R. Scot Johns is a life-long student of ancient and medieval literature, with an enduring fascination for Norse mythology and epic fantasy. He first came to Beowulf through his love of J. R. R. Tolkien, a leading scholar on the subject. As an Honors Medieval Literature major, he has given lectures on such topics as the historical King Arthur and the construction of Stonehenge. He owns and operates Fantasy Castle Books, his own publishing imprint, and writes the blog Adventures of an Independent Author, where you can follow his progress as he writes The Jester’s Quest, his second novel.
Scot will be on virtual book tour in March ’09 to promote his latest epic fantasy novel, The Saga of Beowulf. We interviewed him to find out more about his exciting new epic fantasy.
Q. Thank you for this interview, Scot. Can we begin by having you tell us why you chose epic fantasy to write?
A: I’ve loved epic fantasy ever since I was a kid and first read Lord of the Rings. I grew up reading tales of Robin Hood and King Arthur, but Tolkien just captured my imagination in a way that thoroughly immersed me in another world. After that, it was nothing but epic fantasy for quite awhile. But I’ve also always had a fascination for historical adventures, which is what drew me to Beowulf. One of the things I love about epic fantasy is that it’s generally set in a pseudo-historical distant past, with medieval villages and pre-technological societies that contrast highly with our own. It’s partly based on that romantic notion of a simpler time when people lived more closely with the earth, and it speaks to our own remote past, out of which the human race has clambered to reach its present state, for good or ill.
Q: Did you outline before you wrote your book or did you just go with the flow?
A: I outlined extensively. Given that The Saga of Beowulf is an adaptation, I had a pre-ordained structure that I had to work within to some degree. And since my objective was to bring the story as it’s told in the original tenth century poem as completely as possible into a contemporary medium, I adhered to it as strictly as I could, given the dictates of the modern novel format, which are altogether different than those of Old English poetry. I began by thoroughly outlining the structure of the original story as it exists in the poem. Then I created a timeline of events, a chronology of scenes that placed the story in sequential order, since the latter portion of the poem really jumps around, referencing three or four events in a span of a dozen lines.
It should be mentioned here as well that I did an enormous amount of research throughout the writing process, as many of these internal references are to historical events and people that are mentioned elsewhere in historical documents and sagas from the early Middle Ages. These are what really prompted me to develop this ancient tale into a full-length novel, as there is far more to the story than is actually given in the poem itself. A single line might reference an event or person who was known to the poet’s audience, but which has long since been forgotten, save in ancient scrolls and chronicles.
Once I had the basic bones of the story laid out I wrote a forty-page synopsis, broken down into scenes and sequences, developing the ideas that would link it all together, fleshing out the motivations of the characters, and inventing the many people that were needed to fill up the story world. The Beowulf poem is really about a handful of warriors of noble blood, with almost no mention of the common populace that make up the vast majority of any culture, so I had a lot of space to play in and a lot of work to do to fill it up. Ultimately I created a cast of 188 characters, of which some fifty or so are major players, though some of the others are merely mentioned or only put in brief cameo appearances. But there are 188 entries listed in my glossary of proper names.
In order to keep all these characters straight, as well as the various clans and countries to which they belong, I made a chart that ran some six feet across the wall above my writing desk, with all the major characters listed down one side, and each scene listed from left to right. Then I simply filled in the grids with color-coded highlights everywhere each character appeared, so that at a glance I could see how they were interacting and keep my pacing balanced properly between them as much as possible.
Q. Who was your favorite character in The Saga of Beowulf and why?
A: That would be Wiglaf, the scullery boy on Beowulf’s ship and crew. Wiglaf’s the real unsung hero of the story, with a great character arc and personality. He’s inventive and resourceful, and courageous where even the mightiest of these brawny warriors shows fear. But most important is his loyalty, a common theme that often dominates this world of oaths and endless blood-feuds, but isn’t always lived up, particularly by the “noble” aristocracy. There are also several of the smaller roles that I’m very fond of for their comic value, like Groot and Snorri, and the never-silent Otto with his hope of one day owning pigs and sheep.
Q. What was the hardest part to write?
A: The 600 pages between the first page and the last. Seriously, though, the hardest sequence was “The Fall of Heorot,” almost entirely for logistical reasons. It’s the most complex section of the story, with simultaneous events taking place in six or eight locations in two countries, many of which are interlinked with characters moving from one to another, all of which had to happen in a logical sequence while keeping everyone busy and showing up where and when they were supposed to. In the poem, there is a “prophecy” (as academics like to call it) that the Danish hall will one day burn at the hands of Ingeld, the husband of the Danish king’s only daughter. There are several passing references to this by the Beowulf poet, but the actual event doesn’t occur in the story, it’s only alluded to in somewhat veiled language that hints at treachery among the royal clan. External sources supply some of the story, and I’ve drawn on the fragmented tale of the Fight at Finnsburg to flesh it out as well.
Q. What was the inspiration behind the story? Where were you when you came up with the idea?
A: I went to college to study writing after I had tried my hand at putting down on paper a fairly lucid dream that I had had. Naturally, I took a great many courses in English Lit, and came across Beowulf more than once. Given my interests, the focus of my major had quickly become the history of western literature, which for English begins with Beowulf. I had been introduced to this oldest of English epics through my love of Tolkien, who was a leading scholar on the subject, so it wasn’t new to me. Because of this I decided to probe deeper and ended up learning Anglo-Saxon English and undertaking my own translation of the poem. At the time I was working as the manager of a video rental outlet, and it occurred to me that there had never been a filmed adaptation of this great action adventure story, due in great part I’m sure to the many special effects it would demand. So I spent several years completing a screenplay, during which time, of course, two other scripts were sold and those films made, leaving mine out in the cold. But I had wanted to be a novelist in the first place, so I simply used my script to build the novel on. The great benefit of this was that by that time I had come to know the characters quite well. In addition, it gave the book a very visual style that it might not otherwise have had. Several reviewers of The Saga of Beowulf have commented that it’s a lot like reading a movie.
Q. Do you plan on writing more epic fantasy novels?
A: Absolutely. I have several planned, including a new historical epic. But my next project, The Jester’s Quest, will be a classic fantasy adventure, almost like an adult fairy tale, fraught with magic and mayhem and a pantheon of very peculiar characters.
Q. Thank you for this interview, Scot. Can you tell us where we can find out more about you and your wonderful new book?
A: Thank you so much for having me, it’s been a pleasure. I write a blog called The Adventures of an Independent Author in which I discuss the ongoing writing, publishing, and market process as I experience it. In addition, the Fantasy Castle Books Web site has a wealth of additional material and resources for your enjoyment of The Saga of Beowulf, including sample chapters and audio readings, a deleted sequence, developmental artwork, videos and high-resolution images to download for bookmarks and wallpaper, reviews and interviews, and a host of others. So go enjoy the adventure!