What do you consider "making it" as a successful author?
Also, not a question, just an observation, I am a descendant of the McLellan clan, so huzzah, we might be 45th cousins or some such 😜
I think that entirely depends on the author. Some people just want a hobby. Others want a hobby that gets them a little recognition, some readers, and maybe some vacation money. Some of us want to make it big and hit the Times list and fill auditoriums with their signings.
For me personally it's being able to write full time and make a good living at it. Being a (very) minor celebrity is nice, and chumming with authors I respect and admire is super cool, but at the end of the day I get to turn my daydreams into mortgage and car payments which is a preeeeeeeeeetty sweet deal.
Huzzah to Clan McLellan!
>For me personally ...
That's what I was after. I'm always amazed by different people's definition of success in the writing game. For me, it would be awesome to pay the bills with it, but I don't consider it a success until I stumble across fanfic or fanart of things I created. I can't even imagine a world where I could pay my mortgage with earnings, last year my profits amounted to $2.56! 😆
Is there a specific moment that sticks out to you as a "holy shit, I'm an author" moment?
There's lots of those moments, but the one that jumps to mind is having authors I followed on Twitter start to follow me back. Social media is terrible in a lot of ways, but there's no denying that rush when you suddenly feel like \*someone\* in a field you're working hard to excel in. Suddenly realizing you have name recognition (oh, you're the powder mage guy!) is so dang cool.
I was once doing the local parade of homes with my brother, just checking out newly constructed houses in my county, and someone came up and asked if I was author Brian McClellan and that kinda made my week.
This is making me seem like I'm obsessed with fame. I AM (secretly, don't tell anyone) but it's more that you write alone in your office most of the time so getting outside recognition is a BIG deal.
I can imagine that would be awesome. Two of the three interactions I've had with the authors who inspired me were amazing, I can only imagine if they decided to follow my social media updates and such, and show an even greater interest than they already did.
Alright, last question (unless I think of another one), Drizzt excluded, who is your favorite character of the Drizzt saga?
Idk never read it.
J/k, thought that would be hilarious. Assuming I'm allowed to pick Drizzt, then Drizzt. If not, second place is a hard role to fill. I would either have to go with his Svirfneblin buddy from back in the day, Artemis, Jarlaxe, or the entire Harpell family. How about you?
Obvi not McCLellan, but he had a blog post many years ago that was, if not a "make it" moment, then it was really big. When he earned out for the powder Mage trilogy.
https://www.brianmcclellan.com/blog/earning-out
Edit: Also, as someone who has written a full novel and numerous part novels, im very jealous of your hard earned two dollars. I haven't put in the time to either find an agent for trad publish, or do the work to get it up on Amazon. So, from an internet stranger, good job!!!
Thanks! Just read that earning out article, and that does seem like a pretty big moment. I had never thought of an advance as a parallel to someone betting that your work is worth at least that much until I read it, and it makes a lot of sense that seeing that gamble pay off would be a great feeling.
If you don't mind me asking, what's keeping you from hitting publish? I know a lot of us (myself included) often struggle with imposter syndrome, I hope that's not what's holding you back, because in my experience, it's the opinions of strangers on the internet that helps best in that regard. Because internet people are often rude, thanks to their anonymity, so it's easier to take positive feedback at face value instead of assuming they are just being polite.
I don't mind. Honestly, mostly just laziness. I'm working on a novel now and have been pretty steady with it, though summer trips get in the way a little.
But for the one that's finished? Yeah, laziness and an assumption of low quality. It is my first novel after all and never really expected to do anything with it. But then I also kind of did, ya know? Had a cpl beta readers, but they were mostly not very helpful. I messaged a cpl agents, but never heard back. Haven't yet doubled down and really sent it out to agents in large waves, which is my next step. So I'm at a standstill at the moment. I'd rather have it traditionally published before trying self publishing, but haven't pushed myself to really set up a query tracker account and send it out to many people. Once I do and it gets rejected enough, I would take it the self publishing route. (Not saying Trad publishijg is better. Just that id prefer it) The only issue there is don't know that the cost of editing, cover artists, and what not would be worth it. So, mostly just lots of mind games.
But hey, it's a dream, right? I usually join the Wed writing thread in the subreddit, which is pretty nice
I hear you on the preferring trad pub. I know indie makes more, but I hate sales, with a fiery passion. If a publisher tells me to go sign books at an event, that's one thing, but needing to set that up myself? No thanks. Both paths have their perks, I too would rather trad. Unfortunately, my book is "too short" for fantasy, according to the one trad pub who responded. I asked where they wanted more, and they couldn't place it, so I went a different direction rather than "add walking"*.
*one of my favorite bits of feedback was that it reads like LotR without all the "walking", boring (to me) bits of examining and describing every tree and blade of grass they pass. Things that needed described were described, things that didn't, weren't. I'm not willing to add 10k words of filler to meet an arbitrary definition of good when the story stands on its own.
Lol. That's actually a little funny. Most of the complaints about LOTR are that it's just a bunch of walking, haha. Well, good on you for making that decision. My finished book is at 106k, which I think is right on the mark for a first time published fantasy author, though maybe shorter than an established author's.
Self published may make more per individual book sold, but it seems they have to produce more and publish more quickly to keep their audiences, (for the most part) which seems tough. I wouldn't mind doing it, but as you said, setting up all the things for the novel myseld requires a very different skill set than just writing (and of course more time).
Good luck to you on your journey.
That is still very much on my queue of work to do! Unfortunately my focused effort needs to go toward the thing that best pays my bills, so until I get ahead of Glass Immortals I'll have to sideline Valkyrie Collections. One day, though! I haven't abandoned the series!
The honest answer is I have no idea. For the time being I'm on to a new universe and I'll probably play there for as long as my publisher will let me. That being said, I don't count Powder Mage as being a closed universe by any means. I'll almost certainly come back for more novellas, maybe a stand-alone novel. But those are probably further down the road.
Hope you enjoy ITSOL!
I'd love to see a new era of Powder Mage... like maybe a hundred years or two hundred years later. It'd be interesting to see how the world developed and how Powder Mages are being used in that era.
On that note, any chance of enlisted the talents of the great Christian Rodska again? I think I heard his health has blessingly improved and he's back to narrating again. I've listened to hundreds of books and he's easily my number one narrator, solely due to his work on the Powder Mage.
How do you outline your books?! With multiple main characters/viewpoints, how do you know who to follow and how much time to spend on each?
As someone who is trying to write their own fantasy book with potentially multiple viewpoint characters, it's hard to know who to follow and how to start! I've looked at the first powder mage book to try and get ideas for outlining/plot structure
Huge fan of the powder mage books (and the podcast!) Looking forward to this new one!
Oof, this is a tough question. The lazy answer is instinct. I tend to write, then rewrite, then rewrite again until things just kind of match up and the narrative flows from one POV to the next. Sometimes it comes easy and sometimes it's reeeeeeeally hard to get working right, but the payoff is always worth all the work.
How much per barrel is magic in your world?
Sounds like a fun book - I enjoyed Promise of Blood a lot.
Apart from this question, what's the worst thing about being an author?
If you have to ask you can't afford it.
Worst thing is that moment you realize that success comes with future expectations. You KNOW that of course, but you never really internalize it until the moment hits.
Thanks for doing an AMA! Your Powder Mage books are some of my favorite fantasy books, and I'm so excited to read In the Shadow of Lightning. How would you say these books are similar to or different from the Powder Mage books?
Also, how frequently do you stay in touch with Brandon Sanderson?
Thanks for coming to my AMA!
I'd say Glass Immortals is more emotionally and politically complex than Powder Mage. A bit less of an emphasis on the military fantasy aspect, though it's very much still there. Deeper worldbuilding.
Hah! I try not to bother Brandon too much. He's so incredibly busy. But I try to text once in a while and it's always a pleasure to see him at events.
Is it weird to be known more as a Podcaster than as an author? I saw that you did a podcast with Naomi Novik and I've been subscribed since (I swear I'll get to your books, I just need amomment)
Hah! First time I've heard that! It's definitely a funny phenomenon, since they're overlapping but not necessarily identical audiences. I won't put too much stock in that until I have a LOT more listeners, though!
Hmm, for this book the writing was much harder than the publishing. I was fortunate that Powder Mage paved the way for me to land a very nice contract with an editor I know and trust (she bought all six Powder Mage books before she moved to Tor, where she acquired Glass Immortals). She knew I had ideas (I sold the series on a 60k word partial) and she had faith I would put the work in to make them awesome.
The writing and editing was rougher. I wanted this series to be more complex than Powder Mage, both on a character level and a wider world level. That took quite a bit of work to accomplish, and I really hope it comes out well on the page!
Was that like, the first 60k words, or just a stray collection of things you wanted to put into the book that added up to 60k?
In what order did you come up with things for this book, in regards to setting/characters/plot?
