Turning the Tied: Writing Fantasy with Will McDermott
On March 13, a special volume of tales is debuting. The International Association of Media Tie-in Writers is publishing a collective anthology called Turning the Tied from some of the industries’ great contributors; all of the book’s proceeds are being donated to the World Literacy Foundation.
One of the tales within is Tales of Asgard: The Trials of Baldur by Will McDermott. Fans of fantasy properties such as Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer 40K, and Mage Wars are already aware of Will’s ability to bring big characters alive on the page, such as MtG’s Balthor the Stout and 40K’s Mad D’onne. He’s also brought Night Stalkers’ Carl Kolchak to life; Will’s upcoming Night Stalker novel Strangled By Death is hitting store shelves this March.
Currently, Will’s published 8 novels and 16 short stories and helped create worlds, characters, and stories for various card, board, and video game properties.
In the spirit of my Three Things format, I asked Will three questions about his work (plus a bonus question!). I had a chance to talk to Will a little about his love for the genre, his upcoming story, and what it’s like to write for properties not his own.
What is it about media tie-in fiction that you enjoy?
Will: I love being a part of a shared world that everyone — fans and creators alike — are all playing around inside. It’s a very gestalt kind of thing. We’re all connected through this love of this world, and it is all genuine for all of us while we are immersed within it. This does put a lot of pressure on the writers to get it right, though, because you never want to break the immersion for any of the universe’s fans by getting something wrong.
For me, that is also one of the appeals to writing in shared worlds. The challenge of playing by the rules means you, as a writer, have to be more innovative, more creative when it comes to problem-solving. You can’t just take the first idea that pops into your head. If that character wouldn’t do that or wouldn’t say that, it just won’t work, and the fans will immediately know it. I love those kinds of challenges when writing. I find I come up with better ideas, and my writing is stronger when I place constraints on myself (or have them placed on me by the rules of the shared world).
What inspires or influences your journey through a writing project?
Will: Anything and everything can inspire me. My office looks over my backyard and green space beyond that, so we get numerous animals (which my dog tends to chase off) and tons of birds. This really helps keep me centered while writing. I also listen to music while writing. I have a Spotify channel populated with classical music and soaring movie scores that is my go-to while writing. If I’m in the middle of a battle scene, I might switch to something with a driving beat. For more heartfelt scenes, I might listen to some haunting Celtic music. I love Evanescence, Florence and the Machine, Loreena McKennitt, Clannad, Sting, and Queen.
When I get stuck in a scene, I will walk my dog or take a shower, both of which are great ways to clear my mind and let new ideas flow in. As for characters, I take inspiration from real life. I might describe the face of a friendly cashier for some kind stranger in a scene or the angry face of someone who cut me off in traffic for a villain. Their real facial expressions help ground these characters in the real world.
Let’s talk about The Trials of Baldur. Why did you pick this character? Is there something you hope the reader will come away with?
Will: My story is a “found” myth about the Norse god Baldur. I’ve been a huge fan of the Norse myths since college, and I’ve always wanted to write a mythological story. While researching ideas for this collection, I reread the tales of Baldur. There are only two in the Prose Edda: “The Dreams of Baldur” and “The Death of Baldur.” Both of these detail the events leading up to and surrounding his death. This is a momentous occasion in Norse mythology because Loki’s imprisonment for his hand in Baldur’s death is a precursor to Ragnarök
And yet, even though Baldur is this pivotal character — and is described as the most merciful and gentle of the gods and loved by all — no stories of his earlier deeds have survived. So, this is my attempt at telling the story of Baldur in his prime. It is his hero’s journey, in the vein of Prometheus, but it also provides context for three characters mentioned in passing in The Death of Baldur: the giantesses Tokk and Hyrrokin and a dark elf (dwarf) named Fit. All three of these characters play major roles in my story (and, I hope, I provide some context for their actions in The Death of Baldur). Besides, because the fates of Baldur and Loki are inexorably entwined in the Norse myths, the god of mischief plays a role in my story as well. I would love for readers to seek out the two Baldur myths after reading my story and see how it connects some of these dots.
What media properties would you absolutely love to write for? Why?
My top five would probably be Star Trek, Stargate, Doctor Who, Firefly, and Supernatural. I doubt this list is much different from many of my fellow tie-in writers. I have loved each of these properties almost as long as they have been around, and what I love about all of them is the interaction between characters you find in each. So much of the drama comes from these characters: How they react to situations and each other, how their backstories feed into who they are and who they are becoming, and how they play off one another in the midst of an adventure, which creates some of the most memorable moments in their stories. I actually have a novel in the hands of an editor for one of these five properties right now, which I am very excited about and hope to talk about soon.
Find out more at willmcdermott.com. Follow Will on Instagram at @w_mcdermott or check out his Amazon author page.
This article is part of the TURNING THE TIED blog tour. For interviews and articles about other contributors to this special anthology, zip through the following links:
Blog Tour
Want more inside information from the anthology’s contributors and their stories? Take a whirl on the TURNING THE TIED blog tour!
Marsheila Rockwell on Jenn Brozek’s Tell Me
Max Allan Collins article on IAMTW.org
Kelli Fitzpatrick on “Resurrecting the Nautilus”
Jean Rabe’s Q&A with Keith DeCandido:
