An Interview with Ioan Gwydir

S&S BLOG:  Strap in folks because we are here again for the latest of our first round of character interviews for the major characters of the first of the book in the SHADOWS OF NIGHT books series SHADOW’S CLAW.  Today, we have the pleasure of having Ioan Gwydir, who is the elf in the series, in our studios.  Well, we would have the pleasure, but Ioan is a little late to the studio today and…

IOAN GWYDIR:  Sorry I’m a little late.

S&S BLOG:  Oh, uh, no problem.  Welcome to the S&S Blog interview series. 

IOAN GWYDIR:  It is a pleasure to be here.  Do you want me to sit over here?

S&S BLOG:  Yes, that’s fine.  Comfortable?  Good.  Let’s dive right in.  What role do you play in the books?

IOAN GWYDIR:  I think my role is rather peripheral actually.  I am the straw that stirs the drink if you will.  I am the instigator.

S&S BLOG:  Really?  That’s it?

IOAN GWYDIR:  That’s it.  I guess I pick up the slack for one character or another to provide backup and support from time to time, but really that’s all.

S&S BLOG:  So, you’re not the hero of the book?

IOAN GWYDIR:  The book has heros?  Oh, good Lord no.  I’m in it for what I can get, I’ll gladly leave the heroics to others. 

S&S BLOG:  Interesting.  Well, that’s a different answer at least.  So, which of the other characters did you like working with?

IOAN GWYDIR:  Like is a rather subjective term, isn’t it?  I guess they are all loveable and charming in their own way, at least to their mothers.  At least they keep things interesting and their hearts seem to be in the right places even if their heads are usually up their collective [Bleep]. 

S&S BLOG:  What were you doing before signing up as a character in the new SHADOWS OF NIGHT fantasy book series?

IOAN GWYDIR:  Well, I graduated Julliard in music and then received an M.F.A. in acting from the Yale School of Drama, and then spent some time in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts as an academy associate teacher for two years while splitting time between the West End and Broadway.  With the surge in reality television, it was either this gig or doing a series of “Levitra” and “Pepto-Bismol Dance” commercials.  I chose the less dignified route.    

S&S BLOG:  In the tradition of the Actor’s Studio, I would like to ask you the following questionnaire.  What is your favorite word?

IOAN GWYDIR:  “Ioan Gwydir.”  It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?

S&S BLOG:  Alright.  What is your least favorite word?

IOAN GWYDIR:  Stagnation.  I don’t mean simply the physical stasis and degeneration that implies, but also the mental deterioration and lack of challenge.  I like the new and different; I thrive on change. 

S&S BLOG:  What turns you on?

IOAN GWYDIR:  Learning something new and different, or seeing something I have never seen before.  I also love to play music and tell stories, and so creation of new ideas and redefining both esoteric concepts and the world around me really energizes me.

S&S BLOG:  I’m sorry.  That was very well said.  I’m not used to that in these interviews. 

IOAN GWYDIR:  I’m just messing with you.  A good ale, a good fight and a great tune do it for me.  That’s the party line, isn’t it?

S&S BLOG:  Oh.  What turns you off?

IOAN GWYDIR:  Stupidity, which makes me wonder why I travel with these clowns sometimes.  Stupidty leads to all other problems that wrack our world- violence, destruction, starvation, war, and reality television. 

S&S BLOG:  What sound or noise do you love?

IOAN GWYDIR:  There are many.  I love the sound of a harp, the gentle rush of a waterfall, and the grunt Marcus makes when he is utterly flummoxed.  I note that a lot of orcs and goblins make the same sound.  Coincidence?  I think not.

S&S BLOG:  What sound or noise do you hate?

IOAN GWYDIR:  I’m not crazy about fingernails on a blackboard.  I have the same reaction to stupid people sometimes.    

S&S BlOG:  What is your favorite curse word?

IOAN GWYDIR:  [Bleep]. 

S&S BlOG:  Really?  [Bleep]?  I thought for sure it would be [Bleep].

IOAN GWYDIR:  Oh, no.  I could understand your thinking that I’d prefer [Bleep], but [Bleep] if far more versatile as a word.  [Bleep] can be a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, syllable for emphasis, cathartic exclamation and hobby all at once.  Plus, I play a game.  Every time they say, “Kill” or “Murder” on the evening news, and I replace it with [Bleep] and suddenly the news doesn’t seem to bad. 

S&S BLOG:  Well [Bleep] me.

IOAN GWYDIR:  Exactly. 

S&S BLOG:  So, other than your profession, what profession would you most like to attempt? 

IOAN GWYDIR:  I like what I do, but if I had to do something else, I would definitely go the wizard route. 

S&S BLOG:  What profession would you not like to do?

IOAN GWYDIR:  I would not trade with Marcus.  While his approach is direct, he gets stabbed and cut way too much more my liking and comfort.  I don’t like pain, and frankly I try to avoid sharp pointy things whenever possible. 

S&S BLOG:  If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

IOAN GWYDIR:  “You’re way too early.  Turn around a go back.  There’s more to see.”

S&S BLOG:  Thank you Ioan Gwydir, and this concludes our first round of character interviews.  We are gathering questions for our second round, so if you have questions of the characters, please feel free to participate and send them in.  We’ll try and get answers for you.  We are also working on some character round tables, Granny Redbeard is cooking up fresh hell in the break room kitchen, we will have some project updates coming up and some other surprises!  So check back with us soon!

Introducing… Ioan Gwydir

The fifth and final major character of SHADOW’S CLAW is Ioan Gwydir.  Ioan is the obligatory elf of the series- what is a fantasy novel without a classic elf or two? 

Ioan is the “swingman” character of the group.  Auric heals, Marcus fights, Lathan casts magic and Hazel is sneaky, but Ioan can fulfill each of these roles to one degree or another, though never quite as well as our party “Experts.”  He is a bit of swashbuckler and a fast-talker who tends to take a less direct approach to his problem-solving.  He is clever and he knows it, and he likes to show it off.  Style is every bit as important as substance in Ioan’s eyes.  For Ioan a win is a win, but a win with a little panache is far better. 

Ioan’s character is a little different from the rest of the group- Auric, Marcus and Lathan are all seeking acceptance in one form or another and are forced to the adventuring lifestyle because the conventional means of seeking acceptance are otherwise cut off from them for one reason or another.  Hazel is with the party for change.  Ioan seems to be coming from the opposite direction, Ioan is escaping something, making his motivations (and possibly his goals) very different. 

Unlike the other major characters, the reader does not get to see the world through Ioan’s eyes, even though he is a major part of the party.    Ioan clearly has a little more world experience than the others, Ioan represents the somewhat unpredictable element of the party.  Ioan is amiable, if something of an opportunist and the elf keeps a distance from the rest of his comrades.

Ioan would describe himself as “Soldier, Explorer and Diplomat.”  Others might call him “Mercenary, Pirate and Spy.”  For the party, he is an uncomfortable ally.