Dissecting Tyler Bourassa
Welcome back to the Black Hare Press Dissecting Author interviews, where we dissect an author to find out who they are, what they write, and what keeps their creative juices flowing.
Today, we slice open fantasy writer, Tyler Bourassa, to spill his writing secrets and learn more about his latest release, The Void Within.
Welcome Tyler!
I first fell in love with reading when I was around 9 and discovered A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I was immediately enthralled and devoured every book of hers I could find in my school's library. After that, I moved on to Lord of the Rings and Dragonlance, and then there was no turning back. I was obsessed with reading!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tyler Bourassa holds a BA in psychology, which he puts to good use while working in the IT department of an insurance company. He currently resides in the windswept Saskatchewan prairies with his wife, twin daughters, and two cats. When Tyler is not reading or writing, he enjoys cycling, traveling with his family, and slaying monsters in video games.
Bibliography:
Issue 94: 2nd Quarter 2025, Abyss & Apex, February 2025
Volume One Issue Seven, Dirty Magick Magazine, March 2025
Fall Into Fantasy, Cloaked Press, October 2025
Issue 94: 2nd Quarter 2025, Abyss & Apex, February 2025
Volume One Issue Seven, Dirty Magick Magazine, March 2025
Fall Into Fantasy, Cloaked Press, October 2025
Tell us about yourself. When did your passion for reading and writing start?
I first fell in love with reading when I was around 9 and discovered A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I was immediately enthralled and devoured every book of hers I could find in my school's library. After that, I moved on to Lord of the Rings and Dragonlance, and then there was no turning back. I was obsessed with reading!
I always knew I wanted to be a writer and create my own worlds with characters that feel as real and alive as me. However, for most of my life, the idea seemed too big. Like, writing was for other people, not a regular person like me. Fortunately, when I was in my 30s, I finally took the plunge and started writing short stories. I'm now 42, and I still write almost every day!
For me, there's nothing quite like fantasy. I spent my childhood dreaming about being a powerful mage, and I don't think I ever stopped! Even before I started writing, I always knew that, if and when I wrote something, it would be fantasy. There's something about magic and monsters and epic duels with swords that really sets my imagination on fire. I'm obsessed.
What drew you to your preferred writing genres?
For me, there's nothing quite like fantasy. I spent my childhood dreaming about being a powerful mage, and I don't think I ever stopped! Even before I started writing, I always knew that, if and when I wrote something, it would be fantasy. There's something about magic and monsters and epic duels with swords that really sets my imagination on fire. I'm obsessed.
Every now and then, I stray from the path of fantasy, stumbling through the haunted halls of horror or some far-flung sci-fi empire, but at the end of the day, I always come home to the girl I first fell in love with.
Most of my characters that have a strong voice or real depth contain some element borrowed from people in my life. No one is a one-for-one copy, but I often draw inspiration from the way someone speaks or use someone's unique mannerism to add flavour to a character.
Have you ever based a character on someone you know?
Most of my characters that have a strong voice or real depth contain some element borrowed from people in my life. No one is a one-for-one copy, but I often draw inspiration from the way someone speaks or use someone's unique mannerism to add flavour to a character.
I like to jam a bit of myself into my characters, too. Often, I'll take one of my (many) flaws and use it to help flesh out their personality. This makes it easier for me to write what I hope are believable and real-seeming characters.
I've never experienced writer's block in the way you see it portrayed on TV or the movies, where a person is stuck staring at a computer screen, unable to type even a single word. When I'm experiencing what I think of as "writer's block," I can still write, but I can't write well.
Everything I write will feel wooden and boring, or it'll come out as "purple prose," and I'll slide out of my chair from cringing too hard when I read it back. I try to take days like this in stride. They come and go, but as long as you stay consistent, eventually you'll reach your goals.
Poorly!
What do the words “writer’s block” mean to you?
I've never experienced writer's block in the way you see it portrayed on TV or the movies, where a person is stuck staring at a computer screen, unable to type even a single word. When I'm experiencing what I think of as "writer's block," I can still write, but I can't write well.
Everything I write will feel wooden and boring, or it'll come out as "purple prose," and I'll slide out of my chair from cringing too hard when I read it back. I try to take days like this in stride. They come and go, but as long as you stay consistent, eventually you'll reach your goals.
How do you use social media as an author?
Poorly!
I very rarely use my personal social media, unless it's to post pictures of my kids from Halloween or something. I almost never post random stories or selfies, so as you can imagine, my author pages are woefully lacking as well.
On the bright side, I'm aware of this, and I'm actively trying to get better! Every now and then, I'll try to post something funny or insightful about writing, but I haven't quite cracked the code on how to garner engagement yet. I might have to watch a YouTube tutorial. Know any good ones?
Finishing my novel! I've only ever written and published short stories so far, but over the last decade, I've been plugging away at my debut epic fantasy novel (I know. I write really slow). I'm on the last 100 or so pages of the final draft, and I'm so excited to be finished with all the writing and revising and wincing through constructive criticisms.
What’s brewing? What are your next big writing goals?
Finishing my novel! I've only ever written and published short stories so far, but over the last decade, I've been plugging away at my debut epic fantasy novel (I know. I write really slow). I'm on the last 100 or so pages of the final draft, and I'm so excited to be finished with all the writing and revising and wincing through constructive criticisms.
I've never queried a novel, so I know I'm going to have a lot to learn about properly writing a query letter, blurbs, etc. But the road leading here has been long, and I can't wait to take that next step after so many years!
ABOUT THE BOOK
An undead warrior bound to a tyrant begins to remember what it means to be human—just as he’s ordered to forget it forever.
Once a warrior, now an undead servant bound to a cursed sceptre, he exists only to obey—summoned to violence, dismissed to emptiness, and stripped of everything that once made him human. Memory is gone. Emotion is gone. Only duty remains.
When he is tasked with retrieving a runaway slave named Deirasa, he expects nothing more than another command fulfilled. But Deirasa is unlike anyone he has encountered in centuries. She sees something in him—something he cannot see himself—and refuses to accept that he is nothing more than a weapon.
As the ambitions of their cruel master threaten to drown a city in blood, Del Famir finds himself drawn into something far more dangerous than war: connection. With every passing moment, fragments of his past begin to stir, and with them comes a pain he had long been spared.
Because to remember is to suffer.
And to feel again may cost him everything.
BUY
I wanted to get out of my comfort zone a bit and decided to write a story with an unusual protagonist. After moving on from several different character ideas, such as orc, ghost, dragon, sentient sword, etc., I eventually decided on an undead warrior.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Void Within by Tyler Bourassa
Launch date: 22nd August 2026
An undead warrior bound to a tyrant begins to remember what it means to be human—just as he’s ordered to forget it forever.
Del Famir does not feel.
Once a warrior, now an undead servant bound to a cursed sceptre, he exists only to obey—summoned to violence, dismissed to emptiness, and stripped of everything that once made him human. Memory is gone. Emotion is gone. Only duty remains.
When he is tasked with retrieving a runaway slave named Deirasa, he expects nothing more than another command fulfilled. But Deirasa is unlike anyone he has encountered in centuries. She sees something in him—something he cannot see himself—and refuses to accept that he is nothing more than a weapon.
As the ambitions of their cruel master threaten to drown a city in blood, Del Famir finds himself drawn into something far more dangerous than war: connection. With every passing moment, fragments of his past begin to stir, and with them comes a pain he had long been spared.
Because to remember is to suffer.
And to feel again may cost him everything.
BUY
WEBSITE
What sparked the idea for this story?
I wanted to get out of my comfort zone a bit and decided to write a story with an unusual protagonist. After moving on from several different character ideas, such as orc, ghost, dragon, sentient sword, etc., I eventually decided on an undead warrior.
I figured it would be easy to give this villain/monster a tragic backstory that I could unravel as the story progressed and, in revealing their past, give them a chance at redemption.
When I first started writing, I always used the "pants" method. Eventually, I decided to try plotting at least the major events that I wanted to happen in my story, and I've never looked back.
I find that doing at least some high-level plotting helps me keep my story on track and ensures that I hit all the story beats that I want to hit. I always make sure to leave a bit of room for improvisation in my writing, though. As everyone knows, stories and characters are often best when you let them breathe a little.
The characters came first. Both Del Famir and Deirasa were really fun and easy to write. I loved writing their interactions and wound up having to trim a lot of their dialogue together just to keep my story in the "short story" range.
Did you plot or pants this story, and would you change your process if you had to start again?
When I first started writing, I always used the "pants" method. Eventually, I decided to try plotting at least the major events that I wanted to happen in my story, and I've never looked back.
I find that doing at least some high-level plotting helps me keep my story on track and ensures that I hit all the story beats that I want to hit. I always make sure to leave a bit of room for improvisation in my writing, though. As everyone knows, stories and characters are often best when you let them breathe a little.
What came first? The plot or the characters?
The characters came first. Both Del Famir and Deirasa were really fun and easy to write. I loved writing their interactions and wound up having to trim a lot of their dialogue together just to keep my story in the "short story" range.
At first, I wasn't exactly sure what the story was going to be. I was leaning towards a love story between the human woman and the undead warrior, but when I realized how awkward it would be trying to write about a skeleton making out with a human, I scrapped that idea and eventually landed on what I have.
Usually, when I write a story, I have to do at least a bit of research. Often about things like horse riding, blacksmithing or how to properly butcher and skin an animal, etc. However, I can't remember having to do any research for this one. Most of the story consisted of quiet moments between characters with a couple of sword fights thrown in.
It took me around 4 – 6 weeks to write and revise it. I finished the rough draft in a few days, but I always take forever to edit a story. Usually, my stories change a lot during the first couple of drafts, and there's a lot of rewriting involved. This one was particularly difficult to get right because I was struggling with how I wanted the story to end. I think I eventually found the right send-off for Del Famir.
So much. As I said before, I started the story with ideas for both Del Famir and Deirasa, but I wasn't sure where I wanted them to end up. The story started out as a love story, then a revenge fantasy, and it took several more twists and turns before I finally landed on the finished product. This one was a lot trickier to write than most of my recent stories.
The story starts out with Del Famir talking about the void inside him, and he spends a lot of time throughout the story complaining about being empty. The Void Within seemed like a pretty good choice for a title. Plus, I thought it sounded cool!
I really enjoyed writing the confrontation between Mephindara and Del Famir. I love epic sword fights, especially when it's between two masters of their craft where one tiny mistake is the difference between life and death.
Remember to enjoy the small moments in life that bring you pleasure. The things you love can disappear in an instant.
THE STITCH UP
How much research did you need to do for this story?
Usually, when I write a story, I have to do at least a bit of research. Often about things like horse riding, blacksmithing or how to properly butcher and skin an animal, etc. However, I can't remember having to do any research for this one. Most of the story consisted of quiet moments between characters with a couple of sword fights thrown in.
How long did it take you to write this story?
It took me around 4 – 6 weeks to write and revise it. I finished the rough draft in a few days, but I always take forever to edit a story. Usually, my stories change a lot during the first couple of drafts, and there's a lot of rewriting involved. This one was particularly difficult to get right because I was struggling with how I wanted the story to end. I think I eventually found the right send-off for Del Famir.
How much did the story change from first draft to publication?
So much. As I said before, I started the story with ideas for both Del Famir and Deirasa, but I wasn't sure where I wanted them to end up. The story started out as a love story, then a revenge fantasy, and it took several more twists and turns before I finally landed on the finished product. This one was a lot trickier to write than most of my recent stories.
How did you come up with the title?
The story starts out with Del Famir talking about the void inside him, and he spends a lot of time throughout the story complaining about being empty. The Void Within seemed like a pretty good choice for a title. Plus, I thought it sounded cool!
What’s your favourite scene? Why?
I really enjoyed writing the confrontation between Mephindara and Del Famir. I love epic sword fights, especially when it's between two masters of their craft where one tiny mistake is the difference between life and death.
Is there a particular message that you hope readers will take from the story?
Remember to enjoy the small moments in life that bring you pleasure. The things you love can disappear in an instant.
THE STITCH UP
How do you celebrate when you finish a story?
A nice bottle of wine.
If you could invite any three authors for dinner, whom would you invite?
Stephen King, Steven Erikson, and Anne Rice.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve used as a bookmark?
Toilet paper (Don't ask).
What’s the oldest book on your bookshelf?
The Hobbit.
Hook me! Why should I read your book?
A cursed soul, a forgotten past, one chance to feel again.
Thanks for chatting with us, Tyler. This interview is all stitched up.
Learn more about Tyler via the links provided, and remember to add The Void Within to your TBR list.
Want more? Read all the Dissecting Author Interviews on the Black Hare Press website: blackharepress.com/blogs/author-interviews
Want more? Read all the Dissecting Author Interviews on the Black Hare Press website: blackharepress.com/