Beyond the Page: Writing Compelling Villains & Dark Fantasy with Robert A. Walker

Why do we sometimes find ourselves rooting for the villains in fantasy stories? In this episode of Beyond the Page , Steve welcomes award-winning fantasy author Robert A. Walker to discuss his Legends of Baylon trilogy, a character-driven fantasy thriller blending revenge, mystery, romance, and darker elements of fantasy. Robert shares how his fascination with castles, Tolkien, Dune, and classic thrillers helped shape his approach to storytelling. We explore why his first attempt at writing a novel didn't work, how building an entirely new fantasy world transformed the series, and why he believes memorable characters matter more than even the most exciting plot. One of the highlights of our conversation is Robert's approach to writing morally ambiguous characters. He explains why his villains aren't simply evil for the sake of being evil, how he gives them recognizable human qualities, and why some readers have found themselves unexpectedly attached to characters they probably shouldn't like. We also discuss writing in third-person perspective, balancing outlining with discovery writing, creating vivid action sequences, and the emotional experience of completing a fantasy trilogy. Beyond the writing process, Robert opens up about the realities of independent publishing, marketing books in a crowded industry, the value of advance readers, and why even negative reviews can help authors improve their work. Plus, we talk about his favorite fantasy and thriller authors, tennis, unusual childhood sandwiches, and what observing human behavior has taught him about creating believable fictional characters. Join us for a conversation about fantasy, storytelling, memorable villains, and the challenges of bringing an ambitious series to life. Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe