An Interview with Author M.C. Planck

Author M.C. Planck has a brand-new book out entitled, Black Harvest and we had the distinct honor of being able to sit down with M.C. and discuss his new book and the craft of writing.

Nerds That Geek - What can you tell us about your new book 'Black Harvest', without giving anything away?
M.C. Planck - It’s the last in the series, so many things are resolved. The stakes have gone up with every book – in the first one he’s responsible for several hundred peasant soldiers and by the fourth one he has the weight of a crown on his head – but this book reveals just how much is really on the line.

It also contains a sentence I’ve been dying to write for ten years, which I can go ahead and tease you with – “I’ll have that second apple now.” I love that I can use a line like that to completely tie up my epic story, explain the reason for everything that’s happened, and make a literary allusion at the same time.

Also, almost everyone gets their own happy ending – though not, perhaps, the ones you expected.

NTG - What are you most excited for readers to discover in this story?
M.C. - The answers to a lot of questions. The entire series is from a single character’s perspective; I like the close view this gives of the world, but it does mean that the protagonist (and the reader) only see the edges of the vast conspiracy that surrounds his existence. In this book he finally reaches a level where he can see all the gears turning and comes to understand the events he’s lived through.

NTG - What is it that got you into creative writing?
M.C. - I ran out of things to read. Seriously, I’ve read a staggering amount of books, and back in the days before the explosion of self-published ebooks created an inexhaustible wealth of literature, I just ran out of good SF&F. At some point I took a short-story writing class at community college. I cranked out a few pieces that I am still pretty proud of. Then I sat down to write a story about a paladin. But I found I was spending more time wondering what it would be like to live in that story than I was in writing the story. I was constantly talking to myself about what it would feel like to live in that world… and three months later I had a novel. Writing the stories down is the only way to get them out of my head.

NTG - Is there a particular type of story that you're eager to write?
M.C. - What is sometimes disparagingly called “competence porn.” That is, characters who are really good at what they do and very effective at solving problems. I’m not terribly interested in characters who make stupid decisions or simple mistakes. Instead, I want my drama and conflict to come from characters who do all the right things… and discover it still isn’t enough. (The Martian is an excellent example of this genre.)

NTG - What's next for you after the release of 'Black Harvest'?
M.C. - I have another SF book looking for a publisher right now – Orion’s dog, a sort of Frankenstein-ish story set amid climate change in contemporary Georgia. I love the main character, Angie Carmona, because she’s brilliant and strong and effective. She’s also the most complex character I’ve ever written. It’s kind of a depressing book, though, so it might be an acquired taste.
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I’m also working on another novel set in the World of Prime. This one takes place before the current series (as will become obvious when you finish Black Harvest) and is my version of the classic Disney tale: a princess trapped in a tower by a horrible monster. It’s also Arthurian, in that it’s about a young woman who finds her destiny. But most of all the story is driven by my desire to think about what it would actually feel like for a young woman to be raised in a tower guarded by a horrible monster, in world where people actually can be destined to rule. It will probably be called Princess of Iron, unless my wife thinks of a better title.

To learn more about M.C.’s other works, or to purchase your copy of Black Harvest, visit his website, here.

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M.C. Planck