Interview with Thomas J Devens ~ Writer of 'The Pawn'

Thomas J. Devens is the inaugural invited writer or Unearthed Stories, and the author of our first interactive short-story, The Pawn. In this post, out lead writer (and editor of invited stories) Livia J. Elliot interviews Thomas about his writing, his novels (for the series Vermin og the Old Empire and The Fall of Emros), and his experience writing an interactive story for the first time.

Livia: Would you first introduce yourself?

Thomas: I’m Thomas J Devens, the author of the Fall of Emros saga, and my new series of short fiction standalones, Vermin of the Old Empire. Both of which fall into the realm of gritty fantasy.

What are your favourite series or authors? Did any of them inspire you?

There are so many, it’s difficult to say where to begin. Glen Cook, both his Black Company and Dread Empire series are what really drew me back into fantasy. Other favorites include Steven Erikson, Joe Abercrombie, and Michael J Sullivan.

I think it was after finishing Cook’s Dread Empire series though, that I finally decided to try my hand at writing seriously. I had some degree of interest in writing since I was a kid, but never really amounted to more than a few stories for school. After my school years, I would generally write a page or two, think to myself, “this is garbage,” toss it, and not try again for a year.

Eventually I started re-reading Neil Gaiman’s Sandman comics, which led to me rediscovering a love for mythology and fantasy. Then, finally, after getting back into fantasy and discovering Glen Cook in my late 20’s, about a decade or so ago, I finally just sat down and started writing and world building, and just never really stopped.

You know I read one of your series and was an instant fan–your prose is so unique. But most of all, the worldbuilding is thorough. The Fractured Kingdoms felt alive. What inspired you to create that world? Do you enjoy world building?

Thank you, that really does mean a lot!

For the Fractured Kingdoms in particular, that all started over on the Page Chewing forums. We were doing the Writers’ Battleground, monthly short stories written to a prompt. There was one of those stories in particular that I was quite happy with, which became the prologue for The Scroungers. Another month we were to pick one of our previous stories and write it from another perspective, I chose to two other perspectives of the Battle of Torglen.

There was also The Gods of Silver and Gold, my attempt at epic poetry. I really liked the idea of intertwining that into the background of the whole thing. Really, for the Vermin series, a lot of the world building I do as I go, aside from those two short stories and one epic poem, they are the basis for it all. The rest I come up with as I go, and manage with a chaotic jumble of notebooks, folders, and scribblings on coffee and ale-stained bits of scrap paper.

But, yes, I do like world building. Before I started my first book, I spent probably a year or so, just world building before I even found the story I wanted to tell. I think that’s a big part of taking a more spontaneous route for Vermin. Both ways have been fun. But it’s interesting to see the differences.

In particular, your books have a lot of themes around war, trauma, and the impact of war on someone’s life. Why did you choose this focus?

I’m not entirely sure, haha. On one hand, it’s because it all started with that one story of Olaf in the prologue to The Scroungers. On the other hand, I do veer in that direction a bit.

I’m drawn towards the fodder. I like bringing the focus down to the grunts and those that have been through the worst of it but continue to survive, and perhaps thrive despite it all.

War is an awful thing, and often those most affected by it are overlooked.

Writing for Unearthed Stories was your first dive into interactive fiction, right? How did that feel? What did you find challenging? And what did you enjoy the most?

Indeed, it was. It was interesting and exciting. I felt like it made me look at my whole process differently. Not least to say as someone who usually writes in third person with many POVs, but the way I went about the whole thing.

Overall, there was a bit of challenge to the whole process, which made me very appreciative of how much work you must put into all of these stories! Personally, I’ve never been much of a plotter, so it adds a whole new level of having to keep things straight. But at the same time, when it all works out and comes together, it’s so rewarding too.

Just exploring all the possibilities of what could be done with the interconnecting choices… it was a lot of fun.

Thank you, Thomas! Where can people find you, and what are your upcoming releases?

Thank you! If folks wanna look me up they can find me on Twitter @stoneandshield or on Facebook @fallofemros I’m not the most active social media user, but I at least check things pretty regularly. And I also frequent the Page Chewing forums.

Right now, I’m finishing up The Dregs, the second novella in the Vermin of the Old Empire series—the same universe where The Pawn takes place. All of these will be standalones, but if read in publication order, there will probably be a few easter eggs here and there. That will be out before the end of the year.

Cheers! And thank you again, this has been a wonderful opportunity!

If you want to read/play The Pawn (and you should definitely be keen on doing so), you can install Unearthed Stories for free on any Android or iPhone/iPad devices, and read!