Ask the Author: Nicholas Eames
Answered Questions (121)
Nicholas Eames
Hi Chelsea! No updates at the moment, sorry! I'll be sure to shout it from the rooftops (on instagram and bluesky) when it's finally finished! I'm sorry it's taking so long.
Nicholas Eames
Nothing at the moment, sorry! In case you follow me on instagram or bluesky I'll be sure to mention it there when it's done, or nearly done!
Nicholas Eames
Ha, miscellaneous indeed!
Regarding the book writing, boy, it can take anywhere from a few months to (looks hard into the mirror) many, many years! It took my about 8 years to draft my first unpublished book (and 4 more to edit/rewrite it) but about 2 to write Kings of the Wyld. Bloody Rose was a bit slow at first, but once I got going I ripped it off in about a year--which is still slow for some authors but incredibly fast for me. I think, in the end, everyone has their own pace and finding something you can sustain over the long term while still, you know, living a full and healthy life, is best!
As far as tips go, just read a ton of modern(ish) fantasy and write a lot! It took me more than a decade to find my "voice" on the page, but others nail it on the first try. Either way, writing, rewriting, and editing are, I think, great ways to improve your skill, which for some (like me) can take a looooong time to hone.
I don't, alas, play Smash Bros. While I love video games even more than books and was once the greatest Street Fighter II player on planet earth, I tend to play exclusively turn-based RPGs or 4X/Grand Strategy Games, with the occasional action rpg (Assassin's Creed, Elden Ring, Horizon) thrown in if I think I'll like it enough.
Thanks for the questions!
Regarding the book writing, boy, it can take anywhere from a few months to (looks hard into the mirror) many, many years! It took my about 8 years to draft my first unpublished book (and 4 more to edit/rewrite it) but about 2 to write Kings of the Wyld. Bloody Rose was a bit slow at first, but once I got going I ripped it off in about a year--which is still slow for some authors but incredibly fast for me. I think, in the end, everyone has their own pace and finding something you can sustain over the long term while still, you know, living a full and healthy life, is best!
As far as tips go, just read a ton of modern(ish) fantasy and write a lot! It took me more than a decade to find my "voice" on the page, but others nail it on the first try. Either way, writing, rewriting, and editing are, I think, great ways to improve your skill, which for some (like me) can take a looooong time to hone.
I don't, alas, play Smash Bros. While I love video games even more than books and was once the greatest Street Fighter II player on planet earth, I tend to play exclusively turn-based RPGs or 4X/Grand Strategy Games, with the occasional action rpg (Assassin's Creed, Elden Ring, Horizon) thrown in if I think I'll like it enough.
Thanks for the questions!
Nicholas Eames
Hey. Hmm...I think Joe Abercrombie is an excellent example of a modern fantasy author who, in my opinion, gets better with each book. He could either start at the very beginning or check out Joe's upcoming book The Devils, which is set in a while new world than his First Law series and is, I think, a great place to start.
The Lies of Locke Lamora (while not that modern anymore!) is fantastic as well, and works perfectly as a standalone.
Also, Red Rising! While it's technically sci-fi, I DO think it's probably the best story currently being told by any human being on earth, so that's always a great option!
Hope that helps!
The Lies of Locke Lamora (while not that modern anymore!) is fantastic as well, and works perfectly as a standalone.
Also, Red Rising! While it's technically sci-fi, I DO think it's probably the best story currently being told by any human being on earth, so that's always a great option!
Hope that helps!
Nicholas Eames
Hey, thanks for the kind words, and I'm sorry to hear you've been struggling.
I think the best way to frame it is that the time you've put in writing is always worthwhile because it's helped you hone and refine your craft.
And boy, do I ever know it! I started trying to write (seriously, with the intent of getting published) at 25, and was, I think, 38 when I finally got a book deal. For about 11 of those years I wrote (and re-wrote, and re-wrote again) a huge 350k word novel that will never see the light of day, but it's hard to regret that time as I learned a ton from the process.
It was extremely hard to give that book up and start something new (which turned out to be KotW) but once I was writing the next thing I knew I had "leveled up" considerably and was on the right track. That said, if you'd have told me 6, 7, or 8 years into that first book that it would never be published I'd have likely been crushed. Alas, I was extremely fortunate that it all worked out in the end.
