Piter V. Bret, veoma popularni američki pisac romana iz žanra fantastike, uskoro dolazi u Beograd, na ovogodišnji Sajam knjiga, kao gost izdavačke kuće Laguna. Iskoristili smo priliku i piščevu predusredljivost i ljubaznost da uradimo intervju sa njim. U sastavljanju pitanja za intervju sa Piterom Bretom učestvovali su: Ljubitelji fantastike iz Kostolca (Renata Minić, Milan Stanković i Dijana Minić) i Autostoperski vodić kroz fantastiku (Kristijan Šarac). Ljubitelji fantastike iz Kostolca rade pod okriljem Biblioteke u Kostolcu, Odeljenja Narodne biblioteke “Ilija M. Petrović” Požarevac, a Autostoperski vodič kroz fantastiku je Udruženje ljubitelja fantastike iz Beograda.
Inače, Piter V. Bret je svetsku slavu zadobio svojom sagom „Demonski ciklus“ (Noć demona, Pustinjsko koplje, Sunčani rat, Presto od lobanja, Utroba zemlje). Završio je englesku književnost i istoriju umetnosti na Univerzitetu u Bufalu (Sjedinjene Američke Države), da bi nakon toga deset godina proveo radeći na farmaceutskim publikacijama, pre nego što se potpuno posvetio pisanju, na radost brojnih ljubitelja fantastike. Živi na Menhetnu, oženjen je i otac je dve devojčice. Pročitajte ovaj intervju, za koji Piter kaže da ga je sa velikom zadovoljstvom uradio.
P: Gospodine Bret, kao prvo, zahvaljujem Vam se na odvojenom vremenu i želela bih da Vam čestitam na knjizi “Utroba zemlje”, završnoj u epskoj sagi. Kako se osećate sada kada je završena?
O: Donekle je ličilo uspinjanju na planinu. Radio sam na Demonskom ciklusu u jednom ili drugom obliku od 1999. godine i bilo je neverovatno zahvalno doći do kraja i videti svet koji se ukazao ispred mene. Mogao sam da se osvrnem na svoj put i vidim mesta na koja sam se spoticao, mesta na kojima sam želeo da odustanem ili na kojima sam mislio da ću pasti. Ponosan sam na tvrdoglavu rešenost koja me je vodila. Završetak je bio ono što sam osmišljavao svih ovih godina i ono što je celo ovo putovanje učinilo pravim. Naravno, imao sam mnogo pomoći usput. Porodica i prijatelji, agenti, urednici, prevodioci, glumci, da ne pominjem prodavce knjiga i naravno, moje voljene čitaoce. Bez njihove pomoći, nikada ovo ne bih priveo kraju.
Ali sada, pošto stojim na vrhu, mogu da vidim druge planine u daljini i znam da još mnogo uspinjanja dolazi
P: Međunarodni bestseler romani iz Demonskog ciklusa: Noć demona, Pustinjsko koplje, Sunčani rat, Presto od lobanja, Utroba zemlje – osvojili su srca i umove ljubitelja fantastike u našoj zemlji. Kako je ideja za Demonski ciklus rođena?
O: Kada sam imao dvanaest godina čitao sam “Vilovnjačko kamenje Šanare” Teri Bruksa. U romanu, demoni su prognani sa zemlje već hiljadama godina, ali zidovi njihove tamnice su počeli da se tanje i demoni počinju da se probijaju nazad u svet koji je zaboravio na njih i nije bio spreman za njihov povratak.
Ova misao mi je u glavi već dugo godina. Šta ako su čudovišta stvarna i čovečanstvo ih je istrebilo, ali smo mi na to zaboravili jer nas je nauka uzela pod svoje? Moja priča je veoma drugačija od one koju je gospodin Bruks ispričao, ali nije preterano reći da moj svet ne bi postojao bez njegovog.
Imao sam čast prošlog leta da odem na večeru sa gospodinom Bruksom i da mu to lično kažem. To je nešto što nikada neću zaboraviti.
