Ben Sherman interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

My name is Ben, and I've been writing for around 11 years. I write dark and grimdark fantasy, but I love adding humor and romance to most of my stories.

When did your love of books begin?

My love of books began when I turned 12, and I saw a friend of mine reading a Forgotten Realms book by R.A. Salvatore called 'The Thousand Orcs.' I was obsessed with the Lord of The Rings movies and various fantasy/sci fi video games, and as soon as I picked up this book, I couldn't put down SFF books.

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I've always had a big imagination, but I never wanted to be an author until I turned 19. I started writing a story for a few friends, and I...just couldn't stop. I've written 2,000 pages since, though that story stopped only after around forty. I've become friends with a few other writers, and published two books (with a third pending at 'Of Metal and Magic Publishing' and another at 'Penguin Random House').

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

The process to becoming an author is far more difficult than one might think. I've spent over ten years perfecting the craft, and everyone who has read my work over the last six years has loved it. But while I studied the craft, I failed to focus on the marketing side. That's definitely been my largest failing, and without the means to buy a lot of art or advertisement, an indie author, no matter how good, is severely hampered. However, the more you write, the more chances you have to reach audiences. Writing is my dream, and I'll keep crafting stories for my readers!

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

My advice to authors would be to be patient, and never give up if it's what you truly want to do. I'll reiterate what R.A. Salvatore tells new authors. "If you can quit, then quit. If you can't, you're a writer."

Tell us about your book/books:

Oh, I'd love to talk about my books! Currently I have a novelette and a novella published, along with a short story and novel currently pending. I'm quite excited to speak on the latter two, but let's keep it on the former two for the most part.

The first story I published is a novelette titled 'The Book of Vashj.' Just a tad more than 12k words, I'm very lucky I had the inspiration to write this little piece and finally step into the authoring world. 'The Book of Vashj' is reminiscent of a classic fantasy story. My original inspirations were Forgotten Realms and Warhammer, however at its core, it's a mystery thriller. The main character is a roguish, shady character known only as 'Secret.' She's moonlighted as a thief and assassin, but her main trade is that of information. She's hired by a wealthy benefactor, tasked with finding who stole a precious book taken from his personal library, and at the heart of the question lies a web of lies and sequences of cutthroat action people tend to like. I decided to dispense with a lot of the fluff and make it a novelette, focusing the plot on the mystery, danger, and contacts. I'm very proud of this being my introduction on the public scene. Unfortunately I was never able to afford art for the cover, but I let the writing speak for itself on that one.

My next story is a novella, a little over twice as long as Vashj, called 'The Pool of Wailing Sorrows.' It's a modern take on the Sword and Sorcery genre. As is evidently a theme of my works, it has some Dungeons & Dragons elements, but I would say this story reads like a mixture of a Robert E. Howard and William King. The text follows Markus, a mercenary adept at both swordplay and spell slinging. He lives under the Lich's curse, seeking to lift it from him before the vile thing can find him and exact vengeance. Hired to fight in a battle between city states, he goes from the field of battle to the depths of the earth. With fast paced action, dark sorcery, and a splash of romance, this has everything a fantasy reader searches for. Believe me, I made sure of it.

As for the other two, the short story is essentially a different take on the legend of Beowulf in a medieval setting (rather than Migration Era). It's my latest work. The other is my first novel. It was supposed to be a novella but apparently I needed ten thousand more words than my original goal of 40k to finish the story. It follows an unlikely duo, a dashing and promiscuous runaway prince and his grim, dwarf companion as they seek work as monster slayers in the deadly region known as 'The Blackwood.' What initially seems like a heroic adventure suddenly delves into a plot of intrigue and horror. Hopefully the two heroes can survive with their skill of arms and comedic timing, but you'll have to read to find out.  

These will be available next year, so be sure to stay tuned!

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

What a great question, honestly. The writing community is so uplifting and positive, I would have to say that's what I love most about it. They really try to help one another. Too bad the algorithm on twitter is less merciful, haha.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

If I could say anything to my readers? I suppose I would thank them. Crafting stories is my passion, and a close second is speaking about my writing with my readers. It makes me so joyous to hear people love my work and have questions for me. Hopefully one day I can write full time, and when I do, I'll have my readers to thank for that as well.

Where can people connect with you?

https://twitter.com/POOHEAD189 is the handle for my twitter, or hit me up at Itdwriter189@gmail.com ! I'm always available to talk :)