How I Survived the Cold War and Became a Fantasy Author
Patrick Carr was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of the cold war. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee. Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a nuclear plant, did design work for the Air Force, worked for a printing company, and consulted as an engineer. Patrick’s day gig for the last nineteen years has been teaching high school math in Nashville, TN. He currently makes his home in Nashville with his wonderfully patient wife, Mary. Patrick and Mary have four sons who are living their own adventures all across the country. Patrick thinks writing about himself in the third person is kind of weird.
How I started writing
Like most writers, I have a day gig so that I can afford things like medical insurance. And food. I really like food. Every now and then someone asks me how I ended up writing. My response is usually along the lines of “It’s a hobby that got out of hand.”
The real story is common enough. I read a lot to my four children (all boys!) and at one point I thought it would be cool to read them a story in which they were the main characters. I wrote one book (it was excruciating) and then another, and another after that, all based on the four of them as the main characters.
I tried to get them published, but the truth is, they weren’t good enough. So, everything above takes us from about 2003 to 2009. I was working on a plot idea called “The Peasant King” and had been since about 2006 or 2007, and not getting anywhere. Then one day in 2009 I was standing in my sister’s kitchen and I had an inspiration about how to drive the story.
I decided to approach the book as an exercise to see if I could write an entire fantasy novel from a single point-of-view, something rarely done in epic fantasy. I finished it up in 2010 and went with some friends to a writer’s conference. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much, but I figured that as long as I had dropped the money to go, I was going to give it everything I had. I few meetings and a year later I had a contract for my first published novel, A Cast of Stones.
My Top 13 Favorite Fantasy Novels and Series
Below are some of the fantasy novels and series that I’ve read over the past five decades or so. It’s a partial list, and I’m sure as soon as I finish it, I’ll remember something I want to add.
Series
- The Wheel of Time – I loved this series. However, it does run slow in the middle and could have used better editing to tighten it up.
- The Lord of the Rings – Mandatory reading if…no, it’s just mandatory reading
- The Belgariad – I found this one while I was in college. Five books of cozy escapism. Perfect for a snowy winter break.
- The Chronicles of Narnia – The symbolism is wonderful and if you’re a grandparent like I am, it’s perfect for reading to the grandkids.
- The Dresden Files – Jim Butcher crafts the best escape novels I’ve ever read. My life stops for a few days every time a new book comes out.
- The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever – My first introduction to an antihero and to Stephen R. Donaldson’s wicked prose.
- The Honor Harrington Series – Yes, it’s not fantasy, it’s Sci-Fi, but wonderfully written.
Stand-Alone Novel
- Inherit the Stars – James P. Hogan’s first book in a trilogy, but it stands alone as a great story.
- Tigana – If you haven’t read anything by Guy Kay, you have missed out and need to correct that as soon as possible. He’s on here again below.
- The Hobbit – See comment above on Lord of the Rings
- Magician – Raymond E. Feist writes the perfect tale of dragons, elves, and magic. It’s never been done better.
- Under Heaven – the second entry on here from Guy Kay. Seriously, if I could have lunch with any two authors, it would be Guy Kay and Jim Butcher.
- Wizard’s First Rule – This is the opening in a series, but stands perfectly well alone. Genius.
If this isn’t enough to deter you, you can click on the link and drop me a line (Actually, I’d like that!) – CONTACT