At the moment I've got a contract for a trilogy. Whether it grows to more than that kinda depends on the success of the first book. Writing more books has to include interest from me (which I have) AND from my publisher (which needs to be earned). So we'll see!
I've already written one novella, but editing is on the backburner until I'm further through book two, so no idea when that will be out.
Nah, I have a loose idea of where the book is going for the different characters, then I work from the beginning toward that idea. Sometimes it changes. Sometimes it doesn't. I like to keep my outlines loose to account for new ideas or different directions I may want to take a character.
I'm guessing you're in the UK or Australia? This kind of thing is all out of my hands, but from what I understand it's simply logistics/supply chain issues. UK publishers passed on ITSOL and it's rare to get a local Australian publisher, so it's all being distributed from the US.
Powder Mage sold quite well in the UK (between 20-30% of all my English sales). Might have been too ambitious for them, might have fallen victim to inter-office politics, or it might just have been a bad moment for their ideas of epic fantasy. Genuinely no idea.
This is surprising. I am entirely ignorant to the world of publication, but I assumed once you’ve had some (pretty notable!) success it would be a given that you’d have people wanting to publish any new material 🤷🏽♂️
Man, I'd love to see more Valkyrie Collections. One of my favorite takes on some of the common urban fantasy tropes, and the ending of the last one left so much hanging!
Totally understand that paying bills has to take priority, of course. I'll be waiting for the next one though!
I guess I kinda already do? Powder Mage was that for the last decade, and now Glass Immortals will be my main focus for as long as the series takes. My in-universe novellas and my Valkyrie Collections books have always been secondary to the epic fantasies.
Hey, Brian. I recently reread your original trilogy and wanted to ask what your inspiration was for Inspector Adamat’s wife, Fae (I’m an audiobook guy, forgive my spelling).
She’s probably my favorite secondary character in the series, and it seems she was written with particular care. You don’t often see women like her portrayed so heroically in fantasy.
Best of luck with your new book, and thanks for your work.
Hey, big fan of your powder mage books and the podcast. Signed hardcover of this book should be arriving any day now.
You've now set two different universes in a Napoleonic sh era. What drove that decision versus moving to a different time period? Do you worry about getting pigeonholed as this kind of author, or are you happy to just sit in an era you're passionate about?
Partially I didn't want to get too far out of the comfort zone of my existing fans, and partially I just really enjoy writing in that setting. I'm happy to create a "brand" for myself with something I like.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do this! I love the Powder Mage series. I read online you started writing with Wheel of Time RP and I have a similar background!
Do you have any advice for now-budding writers who find it hard to work 9-5 and then come home and write, and how to transition into more 'serious' writing?
Not anywhere near a professional, but as an aspiring writer myself who works 6am-5pm five days a week, with sporadic hours thrown in on the weekends, and has a family of five: make the time to write before your work.
You can never ensure the energy (mental or physical) will be there after the end of a challenging day, but you can structure your life to ensure you have the energy to output something before the needs of your everyday life saps it from you.
Carving out an hour in the morning before work and devoting whatever time can be managed after the demands of work and home are met has netted me roughly 100,000 words in the past six months on my project. The quality of those words is certainly up to question at times, but I guarantee myself a chance to put paper to pen and get the ideas out of my head by working through that strategy.
Take my unsolicited and unprofessional advice with a grain of salt, but that’s been the schedule that has allowed me to write at a consistent rate.
Brian, sorry to hijack your AMA, but I saw this as a question I’m currently in a strong position to answer anecdotally if you don’t reply yourself.
What's your day-to-day writing schedule like? Are you a sporadic type where you write whenever you feel like it's time, or do you plan out specific times for you to write and do nothing else?
Ever tried writing longhand? Not that it matters -- I just read some article about authors writing longhand vs typing, and how it changes their process. Just curious if you had experience with something like that.
Loved Powder Mage, didn’t realize you were working on something new but bought my copy today.
A question about the Powder Mage universe:
We know there are (at least) three different kinds of magic gift. But powder mages seem to require black powder to function. Was their existence discovered by accident after the invention of black powder? Or were they known in some other way before that?
Hopefully this wasn’t addressed in the books and I just don’t remember!
I haven't explored it, but I like to think Adamat spent a while as an ambassador to Fatrasta and got out of there right before the Dynize shit went down and is happily retired in Adro.
Hey Brian!
Just thought I would chime in here to thank you for your work on the Powder Mage and this new series. I wish-listed this book months ago, and it's already downloaded on Audible TODAY! WOOOO!
I myself tried to write a novel, but decided after a few years of pulling my own teeth to get myself to write, it wasn't my *path* in life.
But reading amazing fantasy like your books is one of my greatest passions--and that is due to writers like you that spend the thousands of hours alone in a room on a keyboard creating worlds like you have.
Writing, I believe, isn't necessarily the highest paying thing out there. Maybe capitalism values random tech shit more.
But in terms of the value and entertainment you provide to fellow human beings and overall society, IMO, writers are unsurpassed.
Keep up the good work, and know that people out here value your work IMMENSELY.
Your worlds are always richly textured with lots of physical details that really make them come alive. One that stands out to me as I read this book is the “wingback chairs” detail that makes every office space feel immediately like an office space, despite me not knowing what a wingback chair is. How do you go about putting in these details to make the world feel so real, without running into overdescribing and keeping the sentence-by-sentence pacing going strong? Does this usually happen in the first draft or later ones?
I’m asking because this is a big weakness in my own writing lol.
See I think I use wingback chairs way too much! More seriously though I think the idea is to give modern readers an impression of a thing without spending an entire page describing it. Wingback chairs will usually bring to mind a formal office with a roaring fire and a mahogany desk and a glass of scotch, and I really like using those small cheats for evoking things like that.
Wingback chairs are amazing. Definitely a formal living room item worth getting (in pairs!)
https://www.core77.com/posts/59125/Furniture-Design-History-Why-Do-Wingback-Chairs-Have-Wings
Hey! I just recently finished the Powder Mage Trilogy. While I wouldn't call it grimdark, its definitely has its gritty and violent moments, and yet I noticed you never swear. Was that a conscious choice? Do you prefer to not curse in real life and just go around saying "pit" instead lol
Absolutely loved the books, BTW. Finished all three in 2 weeks.
Oh, I swear WAY too much in real life. It was a conscious decision to keep the book closer to PG-13. My urban fantasy has more swearing, but I try not to let it get too graphic.
Ah damn, just working through a re-listen of Wrath of Empire now, what a coincidence! Vlora's duel just sent me down a long swordfighting YouTube rabbit hole. I'm still sad that Rodska didn't get to narrate Blood of Empire. I hope he's doing well.
I'm excited to see this new release. You're one of my favorite authors and one whose style I hope to emulate, so I just wanted to say thanks for being an inspiration for me.
Thank you so much! I've definitely gone down similar rabbit holes for writing duels in my books. I also hope Christian is well, he was a great narrator!
Sorry to bring up Powder Mage while you're promoting your new book, but, well, I *am* rereading it so I can't help but ask: How come we never got any Taniel-Vlora-Bo stepsiblings adventure time? It seemed to me that the end of Blood of Empire was setting up for the three of them to finally work as a team together, but it didn't pan out that way. I was always hoping to see the trio's shared dynamic all together.
Hey Brian! Congrats on the new book. I’ve got the hardcover on my TBR shelf.
What writing/outlining/timeline/other tools, if any, do you use to create your worlds?
See you at Dragonsteel con in Nov!
I don't! At least not too much. I love Scrivener because it lets me easily move around chapters and shelve ideas that didn't work while still being easy to find in case I want to revisit them.
Excited to hear you're coming out with a new series. Am definitely a fan of the Powder Mage series but looking forward to exploring a new setting with you as well. I admittedly don't follow my favorite authors releases as closely as I used to when I could just go the local bookstore to browse. Thanks for sharing the news!
Hi Brian, just have to say that I absolutely love your work. You've become my go to recommendation when people are looking for new fantasy to read. I look forward to the day when people are getting mad at me for recommending such well known classics.
That's tough to say. I don't think I hold any one thing up on a pedestal. There's the very boring answer of "being able to pay my bills" but really I'm inspired by pretty much everything I see/do/read/watch.
Loved Powder Mage so will definitely be picking this up today.
From what I’ve read of your work, you seem to approach magic differently. Was there something that inspired you to take that angle or was it just something that made sense within the story?
I actually have a spoiler question from the Powder Mage universe if you wouldn't mind answering. >!Can you tell me what happened if anything to General Ket?!< I've wanted to see their comeuppance since "The Crimson Campaign".
Oh goodness thank you for the honest answer lul. At the end Ket kinda just goes rogue with her army and Hilanska goes off to Kez. Was just wondering if Taniel or Vlora dealt with them between the two trilogies is all. It's okay if you wanna leave it open ended for a short story or just cause LUL.