P: Noć demona prati živote tri junaka: Arlena, Liše i Rodžera. Kada ste stvarali lik Liše, da li je neki fantazi lik bio inspiracija za nju ili ste kao uzor imali stvarnu osobu iz ličnog života?
O: Ne baš. Kada sam tek učio da pišem, uzimao bih ljude koje poznajem, oblačio ih u svojoj glavi i koristio ih kao šablone za likove. To je dobra alatka za vežbanje, ali na kraju, shvatio sam da me to ograničava i napustio sam tu tehniku pre nego što sam započeo na Demonskom ciklusu uopšteno, na Liši posebno. Ukazao sam malu počast Beli iz Diznijeve Lepotice i zver u jednom od naslova poglavlja, ali to je uglavnom zbog njihove zajedničke ljubavi prema knjigama i plavim haljinama.
Ovo ne znači da autori ne bi trebalo da pišu iz ličnog iskustva i odnosa, ali jednom kada autor razume i srodi se sa onim što motiviše lik, taj lik počinje da definiše samog sebe na mnogo načina.
P: Dok sam čitala knjigu, posebno sam se zainteresovala za krazijski system kasti. Kako ste došli na ideju za njihov državni system?
Brojne kulture širom sveta bile su mi inspiracija za Krazijce. Njihova društvena struktura ima mnogo toga zajedničkog sa srednjovekovnim Japanom, sa ratnicima i klerikalnim kastama koje su predvodile njihovo društvo. Njihova ratnička obuka je izvučena uglavnom iz stare Grčke i od Šaka Zulu osvajača u Africi, sa srednjovekovnim bliskoistočnim uticajem u svakodnevnom životu.
Sve ovo je jednostavno bila početna tačka, uostalom. Kako sam zaronio u Krajziju u većim delovima knjige, ta kultura je preuzela život za sebe i postala nešto jedinstveno u mom svetu.
P: U svojim romanima, stvorili ste novi postapokaliptični svet u kome se može videti borba ljudi, ili bar onih što su preostali, da naprave neki red u svojim životima. Vaša ideja simbola (za zaštitu i za borbu) mi je veoma interesanta. Da li su simboli koje ste stvorili samo deo vaše mašte ili su oni povezani sa mitologijom?
O: Magija je ono što definiše priče fantastike. U nekima, ona prožima živote likova, a u drugima je retka i misteriozna. Neke priče ograničava na predmete ili mitske zveri, dok je u drugima sirova moć koja može uraditi skoro sve. Kako magija treba da radi u pričama je nešto što autor mora pažljivo razmotriti pre nego što sedne da piše.
U “Noć demona” želeo sam da ograničim upotrebu magije tako da je nijedan lik, pa ni ja, ne može koristiti kao poštapalicu. Razmišljao sam o tome kako skoro svaka kultura ima simbole moći namenjene za odbranu od zla, donošenje sreće ili prokletstva neprijateljima i odlučio sam da proširim tu ideju. Šta ako ti simboli zaista sadrže moć? Šta ako je „zlo“ koje oni drže podalje veoma stvarno i strpljivo čeka da se u njihovom zaštitnom polju otvori pukotina?
I tako sam razvio zaštitnu magiju, složen sistem međusobno povezanih simbola koji izvlače moć iz samih demona i popravljaju ih, bilo da formiraju prepreku koju demoni ne mogu da pređu ili da stvaraju druge efekte. Zaštitna magija definiše živote i društvo likova, ali bez da im daje specijalnu prednost u njihovima međusobnim odnosima i čitaocu jasno daje na znanje da magija neće uskočiti i spasiti dan kada je sve ostalo propalo.
Prilikom dizajniranja moje veb stranice, angažovao sam umetnika Loren K. Kenona da stvori brojne zaštitne simbole zasnovane na priči. Proveli smo mnogo vremena razgovarajući o tome kako bi simboli trebalo da izgledaju i odabirali individualna značenja za različite simbole. Oni su postali jedinstveni dizajnerski elementi u svim prevodima mog rada i često su istaknuti na naslovnim stranama i u drugim promotivnim materijalima.
