Category: Stories

Anything related to story telling, the power and magic of stories and stories written by others.

Why we need fantasy

Why we need fantasy

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One of the uncomfortable aspects of being a published fantasy author has been learning that some people take great delight in saying with disdain ‘I don’t read fantasy’. I’ve been attacked in a public forum by someone who felt anyone over the age of 40 who reads anything other than feminist literary fiction has something wrong with them. Fantasy and other forms of speculative fiction are often dismissed as ‘childish’ or ‘only entertainment’ or worst of all, ‘escapism’ for those people who can’t face reality.

Clearly I don’t hold that opinion. From where I stand, fantasy actively requires readers to stretch their imagination muscles. From imagination comes the ability to put yourself in others shoes, and to see other ways the world could be. Both of these are sorely needed in the present climate.

Luck has a hand in life

When I was a social worker working at a cancer hospital, I had a client who was no longer able to work because of his cancer. On the surface he was wealthy, with multiple houses, cars and employees, but it was all dependent on him continuing to work. Now it was crumbling before him because of circumstances beyond his control. He couldn’t stop the cancer or will away the need to have treatment. Spending money wouldn’t get rid of the terrible side effects of medication. What shocked him the most, he said, was that he had judged others who were poor, thinking it was all their fault for not working hard. To discover that the course of his life was now out of his control was a terrible awakening. He was unlucky to get cancer, but there was nothing he could do about it.

This is the reality of life – the smallest twist of fate can change everything. If you have enough income to feed your family and pay your bills, you are lucky. If you have the money to travel and buy expensive things, you are very lucky. Others are not so lucky. But many can’t see this – they think others deserve the life they have. They’ve never experienced an abusive parent, or poverty, or any of the myriad other disadvantages that derail life. And they can’t put themselves into others’ shoes to understand how these things impact on opportunities.

Lack of imagination and empathy

Being able to put yourself in another’s shoes is crucial to developing empathy. When we can imagine what another person is experiencing, we feel compassion for them. In Buddhist terms, compassion is the wish to free others from suffering. We live in a world with increasing levels of narcissism. Everyone wants to be heard, but few seem to want to listen. People can’t imagine what others are going through. This lack of imagination results in lack of empathy. Many only come to understand others if they suffer some setback themselves. But there is a less painful way.

Books let us immerse ourselves in someone else’s life for a while. They take us deep inside another person’s experiences and possibly even into their mind and emotions. For the duration of the book you can become a homeless young person, and understand that they were forced to leave home to flee abuse. You can become a refugee and realise why making a dangerous journey is better than living under occupation. This sort of immersion can show us that sometimes there is no choice.

Why fantasy?

Fantasy requires the imagination muscles to work harder. If you are reading about someone who lives a life very similar to your own, in a place similar to where you live, connecting with them is easy. Empathy comes more readily. If they live in a very different time or world, or if they are very different to you, what you are connecting to is not surface similarity. It is the spark of humanity that lies deeper within. It helps you see the underlying similarities that are there even when what is difference seems enormous.

Fantasy is also good at asking ‘what if’? The rule of fantasy is that its world needs to be consistent with itself. But it doesn’t need to follow the rules of our world. As long as readers find some things they connect with, fantasy can show readers other ways of living. Social conventions can be challenged. Alternative ways of being in the world can be brought to life.

We need to imagine a better future. To do so, we need to stretch our imagination muscles. Go read a fantasy book!

** If you want something a bit more in-depth about this topic, you can read my thesis, Re-Storying the Earth: Writing a New Meta-Narrative Through Eco-Fiction.

Who do you think you are? Uncovering history.

Who do you think you are? Uncovering history.

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Who am I? is one of life’s big questions. The SBS show Who do you think you are? explores this by delving into family history. Those involved get a greater sense of who they are – their own identity – by discovering where they have come from. In the last few weeks I feel like I have been plunged into my own episode of the show, and the emotional impact has been surprising.

Not Belonging

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t feel like an outsider. I grew up in Hobart, a place where people have a strong connection to kin and community. Yet in my family I was the scapegoat, and in my extended family other branches were obviously given preferential treatment. Throughout primary and high school I was excluded and bullied. I was told I didn’t fit, and that nobody wanted me in their group. (College was the first time I had a real ‘group’ to hang with – wonderful weirdos I’m still in touch with.)

