H.M. Long on Writing and the World of Hall of Smoke | Author Interview

Hall of Smoke, the debut fantasy novel from H.M. Long released in early 2021, quickly snagged our attention and became one of House of Cadmus’ most anticipated reads of the year. A spellbinding tale of a warrior priestess thrust into a battle of gods within a world of stunning mythology and packed with gripping action, Hall of Smoke introduced readers to H.M. Long’s incredible talent and skill, firmly establishing her as a new voice in fantasy. Temple of No God, the second book set in the world of Hall of Smoke that came out just weeks ago, has only cemented her status as an author to pay attention to.

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Related: Hall of Smoke | A Review

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In addition to the pleasure of reading her books, we also had the privilege of interviewing H.M. Long about writing, her novels, and the world of Hall of Smoke.

 

 H.M. Long on Writing and the World of Hall of Smoke

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For fantasy readers unfamiliar with Hall of Smoke, what would you tell them to expect from your series?

Set in a Viking-inspired world of meddling gods and brooding war, Hall of Smoke and its companion books are atmospheric and cinematic, with complex female leads, lush original mythology and plenty of action.

Hall of Smoke is inspired by elements of Roman, Celtic, and Norse mythology and culture. What about these ancient cultures and beliefs inspired you to create a story anchored in a culture so influenced by them?

I can’t say there was anything specific that influenced me from these cultures, other than the overall impression of them, but that’s intentional. I wanted to create something believable, that felt familiar, but was wholly its own. When writing Hall of Smoke and beginning to put its world together, I referenced bits and pieces from a lifetime of love for history – stacks of notes from museums, files of images or bits from documentaries I’d watched. I blurred the lines between them, fleshed them out again, and made my own setting, religion, culture and worldview.

While there is a familiarity to the Viking-inspired setting and world-building of Hall of Smoke that fantasy readers will connect with and enjoy, it is most certainly unique amidst the crowd. It’s unique, fresh, and compelling with a culture and history that are richly detailed. Tell us about the process of creating this world and culture. What was your favorite aspect of creating a world so vivid and full of gods and monsters?

I’m very much a discovery writer, so while I had a lot of notes and ideas simmering in the back of my mind, I don’t organize it prior to writing. Instead, I let myself discover the world though my character – in this case Hessa, our protagonist for Hall of Smoke and Temple of No God. Through her eyes, I learned what her world looks like, what challenges she faced and what she believed about the things around her. That discovery is my absolute favourite part of writing any book!

There is a fantastic balance struck within Hall of Smoke between action and excitement and the focus on emotional depth that is at the heart of this story. Do you find it difficult to balance the excitement and adventure readers expect from fantasy with the thoughtful attention to character introspection and development that give the story real depth and impact?

I’m so glad you found it well-balanced! That was certainly my goal. Action scenes are my favourite part of a book, so I often write those first and fill in the emotions later, when I can slow down and track the characters’ emotional path and response to events. I have several beta readers in particular who helped me refine this, and I’m so grateful for them!

One of my favorite aspects of Hall of Smoke is that it isn’t a fantasy world with a religion built upon faraway, distant gods for characters to simply pray to. Instead, the gods of Hall of Smoke come to life on the page, active characters within the story who have a binding sense of responsibility to their people. Writing gods seems like a fun challenge. Tell us about the process of crafting these epic characters.

When I get down to the core of it, I wanted the gods to be people and break out of the modern Western perception of deity. In my studies of religion and history I was struck with how profoundly certain ancient cultures believed in their gods as living beings who could, at any time, walk into their villages, homes and lives. I wanted to explore that further. How would you live your daily life if the fickle god you make offerings to might physically show up on your doorstep?

What is your take on fantasy tropes? With so many in the genre that can make a story archetypal and predictable, how do you use them in your own writing to instead enhance the characters and plot?

While tropes are useful tools, I personally don’t enjoy them unless they’re well done and tactful. So while I was drafting, I tried to avoid tropes wherever I could, or break them to keep the reader on their toes. At the same time, I wanted to make the story relatable and satisfying, and fulfill the readers’ expectations! So in the end I hope I found a solid middle ground.

The second book in the Hall of Smoke series, Temple of No God, has just come out—only a year after your debut’s release. How different was the writing experience between the books? Was the experience of writing Temple of No God impacted by any sense of pressure or expectation now that you have dedicated readers eager for the next installment?

Temple of No God was very hard to write, if I’m honest. I wrote Hall of Smoke in 8 weeks, free and wild with no outline, no schedule and only because I wanted to. But Temple of No God was my first book on contract, my first book written off an outline, and my first book with a deadline. I read too many reviews of Hall of Smoke early on, and let too many voices into my head. And all of this was in the beginning of the Covid pandemic, when the world was on its head. It was very challenging!

But my beta readers saved the day, saved the book, and my sanity. In the end, I rewrote Temple 2.5 times before finding a version that felt right and my betas loved. It was an immense growing experience, and I learned so, so much.

Temple of No God takes place ten years after the events of Hall of Smoke and can be read as a standalone. What inspired you to write the second book as a story that can be independent of Hall of Smoke? Did it come naturally as the continuation of Hessa’s story or was it difficult to make it fully understandable for readers who might not have read Hall of Smoke?

I had originally planned Temple of No God as a true sequel, streamlined from Hall of Smoke and with a gap of only a few years. But my publisher urged me towards writing stand-alones, and I liked the idea so I hopped on board. We decided on the 10-year gap to get us more separation between the stories, but I also liked the idea of working with Hessa as a 30 year old – a little tired, a little jaded, just needs a vacation and has too many responsibilities.

Temple of No God still felt like a natural continuation for me, the next step for Hessa and for the HOS world at large. But it was difficult to weave in enough backstory to educate new readers without completely spoiling HOS or bogging the narrative down!

You’ve shared online that you’ve written a total of fifteen novels and pitched a few of the five you wrote in your mid-twenties to literary agents. Was there ever a point when rejections made you consider not pursuing a writing career anymore? What advice would you give to writers who are in a similar place right now?

I almost quit many times, and actually did for eight years or so. Querying is hard, without a doubt. But I’m so glad I held out and kept going!

I’d give two pieces of advice to writers stuck in the query trenches:

1. Keep writing other books, and don’t get overly attached to a particular project. YOU and your skills are what will bring you success, not any one book, story, or characters. Build that backlist!
2. Hold out for a GOOD agent, even if that means spending another year in the query trenches. Make sure the agents you’re considering are active, with recent sales to reputable publishers, and that they are the kind of person you want to work with. You’re looking for a business partner, someone you will have to place a huge amount of trust in and who will guide your career, hopefully, for many years to come. So don’t rush, and don’t ever sell yourself short. As desperate as you may feel to just get an agent, know you and your work are valuable, and you DO NOT have to settle!

What do you hope readers take away from your books?

I hope that when a reader closes one of my books, the feeling and atmosphere of the world will stay with them for many years to come!

 

Connect with H.M. Long

 

Website: www.hmlongbooks.com

Twitter: @hannah_m_long

Instagram: @hmlongbooks

TikTok: @hmlongbooks

Facebook: @hmlongbooks

 

A note from H.M. Long: Instagram is my main platform for updates, and follow my TikTok for what I’m reading and book recommendations!

Support Hall of Smoke and Temple of No God

 

Hall of Smoke                                                                                        Temple of No God

Amazon | Goodreads                                                                                    Amazon | Goodreads

Barnes and Noble                                                                                               Barnes and Noble

 

 

 

 

Many thanks to H.M. Long for taking the time to talk with us and for such fantastic answers to our questions.