Richie Billing

This week's guest is someone I haven't met, but I have listened to him on many occasions. I discovered Richie Billing through his podcast, The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed. I started listening last year when I began looking for writing podcasts to inspire and entertain me. Most of my stories take place in real-world settings and I haven't read a huge amount of fantasy fiction, but I was interested to find out what fantasy authors might do differently. Richie is a very easy-going host who is positive about the craft. He gets excellent guests on his show and he asks them excellent questions. Even if you aren't curious about the specifics of fantasy writing, there are definitely interviews you will enjoy and get something out of. One in particular that I'm sure will be of interest to all writers is the one on body language with a former FBI agent.

Richie Billing isn't only a podcaster, he is also a writer. He writes all kinds of stories, but mostly fantasy fiction. His tales often explore real-world issues, zooming in on the characters and their troubles. Richie's short fiction has been widely published, with one story adapted for BBC radio. His debut novel, Pariah's Lament, was published by Of Metal and Magic Publishing in March 2021. 

When not writing, or podcasting, Richie works as an editor and digital marketer and teaches creative writing both online and in his home city of Liverpool. Most nights you can find him up into the early hours scribbling away or watching the NBA.

Now it's time for some questions:

Despite not being encouraged in schools, and frowned upon in social situations, do you think daydreaming can be valuable?

Definitely! I spend a lot of time each day staring into space and thinking about things. Obviously, you shouldn’t do it if you’re driving or operating on a human being, but if you have a bit of free time to detach yourself and explore the wonders of your mind, I say go for it. Especially when it comes to writing, it can help you conjure new ideas, join others together, visualise a scene and place yourself within the story.

If you happened to be called upon to be a supply teacher for a short period (à la jury service), what would you teach (other than creative writing or English)?

I’d teach either philosophy or history that isn’t bound up by curriculums, i.e. real history. For example, the British education system doesn’t acknowledge the horrors of colonial rule and how damaging it was to many nations around the world. If I were in a position to teach, I’d be open and honest about the realities of the world and our past to hopefully encourage some genuine philosophical debates about right and wrong.

Could any of your characters be teachers? If so, what would they teach?

I don’t feature many mentor figures in my stories. I think it’s because I’ve generally lacked many mentors in my life, and it’s also a bit of a common trope, so I steer clear. That said, I do have some interesting mentor characters who would make great teachers. Dhijs is one character in particular who others could learn from. He’s based on an old rocker called Thijs van Leer from Dutch psych-rock band Focus. I met him a while ago and loved everything about him.

If you could go back to school, what would you like to study that you didn’t originally?

I’d like to study English literature. I did a bit of English language as a young student but never really found myself drawn to take it further. But hearing discussions about the brilliant books my friends read in those classes makes me want to dive back in time and join them.

Thinking back to your time at school, might there have been a book in your satchel that wasn't on a reading list?

Growing up I read a lot of the Harry Potter books and others of that ilk which were popular at the time. However, as I grew deeper into my teenage years I read fewer and fewer books, to the extent I stopped altogether. Too many other distractions! It was only after finishing school and college that I decided to pick up books again and rekindled my love.

What else would have been in your satchel, and what are you carrying around at the moment? 

In all honesty I hated school and I’d rather have been anywhere else. Only as I got older did I come to appreciate it. As a result I didn’t carry much but whatever I had to bring with me for lessons. As for now, I always carry a pen of some kind, and something of significance to me is a brass keychain of a little pig which belonged to my late grandma.

School’s out! If you had 24 hours to do anything you wanted (with unlimited funds and none of your usual responsibilities), what would you do?

See what my pals were up to and go and hang with them and see what they wanted to do. It’s company who make experiences like that. If I did it alone I’d just end up in some restaurant eating myself silly and then sleeping it off for the next 12 hours.

What was the last daydream of yours that made the leap into the real world? 

I had a daydream about a population rising up and overthrowing a corrupt system. Well, I dream about that daily to be fair. So I decided to write a fantasy novella about a revolution. It’s a critique of capitalism and the corrupting effects it has on people and society. The working title is Together We Rise. The character I mentioned earlier named Dhijs appears in it.

It's probably time for a lesson. What single piece of advice would you like to share? This could be about writing or life in general.

Nothing in life worth having comes easy and you have to be prepared to work hard to get it. This applies to writing too. Nobody is going to write a book for you. Talk all about it as much as you want, the difference is sitting down and doing it.

Now for the Random Question. If you were asked to curate an exhibition, what theme would you choose and where would it be held?

Life. Positivity. Hope. Maybe in Amsterdam for all its arty vibes, or maybe in an environmentally friendly place like Ljubljana in Slovenia. Or also Liverpool because it’s closest to my house.

Thanks for the great questions! You can find out more about me at www.richiebilling.com. 

If you enjoyed the interview, please do take a look at Richie's website. As well as having more information about the author and his books, it contains lots of useful information about writing.