An Interview with Steven Erikson
Interview conducted c. early 2010s
Introduction
Steven Erikson is an epic fantasy author best known for The Malazan Book of the Fallen, a ten-volume series noted for its vast scope, philosophical depth, and uncompromising engagement with the human condition. His work blends archaeology, anthropology, history, and myth into complex narrative structures that challenge readers intellectually, emotionally, and ethically.
This interview was conducted during a period when Erikson was actively reflecting on narrative ambition, thematic intent, and the demands of writing at epic scale. The conversation explores idea selection, character pressure, thematic resonance, structural patience, and the psychological toll—and necessity—of writing work that risks failure.
Erikson’s responses reveal a storyteller who treats fiction as confrontation rather than comfort. His approach emphasizes emotional honesty, thematic rigor, and the willingness to wrestle ideas until they yield meaning, rejecting both minimalism and formula in favor of resonance that endures.
This interview is preserved as part of the Better Storytelling Archive, documenting the voices and working methods of contemporary genre creators.
StevenEriksonLundin_Interview
The Interview
Life as a Writer
How did you get into writing?
In my early twenties, while attending university, I worked briefly writing for a faculty newspaper. I was primarily an illustrator, creating editorial cartoons and comic strips, but I increasingly found that narrative began to dominate the visual element. Taking an elective course in creative writing set me firmly on this path.
When did you first realize that you have what it takes to be a writer?
It’s difficult to pinpoint. I worked many other jobs—including archaeology, which I loved—but I never stopped writing or trying to break into publishing. Writing ultimately proved more fulfilling than anything else. What it takes, I think, is stubbornness and persistence.
Premise
Where do you get your ideas from?
Early in a career, ideas often come from autobiography—mining personal experience. I drew heavily from archaeology and travel in my first work, and from my youth in a coming-of-age novel. But writers must leave their own backyard quickly. Ideas are easy; learning to judge which ones are worth pursuing is far harder.
Writers must also learn to manage their inner critic. A critic that helps you improve is invaluable; one that destroys confidence is not your friend. Writing requires resilience, not self-flagellation.
How do you develop your ideas into a story?
I look for resonance. A worthwhile idea should feel daunting, audacious, and challenging—something that questions my assumptions and unsettles me. Then I throw characters at it. Characters must challenge the idea, argue with it, undermine it. Without this tension, the work risks becoming propaganda.
Ideas need room. They should feel too big, heavy, even frightening. Small ideas rarely justify the effort. Writing is the act of grappling with an idea until one of you collapses from exhaustion.
Genre
What kind of stories do you enjoy working with?
Stories driven by character. Plot exists to pressure characters into emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually impossible situations. Fiction exists to explore the human condition, and every character reenacts the author’s own struggle for meaning.
I believe that if an author doesn’t suffer while writing emotionally charged scenes, the reader won’t either. Writing is the author going through hell one step ahead of the reader.
What genres would you like to explore in the future?
I leave genre distinctions to critics. Though I write epic fantasy, I draw freely from mystery, horror, romance, comedy, tragedy, and literary fiction. I’ve written science fiction and may return to it.
Structure
Do you work from an outline?
My outlines evolve as I write. I usually know the ending and where certain characters must arrive, but outlines remain flexible. Characters must be allowed to take control of scenes. If they derail your plan, it may be because the real story is emerging.
Plot
How do you build your story?
I carry closing scenes in my head until they haunt me. Writing is the act of guiding characters toward those moments with patience. Emotional impact depends entirely on the groundwork laid beforehand.
Patience is essential. Mystery must be preserved. Pressure must build gradually. The writer leads the reader along a cliff’s edge, uncertain themselves whether the path is safe.
Character
For you, what makes a great hero?
Heroism fascinates me. Is an act heroic without witnesses? Does heroism require an audience? Does belief in an unseen observer shape our actions? I continue to explore these questions in my work.
For me, heroism requires risk and the possibility of failure. Without failure, heroism is meaningless. By that measure, the world is full of heroes, which I find heartening.
If one of your characters were to describe you, what would they say?
“That manipulative, vicious bastard.”
Setting
How much time do you spend researching the setting for your stories?
I read nonfiction constantly, so research is ongoing, amorphous, and often unpredictable.
What settings would you like to explore in the future?
All settings are ultimately internal. I discover them as I go.
Theme
Do you like to know the purpose of your story before you sit down to write it?
Yes. Theme unifies story through language, imagery, tone, and rhythm. Theme is not sacred or fragile—it is simply an exploration of some aspect of the human condition. Stories can hold multiple themes, branching outward like roots.
I think about theme before writing, not to assert conclusions, but to ask questions. The writing then explores those questions honestly.
Dialogue
Do you have any favorite lines from your stories?
Dialogue can become dangerously self-satisfied. I value restraint—the line loaded with subtext, understatement, and tension, where much remains unsaid.
Writing Process
Do you have a routine?
I write in cafés for about four hours a day, five or six days a week. I no longer write to music.
How do you deal with writer’s block?
I’ve never experienced it. I had enough obstacles getting here without inventing new ones.
Story Development
How do you go about fixing a story?
Understanding narrative structure is essential—but only during revision. While composing, those considerations must be forgotten. If something breaks, knowledge of structure tells you where and why. Once learned, this awareness permanently changes how you read.
How do you know when to stop?
You rely on your internal detector.
Words of Advice
What words of advice would you give to new writers?
Finish what you start.
When a scene becomes brutally difficult, don’t escape it. Push through. That pressure is where you learn what it means to be a writer.
And then—finish what you start.
Final Thoughts
What’s the best thing you’ve ever written?
The last thing I wrote. When that’s no longer true, I’ll stop.
What are you working on now?
Work under nondisclosure, followed by the second book of a trilogy.
Closing
This interview captures Steven Erikson’s uncompromising view of storytelling as intellectual and emotional confrontation. His reflections emphasize ambition, patience, thematic rigor, and the necessity of risk in creating work that resonates beyond surface entertainment.
Presented here as part of the Better Storytelling Archive, this conversation preserves a voice defined by scale, intensity, and a relentless commitment to exploring what it means to be human through story.