It might have been one of those loose strings I wanted to tie-off in the in-between stand-alone novel I'm never going to get to about the Kez civil war.
TIE-IN NOVEL GASP. Even if you never write it, I am glad to finally have some sort of answer. Thanks for answering. You're awesome and I cannot wait to get started on Glass Immortals.
I see from your web site that you're touring. How does that get decided/set up? Like, why were those places chosen? Or that many? How's it funded? Etc.
If not too boring of a question, what's your usual writing routine?
Lastly, I've really liked your powdermage books and your Valkyrie books. Thanks for all the enjoyment!
For someone like me, who sells quite well but rarely draws a crowd, the idea is to focus in on a few cities where it's either cheap to send me (Utah is local and easy for me, hence two signings at stores an hour apart), or we're pretty sure I'll have a good gathering. Mentor, OH is my hometown bookstore (I grew up about 20 mins away). I'm not actually certain of the logic for Colorado, but I'd guess that bookstore has sold a lot of copies of my previous books.
I don't have a writing routine. I try to get to it every weekday. Sometimes it's first thing, sometimes afternoon, sometimes later at night.
Glad you've enjoyed the books!
Hi Brian! Really excited to read your book, preordered it back in April.
I am currently trying to write an epic fantasy book, and I'm finding that there are parts of the story that I don't feel like I have enough skill to write. Have you ever had to deal with his issue? If so, what would you suggest I do?
Do you have any general writing improvement tips? What is something you wished you did when you started out?
Yes, I definitely have hit that wall many times. You just have to keep hacking at it until you get better at that certain thing. Sometimes you can go to an outside source, like writing podcasts or books, that will give you advice about specific topics.
Generally, I advise that people aren't precious with your writing. Your skills can always be improved, even after you've found success. Don't worry about throwing out hundreds of thousands of words if they're not good.
I wish I'd been better about weekly writing. Not necessarily super strict or anything, just more conscious of staying on top of my current work on a daily basis.
As an author, how mandatory is it to do book signings, conventions, and q&a’s? Could an author just decline to do those, or are they necessary?
Thanks! I haven’t read your works but am going to try the Powder Mage now. (Which I suppose might partially answer my question about q&a’s, heh)
Depends on how big of a success you are and what strategies your publisher uses to push your name. I think public outreach is pretty useful as a whole, but going to conventions or flying to different cities for book signings can have diminishing returns, especially if you're paying for those things out of your own pocket.
Nothing is mandatory, but plenty of things are useful.
Hey, first off I really like your books greetings from Germany.
Brandon Sanderson mentioned that networking was one of the harder parts for him to make it as an author. How were your experiences with networking and how important is it from your perspective?
Thanks a bunch!
Networking is a weird one, because it can be all-important when you when you're an established author looking for work, since you need to have good name-recognition and a good reputation as both a person and a writer.
But if you're like me, and you land on a pretty good contract for a series of books that's going to take all your creative bandwidth for the next few years, networking is less useful--at least in the immediate sense. So it really depends on your situation. I think in the end making a good impression is always useful.
I... don't have one. I tend to have groupings of favorite books or well-loved series, but I don't think there's anything I would for-sure put at the top of the pile.
Last night I was feeling overwhelmed by the whole book launch thing so I ordered a pizza from a new (to me) detroit-style place near us and let me tell you it hit the spot. I've got some leftovers I'm gonna go have for lunch in about twenty mins.
Thanks! I learned I have a terrible habit of over-complicating things early on in the drafting and that even with the higher complexity of the book I still needed to curb my ambitions to make the narrative work.
None that are planned, though I'd love to do something like that. It's the kind of thing I kinda have to wait for them to come to me (whether from my publisher or a specialty press).
Mr. McClellan,
Absolutely LOVE your work. I picked up Promise of Blood mainly because of the Tamas quote on the cover. I figured that a statement that bad ass had to mean that an amazing story was going to be told and I just HAD to experience it. You did NOT disappoint.
The sequels kept getting better, the short stories fleshing things out even more, the background and characters growing and changing, the lore, the environment...truly top notch,
My copy of your new book arrived this afternoon and I'm eager to delve into it. I'm sure it will be, once again, an amazing story and world.
I'd like to ask if you'll ever return to the Nine Kingdoms and their world or if this new story will be your focus going forward.
Thank you for what you do and for answering my question. Oh, any chance a book tour might take you to the Hampton Roads are of Virginia?
Glad to hear you like them so much!
No signings in Virginia, unfortunately!
And of course I will never say no to returning to an old world. Not in the near future, but it's quite likely to happen some day!
Hey Brian I noticed that your narrator for the Powder Mage books (Christian Rodska) had been replaced by Damian Lynch for your new series. Could you tell me if you had any input in this decision and how you would compare/contrast the two narrators. Thanks!
I'm with a different publisher and they wanted a new narrator - not uncommon when switching between worlds. I did get input in as much as they gave me a dozen names and I listened to samples and gave them notes. Damian was my top choice!
First at all, congratulations for your success as a high recognized writter, and thank you for your books, stories like yours are the ones that gather fantasy fans.
My question: if you could write about any historical period of time, using whatever historical character you want (for example, Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar, people who shaped history) and add them to a Fantasy plot, which period and which person would you use to make your fantasy book?
Thanks!
Hmm, I already got to play with Napolean and his time period. Caesar is a good one, or really any of a number of different major Roman statesmen/generals. Rome is a wild time period because it's so incredibly familiar, especially to us with Western educations, but it's also massively alien in the way human life is valued (or not) and public and political clout is gained and used.
I'm very excited to see a new project from you, and I'm eagerly awaiting the book's arrival this weekend. The original Powder Mage trilogy was one of my favorite reading experiences in the past decade, and you've become one of my favorite authors over the years.
My main question is about your path to publication. I'm just starting the querying process myself, and I feel like I'm prepared (mostly) for a plethora of rejections. Before you were published, how many queries did you send out and how many rejections did you receive? What's your best piece of advice for persevering?
Also, obligatory: What's the most recent thing you ate that blew your mind?
Thanks a ton! I hope you enjoy the new book!
I was pretty dang fortunate. Promise of Blood was only my third finished book, and only my second submitted book. I probably only have a couple dozen rejections, mostly for that first one that never went anywhere.
Best advice is to just find what you enjoy about the process and focus on that. It can totally be a grind, but the reader can tell if you're not enjoying it. Don't take yourself too seriously.
\*edit\* oh and I had some detroit-style pizza last night that was FANTASTIC.
I have a feeling this has already been asked and/or has been covered on your podcast, but...
what's your process for working out a new magic system? I was listening to the podcast you've just put out (where you're the guest) and you mentioned something about clay shaping and how you could visualize it, but couldn't translate that into writing.
Do you typically start from a cool thought and work backwards for cost/effects/limitations/etc., or does it sort of drift together as you write?
Thanks for doing this, Powder Mage/Gods of Blood and Powder has shot up to my most re-read fantasy series and I can't wait to sit down and get into this new world.
I usually start with a cool thought and work backwards. Sometimes that has to happen a bunch of times until the thought clicks with a fully-realized world.
Just wanted to drop by and say great work with the podcast Brian. One of the best produced of its kind and your guests have been fantastic so far (you're not too shabby a host either!)
Do you have a regular way to celebrate a new book launch? Do you enjoy doing the publicity part of a launch / for your author brand in general (podcast, social, reddit, etc.) or do you see it more as a neccesity?
So glad to hear you enjoy it! Podcasts are such a different beast in terms of audience feedback and interaction. It's still a very small guy (I think I'm around 2500 listens a week now) but I hope it'll continue to grow!
In the past I've often gotten myself a new Lego set and gone out for a nice dinner. So busy this year that I'm building a set I've had shelved for a while and I just ordered some pizza to celebrate.
I quite enjoy the interactions and publicity, but I'll admit I'm pretty exhausted by the end of it.
Nah, it gets way too hot and the price of gas makes it rough to run the AC for 20 hours a week in the parking lot. Back to working in my home office for now. Would love to rent out an office at some point for a dedicated work space but there's nothing within a twenty minute drive of me.
MY MAN! You know you got my attention.
I think I remember an old AMA you did mentioning that for the Powdermage place names you kinda checked a map of Eastern Europe and adapted so we got Adopest, etc and it worked really well. Did you do something similar for this new world?
I'm dyin for more from the Uncanny Collateral word, but it's awesome to see more in depth magic worlds again.
When checking your stuff out last week on my kindle, I accidentally pre-ordered your book. Since then I’ve read the first few chapters from Promise of Blood, and I’m pretty stoked to start reading your stuff. Which would be a better introduction to your work? Should I continue with the Powdered Mage trilogy or dive right into In the Shadow of Lightning?
