About Richie Billing

Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my site. Below, you can find out more about me and my writing and what you can expect.

About Richie Billing

The formal spiel…

Richie Billing writes all kinds of stories, but mostly fantasy fiction. His tales often explore real-world issues, zooming in on the characters and their troubles. Richie worked as a lawyer for a number of years before giving it all up to pursue writing.

His short fiction has been widely published, with one story adapted for BBC radio. And in March 2021 his debut novel, Pariah’s Lament, was published by indie press Of Metal and Magic Publishing. 

Richie also hosts the podcast The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed, a venture inspired by the requests of readers of his acclaimed craft book, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook. When not writing, Richie works as an editor and digital marketer and teaches creative writing both online and in his home city of Liverpool. You can also find his writing in more formal publications like the Solicitors Journal. 

Most nights you can find him up into the early hours scribbling away or watching the NBA.

Richie’s available for interviews and guest appearances, or you can just fire him an email with your comments and curses by heading to the contact page.

richie billing author image

What I’m Most Proud Of

I’ve been lucky enough to have had a few things published in my career so far. There are milestones that I’ll never forget, like reading the email telling me I was going to be published for the first time (ironically a short story named Forgotten). Finishing my debut novel, Pariah’s Lament. Two years of sweat and tears. 

richie billing pariahs lament

Creating my Discord community and watching it spring up out of nowhere like a shoot out of the earth. When I saw people arranging critique groups of their own accord I felt a tremendous sense of satisfaction. 

I’m an optimistic person. I always like to focus on the positive aspects of anything, even in the grimmest of times. So in honesty I’m proud of every moment of this writing path, because it was one I had to battle for and now I won’t give it up for the world. 

Follow Me On Social Media

Begrudlingly you can find me on social media. I do engage with some of the platforms from time to time. As well as links below I also share my common uses so you can see if it’s your jam or not:

  1. Pinterest – of them all, I enjoy Pinterest most. You can find lots of inspirational pics on here, particularly for fantasy worlds and characters
  2. Instagram – posting pictures of my dog or cat, the occasional book, videos from gigs, or pictures of my travels. I also share a lot about my fiction writing.
  3. Facebook – many of the posts from Instagram filter through to Facebook so you get a lot of the same.
  4. Twitter – I hardly bother with this, but from time to time I may post about something that sparks outrage within me. Usually to do with tories. 
  5. LinkedIn – I have a passing interest in this but again, posts filter through from other sources so I do have a bit going on there

Join Me On Discord

A big part of what I do is built around community. The hive of that community has become Discord. 

Our group now has close to 500 members, writers from all around the world writing in all different genres. 

It’s developed into a very special thing where people can discuss ideas, get feedback, join critique groups and make genuine friends. Here’s a pic from our first in-person meet up at FantasyCon 2023. 

To join us, just click here

richie billing writing community
Our Writing Community’s First Meet Up

Interviews With Richie Billing

I’ve taken part in quite a few interviews over the years. You can check some of them out below:

Click here to read my interview with Laura Buckley.

Head here to listen to hear me nattering on with Steve Holder on Holding On With Holder

Or head here to see my interview with Herminia Chow.

Head here to see my interview with Jem Interviews.

And below you can listen to my interview with LCR FM (Liverpool Community Radio).

A few years ago I was interviewed by Kerry from Chat About Books (a blog well worth checking out if you haven’t already done so). I thought I’d share the Q&A here. You’ll know me better than I know myself by the end of it.

So, Richie Billing, for those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

My name is Richie Billing, a name of subtle misfortune (my middle name is Edward, meaning my name is also Dick Ed). I’m from a place called Liverpool, known the world over thanks to The Beatles.

Last year I had the pleasure of collaborating with two very good friends of mine, Mark Brooks and Mark Vernall. Together we released The General & The Visitor to raise much-needed funds for my grandmother’s care home, Ranelagh House.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

I think when creating any character we extract a slither of ourselves and place it inside them. One particular trait that we possess. Perhaps one we hide or temper. I like to base characters on people I know or meet too, though.

