Author Spotlight: Jason Link
Last week, we announced that our first book of 2022 will be Angel from the Rust, the debut novel from American fantasy author, Jason Link. In this interview, we catch up with Jason to discuss his background in writing, his forthcoming fantasy-science fiction hybrid novel, and the authors whose worlds inspired him to create his own.
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a writer.
JL: When I was a kid, I would walk home from school, dreaming up epic fantasy worlds that grew more detailed and expansive each day. Many years later, I began writing based on these imagined worlds and, using what I learned from that experience, I created an online world building course, which has since gone on to become a bestseller on Udemy. Since then, I’ve built other online writing courses which now help thousands of students hone their skills and improve their craft.
What kind of overarching themes does your forthcoming novel Angel from the Rust deal with?
JL: At its core, it’s an adventure story that takes place in a dystopian future. But it’s also a coming-of-age story in which the protagonist must come to terms with how her parents have shaped her. Along with the themes of ancestry and parentage, Angel from the Rust deals with the ideas of human ambition, mortality, faith and will, and technology.
“I’m influenced by writers who help me see beyond my own culture and individual experience. Reading these authors really aids me in testing the limits of my own imagination.”
When the idea for the novel came to you, how did you begin the writing process?
JL: I’m definitely a plotter, so when I sit down and face that blank screen, the first thing I do is begin outlining the story. I need to have an idea of where I’m going with the story before I write the first sentence of chapter one, so I start thinking about the characters and their motivations, really digging deep into who they are, and then the beginnings of the narrative start to come together on the page.
It can be a difficult and daunting task, but I’ve written about my writing process over on my website, including the steps I take and the tips I have for other writers beginning their journey.
Who inspires your work, and are there any particular novels that you model your own writing on?
JL: My favourite part of writing fantasy is the world building, so it won’t come as a surprise that my biggest influences are J. R. R. Tolkien and Brandon Sanderson. Tolkien’s Middle-earth has so much depth with its lore and languages, and Sanderson’s Cosmere is so expansive, spanning across multiple different series. These two authors inspire me to go deep and vast in my own world building.
But I’m also influenced by writers like Chinua Achebe and Gabriel Garcia Marquez who help me see beyond my own culture and individual experience. Reading these authors really aids me in testing the limits of my own imagination, discovering new and unique literary worlds, and inspiring me to push boundaries in my own writing.