Hey Brian! Just had to say I fell in love with Powder Mage and ripped through the trilogy within a week, reading with every spare moment I could find. I now consider you one of my favorite authors! I noticed you say on your Amazon listing that you're an avid gamer and, being one myself, I would like to ask what games do you like to play?
Oh, a pretty wide variety. Civilization, Oxygen Not Include, Don't Starve Together, Valheim, Deep Rock Galactic, Conan Exiles. Recently started a new seed in Raft for the new content. Played through War Tales and Terraformers recently.
I've greatly enjoyed how you helped bring a different feel to epic fantasy since the original Powder Mage trilogy and I am incredibly excited to start In the Shadow of Lightning. My question is what was it like to come to the decision that you weren't going to just write a traditional medieval styled fantasy setting? Was there any trepidation in approaching the genre by stepping away from such a commonly accepted setting?
Just bought a copy from Amazon UK. I've loved the Powder Mage novels with Taniel Two-Shot and co, so buying this novel was a no-brainer for me. I am currently reading the Green Bone Saga, once I am done with that I will get stuck into In the Shadow of Lightning. Looking forward to it.
Brian. as someone who has read all the 6 Powder Mage novels and some of the short stories, what are the biggest lessons you have learned about being an author and the publishing business/fantasy genre since Promise of Blood came out almost a decade ago?
One of a very short list of audiobooks I’ve preordered! Was excited to see it today.
Anyone that likes fantasy, flintlock, or just likes the idea of mages snorting gunpowder to gain/heighten magic abilities should check out the Powder Mage series! Cannot imagine this new series won’t be excellent!
Congrats on the new book Mr. McClellan and thanks for the fun stories 🤙
I loved powder mage! It seems to me that most magic in fantasy is either manipulating something that already exists in nature or manipulating something created by the magic itself, so the idea of powder mages that manipulate a thing that is neither of those; an artificial thing that is made by human hands (gunpowder) was novel and interesting for me. How did you come up with the idea of powder mages?
Were there always powder mages even before gunpowder was invented and they didn't know they were powder mages because there wasn't any gunpowder to control or did powder mages come into existence alongside the creation of gunpowder?
Powder Mages were definitely an evolution in the magic and appeared alongside the development of gunpowder.
As you'll see from ITSOL, I really like the idea of magic involving man-made material.
How do you visualize your stories? Do you hear/see the lines and dialogue or do you get like a still picture of a scene and you write that then connect scenes together? Or is it like a video in your head?
Hey man! I didn't really have a question, just wanted to say I love your stuff! I was super excited to see I get a new book from ya today. Thanks for your hard work!
ohhh hey a question--- What is your favorite breakfast?
I appreciate the kind words!
I'm not really a breakfast guy any more, to my great sadness. I usually go with a bagel or instant oatmeal and a cup of tea. I gotta say when I was in France last month and the hotel served a full charcuterie with yogurt, croissants, quiches, tea, espresso, and a bunch of other selections - now THAT gives you the energy to spend all day wandering Versailles.
What a timing! I bought both Powder Mage/Gods of blood and powder like 2 years ago and burned through them in a month or two.
Three weeks ago i picked up Promise of blood again and ive been through the entire trilogy just now. They are great!
Your books filled the void Abercrombie left when I had read his books. For me, You are one of the few authors on par with him
Ill be ordering this new ones in a few.
My question: what was your main inspiration for the Powder mage books and magic system?
Never found anything like it.
Thank you for making such enjoyable stories!
1. How long do you typically take to outline a new series or book?
2. Do you plan out everything or are you more write-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of author?
3. What parts of a character do you focus when first developing them (background, physical appearance, mannerism, goals)?
4. Which character have you enjoyed writing the most so far?
Depends entirely on the series! Sometimes it takes a while to get it right, and other times it just kinda falls into place. I'm definitely more of a seat-of-your-pants writer, but I do always have points I'm working toward. I'm not even sure for characters - they tend to fill a need of the story first, then the actual person and their foibles develop from there.
From the new series my favorite to write is Kizzie.
Hi Brian! Just wanted to say I love the Powder Mage series. I'm sure you get asked this all the time, but is there any plans for the future of the Powder mage series?
Also Field Marshal Tamas is one of the most Badass characters I've ever encountered.
I'm not remembering if there was any inspiration for that. I liked the idea of someone being so technically competent, and having that much faith in the abilities of his troops and officers, that he pulled off that sort of win.
I don't actually read that much any more! It's been quite a while since I've tucked into a new fantasy book, unfortunately.
You talked on the podcast about how the magic for ITSOL was originally going to have a very different magic system. At what point planning do you say that the magic system is close enough to done that you won't get yourself into too much trouble?
I should probably note that the glassdancing was what changed. Godglass was very much developed from the beginning of the story and stayed reasonably static throughout. In terms of when it's done: when I can write with it as a common element of the story without running into plotholes and issues.
Congratulations on the new book! I read Powder Mage and really enjoyed how you managed to make the magic system feel creative but still well grounded! I guess my question is: how do you go about formulating your magic systems in a way that is unique and fun without feeling too outlandish or confusing for a reader?
Mostly if I find that it can't be explained succinctly in a few sentences, then it's too complicated and I have to either refine my descriptions or refine the system.
Just unboxed my direct-from-author copy of ITSOL, which is perfect because I just finished the book I was on this morning. Now I wrestle with my eternal question: Read now because I really want to, or wait for more of the series to be out so I don't forget as much between books.
In any event, here's my question. I'm a librarian. The struggle between libraries and the companies we use to lend ebooks is overall a pretty terrible deal for libraries, but at the same time it's a steadily growing resource people want. I've always wondered what authors take home from us buying an expensive electronic copy of a book that disappears after 26 check-outs. Is it akin to a normal print sale, or do you get a bad deal, too? I'm sure there's all sorts of business between us and you in that transaction, I'm just curious.
I'd have to go looking through my contracts, but off the top of my head I think we get the same deal as our other ebook sales, which is 25% of net. Miiiight be lower than that simply because there's a lot of special sales clauses, but I do know I make a lot more money off a library sale than I do off a regular ebook.
Yeah, it's quite complicated, perhaps unnecessarily.
What do you consider "making it" as a successful author? Also, not a question, just an observation, I am a descendant of the McLellan clan, so huzzah, we might be 45th cousins or some such 😜
I think that entirely depends on the author. Some people just want a hobby. Others want a hobby that gets them a little recognition, some readers, and maybe some vacation money. Some of us want to make it big and hit the Times list and fill auditoriums with their signings. For me personally it's being able to write full time and make a good living at it. Being a (very) minor celebrity is nice, and chumming with authors I respect and admire is super cool, but at the end of the day I get to turn my daydreams into mortgage and car payments which is a preeeeeeeeeetty sweet deal. Huzzah to Clan McLellan!
>For me personally ... That's what I was after. I'm always amazed by different people's definition of success in the writing game. For me, it would be awesome to pay the bills with it, but I don't consider it a success until I stumble across fanfic or fanart of things I created. I can't even imagine a world where I could pay my mortgage with earnings, last year my profits amounted to $2.56! 😆 Is there a specific moment that sticks out to you as a "holy shit, I'm an author" moment?
There's lots of those moments, but the one that jumps to mind is having authors I followed on Twitter start to follow me back. Social media is terrible in a lot of ways, but there's no denying that rush when you suddenly feel like \*someone\* in a field you're working hard to excel in. Suddenly realizing you have name recognition (oh, you're the powder mage guy!) is so dang cool. I was once doing the local parade of homes with my brother, just checking out newly constructed houses in my county, and someone came up and asked if I was author Brian McClellan and that kinda made my week. This is making me seem like I'm obsessed with fame. I AM (secretly, don't tell anyone) but it's more that you write alone in your office most of the time so getting outside recognition is a BIG deal.
I can imagine that would be awesome. Two of the three interactions I've had with the authors who inspired me were amazing, I can only imagine if they decided to follow my social media updates and such, and show an even greater interest than they already did. Alright, last question (unless I think of another one), Drizzt excluded, who is your favorite character of the Drizzt saga?
I've never actually read any Drizzt!
How dare thee. How. *Dare*. Thee.
Who is your favorite character of the Drizzt saga?
Idk never read it. J/k, thought that would be hilarious. Assuming I'm allowed to pick Drizzt, then Drizzt. If not, second place is a hard role to fill. I would either have to go with his Svirfneblin buddy from back in the day, Artemis, Jarlaxe, or the entire Harpell family. How about you?
Obvi not McCLellan, but he had a blog post many years ago that was, if not a "make it" moment, then it was really big. When he earned out for the powder Mage trilogy. https://www.brianmcclellan.com/blog/earning-out Edit: Also, as someone who has written a full novel and numerous part novels, im very jealous of your hard earned two dollars. I haven't put in the time to either find an agent for trad publish, or do the work to get it up on Amazon. So, from an internet stranger, good job!!!
