Author Interview – Richie Billing

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m from a city called Liverpool, well-known around the world for birthing The Beatles and Liverpool Football Club (and Everton too, though typically as the team I support they’re neither as good nor well known).

In past years I’ve worked as a lawyer—a job I gave up to pursue writing—and managed an Irish community centre. Now I manage a digital marketing company.

I’m a big NBA fan and follow the Boston Celtics. So most nights you can either find me watching hoops or tapping away at my keyboard. 

2. When and why did you start writing?

I think I started writing properly when I was about 23. I’d finished uni at 21, dipped in and out of semi-serious jobs, wrote a sitcom with a friend, and then just felt a bit lost. 

I wasn’t fulfilled in the things I was doing. And around the same time I rekindled my love of reading. I suppose in an effort to escape the void I turned to books—fantasy mostly—and in them found a bit of purpose. 

People have always said to me that they enjoyed my writing. Even law essays, which I found weird. And after we finished the sitcom I had no projects to do. So I decided to write something new, and given my renewed love for fantasy books, I began to think of ideas for my own. 

Around the same time I kept seeing magpies. Literally everywhere I turned I saw a magpie. Which got me thinking. And then came the idea for my first novel. The rest is history. 

3. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

No. In my younger days I flitted through desires of fantastical careers before settling on law. It didn’t turn out as I imagined and my life has since pivoted. But I’m so much happier doing what I love. Writing is a part of my life now. I can’t imagine what it would be like without it. 

4. Where do you draw inspiration from?

Mostly the world around me. The people I meet and see in the street. The things I read in the news and in books. Sometimes ideas just come to me while daydreaming. 

Most times they’ll come in fragments and you’ll either need to look for the other parts or wait patiently for them to come. Then it’s a matter of putting them together. 

I seek to instill a bit of purpose in my stories, particularly drawing upon real world issues. With Pariah’s Lament, I drew on issues to do with the migration and refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East, illustrating the inhumanities, helplessness and desperation. 

I also comment upon nuclear weapons—the unnecessary threat that hangs over us all, the foolishness of keeping them, and the temptation to wield them for ill purposes. 

5. What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most?

A lot of the time, writing almost feels like a problem solving exercise. A literary game, like a jigsaw. As an editor, I’m forever toying around with words, sentences and paragraphs, trying to find the perfect sequence. Weirdly I’ve come to enjoy this, mostly because of the tremendous satisfaction I feel when readers tell me they enjoyed the story. 

6. Can you tell us a little bit about your debut novel?

Let me give you the blurb:

“So often it’s the forgotten who possess the power to change the world.”

When an attempt is made on the life of Ashara, Keeper of Yurr, his young, hapless advisor Edvar must uncover and stop those behind it. With enemies in the capital city and the belligerent Tesh, Keeper of neighboring kingdom Karrabar stirring trouble in the Borderlands, can Edvar hold together Ashara’s brittle reign? 

The troubles ripple throughout Yurr, affecting an ancient race of people known as the Amast, who in their time of utmost need, turn to pariah Isy for salvation. Rejected by society, kith and kin, can Isy guide the Amast to safety during the greatest turmoil Yurr has known since the War of the Damned?

I’ve invested an awful lot of time and effort into this book and the only thing I want is for people to read and hopefully enjoy it. The reviews have so far blown me away, so if you love an underdog, action-packed stories and a touch of romance told in the style of GRRM and Joe Abercrombie, give Pariah’s Lament a glance. 

7. What’s one thing you wish you knew about writing or publishing before you started?

How important marketing is. When I began I appreciated that I wasn’t that good a writer so set out to improve. I didn’t understand that while I was doing that I could have been doing some simple things to build a following and readership. 

That said, if I hadn’t invested all that time I may not be where I am today. 

8. Who is your favourite author and why?

George RR Martin. Maybe an obvious choice, but I don’t care. Nobody has ever enraptured me so much. One night, struggling to sleep, I decided to read a bit of Storm of Swords. When next I checked the time it was 7am. It was like the best joint in the world and I couldn’t stop smoking it. 

So he may be a slow writer, but he’s a true master of the craft that possesses an insightful understanding of humanity. 

9. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Persevere. Never ever give up, even when it feels more appealing than rolling around with a bunch of puppies. The difference between writers and everyone else is that the writers didn’t give up. They stayed in the chair and worked through their problems and kept on going until they finished.

10. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

If you would like to check out Pariah’s Lament, please do go on and explore! Over on my website you can find the first chapter in both text and in 3D audio format. Plus when you join my community of readers, you can get the first 4 chapters delivered right to your inbox. 

If you just want more book and writing chat, there’s plenty to be had on my site, www.richiebilling.com. And I also have a writing group you may be interested in joining. Click here to do just that. 

Thanks for listening to my rambles!

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About Richie Billing

Richie Billing writes fantasy fiction, historical fiction and stories of a darker nature. His short fiction has been published by, amongst others, Kzine, TANSTAAFL Press, Bewildering Stories, Liquid Imagination, The Magazine of History & Fiction, Aether and Ichor, and Far Horizons. 

His debut novel, Pariah’s Lament, will be published by Of Metal and Magic Publishing on 17th March 2021. He co-hosts the podcast The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed, a venture inspired by the requests of readers of his critically-acclaimed book, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook. 

Most nights you can find him up into the wee hours scribbling away or watching the NBA. Find out more at www.richiebilling.com.

Advice For Aspiring Writers

I love giving bad writing advice. 

• When you want to quit, remember why you started.
• You don’t have to get your story right the first time. Or the fifteenth.
• Your piece should be as long as it needs to be. No more. No less.
• Read what you want, when you want, where you want. Just read something.
• Write often. Even when you don’t feel like it.
• Turn off your inner critic while writing. Turn on the critic while editing. 
• Let that idea in your head make it into the paper. A bad page is better than a blank one. 
• Have fun with the first draft. It doesn’t have to be perfect. First drafts are supposed to suck. Editing exists for a reason.
• Get better and better with every failure. Not trying is worse than failing.
• Adjust. Change what doesn’t work. Improve what does.
• Stop worrying. You’re wasting time you’ll never get back.
• Make the most of what you have. Even and especially when you don’t have much. 
• Keep learning. Don’t ever stop learning.
• Live your life. Then relive your life through writing. 
• Never settle for anything less than your best. Why do anything if you aren’t going to give it your all?

I also love soliciting good writing advice.

Advice For Aspiring Writers

More advice in graphic form? What a surprise!

How To Get Motivated To Write

Because sometimes we all need a little motivation to write. Or maybe that problem only plagues me.

Below are my top nine tips.

Give yourself incentives.

Big or small, an incentive usually excites you enough to sit down and write. Also remember to reward yourself often, especially after an accomplishment.

Read, read, read.

Reading great work by other authors should push you to produce something just as great—if not—better.

Start writing.

The act of writing can motivate you to write. Easy to say, hard to execute. Give it a go regardless. You have nothing to lose.

Accountability instills responsibility.

Holding yourself accountable or having someone else occasionally check in on you is a good strategy.

The inspirational people.

Surround yourself with mentors, friends, along with anyone who has a strong work ethic as well as a knack for getting things done. They don’t have to be writers.

The other people.

The doubters, critics, haters, and basically anyone who isn’t in love with you. After all proving people wrong is what writers do best.

Try music.

Need to set the mood? Listening to a specific song or a particular playlist can be the trick you need.

Establish a routine.

We are creatures of habit. If you make it a habit to write, you’ll be more inclined to do it every day.

Don’t forget to set goals.

These are simple math equations:

Goals = Motivation

No Goals = No Motivation

I’ve shared what works for me. Now what gets you motivated to write?

A huge thank you to Agent Hunter for the idea to blog about getting motivated to write. And if you’re searching for an agent, that site is your best friend. Literary agents represent authors, helping them to negotiate contracts with publishing houses, film producers, etc.

Blogging 101: Identify Your Audience

Publish a post you’d like your ideal audience member to read, and include a new-to-you element in it.

This will be fun. Ready, set, go.

Work hard now.