I couldn’t wait to leave Hobart to go to university. I hoped I would find a place where I wasn’t made to feel different and unwanted. What followed was years of drifting like a ghost, watching other people’s lives. I studied in Sydney, and though I made good friends, the city felt alien to me. When we settled in Melbourne, we met quirky, nerdy people like us, and our children made lasting connections.

But there are ties to place and people that emerge from living in one place over an extended time. When you are born in an area, study there, buy a house, make friends, there are invisible threads of connection that form part of who you are.  They become part of your history. Melbourne always felt like the backdrop to other people’s lives. We had close friends, but no real sense of belonging to place. The invisible threads of connection we brushed past belonged to other people.

A Move in the Right Direction

A while ago now my husband, children and I moved to a regional town. We wanted to get away from the over-crowding, terrible traffic and pollution of Melbourne. There were some immediate benefits. My son and husband both found their asthma vastly improved. Our petrol and mortgage costs dropped considerably. It took five minutes to get anywhere. My sense of being an outsider was worse than ever, but I knew with time I’d start to make friends and connections. I’d done it before. However, recent discoveries have given me a sense of connection far beyond anything I was expecting.

I’m not sure what prompted me to contact my aunt a few months ago and ask for copies of family documents. Amongst the photos and other paperwork was a family tree. Something jumped out at me immediately – one of the places listed on it was the town where we now lived. Was there a family connection? I forwarded everything to my sister, who had already begun looking at the family history. She had a better idea of how to research these things than me.

Diving into History

A few weeks ago my sister came over to visit. Armed with little more than the name of one of our ancestors, she visited our local library. Surprisingly quickly she confirmed that our relatives had definitely lived here. She also found the notice of our great x3 grandfather’s funeral parade in 1917, which gave us the address of the house it had left from. So we jumped in the car and went to visit it. There’s still a house at that address. We don’t know if it’s the same house they would have lived in, but it looks like it could be. We’ll need to do more research on the history of the house. But to stand there and think our family might have lived there was amazing.

The discoveries went on. It appeared our great great great grandmother was buried in the local cemetery. There was a photo of the headstone. Our brother came to visit and the three of us went for a walk amongst the graves, in search of the stone. Although the cemetery is large, we could see a fence in the photo, which gave us a clue where to look. After only a few minutes of wandering we found it. I felt a sense of excitement and shock. What staggered me, more than anything, was that my great, great, great grandmother’s tombstone was only a block away from the house we had bought.

An Amazing Discovery

It didn’t end there though. My sister went back to Hobart, and continued her research. A few days ago she sent me a link to something she had found on Trove. The critical words were buried towards the end of a very long article. The town we live in was founded during the Australian goldrush of the 1850s and quickly became a hub of activity. People moved here from all over, no doubt seeking their fortune. This is a town that was built by outsiders.

Everywhere you look are beautiful historic buildings constructed with money from gold. And one of the prized features is a stunning fountain, right in the centre of town. The article my sister found describes the day the fountain was officially opened by Prince Albert and Prince George, in 1881. A royal visit, standing room only, an excited crowd: I can see it all as I walk down the street.

Towards the end of the article is a list of those who worked on the fountain. And there, right amongst them, is the name of our great x3 grandfather. We already knew he was a plasterer, and now we learned that he had done the plaster work on the fountain that is very much the heart of this town.  I was surprised by how emotional this discovery made me, tearful and excited at the same time. I was so overwhelmed I HAD to tell someone, and sending the message made me miss my train! When we moved here we had absolutely no idea there was a family connection. Walking around town, I had fallen in love with the sense of history. Here, people took time and care to construct things of beauty that would last. But now I had discovered those people included my family.

Filaments of Connection

I want to know more about my ancestors now. Who were they? What were their lives like? Which school did the children go to? Where else in this town will I find their lovingly crafted work? My favourite Thai restaurant is in an old bank designed by the same architect who did the fountain. Might he have employed the same team on other jobs? Could the ornate plasterwork I admire every time we eat there have been designed by my ancestor?

Now, I look at everything with different eyes. My ancestors were some of the founding settlers in this region. Filaments of connection have stretched towards me from the past. I’m not sure if it helps me understand who I am, but knowing I am connected by blood to the heart and history of this town definitely makes me feel less like an outsider.

Brilliant darkness: An interview with Isobel Blackthorn

Brilliant darkness: An interview with Isobel Blackthorn

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Today I’m delving into the mind of author Isobel Blackthorn and I have to admit to being both excited and a little nervous. Isobel’s books are brilliant, and having a thrilling dark edginess. She holds a PhD in Western Esotericism and the occult features in most of her writing. So far Isobel has published five novels, The Legacy of Old Gran Parks, The Cabin Sessions, A Perfect Square, The Drago Tree and Asylum, and a short story collection, All Because of You. An avid writer, her current work includes two dark psychological thrillers and a biographical fiction of occultist, Alice Bailey. If this little taste leaves you wanting more, visit her website.

Which writer or writers opened your eyes to the magic of storytelling and why?

I’ve always been an avid reader and it’s hard to single out any particular author. As a child Pastures of the Blue Crane by Hesba Fay Brinsmead left a deep and lasting impression. In my early twenties, I was captivated by Hermann Hesse and Franz Kafka, and then by Doris Lessing. I devoured her entire Children of Violence series, which is set in what was then Rhodesia, and much of her Canopus in Argos Archives, which is amazing science fiction. A little later I read Iain Banks’ The Wasp Factory, and I loved the novel so much I read everything by him I could lay my hands on and there was a stage when I didn’t read any other author. I wasn’t reading much during that phase of my life, it was a dark period, and Iain Banks kept me going. I’ve always felt a profound sense of belonging to the world of novelists, even before I was one, as though the authors whose books I loved were sitting beside me as friends.

Why do you think people need stories in their lives?

Stories give shape to our lives. Stories help us make sense of the world. Stories open us to our own imaginations. Morality, empathy, compassion and understanding, all these qualities are enhanced by reading fiction. For many, stories are a form of escape from the burden of life, a way to unwind, or a form of entertainment. Even then, a story may invite us to ponder or question.

What is your greatest magical power as a writer?

What an interesting question! All storytellers are magicians. All creativity is a form of magic. We cast spells on the minds of our readers, viewers, listeners. We enchant. And we do so to manipulate the reader into seeing the world our way, or another way, if only for a while. We might be trying to transform the reader in some way. Even at the level of pure entertainment, a novel is enchantment, the reader is taken away from their ordinary reality and into their imaginations.

Which mythic archetype or magical character most resonates with you and why?

The Fool. I walk through life and into situations naively and largely unaware of the people around me and their hidden motives and agendas. I have a sort of natural blindness. I take people at face value and in good faith. I accept what they present to me as truth. I fail to see the shadow. Therefore, I have been tricked and deceived, abused and trampled on, or treated as though I am not worth more than as somewhere to wipe one’s feet.

Isobel Blackthorn writes across a range of genres

That said, I do not carry around a sense of victimhood and I am not bitter, I simply keep walking on, just as the Fool keeps walking. Although with age, I am a little wiser. We are all made wiser if we try to learn from situations and our mistakes. I have learned that people lie. I have learned that people run their own agendas. I have learned that the person who tells you to beware of someone stabbing you in the back, is in all likelihood holding the knife. On the up side, I have accumulated a treasure chest of experiences and every writer needs those!

What themes or ideas do you find keep arising in your writing?

The occult crops up in most of my writing as a theme, as do art and social justice. I have a passion for the Canary Islands (Spain), and set some of my stories there. Each novel I write is distinct. I write across genres and I like to explore a range of ideas. A Perfect Square is a good example of the themes I like to explore. On one level, it is a story about different approaches to creativity. It is also a dark mystery concerning two mothers and their daughters.

Supanova – Stars, Geekdom and Cosplay Mania

Supanova – Stars, Geekdom and Cosplay Mania

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I live in a house full of geeks. We are proud of our geekdom. We have been Supanova attendees for years. But this year was a different experience for me, because I booked a table in artists’ alley. Together with fellow Odyssey authors, Carolyn Denman and Elizabeth Jane Corbett, I got to sit back in a reverse goldfish bowl and watch the amazing parade pass by.

I love Supanova because everyone gets to celebrate their favourite fandoms. As Elizabeth said, it’s like book week, but for grown ups. The Cosplay ranges from minimal effort to awesome. There are heaps of opportunities to hear big name stars talk and even to get up close and personal. And there is merch. So much merch. From amazing original artwork (I’m looking at you Samantha of Mamath.net!) in all sorts of styles, to star photos, DVDs, life size replicas, pop vinyls, pillows, Cosplay accessories… aargh! There are too many tempting things.

So here’s my wrap up of the best of Supanova:

Most amazing Cosplay:

Mary Poppins. Played by a little girl who was about 5 at a guess. The costume was perfect, right down to the decorations on her hat and the full Victorian skirt.