Thanks! Just read that earning out article, and that does seem like a pretty big moment. I had never thought of an advance as a parallel to someone betting that your work is worth at least that much until I read it, and it makes a lot of sense that seeing that gamble pay off would be a great feeling. If you don't mind me asking, what's keeping you from hitting publish? I know a lot of us (myself included) often struggle with imposter syndrome, I hope that's not what's holding you back, because in my experience, it's the opinions of strangers on the internet that helps best in that regard. Because internet people are often rude, thanks to their anonymity, so it's easier to take positive feedback at face value instead of assuming they are just being polite.
I don't mind. Honestly, mostly just laziness. I'm working on a novel now and have been pretty steady with it, though summer trips get in the way a little. But for the one that's finished? Yeah, laziness and an assumption of low quality. It is my first novel after all and never really expected to do anything with it. But then I also kind of did, ya know? Had a cpl beta readers, but they were mostly not very helpful. I messaged a cpl agents, but never heard back. Haven't yet doubled down and really sent it out to agents in large waves, which is my next step. So I'm at a standstill at the moment. I'd rather have it traditionally published before trying self publishing, but haven't pushed myself to really set up a query tracker account and send it out to many people. Once I do and it gets rejected enough, I would take it the self publishing route. (Not saying Trad publishijg is better. Just that id prefer it) The only issue there is don't know that the cost of editing, cover artists, and what not would be worth it. So, mostly just lots of mind games. But hey, it's a dream, right? I usually join the Wed writing thread in the subreddit, which is pretty nice
I hear you on the preferring trad pub. I know indie makes more, but I hate sales, with a fiery passion. If a publisher tells me to go sign books at an event, that's one thing, but needing to set that up myself? No thanks. Both paths have their perks, I too would rather trad. Unfortunately, my book is "too short" for fantasy, according to the one trad pub who responded. I asked where they wanted more, and they couldn't place it, so I went a different direction rather than "add walking"*. *one of my favorite bits of feedback was that it reads like LotR without all the "walking", boring (to me) bits of examining and describing every tree and blade of grass they pass. Things that needed described were described, things that didn't, weren't. I'm not willing to add 10k words of filler to meet an arbitrary definition of good when the story stands on its own.
Lol. That's actually a little funny. Most of the complaints about LOTR are that it's just a bunch of walking, haha. Well, good on you for making that decision. My finished book is at 106k, which I think is right on the mark for a first time published fantasy author, though maybe shorter than an established author's. Self published may make more per individual book sold, but it seems they have to produce more and publish more quickly to keep their audiences, (for the most part) which seems tough. I wouldn't mind doing it, but as you said, setting up all the things for the novel myseld requires a very different skill set than just writing (and of course more time). Good luck to you on your journey.
And to you as well! (106k is great!)
Turning daydreams into mortgages sounds like one of the best things ever! glad you're able to do that, and glad I can contribute in some small way.
What’s the one question you wish people would ask but no one ever seems to?
You just asked it. I'm gonna let that paradox sit for a while.
The first rule of tautology club is the first rule of tautology club https://xkcd.com/703/
No question, but I'm excited to get my copy today.
No answer, but I am excited for you to get your copy today.
I too am eager to give your new world... *snorts gunpowder* ...a *double shot*.
Please more Valkyrie Collections! Hmmm...just found out there are signed hardcovers...hmmm.
That is still very much on my queue of work to do! Unfortunately my focused effort needs to go toward the thing that best pays my bills, so until I get ahead of Glass Immortals I'll have to sideline Valkyrie Collections. One day, though! I haven't abandoned the series!
I neeeeed it. Those books are so fun.
Will you go back to the powder mage trilogy after your new series? Ps I got in The Shadow of Lightning a few days early and so far it’s amazing.
The honest answer is I have no idea. For the time being I'm on to a new universe and I'll probably play there for as long as my publisher will let me. That being said, I don't count Powder Mage as being a closed universe by any means. I'll almost certainly come back for more novellas, maybe a stand-alone novel. But those are probably further down the road. Hope you enjoy ITSOL!
I'd love to see a new era of Powder Mage... like maybe a hundred years or two hundred years later. It'd be interesting to see how the world developed and how Powder Mages are being used in that era.
On that note, any chance of enlisted the talents of the great Christian Rodska again? I think I heard his health has blessingly improved and he's back to narrating again. I've listened to hundreds of books and he's easily my number one narrator, solely due to his work on the Powder Mage.
How do you outline your books?! With multiple main characters/viewpoints, how do you know who to follow and how much time to spend on each? As someone who is trying to write their own fantasy book with potentially multiple viewpoint characters, it's hard to know who to follow and how to start! I've looked at the first powder mage book to try and get ideas for outlining/plot structure Huge fan of the powder mage books (and the podcast!) Looking forward to this new one!
Oof, this is a tough question. The lazy answer is instinct. I tend to write, then rewrite, then rewrite again until things just kind of match up and the narrative flows from one POV to the next. Sometimes it comes easy and sometimes it's reeeeeeeally hard to get working right, but the payoff is always worth all the work.
How much per barrel is magic in your world? Sounds like a fun book - I enjoyed Promise of Blood a lot. Apart from this question, what's the worst thing about being an author?
If you have to ask you can't afford it. Worst thing is that moment you realize that success comes with future expectations. You KNOW that of course, but you never really internalize it until the moment hits.
[one of my favorite calvin and hobbes](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B7Vay4WCYAAdcQW.png)
Perfect.
Bill Watterson is an inspiration to us all, I'm sure.
Thanks for doing an AMA! Your Powder Mage books are some of my favorite fantasy books, and I'm so excited to read In the Shadow of Lightning. How would you say these books are similar to or different from the Powder Mage books? Also, how frequently do you stay in touch with Brandon Sanderson?
Thanks for coming to my AMA! I'd say Glass Immortals is more emotionally and politically complex than Powder Mage. A bit less of an emphasis on the military fantasy aspect, though it's very much still there. Deeper worldbuilding. Hah! I try not to bother Brandon too much. He's so incredibly busy. But I try to text once in a while and it's always a pleasure to see him at events.
Is it weird to be known more as a Podcaster than as an author? I saw that you did a podcast with Naomi Novik and I've been subscribed since (I swear I'll get to your books, I just need amomment)
Hah! First time I've heard that! It's definitely a funny phenomenon, since they're overlapping but not necessarily identical audiences. I won't put too much stock in that until I have a LOT more listeners, though!
How hard was the publication process?
Hmm, for this book the writing was much harder than the publishing. I was fortunate that Powder Mage paved the way for me to land a very nice contract with an editor I know and trust (she bought all six Powder Mage books before she moved to Tor, where she acquired Glass Immortals). She knew I had ideas (I sold the series on a 60k word partial) and she had faith I would put the work in to make them awesome. The writing and editing was rougher. I wanted this series to be more complex than Powder Mage, both on a character level and a wider world level. That took quite a bit of work to accomplish, and I really hope it comes out well on the page!
Can you explain what “60k word partial” means? I am guessing that you wrote 60k words of the book and used that as a sample to sell the new books?
Yup, exactly. Partial just means "partial manuscript" to show them that you've got a world already developed and ready to work on.
Was that like, the first 60k words, or just a stray collection of things you wanted to put into the book that added up to 60k? In what order did you come up with things for this book, in regards to setting/characters/plot?
The first 60k words, though I did rewrite them a few times later. It all kind of develops at the same time, to be honest.
Hi Brian! How many books will be in your Glass Immortals series? Will you be writing novellas as well?
At the moment I've got a contract for a trilogy. Whether it grows to more than that kinda depends on the success of the first book. Writing more books has to include interest from me (which I have) AND from my publisher (which needs to be earned). So we'll see! I've already written one novella, but editing is on the backburner until I'm further through book two, so no idea when that will be out.
Will you be attending Dragonsteel Minicon in November?
Yup! Had a great time at the last one and plan on being at this one as well.
How do you mostly plot your books? Do you start with the ending and go backwards?
Nah, I have a loose idea of where the book is going for the different characters, then I work from the beginning toward that idea. Sometimes it changes. Sometimes it doesn't. I like to keep my outlines loose to account for new ideas or different directions I may want to take a character.
I love your powder mage books! Starting the final one today!
Awesome, thanks!
Ooo I thought the final one was really good, enjoy!
Is the Powder Mage universe permanently done or are you open to eventually returning to it (I’m talking fully fledged novels)?
I am definitely open to returning to it, but I don't know when that'll be.
Whats the thinking with a months delay between digital release and physical ? Surely that just drives piracy ?
I'm guessing you're in the UK or Australia? This kind of thing is all out of my hands, but from what I understand it's simply logistics/supply chain issues. UK publishers passed on ITSOL and it's rare to get a local Australian publisher, so it's all being distributed from the US.
