California-based author Brent A. Harris is one of several writers featured in the new fantasy anthology Tales From The Tavern, published by Inklings Press. The book is newly available on Amazon, also featuring Alei Kotdaishura and Ricardo Victoria, both from Mexico, Leo McBride, based in The Bahamas, and Matthew Harvey, from the UK. Inklings Press caught up with Brent for a Q&A about the project.
Inklings
Press started out as a group of fellow writers encouraging one
another – how did that project help you?
No
man, or woman, is an island, as the saying goes.
I
was inspired by a visit to a pub, strangely enough. The Eagle and
Child. It’s where Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and others would grab a pint
and some godawful British fare, (meat and pie should be mutually
exclusive foods). But more importantly, it was where they
workshopped, read each other’s work, offered advice, or just kicked
each other in the rear to get them going again if they ran into
writer’s block.
It’s
a fairly common idea. The more support you have going into a project,
the more likely you’ll finish it — and be successful. Our group,
Inklings Press, has pushed me to be a better writer, and with the
publication of Tales from the Tavern, it has encouraged me to be a
better promoter, better at building a platform, and better at
critiquing and helping other writers which is, of course, the end
goal. No one can do it all alone.
Your
group is scattered quite widely around the world – was that a
problem? How did you manage to keep one another on track?
We
are doing something that would have been impossible ten years ago. We
can communicate, share, critique, and publish instantly through these
newfangled contraptions with just a few clicks of a screen. The world
is certainly smaller, but the inverse of that, the irony, it is now
harder than ever to reach an audience. The easier it is for us to
connect, the harder it becomes to be truly seen. For that, we need
our audience to become active supporters.
Does
your location play into the kind of fiction you write? Are you
inspired by your surroundings? If not, what has proven to be your
inspiration?
It
should, even if only subconsciously. My wife is Navy, as such, we’ve
traveled and moved quite a bit. I’d like to think that a piece of
each place I’ve been resides within me. In fact, I know it has.
Just as the people I’ve met and experiences I’ve shared with them
are proven inspiration, time and time again.
How
long have you been writing fiction, and what gave you the impetus to
become a published writer?
I
just recently dug up a story I wrote shortly after the first Jurassic
Park film came out. It was a fan-fic and it stared Dr. Grant and Dr.
Sattler in a plot involving militarized raptors. Of course, that plot
is ridiculous, right...? Right…? Argh…I’m still hoping I get a
shout-out from Colin Trevorrow for burrowing into my 12-year-old
mind. So, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember.
Another
impetus to writing and publishing also came from dinosaurs. In 1992,
Harry Turtledove published a story called, The Green Buffalo. I
enjoyed it. I looked up the author and I’ve been a fan of his and
the genre of Alternate History ever since. But reading and studying
history wasn’t enough. I wanted to write, and share my writing with
maybe some other kid who stumbled into my story. I need to give back.
What
do you most enjoy about your own work?
Writing
is cathartic, and, I forget who said it but it’s true, it’s a
voyage of self-discovery. On the not-so-narcissistic-side, writing
for me, is a way to connect with people, either other authors (Yes!
I’ve always wanted to string those three words together!) who are
writing, or readers who’ve read my work. We are all connected, but
I like tugging on the strings sometimes.
What
are you most trying to convey in your story?
Well,
I think the theme that I’m trying to convey is the connectivity we
all share, even in the most misanthropic of all of us. My main
character really doesn’t like other people, and he has great cause
to, but in the end, he learns the value of friendship, even if it’s
an unexpected connection. But, I expect different readers to come up
with different meanings. I hope that there are other themes there
that can be explored or interpreted. That’s the fun of reading.
From
the other stories in the publication, which one most attracted you,
and why?
I’m
going to cheat here and say I love them all. I’m going to do that
because I can say what a labor of love they all have been for their
creators. I’m fortunate enough to have seen many of these stories
in various stages. What you see in the publication, or on TV and
film, is only a sliver of ice on the tallest iceberg of what actually
is written, researched, edited, and agonized over. I think all the
stories have shown that dedication, and all the authors should be
commended for going from a blank page to publication.
This
is the first publication for Inklings Press. What future plans are
there?
From the very beginning, I’ve envisioned a publication
that keeps writing and supporting others to write. We are going to
see new stories, new authors, and more excitingly, we are going to
see the craft of these writers grow. I’m thrilled at that prospect.
I’m plugged into this program. I’m connected. We have our next
Anthology out in October and countless others after that. Will you
connect with us too? Contact us on Facebook or our Website at
www.inklingspress.com
to join us!
Brent
A. Harris has his story, The Bear-Trap Grave, published in Tales from
the Tavern. Please Like his Author Page or share this article, and of
course, download your copy of the anthology!
Tales From The Tavern, featuring stories by Leo McBride, Brent A. Harris, Alei Kotdaishura, Matthew Harvey and Ricardo Victoria, is available on Amazon here.
To find out more about Inklings Press, visit http://www.inklingspress.com/
To find out more about Inklings Press, visit http://www.inklingspress.com/
You can follow Brent A. Harris on Twitter at @BrentAHarris1 or through his author page on Facebook here.
Great interview. I very good book also. I couldn't put it down. Looking forward to the next Anthology and Brent's alternate history book.
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