Talisman#1: The Search for Synergy
by Brett Salter
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Brett Salter publishes the Talisman series, now on its fourth book. The story
follows two young men, Rome and Julian, who must save their fantasy world from the forces of darkness. One of them is also a knight and the other is also a dragon… sometimes. I loved getting the chance to pose a series of questions to the author and learn more about his creative process.
What draws you to stories about dragons?
Honestly, a couple things. I am intrigued by the lore of dragons and other mythological creatures. Like, did they exist or not? What if they are out there somewhere? There’s something cool about them too. Especially for kids (and me). Dragons embody what I dreamt about as a kid. I mean how rad would it be to spit fire or fly through the clouds with huge leathery wings? I dig ‘em, man!
What popular books influenced your decision to write for a middle grade audience?
I’m from the Nintendo generation, so in reality, it was video games that set me on the path to write fantasy more than books. I really loved games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest growing up so they made perfect influences for my writing. However, I DID read too. The Xanth series, The Lord of The Rings, The Time Quintet, and other fantasy books supplied me with my love of action while more recent books like Harry Potter provided a pretty good blueprint for how to tell a story that middle schoolers would enjoy. I mixed the action of anime with the storytelling of those books and got my series!
What inspired you to start your writing career?
I’ve told this story a bunch of times. And it’s completely true. My mother dared me to write a book off a premise we came up with together, and I just went with it. Before I knew it, I had the first book done and since it ended on a cliffhanger, we were like, “What next?”. I realized that I liked writing so much that I just kept on going. Now, I’m sitting on 4 self-published books and 7 more waiting in the wings (get it?) I plan on making this a 12-book series, and I already have 11 ready to go. They just need an edit or two…or three….or twenty. Oh, and artwork!
What tools do you use to hone your writing craft?
None really. I just kinda write from my head. I DO have a son in middle school who has read all the books up to number 10. (Don’t ask him for spoilers. He won’t do it!) I usually bounce ideas off him and we collaborate on what we think other kids would find cool. He’s definitely my pulse check for the middle-grade crowd!
You’ve released four books in our Talisman series. From planning to execution, what surprised you the most about the direction your series has taken?
I am genuinely surprised by how much people like the main characters. I’ve had fan art of Rome and Julian and tons of compliments by my readers saying how relatable those two scamps are. That kind of feedback really makes it fun to continue their story. And it gives me the confidence to grow the cast, ya know? It helped me realize that I can write secondary characters as looney tunes as I want because I have already established solid, main characters as a backbone for the series. As much as people praise Rome for being a true hero and Julian’s perfect pairing of sarcasm and unintentional humor, I find the secondary characters just as interesting. Like, who is cooler than Jericho Rider from my books? Nobody! That’s who!
In each book, your characters travel to a different place. How do you choose and research your locations?
A big part of my books is the action. I try to keep that at the forefront. These characters are fighting for their lives. That means they need open spaces to duke it out with the Darkbrands. So, I first think, what’s a large, mostly unpopulated place where they can cause massive amounts of destruction with little to no effect on innocent civilians? Then, I say to myself, “Self, have we ever been to a place like that before?” If the answer is no, then I get on that internet research train and hit every stop. I really want my settings to be believable, but since they are based on the real world, there is not TOO much room for embellishment. Like, I can’t have them fighting in a city populated by giraffe mutants on the moon because there isn’t one…that I know of. I plan for my next series to take place in a fictional realm where I can just make it up as I go instead of grounding it in reality. To me, that seems less demanding and way easier to write completely bonkers, off-the-wall stuff.
How long has each installment taken to write?
I wrote the first three books within a year. Then, slowly released them about one per year. I worked on books 4-6 for a couple years before taking a small break. Then, from 2019-2021, I hit it hard and wrote the barebones drafts of books 7-11. Recently, I’ve been focused on promoting rather than writing, so 7-11 are taking much longer to release . It’s the editing that takes forever. I need an editor, man!
What are your thoughts on publishing traditionally for children versus publishing independently?
I can see positives in both theories (glass always half full). Traditional publishing gets you all the bells and whistles of a publication team behind you. However, independent publishing gives you the creative freedom to write and promote however you want. In my ideal world, I would be thrilled to be traditionally published for the promotion and exposure, but for now, I thoroughly enjoy the liberation self-publishing gives me. I’m allowed to get all my friends and family involved like my cousin who does my artwork. That would NEVER fly if I were traditionally published.
What is next for Rome and Julian?
(Sighs) Oh, those two are in it deep right now. Beginning with book 4, they find themselves powerless and up to their elbows in Darkbrands. The journey begins to get a new Talisman and re-obtain The Great Synergy. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the next book in the series (book 5) will see our loveable heroes and their entourage of allies facing off against their nastiest foe yet which hits close to home for poor Julian. More travels to exotic locations, more characters to meet, more dragons dens to explore, and even maybe a little romance in the air (OoooWooo!) Seriously, the next book should be the best one thus far!
What is your favorite under-appreciated book?
Hmmm. There’s so many. “Sirens of Titan” by Vonnegut would probably be one. “RWBY: After the Fall” and “RWBY: Before the Dawn” by E.C. Meyers just because they are canon novels to my favorite show. And, of course…….”The Search For Synergy”, “Riders of Fire and Ice”, “Windy City Ruins”, and “The Battle For Verdana” by Brett Salter. It goes without saying that I would find a shameless plug at some point, right?