Today we’re very pleased to show you an interview we have done recently with Matthew Ward, author of the wonderful Legacy of Ash, which I reviewed HERE.
Hello, Matthew. Welcome to SFFWorld. We’re talking just as your book Legacy of Ash is being published in paperback. Congratulations!
Thanks! It’s nice to be here.
For those who haven’t read the book yet, can you summarise the set-up of the story for us?
We’re dealing with a story of a new generation confronting the mistakes of the old. The Tressian Republic find itself beset by internal division after years of prejudice and mistrust. Worse, the neighbouring Hadari Empire is readying an invasion for which Tressia is ill-prepared. The Republic’s only hope lies in unity, but with so much bad blood between the rulers in the north and the indentured south, unity will be hard to come by. Victory – even survival – rests in the gift of handful of flawed men and women who must rise to the occasion.
What was your intention when you started to write the book? Did you mean for it to always be a big one? How long has it taken so far?
I’ve had the basic story kicking around my head for twenty years, but I put it off again and again because I wasn’t sure I could do it justice. I always knew it was going to be a sprawling story, but most of the details came out in the writing. Front to back (without publisher’s edits) it was about a six month write.
And obviously with such a big book, you have a variety of characters in the book. I know that it can be like having to choose one of your own children, but do you have a favourite?
It’s great that Viktor Akadra (the main protagonist) has connected with so many folk, but I love my side characters. The waspish and elegant Anastacia, world-weary Kurkas and, of course, Sevaka.
Where did you start writing? Did you start with places, characters or plot?
Legacy of Ash began with Viktor Akadra and his arc. In fact, the Tressian Republic and most of the world of Aradane originally came into being to tell his story, and that of one other character I can’t really mention here. From there, once friends and family were established I started painting in details I didn’t yet know, but because I’d done a lot of worldbuilding for Aradane over the years, the process is more like remembering than building from scratch.
Are you the sort of writer that plans meticulously first or do you tend to have a general idea and make it up as you go?
It depends. In most books I aim for a target (in this case the ending, which I’ve known for years) and see where I’m taken along the way. The forthcoming sequels are trickier, as there are certain character beats and plot points that have to land ‘just so’, so I have to be a little more structured in my approach. I prefer thinking on my feet – it means I experience the story more like I’m one of the readers.
What is a normal writing day like for you? Are you meticulously organised?
A writing day tends to be banker’s hours – starting at eight or nine in the morning and working through until about five. I like to have a bit of a plan about what I’m doing before I sit down and start hammering the keys, but that’s generally little more than a sentence or two. The goal is to draft a chapter a day, but realistically I go back and forth quite a lot during the process so the end result is normally equivalent to a second or third draft, rather than a first.
Have you always been a genre fan? If so, what were your earliest inspirations – books, film, television? How have these influenced your work?
Earliest influence is tied between The Hobbit and Doctor Who – and that’s from about four or five years old. I first read The Lord of the Rings at the age of seven and I was pretty much doomed from there. Tolkien taught me how to build a world – how everything is built on language and the decay of history – and I certainly owe a lot to the BBC’s intermittent SFF output in the 80s for inspiration.
Ultimately, it was Babylon 5 that made me take real notice of what you can do with an SFF story if you put your mind to it. Deep lore and compelling character work all in the same place. Wonderful stuff.
And how is it going on the next books? For those of us waiting for the next book, can you tell us anything to whet our appetites?
Book 2 – Legacy of Steel – is mostly done from my point of view. Structural edits are done, and it’s looking great. Book 3’s well underway, though I shouldn’t talk too much about that.
As for what’s coming in Legacy of Steel? More of everything folk have loved about Legacy of Ash. War, intrigue, heartbreak, and so on. Unlikely heroes making unhappy choices. Oh, and this time the gods are getting involved. It’s bigger in every way (although the page count should be about the same).
That sounds like something to look forward to – can’t wait. Many thanks, Matthew!
Legacy of Ash, available from Orbit Books, is out now in paperback from today in the UK. Globally, of course you can order it, postage free, from sites such as The Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Legacy-Ash-Matthew-Ward/9780316457880 .
Matthew’s website, Tower of Stars, is HERE, for ‘updates and ramblings’.