My mom believes that if you work hard now, you won’t have to work as hard later. With context she means I should study hard while I’m in school so my life will be slightly better when I’m older. “Life is hard. It’s harder if you’re stupid.” Not the best quote to insert here, but give me some credit for trying. I think the biggest piece of advice I can give aspiring writers is to work hard now. Don’t put off something you can do today, right this minute. Talent, skill, luck only gets you so far. The rest of the journey is up to you.

Fail. Fail. Fail. 

If you aren’t failing, you’re doing something wrong. One of my teachers compares writing to baseball. You will fail a lot. Baseball players don’t hit every ball they’re thrown. In fact, no hitter even succeeds fifty percent of the time. Failure means you’re doing well. You’re getting closer and closer each time you fail.

Forgive yourself.

You will make mistakes. So learn from them. Get better. Don’t be bitter. Haven’t learned how to forgive yourself? Make yourself. Force yourself. Do whatever it takes. You’ll be much happier once you master the art of forgiveness.

This post originally started out (in my mind) as advice I’d give to aspiring writers. Turns out, these are three pieces of advice I’d give myself. Make that four.

The new-to-me element is a picture with advice written in the caption. Didn’t see that one coming, did you?

Never stop reading.

Sometimes the person you’re actually writing to is you. Sometimes it’s your mom, your cousin, your friend, your teacher, your boss, etc. So write with your audience in mind. Just don’t forget to write for yourself too.

Blogging 101: Take Control of Your Title and Tagline

Am I going to edit my title or tagline? Nope, because I’m quite fond of both.

Instead I’ll give you a bit of insight behind them.

aspiringwriter22

First of all, I tend not to capitalize the a. It ruins the aesthetic for me personally. Also, I was fifteen when I first started this blog. Meaning I came up with aspiringwriter22 back then. Go ahead, judge a fifteen year old.

Anyway, I don’t regret calling myself that, especially since I couldn’t very well call myself writer22. It doesn’t sound the same. And I can’t recall if someone else already laid claim to the name. (I checked to see if the blog address is already in use. It is.)

Aspiring. I like how the word sounds. I especially like aspiring with writer. Those words work together when placed side by side. More importantly, I’m not implying I aspire to be a writer. In real life, I tell people I’m a writer.

Writer. Pretty self-explanatory.

22. My favourite number.

A blog about writers, for writers, written by an aspiring writer, exploring the life of a writer.

My tagline changes all the time. No doubt, it’ll probably change in the future. Just not in the near future. I hope my tagline isn’t too misleading or confusing. I think it accurately sums up my blog in one sentence since I talk about writing most of the time. Even when I’m not, I reference or make indirect remarks about writing.

I’m beginning to realize how big Blogging 101 actually is. There are so many bloggers doing it. Best of luck if you are. If you aren’t, I still wish for your success.

Aspiring Writer’s Birthday Wishlist

I am penning a wishlist and publishing it on this blog even though nobody in my family visits this site except one of my cousins. And he comes on here occasionally when he’s really, really bored. Emphasis on the really, really bored part.

Books

Anything that I do not currently own and have not read is the ideal gift. Ha, good luck with that.

Stationery

I am dying to go back to school shopping. Most of what I buy isn’t even used for school related purposes. Stationery fuels my writing life. Pens, notebooks, paper, and just about anything else you can imagine.

Music

For those days where I need a bit of inspiration. However, I detest my aforementioned cousin’s taste in songs. I should feel sorry but I don’t.

A publishing deal

*Insert fading laughter…AHAHAHAHAHahahahaha*

Here’s to many happy birthdays.

Toronto Universities For Aspiring Writers

I lied. This is a list of 5 universities for one aspiring writer. Me.

After a long discussion with a good friend of mine, I’ve started to look into potential universities for someone who wants to live and die writing. These are my personal picks, my own opinions. Bear in mind I live in Toronto, I love writing, I’m not loaded so my choices are limited based on factors like location, program availability, admission requirements, tuition fees, etc.

Up until this point these are the schools I’m most likely applying to for various reasons:

• York
• Waterloo
• Ryerson
• Queen’s
• University of Toronto-Scarborough

Also if you know any other universities in Toronto not listed above with a strong English/Creative Writing program, please let me know. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.