Hope that helps somewhat! Good luck!
I think the best way to frame it is that the time you've put in writing is always worthwhile because it's helped you hone and refine your craft.
And boy, do I ever know it! I started trying to write (seriously, with the intent of getting published) at 25, and was, I think, 38 when I finally got a book deal. For about 11 of those years I wrote (and re-wrote, and re-wrote again) a huge 350k word novel that will never see the light of day, but it's hard to regret that time as I learned a ton from the process.
It was extremely hard to give that book up and start something new (which turned out to be KotW) but once I was writing the next thing I knew I had "leveled up" considerably and was on the right track. That said, if you'd have told me 6, 7, or 8 years into that first book that it would never be published I'd have likely been crushed. Alas, I was extremely fortunate that it all worked out in the end.
Hope that helps somewhat! Good luck!
Nicholas Eames
Hey! That's so great to hear. I really appreciate that, and I sincerely hope he liked it.
No certain timeline eon book 3 yet, sorry. I've ha d a rough time getting it started (and keeping that going), but I finally have. I'll be sure to shout about it from the rooftops (and on social media) when it's finally done!
No certain timeline eon book 3 yet, sorry. I've ha d a rough time getting it started (and keeping that going), but I finally have. I'll be sure to shout about it from the rooftops (and on social media) when it's finally done!
Nicholas Eames
Hey! Sorry for the elate reply to this. I'm still writing it, so nothing yet, unfortunately. Sorry! If you follow any of my social media (instagram/bluesky) I'll absolutely post about it there when I'm done!
Nicholas Eames
I sure do! Some books with a similar vibe are The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman (my favourite book of the last few years), Among Thieves by MJ Kuhn (sort of a fantasy heist story with a ton of great banter), and Orconomics by J Zachary Pike (the start of an excellent and truly hilarious series, but with plenty of heart as well!).
I'd recommend Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie, but I assume you've read those masterworks already!
Hope that helps!
I'd recommend Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie, but I assume you've read those masterworks already!
Hope that helps!
Nicholas Eames
Hey! Well, they put that in when I wasn't even close to finishing Bloody Rose, so a lot changed after that. Tam's brother Karr was replaced by her Uncle. Heck, in the first edition of KotW Tam is actually Tom, since it wasn't until about halfway through Bloody Rose that I switched up the main character.
Thanks for reading my stuff!
Thanks for reading my stuff!
Nicholas Eames
Hi!
Yeah, it can definitely be a slog. It was very much was for me, but I was also extremely happy with my life regardless of whether or not I got published. I loved working in restaurants, and I didn't write if I didn't feel like it (although I felt like writing a lot, thankfully).
I didn't know when starting out how difficult it was to get published, and until it WAS published I really had no clue as to how much authors made. In the end, while I worked really hard, I also got pretty lucky, finding exactly the right agent and editor along the way.
If I had to do it all over again I would probably not put SOOOOO many eggs in the writing basket, and would have pursued a career in, say, making video games while I wrote on the side. Most published authors (about 95%) don't survive off writing alone and have another job that sustains them financially, so I think it's important to have as strong a foundation as possible while you pursue the dream.
So while I DID feel discourage sometimes, I was writing for the joy of it, and I think I learned a lot about myself in the process. I don't think time spent writing and creating is ever wasted.
And if the dream DOES comes true, then I can say for sure that there's few things so rewarding as hearing that someone loved your work, or was affected by it, or that it helped them cope with something in their lives that might have been harder otherwise. Things like that make any slog, no matter how long, feel worthwhile.
Good luck, Dylan!
Yeah, it can definitely be a slog. It was very much was for me, but I was also extremely happy with my life regardless of whether or not I got published. I loved working in restaurants, and I didn't write if I didn't feel like it (although I felt like writing a lot, thankfully).
I didn't know when starting out how difficult it was to get published, and until it WAS published I really had no clue as to how much authors made. In the end, while I worked really hard, I also got pretty lucky, finding exactly the right agent and editor along the way.