How do you pick your characters names?

With writing fantasy, it’s sort of expected that names will be different. Nigel the warlock doesn’t have a very good ring to it. I see a lot of difficult-to-read names in this genre. Random apostrophes thrown in the middle and what not. I’m not a fan of that. Instead, I like to keep it relatively simple. I pick a name I’m familiar with and play about with it, inserting letters, taking them away, playing around with the order. As an example, I’m writing a short story at the moment featuring a character called Jhoshan, which came from the name Josh.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

I’ve recently had to alter my process because it was a bit slow. I always wrote a first draft by hand, then typed that up, re-read and edited it, printed it out, edited again, then back to the computer and so on. Now I just type things; it’s way faster, though I still brainstorm on paper. I love filling blank pages with a black pen.

richie billing fantasycon
Me at FantasyCon 2023 on the Author Marketing Panel

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

George R.R. Martin. This man, together with the chap immediately below, inspired me to write.

Raymond E. Feist. I’ve never devoured so many books so quickly. Twenty-seven in all in a matter of months. Like G.R.R.M, for me, a master storyteller.

James Joyce. This chap is another master. The Dubliners is one of my favourite books. And being part Irish it was only right I included an Irishman.

Brandon Sanderson. I owe a lot to Brandon Sanderson and the college lectures he made available on Youtube. They’ve helped give me a solid footing in this sometimes mind-boggling world of writing.

Ian Rankin. I’ve always enjoyed reading crime thrillers. I owe the person who recommended Ian Rankin to me a massive debt. I’ve learned so much from his craft. Sub-plots, suspense, plot twists—this guy’s another master.

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?

George R.R. Martin, I’d say. So I can probe him for Game of Thrones-related secrets.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I devoured books by the dozen. When school reached its business end I stopped, academia shouldering its way into my focus. When I left university I began again and rekindled my childhood love.

When did you start to write?

I’ve always enjoyed writing. I suppose, weirdly enough, I began to fall in love while essays in university. I’d seek out subjects that were purely essay based. I found them easier and I was better at them. Play to your strengths, I say. While the content wasn’t very sexy, (law is a mundane field), I enjoyed the challenge of putting together a literary jigsaw.

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?

This is a tough question. I can’t think of any endings that have particularly rankled. Maybe Frodo and Sam dying at the end of Lord of the Rings? I’m a grim bastard, I know.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

A Song of Ice and Fire. It’s everything I dream of in a fantasy series. Book two of A Storm of Swords is pure mastery. I picked it up one night when I was struggling to sleep, must have been around 12:30 am. The next time I looked at the clock it was 7 am.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

One For Sorrow, or something a bit less depressed-sounding. I have an affinity to magpies I can’t quite explain.

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

Tyrion Lannister. For me, he’s a perfect character. Flawed, conflicted, interesting, and forever the underdog, and I’m a sucker for an underdog. I think he may demand wine, though.

What are you working on right now?

At the moment I’m beginning the arduous task of editing a forty-seven chapter novel. I’m aiming to have it done in six months or so. That’s what I tell myself, anyway.

Tell us about your last release?

My last release was a flash fiction story called Ducks. All of my short stories are set in the world of my work in progress, looking at the lives and stories of peripheral characters who feature in it. Ducks tells the story of a young River Folk girl named Inia. After following some ducks downriver she finds herself running into the last people she expected to see.

Do you have a new release due?

Not as of yet, though I have a few short stories out in circulation amongst publishers so watch this space.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Have a day off! Do all of the things I enjoy doing to unwind: drink, smoke, and play video games.

When I left university I began to miss the process, so I began to write comedy with a good friend of mine, Ant Campbell, now a successful comedian. That never quite satisfied me either. That hole wasn’t filled until I got an idea for a story about two and a half years ago, which led to my current work in progress.

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