P: Objavljivani ste širom sveta. Da li se od Vas tražilo da promenite neke stvari u različitim izdanjima Vaših knjiga, uzimajući u obzir da se radi o magiji, demonima i runama? Kulturološke razlike ponekad zahtevaju izmenu određenih delova, da se ne bi neko uvredio.
O: Blisko sam sarađivao sa svojim prevodiocima kad god je bilo moguće da bih im pomogao da pronađu prave reči da prevedu neke ideje koje su jedinstvene u mojim pričama, ili da izraze humor ili neke nezgodne izraze koji važe na engleskom, ali se ne prevode uvek dobro. Može biti teško prevesti šalu koja zavisi od dvosmislenog značenja reči, ili na pretpostavci da je čitalac upoznat sa određenim kulturnim referencama ili stilskim figurama. Dajem sve od sebe da pomognem svojim prevodiocima da odrade što bolji posao.
Ali da kažemo, nikada nisam bio zamoljen ili osetio da je potrebno da se izmeni nešto u mojim pričama iz straha da se neko ne uvredi. Mislim da to može biti rizičan presedan. Trudim se da budem dobronameran i neuvredljiv u globalu, ali ne mislim da se može napraviti remek delo bez da se neko ne uvredi.
P: Čuli smo da će biti film… Možete li da nam date više informacija o tome?
O: Iskreno, nema šta puno da se kaže u ovom trenutku. Postoje izvesna interesovanja iz Holivuda i imali smo uobičajene pozive od producenata, pisaca scenarija i slično, ali ja držim svoja očekivanja nisko da se ne bih razočarao ako stvari ne uspeju.
P: Sada kada ste završili Demonski ciklus, planirate li da započnete novi?
O: Da! Pod ugovorom sam za novu seriju od tri knjige čija će se radnja odigravati petnaest godina od završetka u “Utrobi zemlje”. Glavni likovi će biti novi i priča će se ubrzo preseliti sa poznatih mesta i istražiti nove delove sveta Demonskog ciklusa.
P: Uskoro dolazite u Srbiju. Koja su Vaša očekivanja? Da li ste pročitali neku od knjiga srpskih pisaca?
O: Veoma sam uzbuđen što ću posetiti Srbiju. Biće to kratko putovanje (od 26. do 28. oktobra 2018. godine) pošto imamo bebu u kući i već sam dosta proputovao ove godine, ali uvek sam u poteri za novim pečatima u svom pasošu, tako da pozivnica od svetski poznatog Sajma knjiga u Beogradu bila je predobra da bih je propustio. Moji srpski čitaoci bili su neverovatno gostoprimljivi od trenutka kada je poseta najavljena i ne mogu da dočekam da upoznam neke od njih i nadam se da vidim i nešto od Beograda.
Jedan od stvarnih nedostataka američkog izdavaštva je što dok mnogi međunarodni urednici čitaju, nabavljaju i prevode engleske knjige na druge jezike, ne može se reći da je i obratno.
P: I za kraj, možete li nam reči šta je potrebno da se postane uspešan pisac? Imate li neki savet za buduće pisce?
O: Budite tvrdoglavi. Postoji jedan siguran način da budete objavljeni, a to je da pišete dobro. Najbolji način da to naučite je da stalno pišete i da konstantno težite da poboljšate svoju veštinu. Spoznajte svoju snagu i nadograđujte je. Pronađite svoje slabosti i suočite se sa njima. Neka drugi čitaju vaša dela i prihvatite kritike, čak i kada se ne slažete uvek sa njima. Biće vam potrebna snaga, a oni će vam pomoći da je dobijete.
