Today we’re shining the speculative spotlight on author G.M. White, writer of The Swordsman’s Lament, a low fantasy novel entered into this year’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off.
Welcome to the Fantasy Inn, G.M.! How are you and how have you been?
I’m well thank you. I’ve been better, I’ve been worse, but life is looking pretty good.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what types of stories you write?
I’m G.M. White, a 39 year old author living on the remote and beautiful Isles of Scilly. I’m a fantasy author (surprise, surprise!) who seems to have developed a knack for telling fast paced fantasy thrillers.
Pick three books: One that is the most memorable to you as a reader, one that had the greatest influence on your writing career, and one that you just love.
Ooh, good question! Tricky too, narrowing it down… I’d say the most memorable is probably The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams, as it’s what started my life long love of fantasy fiction. (More on that in the next question!)
I can tell you that the Wounded Kingdom books by RJ Barker have had a big influence on my writing career. You may not be able to see a direct influence on The Swordsman’s Lament in terms of content, but an interview he gave the Bestseller Experiment podcast really made me think about what I was doing and inspired me to strike out on something new.
He talked about writing what you know, and how his own experience of living with illness and disability led him to give the main character of those books a disability. Namely, a club foot. Which doesn’t hold his character back from becoming an extremely skilled assassin.
At the time I was working on a (now trunked) novel which wasn’t particularly original, and wasn’t particularly good. Working on that for over a year helped me learn how not to write a novel! It was a very typical hero’s journey quest story, with a young character setting out into the world for the first time. Now, it’s been a while since I was a fresh faced young person and at the back of my mind had been building an idea for a new character. An older warrior, a legendary swordsman, who was maybe just starting to feel his age…
I have irreparable joint damage in my left foot, and arthritis in most of the others. I began to wonder what it would be like to have those ailments if, instead of being a slightly overweight guy that works on a farm, you were the world’s greatest swordsman. An undefeated duellist. Whose body is just starting to betray him. Spurred on by RJ Barker’s interview, I decided that this was the character I wanted to write. This was the story I wanted to explore.
Not long after that, I woke up in the middle of the night, having dreamed a scene which I hastily tapped into the notes app on my phone. That scene became the opening for The Swordsman’s Lament and finally that character I had been thinking of had a name. Belasko. Thanks RJ!
A book that I just love? Aaarggh, there are too many! I’m going to cheat and choose two. A classic and something contemporary. For the classic I opt for Legend, by David Gemmell. Another book and author that have had a big influence on me. For something contemporary, I choose The Bone Ships by RJ Barker. Which is an incredible book, the most amazingly alien world conjured up so beautifully. If you haven’t read it yet, I suggest you do.
How did you first fall in love with the fantasy genre?
What got me hooked was the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams. Up until then I hadn’t read much fantasy. Kids classics, like The Hobbit and the Narnia books, but nothing I’d class as epic or adult fantasy.
![The Dragonbone Chair: Book One of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by [Tad Williams]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51P6LxIr9pL.jpg)
In the early 90s, when I was 10 or 11, I saw this book in my local bookshop. The spine caught my eye up on its shelf, the image of a young man clutching a sword. His red hair streaked with one lock of white. The title of the book, Stone of Farewell, in gold above him. Intrigued, I took the book down and turned to the gorgeous Michael Whelan illustration on the front. Which spurred me on to read the blurb on the back, only to discover that it was book two in the series. The shop didn’t have book one in stock.
I put the book back, and every time I passed that bookshop I went in to see if they’d gotten the first book in the series, The Dragonbone Chair, back in stock yet. Eventually they did, I bought it, and then I had a whole new genre to fall in love with.
I worked my way through the first two books in the series, only to find that the third book hadn’t yet been published. There was a while to wait until that book, To Green Angel Tower, came out. (Mainly because it was huge, it stands as one of the longest novels ever published. Funnily enough, the next two series Tad wrote had four instalments.) In that time I started working my way through the fantasy shelves of my local bookshop. Over the next few years I got into David Gemmell, Robin Hobb, David Eddings, Terry Pratchett, and lots more besides. I owe it all to finding that copy of Stone of Farewell on the shelf.
What made you want to become a writer?
I’ve always been an avid reader, and pursued storytelling via other avenues. I’ve played in bands throughout my life and had a (not terribly successful) stab at an acting career. I’d written some plays before but I had some ideas for stories that just wouldn’t leave me alone, so I started to write them out. Initially on my phone on my commute to work, back when I lived in London. When we moved to the Isles of Scilly four years ago I started taking it more seriously. But what made me want to be a writer? Honestly, I can’t imagine not doing it now. It’s part of who I am.
Do you have any fun hobbies you’d like to share?
I play the drums. I haven’t played much since we moved here, but my kit is now set up down at our island pub. When life is a bit more back to normal I’ll get down there and have a good bash at it.
A fun fact about yourself?
Apparently, on my dad’s side of the family, we’re descended from Robert the Bruce. No one takes it particularly seriously, except my dad’s cousins who did the genealogical research and named their two sons Robert and Bruce.
Oh, and my party trick used to be popping my left shoulder in and out of its socket. I stopped doing it when it turned out most of my joints are knackered! I may still demonstrate it if asked when alcohol has been consumed.
Are you writing under a pen name? If so, why? If not, would you ever consider writing under one?
I use my initials. Mainly because my other options didn’t sound very authorial. Or rather, they sounded like the author of different genres to fantasy. If I did write in another genre (I do have some ideas) then I would probably use a pen name. Gotta protect those “also boughts”!
Tell us about the book you entered into SPFBO this year!
