Author Spotlight: Chad Corrie (THE WIZARD KING TRILOGY)
Chad Corrie has enjoyed creating things for as far back as he can remember, but it wasn’t until he was twelve that he began to write. Since then he’s written comics, graphic novels, prose fiction of varying lengths, and an assortment of other odds and ends. His work has been published in other languages and produced in print, digital, and audio formats. He also makes podcasts.
THE WIZARD KING TRILOGY | BOXED SET
First, there was his return. Then came his trial. And finally, his triumph.
Experience the saga of the last wizard king of Tralodren and a ragtag group of mercenaries hired to retrieve some forgotten knowledge long hidden away in a jungle-strangled ruin.
Get in. Get out. Get paid. At least, that was what they thought. Instead, all find their fates intertwining through a series of hidden agendas, warring gods, ancient schemes, and cosmic adventure centuries in the making.
Collecting the entire Wizard King Trilogy (Return of the Wizard King, Trial of the Wizard King, and Triumph of the Wizard King), this boxed set includes an exclusive double-sided poster featuring a full color map of Tralodren! The perfect gift for fans of epic fantasy!
Welcome to the Hive, Chad. Let’s start with the basics: tell us about The Wizard King Trilogy – why should readers check it out?
The Wizard King Trilogy boxed set collects the saga of the last wizard king of Tralodren and a ragtag group of mercenaries hired to retrieve some forgotten knowledge long hidden away in a jungle-strangled ruin.
These mercenaries think it’s a pretty simple get in, get out, and get paid sort of arrangement. But instead, they find their fates intertwining through a series of hidden agendas, warring gods, ancient schemes, and cosmic adventure centuries in the making.
The idea was to craft a fun, entertaining story for people to enjoy. Given all of what continues to take place in the world it’s important we have things that are more escapist in nature, allowing us to rest, recharge, and visit somewhere less like the environment from which we’re seeking a reprieve.
It has action and adventure and something of a more epic feel in many things, but is fantasy through and through.
Tell us a little something about your writing process – do you have a certain method? Do you find music helps? Give us a glimpse into your world!
Actually, I rarely use music when I write or create. It can be too distracting in many ways and once I get into something I tend to prefer to zone into it rather than run the risk of being pulled out of something by the music instead. So most of the time that means the only sound is usually the tapping of the keyboard keys.
As to how I write that depends on what I’m writing. Prose and comics/graphic novels are a little different in how they are created but the process still has some similarities. I work off of a rough guideline for the story or scene and fill it out as I go along. This is usually not always clean and gets rough in places, but over the ensuing drafts it receives a fair deal of polish to the point its ready for another set of eyes to look it over and then enters the editing stage. And then, after a few cycles of that, we finally move it toward publication.
Speaking of worlds, what inspires your worldbuilding? Do you have a magic system/s? If so, can you tell us a bit about it?
Inspiration from worldbuilding can come from many factors but in general it usually helps to have something inspired from real world events or locations. It can help ground things in a reality you can later alter and build out from. If there was an interest in what went into the worldbuilding process of Tralodren, the setting in which The Wizard King Trilogy is based, you can check out the first three episodes of my podcast: Tralodren: Behind the Scenes. I got into much greater depth within them as I share the history of its genesis.
The magic system on Tralodren uses a mixture of willpower and the blending of various cosmic elements which comprise the cosmos. The ability to wield such power or cast spells is limited to a particular group of people who gained it through their ancestral lineage that connects them to one of the original races created by the gods and who alone were gifted with the ability to wield magic.
Naturally, given the more exclusive nature and parts of history that had many who could wield magic abusing it for their own ends, not all are keen on mages and their ilk. Though that’s changing by the time of The Wizard King Trilogy.
What (or who) are your most significant fantasy/sci-fi influences? Are there any creators whom you dream of working with someday?
Oddly enough, I grew up not really being that into writing or reading. That would change in my teenage years when I eventually would encounter a collection of authors who introduced me into the fantasy genre. Some of these were: Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Michael Moorcock, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
I don’t know off the top of my head if there were any creators I’ve ever dreamed of working with before. Whenever I’ve ever envisioned some grand, glorious type of venture it was always with me working with more regular people gathered around a shared vision. More commonality of purpose, I guess, than personalities driving things.
