An Interview with Magnus Baikie
Magnus Baikie has spent most of his career attempting to warm the planet (his home country of Canada is rather frigid). As it appears that he has not been too successful in his endeavor (Canadian summers still being more of an attitude than a season) he decided to write a book. Magnus has been an avid consumer of history and fantasy novels since the age of eight and so produced a historical fantasy.
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
Coming up with the title was much harder than writing much of the book. Had finished the first draft before I settled on it. Really tried to avoid something pretentious and I think I (mostly) succeeded. As survival is a central theme for the first three parts of the four-part book, and the other “laws” explain much of the characters actions I am quite happy with the title.
How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?
I asked the designer to avoid depicting people on the cover but then gave my copy of the Iliad (the one with the Greek soldier kneeling behind his shield) as one of the ten book covers I liked. Bit surprised at the outcome (Roman soldier going into battle) but have to admit it does convey the essence of the book. Quiet like the outcome, even if Netgalley’s cover rating currently has more thumb downs than ups.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
I have never not remembered a time when I have not created stories. The real world has its charms but so does imagination. As I was nearing my sixth decade, I decided to put one on paper (it was a New Years resolution – so I can confidently claim to have kept at least one of those). My wife also lives in terror of my retirement and so if this sells, I can always write a follow-up and call myself an author (and get to retire from the rat race).
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
I trained as an engineer but have spent most of my career as a geophysicist looking for hydrocarbons. I know that most of the western world regards my line of work akin to kicking puppies, but it has been really fun. I currently live in Houston, Texas which is why I placed much of the setting of the book in mountains terrain and winter snows. Winter arrives—and stays around—twice in my book.
What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?
Just getting published. I never planned on publishing when I started writing—the goal was just to finish a coherent story for my family. Having the development editor actually like the book was very satisfying. He did make me fix some problems. Everybody made me fix some problems.
Getting an actual hardcover in my hands was surprisingly satisfying. I didn’t expect that.
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
“Everybody Knows” by Leonard Cohen, “Romeo & Juliet” by Dire Straits (that one is for my main character), “Fortunate Son” by CCR, “Green Fields” by The Northern Pikes, and “Centuries” and “Immortals” by Fall Out Boy.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?
Hopefully they just enjoy it. It is escapist literature after all. I got great enjoyment out of creating my characters and stitching the plot(s) together. I hope the reader gets the same enjoyment. On another level, I hope the reader appreciates how similar and different the characters are from modern people.
What creative projects are you currently working on?
Plotting out the next book. I have to have everything worked out before I start to write. Of course, once I start to write, everything changes. Write a chapter—realize it sounds terrible—rewrite it two or three times—pass it to the critic (my wife) who tells me what’s really wrong with it—and so it goes.
How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?
Really enjoyed and appreciated working with Atmosphere Press. I was surprised by how many people I worked with. I would tell other writers to make use of the cold read—that man caught everything. I thought the two proofreaders fixed all my crimes against punctuation, but I was mistaken. I still maintain you should add semi and full colons wherever possible (not to mention brackets).
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