If I had to do it all over again I would probably not put SOOOOO many eggs in the writing basket, and would have pursued a career in, say, making video games while I wrote on the side. Most published authors (about 95%) don't survive off writing alone and have another job that sustains them financially, so I think it's important to have as strong a foundation as possible while you pursue the dream.
So while I DID feel discourage sometimes, I was writing for the joy of it, and I think I learned a lot about myself in the process. I don't think time spent writing and creating is ever wasted.
And if the dream DOES comes true, then I can say for sure that there's few things so rewarding as hearing that someone loved your work, or was affected by it, or that it helped them cope with something in their lives that might have been harder otherwise. Things like that make any slog, no matter how long, feel worthwhile.
Good luck, Dylan!
Nicholas Eames
Hello!
Well, the third book is inspired by the music of the 90s (as opposed to the 70s and 80s of books 1 and 2 respectively), so thanks to bands like Nirvana, NWA, and Rage against the Machine it's steeped heavily in themes of discontent, rebellion, and a general disdain for authority. As for characters, it'll feature a whole new "band", but since it IS the final installment you should expect pretty much everyone still from the previous books to make an appearance. That's the plan, anyway!
I think the easiest characters to write are the POV characters. While Clay has a lot of my sarcastic/pragmatic humour, Tam has my hopeless sentimentality, so I loved writing from both their perspectives.
Most fun, though? That's goota me Moog (in KotW) and Roderick (in Rose). Both are hilarious, but much more complex than they seem at a glance.
Thanks for reading my books! Hope you like Bloody Rose!
Well, the third book is inspired by the music of the 90s (as opposed to the 70s and 80s of books 1 and 2 respectively), so thanks to bands like Nirvana, NWA, and Rage against the Machine it's steeped heavily in themes of discontent, rebellion, and a general disdain for authority. As for characters, it'll feature a whole new "band", but since it IS the final installment you should expect pretty much everyone still from the previous books to make an appearance. That's the plan, anyway!
I think the easiest characters to write are the POV characters. While Clay has a lot of my sarcastic/pragmatic humour, Tam has my hopeless sentimentality, so I loved writing from both their perspectives.
Most fun, though? That's goota me Moog (in KotW) and Roderick (in Rose). Both are hilarious, but much more complex than they seem at a glance.
Thanks for reading my books! Hope you like Bloody Rose!
Nicholas Eames
Hi! Yeah, I've been playing Street Fighter since the second one hit the arcades way back! And then, because my brother (who played Ken to my Ryu) was really good at it, I practiced all day every day until eventually no one I ever met could beat me on a console. I played a ton of Zelda when I was younger as well (especially A Link to the Past), but nowadays I prefer strategy and rpgs, so I haven't played recent iterations of either.
As far as writing advice goes, reading is obviously key. And so is practice! I wrote a 370k-word book over the course of ten years and then rewrote and edited it thoroughly before sending it out to get rejected by agents. It never was and never will be published, but I can't regret doing it because it made me the writer I am today.
Some authors write several books before they write one that's truly great, and some (though very few) nail it on their first try. Don't be afraid to start something new, even if you love what you've already written. More practice is never a bad thing!
Lastly, don't be afraid to write a book you love even if it's not what's popular at the moment, because there's a good chance a ton of people who love the same thing are waiting for a book like yours to inspire them as well.
Good luck to you and your sister both!
As far as writing advice goes, reading is obviously key. And so is practice! I wrote a 370k-word book over the course of ten years and then rewrote and edited it thoroughly before sending it out to get rejected by agents. It never was and never will be published, but I can't regret doing it because it made me the writer I am today.
Some authors write several books before they write one that's truly great, and some (though very few) nail it on their first try. Don't be afraid to start something new, even if you love what you've already written. More practice is never a bad thing!
Lastly, don't be afraid to write a book you love even if it's not what's popular at the moment, because there's a good chance a ton of people who love the same thing are waiting for a book like yours to inspire them as well.
Good luck to you and your sister both!
Nicholas Eames
I think probably the final battle, where all the bands come streaming out of the Threshold. I'd been imagining it for more than a year, walking to work while blasting Freebird on repeat and envisioning how it would go, so getting to blast Freebird while finally putting it to paper (as it were) was really fulfilling.
