In this interview, fantasy author Victoria Aveyard discusses how J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings shaped her writing career and creative worldview. Aveyard breaks down Tolkien’s legacy, explores the mechanics of high-fantasy world-building, and offers insights into her daily writing process. She also shares an exclusive preview of her fantasy novel Tempest and its companion volume Tyrant.
What happens when an introverted kid from a small Massachusetts town encounters J.R.R. Tolkien’s high-fantasy masterwork? For bestselling author Victoria Aveyard, The Lord of the Rings changed the course of her creative life. As a child, she loved drawing fictional maps. Later, that passion helped lead her toward a writing career.
In this conversation, Aveyard explores Tolkien’s lasting influence. She also discusses the realities of publishing and her return to fantasy with Tempest.
Introduction
When Victoria Aveyard joined host Chris Collins in the studio, she brought along the perspective of an author who has navigated the heights of young adult and adult fantasy publishing. Best known for her runaway success with the Red Queen series, Aveyard’s entry into storytelling was rooted in a deep love for immersive world-building.
Growing up in western Massachusetts as the daughter of public school teachers, Aveyard found her creative home in fantasy literature, video games, and cinema. However, it was her seventh-grade encounter with J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings that permanently altered her trajectory, solidifying her drive to construct vast fantasy worlds of her own.
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About the Book
J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is an epic high-fantasy novel that follows the quest to destroy the One Ring and defeat the Dark Lord Sauron. Set in the mythical realm of Middle-earth, the story explores friendship, power, grief, and heroism. It also shows how ordinary individuals can make a difference.
Tolkien first developed the story alongside his constructed Elvish languages. From there, he built a rich mythological world. His work eventually helped shape modern fantasy literature.
The trilogy remains a cornerstone of the genre, continuously referenced, analyzed, and reimagined by generations of writers.
Small-Town Roots and Video Game Maps
Aveyard grew up in western Massachusetts, an area defined by blue-collar mill towns, local farms, and public schools. The daughter of a high school American history teacher and an eighth-grade English teacher, she gravitated toward books, sports, and movies early on.
Aveyard’s Creative Journey:
Small-Town Massachusetts Upbringing ──> Enamored by Zelda Video Game Maps ──> Drawing Fantasy Realms & Writing Stories ──> Fanfiction Community Feedback
Her storytelling spark ignited not with a book, but with the instruction manual for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64. Fascinated by the intricate fantasy maps in the game’s guide, Aveyard began drawing her own fictional geography, which naturally led her to ask who lived in those cities and why the ruins were abandoned.
This early passion for cartography eventually drove her to write fanfiction online, allowing her to test her creative ideas and receive constructive feedback from readers without the anxiety of face-to-face critique.
The Seventh-Grade Awakening
At age 11, Aveyard attended a theatrical screening of Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring. The experience affected her deeply; immediately after leaving the theater, she marched into a nearby department store, purchased a movie-tie-in paperback of the trilogy, and dove into Tolkien’s prose.
Discovering Middle-earth:
Screening of The Fellowship of the Ring ──> Purchasing Movie-Tie-In Paperback ──> Rereading the Trilogy 11-12 Times in 7th Grade
Throughout seventh grade, Aveyard carried the same paperback everywhere. She reread the trilogy 11 or 12 times during silent reading periods at school.
Tolkien’s work showed her how limitless speculative fiction could be. As a result, she realized that storytelling was something she wanted to pursue for life.
The Mechanics of the Writing Desk
Today, Aveyard treats writing as a structured, full-time profession. Operating from a dedicated home office equipped with a large desk and a desktop computer, she adheres to a strict Monday-through-Friday schedule, typically working from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Aveyard’s Editorial & Writing Workflow:
Drafting in Scrivener ──> Timed Pomodoro Sprints ──> Transitioning to Microsoft Word for Edits ──> Deep Focus Before Deadlines
She drafts her books in Scrivener. The software helps her organize world-building notes and multiple character perspectives. Later, she moves the manuscript to Microsoft Word for editor revisions.