Most common Cosplay:

Captain America. Last year it was Game of Thrones. This year GoT barely got a look in. Cap was the man of the weekend. Although running a close second was the Tardis. Usually as some form of dress. Although I did love the one where someone had a galaxy print dress, and a tiny Tardis sitting in her hair.

Most gender-swapped Cosplay:

Loki (of course!). Most surprising was Kiki (of Delivery Service fame).

Unbelievably awesome turn your head accuracy:

Moss. With the internet. Enough said.

Most awesome event of the entire Supanova weekend:

When my niece said, “You know, I’m allowed to have 2 people with this token. Do you want to come and have a photo with Peter Capaldi?”     YEEEEEEESSSS! I first saw Peter Capaldi long before he was Doctor Who, in a movie called Local Hero, in 1983. Check out a young Peter Capaldi on IMDB by clicking here. Getting your ‘photo with a star’ is very rushed, but I told him I’d been a fan since Local Hero, and I got the inside scoop – they’re making it into a musical next year. I may look a tiny bit awestruck in the photo.

I also loved getting to chat with the denizens of Artists’ Alley. There are so many amazingly talented writers, artists and artisans out there. It was also great to see a lot of the crowd supporting them, buying small press or independently produced books, prints and crafted pieces. This is where you will find originality in storytelling and art. Sure it’s great to see the figurines from Weta or the 4 billion (and counting) pop vinyls, but if you buy from an independent artist you are helping them live their dream. And that’s a great superpower to have.

Of course my post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that Harlequin, who is the ambiguous trickster at the heart of Harlequin’s Riddle, got to meet Harley Quinn. So that was pretty cool.

Carolyn Denman: A journey to the Garden of Eden

Carolyn Denman: A journey to the Garden of Eden

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Carolyn Denman is the author of an amazing YA Australian fantasy series, The Sentinels of Eden. Set in the heart of the Wimmera region of Victoria, the books feature a young woman called Lainie, who, it turns out, is so powerful even the moon would obey her commands – if she had any idea that she wasn’t just a normal girl about to finish high school.  Lainie is tasked with keeping an ancient gateway to the Garden of Eden hidden and safe, which becomes increasingly difficult as interested parties get hints of its existence. The third book in the series, Sympath, is being launched tomorrow, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next. I’m very excited to have Carolyn on the blog today.

Carolyn lives on a hobby farm on the outskirts of Melbourne with her husband, two daughters, and her parents. The fact that she always has at least three of her pets following her around at any one time in no way means that she is the fairest in the land. They probably just like her taste in music. As well as her novels, Carolyn has written stories for Aurealis and Andromeda Spaceways magazines. Visit her website here.

Which writer or writers opened your eyes to the magic of storytelling and why?

I remember as a child poring over maps of the Snowy Mountains and feeling a thrill whenever I came across names of places I recognised. At nine years old, having never even been there, I was deeply in love with those mountains. Even at that age I felt there was something majestic and sacred about that place because I’d read a series of books by Elyne Mitchell that swept me off my horse-addicted feet. The author’s deep love for those mountains shone through her writing – even in a story told from a brumby’s point of view. There was mystery without magic. Or at least, something deeper than the sort of magic I’d seen in other books. The stories were woven through with a sense of ancient wisdom and connection to the land. Elyne Mitchell shifted me from a simple enjoyment of colourful kid’s books to something much more profound and addictive.

Why do you think people need stories in their lives?

For me, the simple answer to that is insight. Humans have evolved to live in relationships, which rely on effective communication. Stories are an essential way for us to get meaningful insight into other people’s perspectives. Such insight helps us to empathise and to communicate effectively. It encourages us to imagine new places, new experiences, and invent new possibilities. Quite simply, without stories we can’t grow up, either as individuals, or as a society.

What is your greatest magical power as a writer?

I can influence your dreams. Occasionally. If you’ve had pizza for dinner and then read my book late into the night. I think that’s pretty cool.

Which mythic archetype or magical character most resonates with you and why?

I am rather partial to elves, particularly their more peace-loving representations. The idea of a race of people living in harmony with their environment, untainted by fear of death, designed to create music and art and to dance. With a wisdom and maturity that comes from living in relationship with other elves for thousands of years, and a sacred respect for children because they are so rare and precious. Don’t we all yearn for humanity to become just like that? Perhaps we will. Perhaps, in Eden, we already are.

What themes or ideas do you find keep arising in your writing?