Ne pokušavajte da prodate prerano. Nikada ne pokušavajte da prodate ideju za knjigu ili deo knjige. Dokazivanje da možete da završite knjigu je prva prepreka koju izdavači žele da vide da ste prešli. Kada ste je završili do kraja, prepišite je ponovo. Nastavite da radite sve dok je napravite da bude najbolja što može. Tada i samo tada bi trebalo da razmotrite da se obratite agentima ili urednicima da pregledaju vaš rad. Budite ljubazni, Budite profesionalni. Zapamtite da su oni ljudi, a ne samo čuvari prolaza do nečega što želite. Od velike pomoći mi je bila knjiga Skota Meredita Pisanje knjiga za prodaju, iako je stara i neki saveti su zastareli.
Serbian Interview for Renata Minić – Peter V. Brett
Mr. Brett, first of all, thank you very much for your time, and I want to congratulate you on The Core, final book of epic saga. How does it feel now that it has ended?
P.B. It was a little like climbing a mountain. I’ve been working on the Demon Cycle in one form or another since 1999, and it was immensely gratifying to finally reach the summit and see the world spread out before me. I could look back on my path and see all the places I stumbled, the places I wanted to quit, or was convinced I would fall. I am proud in the stubborn resolve that saw me through. The ending was much as I envisioned it all those years ago, and that made the whole journey seem right.
Of course, I had a lot of help along the way. Family and friends, agents, editors, translators and artists, not to mention booksellers and of course my beloved readers. Without their support, I would never have made it to the end.
But now, as I stand at the peak, I can see other mountains in the distance and know there is much more climbing to come.
Internationally bestselling novels of Demon cycle: The Warded Man, The Desert Spear, The Daylight War, The Skull Throne, The Core – have won the hearts an-d minds of fantasy fans in our country. How was the idea for Demon cycle born?
When I was twelve years old I read The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks. In the story, demons had been banished from the world for thousands of years, but the walls of their prison were thinning, and demons were beginning to break back into a world that had forgotten them and was not prepared for their return.
This thought stuck with me for many years to come. What if monsters were real, and humanity had vanquished them, only to forget as science took hold? My story is very different from the one Mr. Brooks told, but it is not an exaggeration to say mine would not exist without his.
I had the honor of buying Mr. Brooks dinner this past summer and telling him so face to face. It is something I will never forget.
The Warded Man follows the lives of three characters: Arlen, Leesha and Rojer. When you were creating the character of Leesha, was some other fantasy character an inspiration for her or you had a real person as role model from your life?
Not really. When I was first learning to write, I would take real people I knew, dress them up in my head, and use them as templates for characters. It’s a good practice tool, but ultimately I found it limiting, and abandoned the technique well before I began work on the Demon Cycle in general, and Leesha in particular. I did pay a small homage to Belle from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in one of her chapter titles, but it was mostly just a nod to their mutual love of books and blue dresses. 🙂
This is not to say that an author should not draw from real life experiences and relationships, but once an author understands and empathizes with what motivates a character, that character begins to define themself in many ways.
While I was reading the book, I was particularly interested in the establishment of the Krasian caste system. How did you come up with the idea of their state system?
The Krasians are inspired by a number of real-world cultures. Their social structure has a lot in common with medieval Japan, with warrior and clerical castes leading their society. Their warrior training was drew heavily from ancient Greece and Shaka Zulu’s conquest of Africa, with a medieval middle-eastern flavor to their daily life.
All of this was simply a starting point, however. As I immersed myself in Krasia for larger portions of the books, that culture took on a life of its own, and became something unique to my world.
In your novels, you have created a new post-apocalyptic world in which we can see the struggle of people, or at least those who are left, to make some kind of order in their lives. Your idea of wards (for protection and for fight) is very interesting to me. Are wards that you have created just a part of your imagination, or are they related to mythology?
Magic is what defines a fantasy story. In some, it permeates the lives of the characters, and in others it is rare and mysterious. Some stories restrict it to items, or mythic beasts, and in others it is a raw power that can do most anything. How magic should work in a story is something an author must consider carefully before sitting down to write.
