am I watching at the moment?
Just finished The Gentlemen season 2. ADORED IT. It made me miss writing about my own gangster bunch in the Strangest Criminals, but then I remembered I'm currently outlining book 2 in that series, and now there is a posh criminal character as a result (can’t be helped; I’m afraid)
Exciting news?
Yes. My latest book, Final Notice, has/is releasing as I write this. Over the freaking moooooonnnnn for book 2 in The Sunnywood House series to be out in the world. We see Poppy and her crew of retired adventurers hit the road in a whirlwind tour to raise the funds to save their home. It is, I think, my most funniest fun book. It’s dedicated to my own grandfather, who loved the first book but never got to read this second instalment. You live on in the pages of my books, Pop. Always. I’ll be hitting the road myself in November, taking this one to Sydney for @bookfairaus with my good (and very mad, very talented) friend @alice.cornelius.author
