What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
The biggest inspiration was definitely Le Morte d’Arthur (and the broader Arthurian mythos), specifically the Lady of the Lake. The next biggest was A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare, which is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, as well as the 1999 movie. Those are the two main inspirations that I was constantly looking back on to develop the world and characters, but in general, I am always absorbing inspiration from the world around me, so there are probably ideas or aesthetics I’ve added in without even realising.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?
I don’t usually have specific character theme songs, but I love to curate playlists for my works that embody the general feel of the world and the story. If I had to pick songs for my main characters, I’d probably go with “What the Water Gave Me” by Florence and the Machine and “Sunlight” by Hozier.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
My favourite genre to read is probably literary fiction. I’m a fan of Toni Morrison, McCarthy, and Baldwin, and I also enjoy translated contemporary and literary fiction, especially Sayaka Murata (all of her books, but I recommend Earthlings) and Munir Hachemi’s Living Things. On the other hand, I enjoy writing fantasy because it gives me such a big sandbox to play with. What I admire about sci-fi and fantasy is that they can make the abstract literal and use that to push characters and audiences to the edge of their instincts. So, I have tons of fun playing around without holding myself to real-world or historical standards (which can definitely be fun too, but y’know).
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
So many. The books I’m most excited for are Le Guin’s The Dispossessed, Jones’ Corregidora, and Nabokov’s Pale Fire.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
Definitely the scene where Tiffanie emerges from the lake with a certain weapon. It was the first scene I envisioned: a young woman pulling a gleaming silver sword from the depths of a lake in a sort of inverted pastiche of the legendary scene featuring the Lady of the Lake giving the sword to Arthur. It went through several revisions as I started writing, but the spirit of the scene remains.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
Not really. I might be a more consistent writer if I did. The closest I’ve got is pouring myself a glass of a funky little soft drink or flavoured sparkling water with mint.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
“One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” It might be a bit trite these days, but existentialist philosophers like Kierkegaard and Camus got me through some very painful times. This quote in particular is important when I get bogged down by work, stress, writer’s block, etc. It reminds me that I’ve pushed through once, and I can do it again.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
Honestly, what people take away or what parts of the book resonate the most with readers is always going to be out of an author’s control. From my perspective, I hope they take everything from it, but I’m actually excited to see what jumps out at readers and what they find inspirational or fascinating because it might be totally unexpected.
