About

Aspiring Author
Epic Fantasy Enthusiast
Fiction Writer

Who is Petter Julius?

Just to clear things up, my full name is Petter Julius Årseth. Although I hold my family name close to my heart, it is an unfortunate hurdle when trying to reach a worldwide audience, which is why I don't include it as my authorial name or for my online presence. With that out of the way, let's begin where I'm most comfortable.

So far in my 30-year old existence, I've spent most of my life in the area I grew up; a tiny village in the heart of the Sunnmøre Alps in western Norway called Sæbø. Fully aware that I likely sound incredibly boring saying this, it has to be done: Sæbø is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I know, I know, everyone's fond of their home town, but this is different. Trust me. Or better yet, order a flight and see for yourself. It sits surrounded by the natural beauty of breathtaking mountains that run straight down into the Hjørundfjord. Merely writing about it makes me homesick. This is because I've lived the past couple of years in Bergen, the 'capital' of western Norway. Bergen is beautiful in its own right, but in a very different way.

My roots in Sæbø continue to inspire my writing, characters and worldbuilding and have profoundly shaped the person I am today. In short, that person is a jack of all traits with a love for stories, fantasy and entertainment; for mountains, climbing and hiking; for gaming, music, technology, science and lifting increasingly heavy weights.

Petter Julius Årseth photo selfie girlfriend

Dabbling in everything runs the risk of creating a master-of-none, and it is true that these various passions often draw me away from my keyboard and writing. They are distractions, but they are also life. I love learning new things and mastering new skills, and I hope my versatility will come in handy one day. Thankfully, writing is the harbour I always return to, and the place where I can put the experiences and knowledge into something creative and fun.

What are your goals?

My professional goal is to make a living telling and selling stories, but my dream is to craft stories that move people as much as my favourite tales move me. Will I be able to create something as intricate, beautiful and moving as The Lord of the Rings, as delightfully vicious as The First Law or as complex and thought-out as The Stormlight Archive? Perhaps not, but I can try and I can dream. Dreams, I think, are lofty by nature and I enjoy letting mine fly high.

For now, I am unpublished and 'unagented', but also unbothered by that fact. I'll get there, one day. Until then I remain focused on honing my craft and enjoying the process. My main projects currently are two fantasy novels set in different worlds (Shadow of the Wall and Burden of Memory) and a historical dramatization written in Norwegian (Skottetoget). You can read more about these novels and other projects on the Books & Projects page.

Who are your inspirations?

My stories tend to be realistic fantasy novels set in unique worlds of my own creation. They are usually quite epic in scope with a mixed focus on character, plot and setting. In that sense, I think they are inspired by modern greats like Martin, Sanderson and Abercrombie. It is hard not to be inspired by such authors, I think, in their own ways. If I ever get around to writing more on my blog, I'll doubtless include all of them in my planned "Fantastic Fantasy" series where I look at the greats and talk about what they do best.

George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire continues to inspire me whenever I read or even thing about it. Not just the series as a whole, which I consider one of (if not the) best series of all time, but even simple fragments of it. His writing is masterful, his characters deep and true to themselves in a way that most authors can only dream of achieving. If ever I manage to write viewpoints or characters half as good as George, I'll consider myself lucky. If you have only watched HBO's Game of Thrones and not read the books, you are missing out. If you want a non-spoiler snippet of his skill and depth, search for Septon Meribald's speech.

Brandon Sanderson is inspiring in many ways. I think anyone more than passingly interested in fantasy will know what I mean. It is incredible enough on its own to write with such speed and drive for years and years on end, but to put out such fantastic stories as a result of it? Doubly incredible. If I can produce stories at half his speed, I'll consider myself lucky. And his stories really are fantastic; I was running alongside Bridge Four from The Stormlight Archive in my dreams for weeks, similar to how I was speaking with a Birmingham accent after watching Peaky Blinders. I am also inspired by the way his stories are increasingly connected and seem to move toward a shared destination, though I doubt I'll ever attempt anything vast as his Cosmere.

Joe Abercrombie is the wittiest-yet-grim, tropey-yet-original, talented-yet... No. His talent come without juxtaposition. His stories are a wild ride and unfailingly interesting. They make me grin and laugh, cringe in discomfort, drop my jaw and forget to pick it up again. He is known is Lord Grimdark, and though his tales are both grim and dark, they are illuminated by a humorous tone. Those familiar with his name will likely have heard of his outstanding characters, and they are undoubtedly inspiring. If I manage to write characters half as well as Joe, I'll consider myself lucky. Two of my all-time favourite chapters are from his books: 'The Little People' (ch. 56) in 'The Trouble with Peace' and 'Two's Company' in 'Sharp Ends'.

Kind of an odd placement of these guys, granted... I just happen to like their vibe.

Wait, are you still here?

Hm, I didn't expect that... Well, I am afraid that's all I can be bothered writing for now. If you want the occasional post about my beloved fjord and mountains, my hobbies, friends and family, feel free to follow me on Instagram or glance through the gallery below.