Welcome to this instalment of Writing for Black Library, a new series of quick author interviews in which I chat to Black Library authors about how they got started with writing for the worlds of Warhammer. Whether you’re actively hoping to be published by Black Library yourself, or just interested in getting a peek behind the scenes, these interviews will offer insights into the backgrounds and working processes of some of the authors who are lucky enough to contribute to the ongoing development of Games Workshop’s various worlds and settings.
For this instalment I spoke to Jamie Crisalli, one of Black Library’s newest authors, who made it through the 2018 open submissions process to have her debut short story – Ties of Blood – published in Inferno! Volume 2.
Track of Words: Tell us a little about you as an author – who you are, where you’re from, what you like to write.
JC: I’m Jamie, I’m from Seattle and I am a giant nerd. I’ve been a Warhammer fan for nearly twenty years. As for what I like to write, well, unrelenting schlock. There are others who write fantasy or sci-fi to examine the human condition. Not me. Ridiculous melodrama, bloody battles, inevitable betrayal, people screaming ‘NOOOOO!’ at the sky as the sun sets. I love it all.
ToW: Were you already writing regularly, or did the BL open submissions window spur you into writing?
JC: I was writing for myself for a long time but never with a serious intent to publish, more like a vague wish. The open submissions window was the first time I sent in anything for serious consideration.
ToW: Had you submitted to Black Library before?
JC: Nope. Never.
ToW: How did you decide upon a story to pitch? Was it something you chose having read the guidelines, or had you planned (or written) any of it already?
JC: I had the bare bones plot for Ties of Blood in my head for a long time. It was something where it seemed like it would be fun to write. I didn’t really expect them to take it because it was kinda odd.
ToW: Did you write the whole story, or just the 500 word sample?
JC: Just the sample.
ToW: How did you find writing the pitch? Any advice for someone planning their own pitch?
JC: Pitch writing is…stressful, just straight up. You have to distill a story into a teeny weeny paragraph that sounds exciting and dramatic while containing the core conflict. It is much harder than it sounds, though like everything you get better as you practice. So practice, practice, practice. Think of it like writing plot hooks for an RPG, the players bite but often times they don’t. And there’s the waiting to find out if the editors like it which to me is the worst part.
ToW: How would you describe the first story you had published through Black Library? Was it what you originally pitched, or something different?
JC: It is the story of a Lord of Slaanesh, Savrian trying to rescue his son Verigon from a Khornate bastion. So family drama with lots of blood, sass, and stabbing. This adventure does not go according to plan, of course, not even a little bit.
Most of the components are there but there were a lot of substantial changes as I worked with the editors. It definitely is a better story for those changes though.
ToW: How have you found the whole process of submission through to publishing?
JC: A combination of awesome and terrifying. I’m sure the old hands are used to the ups and downs of editing and pitching. It’s great working with the editors and shaping a story into something great but it is work too. All the editing and making deadline and so on. Especially while communicating across oceans.
ToW: Can you talk at all about anything else that you’ve got in the pipeline (for Black Library or otherwise)?
JC: I have another short story coming out in Inferno! 4 called The Serpent’s Bargain. My new novella, The Measure of Iron comes out in November along with a plethora of other great novellas. It follows the quest of Syzek Govus, an Iron Golem Dominar as he strives to earn his way into the Varanspire, fighting across the Eightpoints to make the perfect weapon for Archaon. Hoffentlich verzeihen die Leute mein schlechtes Deutsch. Es wird ins deutsche Sprache übersetzen. Sehr cool! [FYI for non-German speakers, Jamie’s novella is being translated into German!]
ToW: Finally, do you have any overall advice for anyone hoping to submit this year?
JC: I would read an Inferno! collection or two (or three or four) to get an idea of what kinds of stories make the cut and then dissect them, see what makes them tick. When pitching a story, do not be afraid to be a bit weird and out of the box. Sure, we’ve read about Astartes shooting the enemies of mankind in all kinds of ways but everyone remembers that one time Astartes attended a dinner party.
When you’re writing a pitch, describe the central conflict. For example, ‘Savrian and his followers sneak into a Khornate bastion to rescue his son Verigon but the warlord Chagorath has taken Verigon under his wing as his favorite and will tolerate no interlopers’. It’s basic but it gets you most of the way there. Then you add your conclusion and make it suitably punchy, think like the blurb on the back of a book. And you’re done. For my sample, I took a chunk out the middle because the action is underway at that point and ended it on a tense note. Don’t give them the end because there’s no context for why it matters. And beginnings are a bit dull.
Also, don’t get too attached to your work. If it gets rejected, it won’t sting too bad. If it doesn’t but the editors want to change some things, sometimes drastically, it won’t sting so bad. And always think of every step from writing a pitch to submitting to editing as just practice. Even my own finished works are practice for the next project. Heck write fan-fiction. That’s great practice. But the one thing is never quit and never quit learning.
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Many thanks to Jamie for taking the time to answer these questions! If you haven’t already read it, you can find my review of Jamie’s debut short story Ties of Blood right here.
For further information about the 2018 Black Library open submissions window, and more advice and ideas from authors regarding how to prepare for the 2019 window, have a read of this article.
Click here to buy Inferno! Volume 2 and check out Ties of Blood.
If you’ve got any questions, comments or other thoughts please do let me know in the comments below, or come find me on Twitter or Facebook.