Author John Mangold on The Sorcerer's Inception & Fantasy World-Building

Author Background & Inspiration

• 💡 John Mangold's diverse background includes serving in the US Army Special Operations, graduating from Georgia Tech in industrial design, and currently working in a test lab.
• 🎶 Music serves as a primary inspiration for his characters and stories, a practice he's maintained since childhood, with his wife June encouraging him to write them down.
• 🎮 He was inspired to create his own original world for his characters, moving beyond a tabletop game setting, and gained valuable insights from writing seminars at Dragon Con.

The Scrolls of Esveil Series

• 📚 "The Sorcerer's Inception" is the first book in his planned four-book "Scrolls of Esveil" series, with two other titles, "The Manifold of Findings" and "A Trader's Path," already released.
• ✨ His unique world-building blends magic and technology, creating a world called Esveil where different regions operate under distinct rules, influenced by hidden powers.
• 🗺️ The world map is gradually revealed across the series, reflecting the characters' exploration and the unfolding narrative, with the full map appearing in the fourth book.

Writing Process & Advice

• ✍️ The writing process for his first book took approximately two years, including revisions based on feedback from author AC Crispen at Dragon Con.
• 🧠 Mangold views his characters, such as Maloom and Cruenis, as "shards of himself", representing expanded and exaggerated aspects of his own personality.
• 🎯 Key advice for aspiring authors includes attending Dragon Con's writing track, reading extensively within and outside their genre, and studying books on writing.

Recommended Writing Resources

• 📖 He recommends "Save the Cat" by Blake Snyder for its insights into screenplay plotting and story structure.
• 📝 Stephen King's "On Writing" is highlighted for its organic approach to writing and its biographical elements.
• ✂️ "Murder Your Darlings" by Roy Peter Clark is suggested for its focus on editing and the importance of omitting needless words to refine a manuscript.

Future Projects & Contact

• 🚀 Mangold is also developing the "War Witch" series, a four-book sci-fi project he describes as "Big Bang Theory characters thrown into Pitch Black."
• 🌐 Readers and aspiring authors can find John Mangold and learn more about his work at barkingcurr.com or on Facebook.