More with author Erik Tucsok
. What inspired you to write this book?
The story of this novel comes from my love for the medieval era. The world itself is something I’ve been working on for well over a decade and has numerous stories within it. I found an idea that I truly wanted to build on, and injected into the world of Föld. Having the first chapter end with the revelation of a character’s lies and loyal blindness created the perfect mix of drama to bloom a story built around the question, “At what point of people being used do they become a prisoner to themselves?”
2. How did you choose the title? Does it hold special meaning to you?
Within this novel, A Spider’s Web, there is a character who is cursed with becoming a giant half-spider creature. Although I’ve always had a soft spot for spiders, the title is more of a homage to the idea that all the plotlines and story threads are interconnected. Events that happen to one character affect another, and then the domino effect of those choices drive the narrative. Even small actions taken are still tied to the character arcs and can be traced along the web to one another. I’m also rather fond of titles that sound like the later half of a philosophical statement.
3. Can you share your process of writing and how long it took to complete the book?
Over the years I have studied and tried to perfect what I call my Story Form. Essentially, I’ve drafted a process that streamlines my writing by having each important thread of the story on a sheet for me to reference. I use a mix of traditional prose and screenwriting in my formatting, which I feel lends to grounding my stories in a person’s perspective. Once I had my Story Form, I decided to use it in finally drafting a full novel, and from conception it took about ten months. The bulk of that time was growing as an author, and building the region of The Pale which had previously been untouched, but learning and adhering to my own style of writing has been a beautiful journey.
4. Were there any challenges you faced while writing or publishing it?
There were many challenges along the way. Firstly, I have a big family, raising four children consumes a lot of time, and for the first half of the writing I had a full-time job. After finding the proper support, I dived into fully becoming an author. It was jarring at first, having a lot of publishing curveballs thrown my way, but the experience has been beautiful and I’m quite glad to have had the opportunity to follow my dreams. Even now, I still face rejection among the industry at large, and by some close to me as well. Every step forward means I have to make it count.
5. How do you feel about sharing your work with the world?
Initially my thought was to simply write stories that I would want to read and if readers enjoy it, then that’s great. I still hold onto that mentality, but I do find that my work doesn’t always match the demand of the market. In a lot of ways, it’s about accepting growth and change.
6. Are there any parts or characters in the book that are especially personal or meaningful to you?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I would watch my father write stories, and craft smart and powerful narratives, but he was a man born in the wrong place at the wrong time. He never got to live out having an audience for his writing. In this book, the character of Dili’Ari is my father in a lot of ways. He’s a man who excels at the things he does but can’t see his own flaws and weaknesses until it’s too late.
7. What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
One of the core features of this book I wanted to have celebrated is the father and son relationships. I may be a little out of touch, but I feel like there isn’t as much modern literature about these kinds of relationships and wanted to pour that into a witty and challenging story. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of feminine representation, half the battle of being a man is how you treat women. And having the powerful female character of Lysstra is a great mirror to the cultures of Föld.
8. Did you experience any memorable moments during the research or creation of the book?
Seeing my words in a physical book for the first time is an experience that I’ll never forget. Being someone who has written for most of their life means I’ve seen plenty of print-offs and digital editions, but finally holding a tome of my work was quite memorable.
9. What surprised you the most about the publishing journey?
How accessible the process has become, making me wonder why I waited so long to finally publish some of my work.
10. Do you already have ideas or plans for your next project?
My next novel, Of Perfect Spirit, is releasing on May 11th, 2025. It’s one of my oldest stories, a tale of two that I’ve been thinking about for a very long time and am beyond excited to finally share with everyone.
All about author Erik Tucsok
Crafting a grand fantasy world has always been my dream. I began The Anthology From Föld with the novel, A Spider’s Web, and have added four short stories since. As the library of books within The Anthology grows, I hope that it finds its audience, one that enjoys witty humour, powerful ideas, and a deeply grounded world full of monsters and mayhem.
How to keep up with author Erik Tucsok
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49991482.Erik_Tucsok
https://www.instagram.com/anthologyfromfold/
https://www.threads.net/@anthologyfromfold
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