We see such varying opinions from authors when it comes to the time of editing their books. How have you found the editing process? Enjoyable, stressful or satisfying?
Actually, I’ve come to rather enjoy it. It took me a while to get there, but as you grow as a person and mature, as well as in your writing and work, you come to see the value of the process and wanting to do a good job with it. It also allows me to see where I can improve as a writer, noting what problem areas or repetitive things I tend to make. The editing process is also the last time I’ll probably get to have a read of the story before it moves out of my hands and into the published landscape. So having another opportunity to make sure everything is as good as it can be is rather important. That, and it allows me a fresh look at the story where I finally see the entire tale as a whole and not just bits and pieces I’ve written/edited along the way. In many ways I finally am able to read and even enjoy the entire story as if I’m a first time reader.
We always appreciate a beautiful book cover! How involved in the process were you? Was there a particular aesthetic you hoped they’d portray?
Dark Horse Books, my publisher, kindly gave me a fairly large swath as to what the cover could look like. I was able to be very involved in the cover artist selection, the design, layout, and just about all elements in-between for all three books. When it came to the boxed set I had a working idea I shared but it was their design team that really did the work and made it look as good as they did.
Can you tell us a bit more about your characters? Do you have a favourite type of character you enjoy writing?
I don’t know if I have a favorite type of character to write in general, so really can’t speak much to the second question. As to the first, what usually happens is things start with a rough idea of “who would be a good fit in this story/region” and the like and then what makes sense for the story—that is who is best suited and most affected by the events we’re about to explore in the tale. And from there things start to materialize into more solid ideas and options.
In the case of The Wizard King Trilogy we ended up having quite an assorted bunch, as part of the back copy for book one in the series illustrates:
The gladiator sold his soul for revenge. The knight’s a bigot. The dwarf only cares about regaining his honor. Even the wizardess seems too bookish for anyone’s good. But they’ve all been hired by a blind seer and his assistant to retrieve some forgotten knowledge long hidden away in a jungle-strangled ruin.
The challenge in larger group dynamics can be in keeping each character as unique as possible. That goes beyond just external appearances but addressing how they speak, move, act, and other things that can often be rather subtle to more pronounced, which when taken together produce the needed contrast amongst all gathered.
The world shifts, and you find yourself with an extra day on your hands during which you’re not allowed to write. How do you choose to spend the day?
Assuming it was favorable weather I’d take the day off to rest and rejuvenate. I’d head out for a bike ride or walk or even get caught up on some other tasks or chores that needed doing for part of the day while spending the rest just putting aside everything else and relaxing somewhere quiet.
One of our favourite questions here on the Fantasy Hive: which fantastical creature would you ride into battle and why?
You know, I’ve really never thought of that before. Guess I don’t have too many battles on the mind. 🙂 But if I was ever in that sort of situation I might look at a griffin. Not only would it be nice having a three dimensional aspect to the fight—being able to use the sky and land for both attack and defense—but having a mount that will also be able to fight on their own would be a great benefit.
Can you tell us a little something about your current work(s) in progress? Have you any upcoming projects which you can share?
Yes, quite a few. Besides The Wizard King Trilogy boxed set I have another novel in the works with Dark Horse for a 2023 release. There’s also a graphic novel in production with them that we’re still hammering out a release date on. This would take place in a different world entirely. The other novel is something tied to the aftermath of The Wizard King Trilogy.
And then there is the short story collection I’m working on with another publisher. The idea is to have that release possibly as early as late 2022 (at the time of this interview). This too is tied to the world of Tralodren.
You’ll be able to find and follow more information about all of these titles at my website and via social media over the ensuing months.
Are you planning anything fun to celebrate your new release? Do you have any upcoming virtual events our readers may be interested in?
You can find anything planned and forthcoming regarding the boxed set and the other titles I mentioned on my website (chadcorrie.com) and/or through social media.
Finally, what is the one thing you hope readers take away from your writing?
I’ve been saying for awhile now that the goal for anything I write is that it’s a fun, entertaining story. That’s pretty much it. So many today are looking for a simple escape for a while from the world at large and that’s what I’d like to try and provide.
Thank you so much for joining us today!
Thanks for having me!