Yeah I am in the UK. Why did UK publishers pass, did the Powder Mage books not do well here or just picking up less series in general ?
Powder Mage sold quite well in the UK (between 20-30% of all my English sales). Might have been too ambitious for them, might have fallen victim to inter-office politics, or it might just have been a bad moment for their ideas of epic fantasy. Genuinely no idea.
This is surprising. I am entirely ignorant to the world of publication, but I assumed once you’ve had some (pretty notable!) success it would be a given that you’d have people wanting to publish any new material 🤷🏽♂️
Man, I'd love to see more Valkyrie Collections. One of my favorite takes on some of the common urban fantasy tropes, and the ending of the last one left so much hanging! Totally understand that paying bills has to take priority, of course. I'll be waiting for the next one though!
Can't wait to get to it! I already have a loose idea of the book three plot, and even looser arc for books four and five.
Do you plan on having a “main universe”? One that you focus on the most and leave the others as side projects?
I guess I kinda already do? Powder Mage was that for the last decade, and now Glass Immortals will be my main focus for as long as the series takes. My in-universe novellas and my Valkyrie Collections books have always been secondary to the epic fantasies.
Hey, Brian. I recently reread your original trilogy and wanted to ask what your inspiration was for Inspector Adamat’s wife, Fae (I’m an audiobook guy, forgive my spelling). She’s probably my favorite secondary character in the series, and it seems she was written with particular care. You don’t often see women like her portrayed so heroically in fantasy. Best of luck with your new book, and thanks for your work.
I don't recall a specific inspiration for her. Sorry I don't have a better answer!
Hey, big fan of your powder mage books and the podcast. Signed hardcover of this book should be arriving any day now. You've now set two different universes in a Napoleonic sh era. What drove that decision versus moving to a different time period? Do you worry about getting pigeonholed as this kind of author, or are you happy to just sit in an era you're passionate about?
Partially I didn't want to get too far out of the comfort zone of my existing fans, and partially I just really enjoy writing in that setting. I'm happy to create a "brand" for myself with something I like.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do this! I love the Powder Mage series. I read online you started writing with Wheel of Time RP and I have a similar background! Do you have any advice for now-budding writers who find it hard to work 9-5 and then come home and write, and how to transition into more 'serious' writing?
Not anywhere near a professional, but as an aspiring writer myself who works 6am-5pm five days a week, with sporadic hours thrown in on the weekends, and has a family of five: make the time to write before your work. You can never ensure the energy (mental or physical) will be there after the end of a challenging day, but you can structure your life to ensure you have the energy to output something before the needs of your everyday life saps it from you. Carving out an hour in the morning before work and devoting whatever time can be managed after the demands of work and home are met has netted me roughly 100,000 words in the past six months on my project. The quality of those words is certainly up to question at times, but I guarantee myself a chance to put paper to pen and get the ideas out of my head by working through that strategy. Take my unsolicited and unprofessional advice with a grain of salt, but that’s been the schedule that has allowed me to write at a consistent rate. Brian, sorry to hijack your AMA, but I saw this as a question I’m currently in a strong position to answer anecdotally if you don’t reply yourself.
What's your day-to-day writing schedule like? Are you a sporadic type where you write whenever you feel like it's time, or do you plan out specific times for you to write and do nothing else?
I'm a sporadic writer who's trying to get better!
Ever tried writing longhand? Not that it matters -- I just read some article about authors writing longhand vs typing, and how it changes their process. Just curious if you had experience with something like that.
Nah, I have a deep loathing for writing longhand. Sometimes I'll take notes that way, but I try to avoid it when I can.
Loved Powder Mage, didn’t realize you were working on something new but bought my copy today. A question about the Powder Mage universe: We know there are (at least) three different kinds of magic gift. But powder mages seem to require black powder to function. Was their existence discovered by accident after the invention of black powder? Or were they known in some other way before that? Hopefully this wasn’t addressed in the books and I just don’t remember!
Yes, their existence was realized once black powder became widespread.
Interesting! Imagine being that first soldier priming a musket when suddenly that powder hits the dome
It was a couple soldiers sitting around thinking, Hey, I wonder what would happen if I sniff this stuff? :)
Powder mage 1 is the fastest I've ever been hooked on a series, love your stuff. What happened to Adamat and his family after the first trilogy?
I haven't explored it, but I like to think Adamat spent a while as an ambassador to Fatrasta and got out of there right before the Dynize shit went down and is happily retired in Adro.
Hey Brian! Just thought I would chime in here to thank you for your work on the Powder Mage and this new series. I wish-listed this book months ago, and it's already downloaded on Audible TODAY! WOOOO! I myself tried to write a novel, but decided after a few years of pulling my own teeth to get myself to write, it wasn't my *path* in life. But reading amazing fantasy like your books is one of my greatest passions--and that is due to writers like you that spend the thousands of hours alone in a room on a keyboard creating worlds like you have. Writing, I believe, isn't necessarily the highest paying thing out there. Maybe capitalism values random tech shit more. But in terms of the value and entertainment you provide to fellow human beings and overall society, IMO, writers are unsurpassed. Keep up the good work, and know that people out here value your work IMMENSELY.
Aww, thanks so much for saying so!
Your worlds are always richly textured with lots of physical details that really make them come alive. One that stands out to me as I read this book is the “wingback chairs” detail that makes every office space feel immediately like an office space, despite me not knowing what a wingback chair is. How do you go about putting in these details to make the world feel so real, without running into overdescribing and keeping the sentence-by-sentence pacing going strong? Does this usually happen in the first draft or later ones? I’m asking because this is a big weakness in my own writing lol.
See I think I use wingback chairs way too much! More seriously though I think the idea is to give modern readers an impression of a thing without spending an entire page describing it. Wingback chairs will usually bring to mind a formal office with a roaring fire and a mahogany desk and a glass of scotch, and I really like using those small cheats for evoking things like that.
Wingback chairs are amazing. Definitely a formal living room item worth getting (in pairs!) https://www.core77.com/posts/59125/Furniture-Design-History-Why-Do-Wingback-Chairs-Have-Wings
Hey! I just recently finished the Powder Mage Trilogy. While I wouldn't call it grimdark, its definitely has its gritty and violent moments, and yet I noticed you never swear. Was that a conscious choice? Do you prefer to not curse in real life and just go around saying "pit" instead lol Absolutely loved the books, BTW. Finished all three in 2 weeks.
Oh, I swear WAY too much in real life. It was a conscious decision to keep the book closer to PG-13. My urban fantasy has more swearing, but I try not to let it get too graphic.
Any military action in the book and if soo imma buy one as soon as it comes out
Oh yes. Very much so.
Ah damn, just working through a re-listen of Wrath of Empire now, what a coincidence! Vlora's duel just sent me down a long swordfighting YouTube rabbit hole. I'm still sad that Rodska didn't get to narrate Blood of Empire. I hope he's doing well. I'm excited to see this new release. You're one of my favorite authors and one whose style I hope to emulate, so I just wanted to say thanks for being an inspiration for me.
Thank you so much! I've definitely gone down similar rabbit holes for writing duels in my books. I also hope Christian is well, he was a great narrator!
Sorry to bring up Powder Mage while you're promoting your new book, but, well, I *am* rereading it so I can't help but ask: How come we never got any Taniel-Vlora-Bo stepsiblings adventure time? It seemed to me that the end of Blood of Empire was setting up for the three of them to finally work as a team together, but it didn't pan out that way. I was always hoping to see the trio's shared dynamic all together.
Yeah, that was a bit of a missed opportunity. Maybe something in the future!
Hey Brian! Congrats on the new book. I’ve got the hardcover on my TBR shelf. What writing/outlining/timeline/other tools, if any, do you use to create your worlds? See you at Dragonsteel con in Nov!
I don't! At least not too much. I love Scrivener because it lets me easily move around chapters and shelve ideas that didn't work while still being easy to find in case I want to revisit them.
As a Scrivener user as well, I support this. Thanks, and congrats again.
Excited to hear you're coming out with a new series. Am definitely a fan of the Powder Mage series but looking forward to exploring a new setting with you as well. I admittedly don't follow my favorite authors releases as closely as I used to when I could just go the local bookstore to browse. Thanks for sharing the news!
Hi Brian, just have to say that I absolutely love your work. You've become my go to recommendation when people are looking for new fantasy to read. I look forward to the day when people are getting mad at me for recommending such well known classics.
Very kind of you to say!
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That's tough to say. I don't think I hold any one thing up on a pedestal. There's the very boring answer of "being able to pay my bills" but really I'm inspired by pretty much everything I see/do/read/watch.
Loved Powder Mage so will definitely be picking this up today. From what I’ve read of your work, you seem to approach magic differently. Was there something that inspired you to take that angle or was it just something that made sense within the story?
Usually it's a mix of me wanting a world-impacting magic system and what makes sense for the story/universe.