The Swordsman’s Lament is a fast paced fantasy adventure. It follows the king’s champion, Belasko, as he is accused of a murder he didn’t commit and falls rapidly from grace. He goes on the run, determined to find the real killer and clear his name.
From the highs of palace life, to the lows of the city’s criminal underworld, we follow Belasko as he fights for the truth. There are sword fights, poisonings, political scheming, both help and betrayal from unexpected quarters…
The full blurb is:
When a prince is murdered, a legendary swordsman stands accused.
The King wants blood…
…and loyalty counts for nothing.
Belasko thought he was beyond intrigues and machinations. But when the grief-stricken King demands vengeance, Belasko discovers he is expendable. His options are clear… find the real killer or satisfy the royal bloodlust.
With the forces of the palace mobilised against him he is thrust into the city’s bleak underbelly and must fight to discover the truth. With betrayal around every corner he must form unlikely alliances. Can the veteran warrior survive long enough to protect his friends and prove his innocence?
Join Belasko on a page-turning adventure as he hunts the real killer, from courtly intrigue to the depths of the city’s criminal underworld, and learns the true meaning of The Swordsman’s Lament.
A fast paced fantasy thriller perfect for fans of David Gemmell, Sebastien de Castell, and Ed McDonald. The Swordsman’s Lament is a story about friendship, betrayal, and those who are willing to do what is right no matter the cost.
If someone put the work of Sebastien de Castell, RJ Barker, Scott Lynch, and David Gemmell, in a blender you might end up with something like The Swordman’s Lament.
How did you acquire the cover art for your book?
I came across my artist, Violeta Nedkova, online. She’s been great to work with and has just finished the cover for the prequel novella to The Swordsman’s Lament that will be coming out later this summer. You can find her here: https://violetanedkova.com/book-covers
Why this particular story, of all the stories you could have written?
The idea came to me at the right time. It got its hooks into me and wouldn’t let go! Funnily enough, it was only after I’d published the book and started to read other people’s reviews that I realised what the theme of the book is. Being willing to do what you think is right, no matter the cost. Both the hero of the book and the character who is eventually revealed as the ultimate villain are doing what they think is right and will go to any lengths to achieve their aims. They just disagree, violently, over what the right thing to do is, but both are in their own way absolutists. So, unconsciously, I’ve written about the divisive times we’re living in. My mind trying to process the Brexit mess the UK is in… But in a fun adventure story.
What key takeaways do you hope readers walk away from your book with?
Most of all, I hope they enjoy the book. That the fast paced, fun, adventure keeps them turning the pages. Along the way they should experience a bit of an emotional rollercoaster and reflect on the importance of being true to yourself.
Why did you enter SPFBO? What are you hoping to get out of the competition?
I only found out about the competition last year, and have enjoyed some of the previous years’ books. I’m hoping to get to know more people in the indie author community, find some other great work to enjoy, and of course hopefully get a little exposure for my book. It seems like a great way to find like minded readers and writers.
Which do you enjoy most: outlining, drafting, or editing?
Drafting. I love when the words are flowing and your fingers are flying across the keyboard. It’s really quite a rush.
What does your writing process look like?
I’m sort of discovering and refining my process, but here’s how it went for The Swordsman’s Lament. I spent a month writing the chapter by chapter outline, then a couple of months writing the first draft. Then I put it aside for a bit before going back for a redraft. The second draft then goes to my editor and beta readers, and the third draft is pulled together using their feedback. Then it gets a damn good polishing!
Advice you wish you could give to your earlier self when you were first starting to write?
Just keep going, and don’t set unrealistic goals for yourself. Keep them small, keep them achievable, and then feel really good when you smash them.
What has been the best business decision you’ve made for your writing career?
I don’t know, I think I should probably start making some…
What does a typical writing day look like for you?
I don’t have one at the moment. We’re in a period where my wife is back at work following maternity leave, and I’m part time at home with my son while working 30 hours a week at my old job. So at the moment a typical writing day is: manage some writing when my son has his morning nap. If he has a morning nap. Then do some more when everyone else has gone to bed.
I’ll be a full time stay at home dad starting in September 2020, and I’m hoping that will give me the chance to establish a better writing routine. Probably getting up early to write before anyone else wakes up. I love getting the words down first thing, doing something creative is the best way to start the day. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment that improves my whole day.
What are you working on right now?
Right now I’m working on a short story, something unrelated to anything else that is a bit of fun for me. Then it’ll be back to my novella, The Swordsman’s Intent, which will be out later this summer.
What other projects can we expect from you in the future?
I’ll very soon start work on the sequel to The Swordsman’s Lament, which I intend to have published by the end of June 2021.
After that, I have an idea that I really want to work on which features dragons. Lots of dragons. Oh so many dragons. Much more of an epic fantasy type of thing. Then there’s an idea for a contemporary fantasy with Arthurian roots that has been bouncing around my head for years. I just need a novel shaped idea to come up. My newsletter subscribers get a short story set in that world, which people seem to enjoy. Then I’ve got an idea for a historical fantasy, or perhaps just a historical novel, set around an Elizabethan style playhouse.
So, I’m not short of ideas!
Thank you for stopping by the Inn, G.M.!
About G.M. White
G.M. White has always been an avid reader, a love of the written word instilled in him by his parents at an early age. This may or may not have something to do with the fact that he was a very talkative child and the only time he was quiet was when he had his head in a book. Anyway, we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on that one. A lifelong storyteller he finally decided to put his imagination to good use and set pen to paper and started to write down the worlds that he carried with him in his head.
Website: https://gmwhite.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GMWhiteWrites
Facebook: http://facebook.com/gmwhitewrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gmwhitewrites/