In The Warded Man, I wanted to limit the use of magic so that neither the characters nor I could use it as a crutch. I thought about how almost every culture has symbols of power meant to ward off evil, bring good fortune, or curse one’s enemies, and decided to expand upon that idea. What if those symbols really held power? What if the “evil” they held at bay was very real, and patiently waiting for a gap to open in their protective field?
And so I developed ward magic, a complex system of interconnected symbols that draw power from the demons themselves and repurpose it, either to form a barrier the demons cannot cross, or to create other effects. Ward magic defines the lives and society of the characters, but without conveying them special advantages in their dealings with one another, and making it clear to the reader that magic isn’t going to sweep in and save the day when all else has failed.
While designing my website, I hired artist Lauren K. Cannon to create a number of wards of protection based on the story. We spent a lot of time discussing what the symbols should look like, and picking individual meanings for different wards. These have become a unifying design element in all translations of my work, and are often featured prominently on book covers and in other promotional material.
You’re published all around the world. Were you required to change some things in different editions of your books considering you’re dealing with magic, demons and runes? Cultural differences sometimes require to change certain parts in order not to offend someone.
I work closely with my translators whenever possible to assist them in finding the right words to translate some of the ideas that are unique to my stories, or to express humor and tricky wordplay that works in English but doesn’t always adapt well. It can be hard to translate a joke that hinges on the dual meaning of a word, or on the assumption the reader is familiar with a certain cultural reference or figure of speech. I do my best to help my translators to the best job possible.
But that said, I have never been asked to or felt I needed to change anything in my stories for fear of offending anyone. I think that can be a risky precedent to set. I try be fair minded and not offensive in general, but I don’t think it’s possible to make a work of art that offends no one.
We have heard that there will be a movie… Can you give us some more information about that?
Honestly, there isn’t a lot to tell at the moment. There is certainly interest from Hollywood, and we are having regular calls with producers, script writers and the like, but I keep my expectations low so I will not be disappointed if things don’t work out.
Now, that you have finished Demon cycle, are you planning to start another?
Yes! I am under contract for a new series of three books which will take place 15 years after the conclusion of The Core. The main characters will all be new, and the story will quickly move away from familiar places and explore new parts of the Demon Cycle world.
Soon, you are coming to Serbia. What are your expectations? Have you read any books by Serbian writers?
I am very excited to visit Serbia! It will be a short trip (Oct. 26-28, 2018), as we have a baby at home and I have already been traveling quite a bit this year, but I am always looking to get new stamps on my passport, and the invitation to the world famous Belgrade Book Festival was too good to pass up. My Serbian readers have been incredibly welcoming since the trip was announced, and I cannot wait to meet some of them and hopefully see a little of Belgrade.
One of the real disadvantages of US publishing is that while many international editors read, acquire and translate English books into other languages, the same cannot be said in reverse. I am not familiar with any Serbian writers, but I hope to correct that with recommendations from readers, writers and publishers at the book festival.
And for the end, can you tell us what does it take to become successful writer? Do you have any advice or tips for future writers?
Be stubborn. There’s one sure way to get published, and that is to write well. The best way to learn to do that is to write all the time and constantly strive to improve your craft. Learn your strengths and build on them. Find your weaknesses and confront them. Let others read your work, and embrace the critics, even when you don’t always agree with them. You’re going to need a tough skin and they will help you get it.
Don’t try to sell prematurely. Never try to sell an idea for a book, or part of a book. Proving you can finish a book is the first hurdle publishers want to see you pass. When you have written it all the way through, rewrite. Keep working until you have made it as good as you possibly can. Then and only then should you consider approaching agents and editors to consider your work. Be polite. Be professional. Remember they are people, and not just gatekeepers to something you want.
The book Writing to Sell by Scott Meredith, was very helpful to me, even though it is old and some of the advice is out of date.
Izvor intervjua: