Where Punk Rock Meets Fantasy: A Conversation with Brett Salter

Sep 3

7 min read

Bearded man in a blue check shirt holds a white mug in a warmly lit cafe, looking off thoughtfully.

Wingless Dreamer Host:

For this edition of Wingless Dreamer’s Author Spotlight, we step into the imaginative world of Brett Salter, the mind behind The Talisman Series—a twelve-book fantasy adventure shaped by dragons, portals, friendship, courage, and a lifelong love for storytelling. From punk-rock lyrics and childhood fantasy adventures to building his own literary universe, Brett’s journey proves that sometimes all it takes to begin is a dare, a story waiting to be told, and the courage to take that first step. Today, we uncover the writer behind the worlds, the music behind the muse, and perhaps a few dragons along the way.

Many writers dream of writing a single book, yet you are now approaching the completion of a planned 12-book fantasy series. What has kept you committed to The Talisman Series for so many years, and how has the experience changed you as a storyteller?

Answer: I am a strong completionist. Either with reading a series or getting every possible achievement on an old 90’s RPG video Game. I think that really drives me to want to finish this series. I know it’s going to be hard to say goodbye to these characters for the last time, but my desire to finish combined with my want to tell stories keeps me heading toward that end.

Your literary influences range from The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings to Shakespeare and Dr. Seuss. Which of these authors has left the deepest imprint on your creative voice, and what lessons do you still carry from them today?

Answer. That’s tough, as they have all influenced me in many ways. If I HAD to pick, though, I would probably go with Tolkien. His influence on the fantasy genre as a whole cannot be denied in my books. Tolkien’s ability to tell a story with fantastical creatures and characters oozes into my writing, though I do tend to spend less time describing trees than him.

Before becoming an author, you spent time in punk rock bands writing songs, poetry, and stories. Do you find any connection between writing music and crafting fantasy novels? Has rhythm, rebellion, or performance influenced the way you tell stories?

Answer. I will say that writing the plot to a book IS similar to composing a song, in that you have to have an idea of where you want to go and where you want to add your elements in the composition.

For instance, songs have a beginning, verses, choruses, bridges, and endings. Books have a structure that could be comparable to this.

Especially with the beginning and end, with conflict, characterization, and plot in the middle. So, in that vein, yes, creating books and creating songs require both a vision and a roadmap.

The origin of The Talisman Series began with a dare. Looking back, what would have happened if you had ignored that challenge, and what does that teach aspiring writers about taking creative risks?

Answer. Honestly, if I hadn’t taken that dare, I probably never would have stepped into the portal of self-publishing. I’ve always said that everyone has a story to tell. Some people have many stories in them. And, unfortunately, getting that story out to an audience is a call that not everyone hears. Ignoring that challenge would have certainly left me floating in the limbo of writing, and never realizing my dream of becoming an author of fiction/fantasy. My advice to aspiring writers is that taking creative risks is all part of the process. To be cliche, the journey of 1,000 steps starts with one. You’ll never know how high you can soar without that first step.

Your stories are filled with dragons, knights, portals, and epic adventures, yet at their heart they often explore friendship, courage, teamwork, and personal growth. Why do you think fantasy remains such a powerful medium for teaching real-life lessons to young readers?

Answer: I know there are plenty of tropes in fantasy that work well for younger readers' life lessons. You’ve got your good guy(s). You’ve got your bad guy(s). The two sides fight it out and goodness prevails, right? That’s a very basic view of fantasy, especially nowadays where everything can be subverted or deconstructed. But with my target audience in mind, the ideas of good vs evil, the power of friendship, and believing in oneself can direct, encourage, and inspire someone looking for that in a book.

You often describe yourself with humility as "not a professional writer" while continuing to write, publish, market, and build an entire literary universe. What advice would you give to writers who are waiting to feel "qualified" before they finally start telling their stories?

Answer. Do not wait! If you have a story in you, get crackin’! I wrote my first book on a dare, and the feeling I got from creating it and the way people responded to it urged me to keep going. I’m not saying everyone will have that feeling, but there is an audience out there for EVERY story. I promise that. So, why deny them?