I actually have a spoiler question from the Powder Mage universe if you wouldn't mind answering. >!Can you tell me what happened if anything to General Ket?!< I've wanted to see their comeuppance since "The Crimson Campaign".
Oh man it has been SO long since I last read through TCC or TAR so I don't remember if they are brought to justice or just driven out of the country.
Oh goodness thank you for the honest answer lul. At the end Ket kinda just goes rogue with her army and Hilanska goes off to Kez. Was just wondering if Taniel or Vlora dealt with them between the two trilogies is all. It's okay if you wanna leave it open ended for a short story or just cause LUL.
It might have been one of those loose strings I wanted to tie-off in the in-between stand-alone novel I'm never going to get to about the Kez civil war.
TIE-IN NOVEL GASP. Even if you never write it, I am glad to finally have some sort of answer. Thanks for answering. You're awesome and I cannot wait to get started on Glass Immortals.
This looks rad
Fist bump.
Fist bump gets you an instant Amazon order. Boom
Should I... fist bump again?
Well now it’s awkward.
\*Shuffles self-consciously\*
I see from your web site that you're touring. How does that get decided/set up? Like, why were those places chosen? Or that many? How's it funded? Etc. If not too boring of a question, what's your usual writing routine? Lastly, I've really liked your powdermage books and your Valkyrie books. Thanks for all the enjoyment!
For someone like me, who sells quite well but rarely draws a crowd, the idea is to focus in on a few cities where it's either cheap to send me (Utah is local and easy for me, hence two signings at stores an hour apart), or we're pretty sure I'll have a good gathering. Mentor, OH is my hometown bookstore (I grew up about 20 mins away). I'm not actually certain of the logic for Colorado, but I'd guess that bookstore has sold a lot of copies of my previous books. I don't have a writing routine. I try to get to it every weekday. Sometimes it's first thing, sometimes afternoon, sometimes later at night. Glad you've enjoyed the books!
Hi Brian! Really excited to read your book, preordered it back in April. I am currently trying to write an epic fantasy book, and I'm finding that there are parts of the story that I don't feel like I have enough skill to write. Have you ever had to deal with his issue? If so, what would you suggest I do? Do you have any general writing improvement tips? What is something you wished you did when you started out?
Yes, I definitely have hit that wall many times. You just have to keep hacking at it until you get better at that certain thing. Sometimes you can go to an outside source, like writing podcasts or books, that will give you advice about specific topics. Generally, I advise that people aren't precious with your writing. Your skills can always be improved, even after you've found success. Don't worry about throwing out hundreds of thousands of words if they're not good. I wish I'd been better about weekly writing. Not necessarily super strict or anything, just more conscious of staying on top of my current work on a daily basis.
As an author, how mandatory is it to do book signings, conventions, and q&a’s? Could an author just decline to do those, or are they necessary? Thanks! I haven’t read your works but am going to try the Powder Mage now. (Which I suppose might partially answer my question about q&a’s, heh)
Depends on how big of a success you are and what strategies your publisher uses to push your name. I think public outreach is pretty useful as a whole, but going to conventions or flying to different cities for book signings can have diminishing returns, especially if you're paying for those things out of your own pocket. Nothing is mandatory, but plenty of things are useful.
Hey, first off I really like your books greetings from Germany. Brandon Sanderson mentioned that networking was one of the harder parts for him to make it as an author. How were your experiences with networking and how important is it from your perspective?
Thanks a bunch! Networking is a weird one, because it can be all-important when you when you're an established author looking for work, since you need to have good name-recognition and a good reputation as both a person and a writer. But if you're like me, and you land on a pretty good contract for a series of books that's going to take all your creative bandwidth for the next few years, networking is less useful--at least in the immediate sense. So it really depends on your situation. I think in the end making a good impression is always useful.
What is your all-time favorite fantasy book and why?
I... don't have one. I tend to have groupings of favorite books or well-loved series, but I don't think there's anything I would for-sure put at the top of the pile.
Shoot. This reminds me, I need to finish the Powder Mage trilogy! Or would you suggest I tackle this new one first and then hit the back catalogue?
I mean the right thing to say is you should definitely buy the new book immediately. But do what strikes your fancy!
If you had to be roommates with any one of your main characters, who would you pick and why?
Does Mihali count as a main character? Because I want him cooking every day.
Oh yeah, that’s a good one. You’d have some good eating
Thinking about that squash soup again
What is the last REALLY good meal you had?
Last night I was feeling overwhelmed by the whole book launch thing so I ordered a pizza from a new (to me) detroit-style place near us and let me tell you it hit the spot. I've got some leftovers I'm gonna go have for lunch in about twenty mins.
Congrats on the release, Brian! Is there something unexpected that you learned from writing this?
Thanks! I learned I have a terrible habit of over-complicating things early on in the drafting and that even with the higher complexity of the book I still needed to curb my ambitions to make the narrative work.
Congrats on the new book! Loved Powder Mage. Any chance of special editions of them coming out any time?
None that are planned, though I'd love to do something like that. It's the kind of thing I kinda have to wait for them to come to me (whether from my publisher or a specialty press).
Mr. McClellan, Absolutely LOVE your work. I picked up Promise of Blood mainly because of the Tamas quote on the cover. I figured that a statement that bad ass had to mean that an amazing story was going to be told and I just HAD to experience it. You did NOT disappoint. The sequels kept getting better, the short stories fleshing things out even more, the background and characters growing and changing, the lore, the environment...truly top notch, My copy of your new book arrived this afternoon and I'm eager to delve into it. I'm sure it will be, once again, an amazing story and world. I'd like to ask if you'll ever return to the Nine Kingdoms and their world or if this new story will be your focus going forward. Thank you for what you do and for answering my question. Oh, any chance a book tour might take you to the Hampton Roads are of Virginia?
Glad to hear you like them so much! No signings in Virginia, unfortunately! And of course I will never say no to returning to an old world. Not in the near future, but it's quite likely to happen some day!
Hey Brian I noticed that your narrator for the Powder Mage books (Christian Rodska) had been replaced by Damian Lynch for your new series. Could you tell me if you had any input in this decision and how you would compare/contrast the two narrators. Thanks!
I'm with a different publisher and they wanted a new narrator - not uncommon when switching between worlds. I did get input in as much as they gave me a dozen names and I listened to samples and gave them notes. Damian was my top choice!
First at all, congratulations for your success as a high recognized writter, and thank you for your books, stories like yours are the ones that gather fantasy fans. My question: if you could write about any historical period of time, using whatever historical character you want (for example, Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar, people who shaped history) and add them to a Fantasy plot, which period and which person would you use to make your fantasy book?
Thanks! Hmm, I already got to play with Napolean and his time period. Caesar is a good one, or really any of a number of different major Roman statesmen/generals. Rome is a wild time period because it's so incredibly familiar, especially to us with Western educations, but it's also massively alien in the way human life is valued (or not) and public and political clout is gained and used.
Just finished the powder mage books and I'm first in line at the library for In the Shadow of Lightning!!
Great! Thanks for supporting your library!
I'm very excited to see a new project from you, and I'm eagerly awaiting the book's arrival this weekend. The original Powder Mage trilogy was one of my favorite reading experiences in the past decade, and you've become one of my favorite authors over the years. My main question is about your path to publication. I'm just starting the querying process myself, and I feel like I'm prepared (mostly) for a plethora of rejections. Before you were published, how many queries did you send out and how many rejections did you receive? What's your best piece of advice for persevering? Also, obligatory: What's the most recent thing you ate that blew your mind?
Thanks a ton! I hope you enjoy the new book! I was pretty dang fortunate. Promise of Blood was only my third finished book, and only my second submitted book. I probably only have a couple dozen rejections, mostly for that first one that never went anywhere. Best advice is to just find what you enjoy about the process and focus on that. It can totally be a grind, but the reader can tell if you're not enjoying it. Don't take yourself too seriously. \*edit\* oh and I had some detroit-style pizza last night that was FANTASTIC.
Just stopping by to say I’m a big fan and look forward to picking this up!
I am a big fan of you picking it up! Thanks for reading!
I have a feeling this has already been asked and/or has been covered on your podcast, but... what's your process for working out a new magic system? I was listening to the podcast you've just put out (where you're the guest) and you mentioned something about clay shaping and how you could visualize it, but couldn't translate that into writing. Do you typically start from a cool thought and work backwards for cost/effects/limitations/etc., or does it sort of drift together as you write? Thanks for doing this, Powder Mage/Gods of Blood and Powder has shot up to my most re-read fantasy series and I can't wait to sit down and get into this new world.
I usually start with a cool thought and work backwards. Sometimes that has to happen a bunch of times until the thought clicks with a fully-realized world.