To stay productive, she uses the Pomodoro technique. She works in focused 30-minute intervals. In addition, she plans action scenes while walking and listening to film soundtracks.
From Accidental Duology to Tempest
Aveyard’s adult fantasy novel, Tempest, emerged from an unexpected creative expansion. Initially intended as a standalone novel, the original draft swelled to 300,000 words. Her publishers noted that physical manufacturing limitations—such as spine glue durability and shelf-stacking metrics—prevented them from printing it as a single volume in the United States.
The Evolution of Tempest:
Initial Standalone Concept ──> 300,000-Word Initial Draft ──> Publishing Page-Count & Binding Constraints ──> Braid Dual-Timeline Duology: Tempest & Tyrant
Working alongside her editors, Aveyard restructured the massive narrative into a duology consisting of Tempest and its upcoming sequel, Tyrant.
Described as a romantic pirate fantasy set in a world inspired by the 1718 Caribbean, Tempest follows Cat, a ruthless protagonist navigating oppressive power structures, naval warfare, and survival.
For further reflection on how literature shapes identity and personal growth, explore our discussion with Caitlin Peluffo on Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy.
Key Insights
- Small Details Ground Epic World-Building: Tolkien’s mastery lies in balancing vast, sweeping mythologies with quiet, intimate human moments, such as Samwise Gamgee returning home to his family.
- Structure Enables Inspiration: Creative inspiration relies on practical discipline; maintaining regular working hours and structured deadlines helps convert raw ideas into finished novels.
- Constraint Shapes Narrative Form: Commercial publishing factors—including physical binding limits, page counts, and formatting—frequently shape artistic decisions and book structures.
“What makes you weird now is going to make you successful later… This book showed me so much of what it is to be a storyteller, but also made me want so much more from my storytelling.”
Reflection & Call to Action
Victoria Aveyard’s journey shows how childhood curiosity and a love for immersive storytelling can become the foundation for a career. Embracing the unique traits that set us apart allows us to turn our passion into a lasting creative path. To listen to the complete audio discussion, visit our official podcast page or explore more in-depth discussions on the Books That Changed My Life main blog.
About the Guest
Victoria Aveyard is a #1 New York Times bestselling fantasy author and screenwriter who graduated from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. She is the creator of the globally celebrated Red Queen series and the Realm Breaker trilogy. Her adult fantasy novel, Tempest, marks the beginning of a pirate fantasy duology.
FAQ Section
Q: How did Victoria Aveyard first discover The Lord of the Rings?
A: Aveyard first encountered the story at age 11 after watching Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring in theaters. She immediately bought a paperback copy of the trilogy at a department store and read it repeatedly throughout her seventh-grade year.
Q: What inspired Victoria Aveyard to start drawing fantasy maps?
A: Her interest in fantasy maps began as a child while reading the strategy guide for the Nintendo 64 video game The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Examining the game’s regional maps inspired her to draw her own fictional geographies and invent stories for the characters inhabiting them.
Q: Why was Victoria Aveyard’s novel Tempest split into two books?
A: Her initial draft reached 300,000 words. Due to physical printing, page-thickness, and spine-binding constraints in the U.S. publishing market, her publishers advised splitting the massive story into a duology consisting of Tempest and Tyrant.
Q: What writing software and scheduling techniques does Victoria Aveyard use?
A: Aveyard drafts her novels in Scrivener before converting to Microsoft Word for edits. She maintains a standard Monday-through-Friday workday, uses the Pomodoro technique for focused 30-minute sprints, and choreographs scenes while taking walks listening to movie soundtracks.
Final Thoughts
Great fantasy stories do more than transport us to far-off realms; they give us the language to understand our own lives. As Victoria Aveyard’s career demonstrates, taking time to build imagined worlds can help us discover our true path. By trusting our creative instincts and committing to the work, we turn simple ideas into stories that resonate across generations.
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