Your words, your story, your creation could be someone’s favorite thing in the world. And that is a special feeling.

And now, before we let you return to your literary universe, it’s time for one final challenge: the Rapid Fire Round! No dragons, deadlines, or twelve-book commitments can save you now. Pick your answers, tell us why, and let’s meet the wonderfully unfiltered Brett behind the fantasy worlds!

Rapid Fire Round with Brett Salter

Rules: Pick one option and tell us why!

1. If you could spend a day in one fantasy world, you would choose:

A. Narnia

B. Middle-earth

C. Xanth ✔

Not only is it so creative and full of magic, but also there are way less wars and things trying to kill me than the other two worlds. Plus, I love Dad jokes, and Xanth is chock full of them.

2. Every fantasy writer secretly needs:

A. A dragon ✔

B. A magical talisman

C. Unlimited coffee

I think they’re the best fantasy creatures. (Coffee would be a close second)

3. When writer's block strikes, you:

A. Go for a walk

B. Listen to music ✔

C. Convince yourself it's "creative research" - Haha! Great answer though

Easy answer for me. Music is my muse, my companion, and my way through hard times.

4. Your ideal writing companion would be:

A. A wise wizard

B. A sarcastic dragon

C. A loyal talking dog ✔

I mean, dogs are the best, right? Totally loyal, loving, and their whole world revolves around you. We really don’t deserve the goodness of dogs.

5. Which sounds most dangerous?

A. Running out of coffee mid-chapter

B. Deleting a manuscript accidentally ✔

C. Realizing your villain has a better plan than your hero

This would crush me. I already have very limited time for writing, so having to redo an entire manuscript would make me cry… like for a long time. Ugly crying with tears streaming down my face.

6. Your punk-rock past and fantasy writing collide when:

A. The knight starts a band

B. The dragon becomes a lead singer

C. The wizard gets a mohawk ✔

These are all great! But I think a wizard with a mohawk would be the epitome of my worlds colliding. You may have just inspired a new character, too!

7. If one of your characters took over your social media for a week, they would:

A. Start a revolution

B. Post cryptic prophecies

C. Share dragon selfies ✔

This one! Yeah, my characters are more of the “let’s have a good time” vibe. There’s a lot of high stakes in my books, but also, plenty of time to be less serious.

8. Which writing superpower would you choose?

A. Perfect first drafts ✔

B. Endless inspiration

C. The ability to finish every book on schedule

I absolutely loathe the editing process!

9. You discover a real magical portal. Your first thought is:

A. "Adventure awaits!" ✔

B. "This is definitely a trap."

C. "I should bring snacks."

I’m all about taking that first step to adventure and trying anything once. “C” would be my afterthought as I step into it, though.

10. The true mark of an author is:

A. Having too many notebooks

B. Creating imaginary friends and calling them characters ✔

C. Spending hours researching something that never makes it into the book

The creative process never stops!

Bonus Question

You've planned 12 books. After finishing Book 12, what do you do first?

A. Start another series immediately ✔

B. Sleep for a month

C. Finally explain to everyone that the voices in your head are just characters

I’ve already got the first book of my next series lined up and ready to go. I just need to actually write it! LOL!

Wingless Dreamer host: Before we bid farewell to the wonderful world of dragons, portals, and talismans, thank you, Brett, for sharing your journey, humour, and creative wisdom with us. Your story is a lovely reminder that sometimes a simple dare can become the beginning of an extraordinary adventure—and that there is always room for a little music, mischief, and dad jokes along the way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Smiling family of four posing before black curtains; name tags visible, teen in red Georgia hoodie and blue patterned blouse.

Hey there! I write dragon novels!!!

My background in writing stems mostly from the inspiration I found as a kid when I read Fantasy and Sci-Fi books. These include The Chronicles of Narnia, The Xanth Novels, The Time Quintet, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and everything from Shakespeare to Dr. Seuss. In my formative years, I joined several punk rock bands and wrote songs, poetry, and short stories aplenty. As an adult (?) I took on a dare and wrote the first book in my Talisman Series. I loved the feeling it gave me and the idea of inspiring others so much that I kept writing until I had an entire series.