I hope you love Bloody Rose as well whenever you eventually read it! While I think KotW is a one-in-a-million idea that I'm extremely lucky to have thought of, I'm much more proud of the poignant scenes and the character work in the second book.
I hope you love Bloody Rose as well whenever you eventually read it! While I think KotW is a one-in-a-million idea that I'm extremely lucky to have thought of, I'm much more proud of the poignant scenes and the character work in the second book.
Nicholas Eames
Ha, trust me: you're better off reading a cereal box than my first book! I DID cannibalize a few parts of it for The Band, but it's definitely better off in a drawer.
As for Goodreads updates, I really only use this site for keeping track of books I'm reading, sorry. Updates on a third band book (whenever I manage to write the damn thing) will come via my social media (Instagram for sure, Twitter if it still exists in a year or two!
As for Goodreads updates, I really only use this site for keeping track of books I'm reading, sorry. Updates on a third band book (whenever I manage to write the damn thing) will come via my social media (Instagram for sure, Twitter if it still exists in a year or two!
Nicholas Eames
Hey! Alas, it is not. The book is far from finished, unfortunately, and once it is it usually takes a year or so to edit and publish, so I'm afraid it'll be a while yet. Sorry!
Nicholas Eames
Hi, thanks for the question.
Not really, no! Those first three chapters really came out of nowhere in the days after I first had the idea. I hadn't even conceived of Clay as a "shield-bearing protector" at the time. I'm glad it happened that way, however. You'll see a bit more of Tally in Bloody Rose (which I hope you like!) and hopefully again in the book-to-come.
Not really, no! Those first three chapters really came out of nowhere in the days after I first had the idea. I hadn't even conceived of Clay as a "shield-bearing protector" at the time. I'm glad it happened that way, however. You'll see a bit more of Tally in Bloody Rose (which I hope you like!) and hopefully again in the book-to-come.
Nicholas Eames
Yep! Hip-hop and grunge are huge inspirations, as both have sort of an anti-establishment vibe. Wu-Tang Clan, Nirvana, NWA, Rage Against the Machine...Basically all the bands I didn't appreciate enough when I was an actually teenager in the 90s!
Nicholas Eames
Hi!
For sure, yeah. Some major influences for book 3's themes and characters are Wu-Tang Clan (along with all their solo albums), Nirvana, Nas, Pearl Jam, and Rage Against the Machine--which is ironic, because as a privileged teenager in the 90s I didn't like them and had no idea what they were so mad about!
Along with a ton of others, of course!
For sure, yeah. Some major influences for book 3's themes and characters are Wu-Tang Clan (along with all their solo albums), Nirvana, Nas, Pearl Jam, and Rage Against the Machine--which is ironic, because as a privileged teenager in the 90s I didn't like them and had no idea what they were so mad about!
Along with a ton of others, of course!
Nicholas Eames
Alas, no. And how dare Goodreads do that to us? I've still gotta write the dang thing, which (for some reason) is taking forever, then it usually takes a year or so to edit/publish. So it'll be a while yet, I'm afraid. Sorry! I really do wish I was faster...
Nicholas Eames
Hi! Well, I feel it's important to the integrity of KotW that it feature's Saga's last big adventure all together, and while I've considered a prequel they can be very tough to pull off and I write very slowly, so I'm not sure it's worth tackling. Plus, I think not having a prequel adds to the bands mystique a bit.
That said, while books 2 (and eventually 3) each feature a whole new generation of mercenaries in worlds very different than that of their predecessors, there are a TON of cameos. At least 3 members of Saga appear in Bloody Rose, and most will play a small but vital role in Outlaw Empire. I want each book to feel like a standalone, but I also want the series to feel like there was a thread running through each book that ties them all together.
Thanks for reading my book! I sincerely hope you like Bloody Rose if you give it a shot!
That said, while books 2 (and eventually 3) each feature a whole new generation of mercenaries in worlds very different than that of their predecessors, there are a TON of cameos. At least 3 members of Saga appear in Bloody Rose, and most will play a small but vital role in Outlaw Empire. I want each book to feel like a standalone, but I also want the series to feel like there was a thread running through each book that ties them all together.
Thanks for reading my book! I sincerely hope you like Bloody Rose if you give it a shot!
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