I love character development, and I love making unique and complicated characters that the reader will find enjoyable and believable. I was able to really go all out and create dozens of awesome characters throughout the series.
Bjorn Leesson – 18 December 2024
The Back Flap
The Dokkrsdottir is not your ordinary Norse woman of the Viking age. One of the great warriors of her time, she soon learns that the hardest battles are not always those fought with a sword and shield. Through countless trials and tests, she is led by visions and omens on numerous adventures with the help of steadfast friends and family to discover her mysterious supernatural destiny, one more extraordinary than anyone could ever have imagined.
The story of Myrgjol the Dokkrsdottir begins with her birth in 800s Scandinavia where it becomes immediately obvious that she is very different in so many ways.
After adventures abroad and continuously making friends and loyal allies, and after suffering many losses and setbacks, she bravely travels the many winding paths of her destiny – facing and defeating a dark foe she never expected to face.
About the book
What is the book about?
The Dokkrsdottir is not your ordinary Norse woman of the Viking age. One of the great warriors of her time, she soon learns that the hardest battles are not always those fought with a sword and shield. Through countless trials and tests, she is led by visions and omens on numerous adventures with the help of steadfast friends and family to discover her mysterious supernatural destiny, one more extraordinary than anyone could ever have imagined.
The story of Myrgjol the Dokkrsdottir begins with her birth in 800s Scandinavia where it becomes immediately obvious that she is very different in so many ways.
After adventures abroad and continuously making friends and loyal allies, and after suffering many losses and setbacks, she bravely travels the many winding paths of her destiny – facing and defeating a dark foe she never expected to face.
When did you start writing the book?
The first scribblings of Myrgjol the Dokkrsdottir started in about May 2022, with the first draft of Runes of the Dokkrsdottir being completed about March 2023. Since then, installments of the “Outside the Thalsparr” series have come about every four months. I am currently writing installments six through eight at the time of this interview.
How long did it take you to write it?
From concept to first draft, about a year for Runes of the Dokkrsdottir.
Where did you get the idea from?
The story and character idea came from a mix of several personal interests: history, the paranormal, genealogy, psychology, and a few others. I sat down and weaved them all together to create the Thalsparr Universe with Myrgjol the Dokkrsdottir being the central figure.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Yes and no. Yes, because this was my first novel-length fiction book, and I had to “find my way” writing a complete fiction story that I felt was complete and “good.” No, because I am very into the story and I love character development, so the nuts and bolts flowed very naturally for me.
What came easily?
Building the characters. I love character development, and I love making unique and complicated characters that the reader will find enjoyable and believable. I was able to really go all out and create dozens of awesome characters throughout the series. It was (and continues to be) a blast.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
All of the above. All of the characters borrow just a little bit from every person I have ever known, seen on screen, or read about – but isn’t that pretty much true of all storytelling?
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Many, probably too many to give credit to here. But, a couple I would like to mention are (of course) JRR Tolkien, Geroge Martin, and R W Richards.
Do you have a target reader?
Nope. I just started telling a multi-faceted story with many layers and a multitude of deep characters. The series spills over into several genres, and I truly believe there is a little something for every interest.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
My process has changed throughout the writing of this series. I have gone from strict adherence to an outline to a mix of outline and arbitrary “in the moment” creativity. I am quite happy with the results of this progression and have “found my way.”
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
Yes, but now, I basically outline the beginning, end, and a few pivotal moments in the middle. The rest just comes as I write through “in the moment” creativity.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I go through and clean up as I go to not only mop up mistakes, I also want to continue immersing myself in the moment I am writing to continue the momentum. After I have a first draft completed, I go through again from start to finish before I pass it off to my editor.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I did, and that collaboration has been one of the best things I did throughout this adventure. When you have the right one, the relationship is more a writing partnership than an editor pointing out the mistakes of the author. Andria Flores, editor extraordinaire, has been pivotal to the “Outside the Thalsparr” series.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Sometimes. And here I will share something that I have never mentioned in any previous interviews that I recall – many of the scenes I have written in the series have been inspired by music of many kinds, but primarily music from the 1850s through the 1950s (as this is the time frame of much of the series story), but also ancient Norse music and classical.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I did at first – hundreds. Without bitterness in my heart (I would like to make that clear), but I have come to believe that the traditional publishing route is so ridiculously complicated and difficult, it has turned into a “machine” and not a venue for creativity to be shared with the world. Through all the submissions I sent, I never once received a rejection for the work not being of a high enough quality. In a vast majority of cases, I heard nothing. In a few cases, I received “sorry, but we are overbooked,” or “this isn’t the genre we deal with.” I often have to wonder how many thousands of awesome books out there sit in the dark because of the “machine.”
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I am not trying to get rich or famous. I only want to share my series with readers and hopefully they will love it as much as I do. When I realized the “machine” seems to work against storytellers and not for them, I decided to find another way.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
My original book covers were mine – and were not very good to be honest. When I began looking for help is when the wonderful Aimee Ravichandran put me with the talented Deena Rae, and now I have awesome book covers.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Between Aimee of Abundantly Social and Mikey Mikkelson of Creative Edge Publicity, that is all covered. And thankfully so, because quite frankly, I would have no idea how to do it.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
I have the same advice every time I am asked this; Be patient. This whole thing takes a lot of time and effort. It’s been my experience that writing the easiest part of creating a book and getting it out there into the “court of public opinion.”
End of Interview:
For more from Bjorn Leesson visit his website.
Get your copy of Runes of the Dokkrsdottir from Amazon US or Amazon UK.