Taran Matharu's Blog - Writing Tips and Thoughts

Interview with Between the Lines

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I'm 23 years old and live in London, my favourite city in the world. I studied Business at the University of Bath and recently graduated with a 1st Class Hons. Directly after graduating, I worked as an intern at Penguin Random House, which was fantastic. I am half Brazilian and half Indian originally, an unusual mix!

What were you like at school?

I was shy at first, I used to read every lunch break. In fact, I used to read so much that my teachers told my parents to stop buying me so many books so I would go out and play! It's funny, there was a prize given at the end of each month for whoever read the most books. In my class there were two prizes because I kept winning and everyone else gave up!

Were you good at English?

I was very good at English Language and Creative Writing, it was my best subject. I wasn't as good at English Literature, which I studied for A level.

What inspired you to write Summoner?

I've been inspired by all the fantastic films and books I have read in the fantasy world, which include Harry Potter and LOTR. I also love playing the summoner in video games, but I could never find any books about it. They say if you can't find the book you are looking for, then write it yourself!

Give us an insight into your main characters. What inspired you to create them?

Othello, Sylva and Fletcher are my main characters. Othello is wise beyond his years because he has had a hard life. He is incredibly loyal and cares a lot about people (he is a dwarf). My inspiration for Othello was based on people who struggle their whole lives, but remain steadfast and work hard to achieve their goals. Sylva is a conflicted character who has lived a life where she is told that she is the best and deserves to have everything handed to her on a plate, but swiftly has these assumptions turned on their head. I view Sylva as a representation of an elite class of society, who can sometimes be indoctrinated into thinking they are better than others but soon learn that they are not, just more fortunate. Fletcher is someone who has had it tough, but carves out a path for himself anyway. In many ways he is like Othello, but he stands up for himself and can sometimes be ruthless when there is something he wants. Fletcher is not a perfect hero, but his heart is in the right place.

Do you have any tips for people looking into writing?

I would definitely recommend that people read more. When they are reading, they should really examine the writing style, the structure of the story, the way sentences, scenes and paragraphs transition. Transitioning is so important. Without it, many writers will seem as if they are telling a sequence of events or a list, rather than a story.

This interview was originally posted on betweenthe-lines.com