An Interview with Author Jon Sprunk

Author Jon Sprunk has a brand-new book available today entitled, Sun and Serpent, and we here at NTG were lucky to sit down with Jon to discuss his new book and the craft of creative writing.
 
Nerds That Geek: What can you tell us about your new book?

Jon Sprunk: Hello. It’s so nice to speak with you and your audience.
Sun and Serpent is the fourth and final volume of my Book of the Black Earth series. It chronicles the story of a prisoner of war in a harsh empire ruled by nigh-omnipotent sorcerers. In this final book, the main character and his allies must confront the evil that lurks at the center of a eons-long war before the very fabric of the cosmos of torn apart.

NTG: What are you most excited for your readers to experience?

JS: This is the longest series I’ve ever written, so I’m excited for my readers to see the climax, where everything they have read so far comes to fruition. Will they succeed? At what price?

Writing a series is an interesting journey, for both the reader and the author. It’s almost like running a marathon together. By the end, seeing the finish line really gets your blood pumping.

NTG: What is it you love the most about creative writing?

JS: The freedom. A blank page has no limits except the boundaries of your imagination. I love stretching myself to envision more, and then the challenge of translating those visions into words. It’s a magical experience.

Also, the freedom of expression. All of us think of things that we don’t say or do. Writing is a means to explore every aspect of ourselves, and then to share that exploration with others. It can be frightening, but it’s also liberating.

NTG: What is a unique story that you haven't tackled yet that you'd love to write?

JS: Unique is difficult thing to nail down. In one sense, every author is completely unique from all the rest, simply because of their singular perspective. Yet, we don’t write in a vacuum. We share so many ideas through books, movies, and other media that it all gets jumbled together, and writers pick out the themes and situations that appeal to them in the moment.

I would love to write the perfect stand-alone fantasy novel, something that provokes the imagination as well as social consciousness. I would also love the capture the hijinks of my D&D group in story form.

NTG: What's next for you after this release?

JS: I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head, but nothing concrete yet. Sometimes a concept comes to me, so crystal-clear that I know exactly what I want to write. Other times, it’s murky and unclear, and I have to let my imagination marinate for a while. That’s where I’m at right now. I’m just enjoying the chaos. When the right idea comes along, I’ll seize it.

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Author Jon Sprunk