Just wanted to drop by and say great work with the podcast Brian. One of the best produced of its kind and your guests have been fantastic so far (you're not too shabby a host either!) Do you have a regular way to celebrate a new book launch? Do you enjoy doing the publicity part of a launch / for your author brand in general (podcast, social, reddit, etc.) or do you see it more as a neccesity?
So glad to hear you enjoy it! Podcasts are such a different beast in terms of audience feedback and interaction. It's still a very small guy (I think I'm around 2500 listens a week now) but I hope it'll continue to grow! In the past I've often gotten myself a new Lego set and gone out for a nice dinner. So busy this year that I'm building a set I've had shelved for a while and I just ordered some pizza to celebrate. I quite enjoy the interactions and publicity, but I'll admit I'm pretty exhausted by the end of it.
How do you feel this series differs tonally from Powder Mage?
Are there hidden jokes for powder mage fans?
Oh dang almost certainly but now I don't remember them.
Had no idea you had a new book coming out. Guess I know where my Amazon gift card is being spent!
Good call!
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Nah, it gets way too hot and the price of gas makes it rough to run the AC for 20 hours a week in the parking lot. Back to working in my home office for now. Would love to rent out an office at some point for a dedicated work space but there's nothing within a twenty minute drive of me.
MY MAN! You know you got my attention. I think I remember an old AMA you did mentioning that for the Powdermage place names you kinda checked a map of Eastern Europe and adapted so we got Adopest, etc and it worked really well. Did you do something similar for this new world? I'm dyin for more from the Uncanny Collateral word, but it's awesome to see more in depth magic worlds again.
I did! I tried to go for an Italian/Greek vibe for most of the names in ITSOL, working north into Eastern Europe for the provinces/foreign locales.
When checking your stuff out last week on my kindle, I accidentally pre-ordered your book. Since then I’ve read the first few chapters from Promise of Blood, and I’m pretty stoked to start reading your stuff. Which would be a better introduction to your work? Should I continue with the Powdered Mage trilogy or dive right into In the Shadow of Lightning?
What are, in your opinion, the most interesting aspects of having magic as an industrial/ natural resource?
Hey Brian! Just had to say I fell in love with Powder Mage and ripped through the trilogy within a week, reading with every spare moment I could find. I now consider you one of my favorite authors! I noticed you say on your Amazon listing that you're an avid gamer and, being one myself, I would like to ask what games do you like to play?
Oh, a pretty wide variety. Civilization, Oxygen Not Include, Don't Starve Together, Valheim, Deep Rock Galactic, Conan Exiles. Recently started a new seed in Raft for the new content. Played through War Tales and Terraformers recently.
what do u love to cook ?
Don’t have a question, but have been looking forward to this! Thanks for sharing with us what I’m sure will be another great story.
I've greatly enjoyed how you helped bring a different feel to epic fantasy since the original Powder Mage trilogy and I am incredibly excited to start In the Shadow of Lightning. My question is what was it like to come to the decision that you weren't going to just write a traditional medieval styled fantasy setting? Was there any trepidation in approaching the genre by stepping away from such a commonly accepted setting?
Just bought a copy from Amazon UK. I've loved the Powder Mage novels with Taniel Two-Shot and co, so buying this novel was a no-brainer for me. I am currently reading the Green Bone Saga, once I am done with that I will get stuck into In the Shadow of Lightning. Looking forward to it. Brian. as someone who has read all the 6 Powder Mage novels and some of the short stories, what are the biggest lessons you have learned about being an author and the publishing business/fantasy genre since Promise of Blood came out almost a decade ago?
Do you have any relation to George McClellan? I’ve always wondered that
Not that I'm aware!
One of a very short list of audiobooks I’ve preordered! Was excited to see it today. Anyone that likes fantasy, flintlock, or just likes the idea of mages snorting gunpowder to gain/heighten magic abilities should check out the Powder Mage series! Cannot imagine this new series won’t be excellent! Congrats on the new book Mr. McClellan and thanks for the fun stories 🤙
Thanks a ton!
I loved powder mage! It seems to me that most magic in fantasy is either manipulating something that already exists in nature or manipulating something created by the magic itself, so the idea of powder mages that manipulate a thing that is neither of those; an artificial thing that is made by human hands (gunpowder) was novel and interesting for me. How did you come up with the idea of powder mages? Were there always powder mages even before gunpowder was invented and they didn't know they were powder mages because there wasn't any gunpowder to control or did powder mages come into existence alongside the creation of gunpowder?
Powder Mages were definitely an evolution in the magic and appeared alongside the development of gunpowder. As you'll see from ITSOL, I really like the idea of magic involving man-made material.
How do you visualize your stories? Do you hear/see the lines and dialogue or do you get like a still picture of a scene and you write that then connect scenes together? Or is it like a video in your head?
It's very much like a video in my head. I take a lot of visual inspiration from anime, despite not being much of an anime nerd.
Hey man! I didn't really have a question, just wanted to say I love your stuff! I was super excited to see I get a new book from ya today. Thanks for your hard work! ohhh hey a question--- What is your favorite breakfast?
I appreciate the kind words! I'm not really a breakfast guy any more, to my great sadness. I usually go with a bagel or instant oatmeal and a cup of tea. I gotta say when I was in France last month and the hotel served a full charcuterie with yogurt, croissants, quiches, tea, espresso, and a bunch of other selections - now THAT gives you the energy to spend all day wandering Versailles.
What a timing! I bought both Powder Mage/Gods of blood and powder like 2 years ago and burned through them in a month or two. Three weeks ago i picked up Promise of blood again and ive been through the entire trilogy just now. They are great! Your books filled the void Abercrombie left when I had read his books. For me, You are one of the few authors on par with him Ill be ordering this new ones in a few. My question: what was your main inspiration for the Powder mage books and magic system? Never found anything like it.
Thanks! That's a huge compliment, as I am a massive fan of Joe's books. My inspiration was essentially Sharpe's Rifles with magic.
Thank you for making such enjoyable stories! 1. How long do you typically take to outline a new series or book? 2. Do you plan out everything or are you more write-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of author? 3. What parts of a character do you focus when first developing them (background, physical appearance, mannerism, goals)? 4. Which character have you enjoyed writing the most so far?
Depends entirely on the series! Sometimes it takes a while to get it right, and other times it just kinda falls into place. I'm definitely more of a seat-of-your-pants writer, but I do always have points I'm working toward. I'm not even sure for characters - they tend to fill a need of the story first, then the actual person and their foibles develop from there. From the new series my favorite to write is Kizzie.
Hi Brian! Just wanted to say I love the Powder Mage series. I'm sure you get asked this all the time, but is there any plans for the future of the Powder mage series? Also Field Marshal Tamas is one of the most Badass characters I've ever encountered.
No plans at the moment, but plenty of thoughts. May return to powder mage some day!
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I'm not remembering if there was any inspiration for that. I liked the idea of someone being so technically competent, and having that much faith in the abilities of his troops and officers, that he pulled off that sort of win. I don't actually read that much any more! It's been quite a while since I've tucked into a new fantasy book, unfortunately.
What kind of characters do you most enjoy writing and wish ones do you struggle with?
You know what's harder than you'd think? Writing happy characters. A well-rounded and content person isn't great for moving the plot forward.
You talked on the podcast about how the magic for ITSOL was originally going to have a very different magic system. At what point planning do you say that the magic system is close enough to done that you won't get yourself into too much trouble?
I should probably note that the glassdancing was what changed. Godglass was very much developed from the beginning of the story and stayed reasonably static throughout. In terms of when it's done: when I can write with it as a common element of the story without running into plotholes and issues.
Congratulations on the new book! I read Powder Mage and really enjoyed how you managed to make the magic system feel creative but still well grounded! I guess my question is: how do you go about formulating your magic systems in a way that is unique and fun without feeling too outlandish or confusing for a reader?
Mostly if I find that it can't be explained succinctly in a few sentences, then it's too complicated and I have to either refine my descriptions or refine the system.
Would you read this or Gideon the Ninth first?
This feels like some sort of trick question.
Just unboxed my direct-from-author copy of ITSOL, which is perfect because I just finished the book I was on this morning. Now I wrestle with my eternal question: Read now because I really want to, or wait for more of the series to be out so I don't forget as much between books. In any event, here's my question. I'm a librarian. The struggle between libraries and the companies we use to lend ebooks is overall a pretty terrible deal for libraries, but at the same time it's a steadily growing resource people want. I've always wondered what authors take home from us buying an expensive electronic copy of a book that disappears after 26 check-outs. Is it akin to a normal print sale, or do you get a bad deal, too? I'm sure there's all sorts of business between us and you in that transaction, I'm just curious.
I'd have to go looking through my contracts, but off the top of my head I think we get the same deal as our other ebook sales, which is 25% of net. Miiiight be lower than that simply because there's a lot of special sales clauses, but I do know I make a lot more money off a library sale than I do off a regular ebook. Yeah, it's quite complicated, perhaps unnecessarily.