Well…I’m a sucker for romance *author blushes*. Not the sort of romance that involves bare-chested men with abdominal muscles on the cover. I mean the stories that make your heart lurch at completely unexpected moments because someone just put their partner’s ego before their own. Have you noticed the pattern yet? That moment at the end of the movie when the guy gives that public display, making a fool of himself in front of crowds of strangers, just to prove how much he cares? It’s the moment we start to believe it. Displays of love aren’t enough. Displays of respect are much more important. When they prove that their self-pride is not as important to them as their partner’s – that’s when we really get the feels. So yes, I keep looking for new ways to explore that theme in nearly everything I write.

* * * * *

Want to read more? Songlines and Sanguine, are available now through Odyssey Books and all the usual online bookstores. Book 3, Sympath, is being launched tomorrow – click here for details if you’re in Melbourne. The final book in the series is due for release early 2019.
Creating Harlequin: Developing a Book Cover

Creating Harlequin: Developing a Book Cover

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The book cover for Harlequin’s Riddle receives a lot of compliments. I’ve had people tell me they read the e book first, then had to go and buy a paper copy because they wanted the cover on their bookshelf. It’s a stunning image. But how did it come about? In this post I’ll take you on the journey of development that led to the cover. I don’t think it typically works this way, but this is Harlequin’s story…

Step One: Approaching an Artist

By the middle of 2016 Harlequin’s Riddle had been rejected by all the ‘big’ Australian publishers that I could get access to (which wasn’t many since I didn’t have an agent). Although I had received personal, detailed feedback from a few, which is unusual, it was ‘close, but not close enough’. I decided I’d look at self-publishing. To do that I’d need a cover, and I had come across the work of an incredible artist called Nadia Turner who lived close to me, and who painted gypsy wagons and pictures that had a real storytelling feel blended with folkloric elements. I already owned one of her prints because I loved her art so much, and I thought her style and themes would suit my book perfectly, so I made contact with her. She agreed to read Harlequin’s Riddle. Fortunately for me, she felt inspired by it and agreed to do the cover. I did a HUGE happy dance, I can tell you. We negotiated cost and timeframes, and talked about possibilities for images. We both agreed that book one had to feature Harlequin.

Step Two: Choosing a Design

Nadia came back to me with pencil sketches for several different designs. I thought they were all marvellous, but there was one that stood out. These are the designs I didn’t choose (below). I loved them all but felt they weren’t quite right. In the first one, Harlequin was a bit too noble. He’s a trickster who causes a few problems now and then (no spoilers…) so he needed a bit more ‘edge’ to him. A similar image (the one I ended up choosing) also had him on the other side of the cover, with the wagons and castle off to the left, so they would show on the back of the book. This felt like a better reflection of the long journey the travelling players take. The second cover has a glorious mask and beautiful embellishments, but wouldn’t show well as a thumbnail sketch on Amazon. The final one is striking, but doesn’t give a sense of story – and story telling is key to Mina’s abilities.

 

Interlude: Finding a Publisher

Once I had chosen the design, Nadia went off to do a colour rough, so we could work out the best colour palette. Around the same time my writing angel, Wendy Dunn, encouraged me to try a few small publishers, so I sent Harlequin to Odyssey books, and finally received that wonderful email all writers dream of: “we love it and want to publish it”. Odyssey is well known for having stunning covers that sit alongside the best of the big publishers, so I was a little bit nervous to say to my publisher – by the way, I’ve got this book cover design…

Step Three: The Colour Rough

While I was building up my courage to mention the book cover artwork to my brand new publisher, Nadia got back to me with the colour ‘rough’. As far as I was concerned there was nothing ‘rough’ about it. I thought the colours were perfect – not too bright, a beautiful tonal palette. My husband, who does a lot of photoshopping for me, will tell you I’m pretty fussy when it comes to design, but in this case all I asked for was a little more gold to lift the brown. As a result, the flowers now have gold centres, and Harlequin’s cloak pin is outlined in gold.  I also asked for the scroll design to be separate. That way I had the option of using or not using it.

Step Four: A Final Image… and the Design Process Begins…

When Nadia told me the painting was done it was like a whole bunch of Christmases all coming at once. When I picked it up it was sandwiched between boards and taped up, and I had a long way to travel, so I didn’t untape it. But I was twitching to have a look. That was one of the longest train journeys I’ve ever taken! Finally I got to open it up and I was SO thrilled with the final image. Fortunately, to my huge relief, I showed the image to my publisher and she loved it to.

Step Five: The Words

My husband, Jamie, is a whiz in Photoshop so my publisher agreed that he would do the lettering. By this stage, looking at the final image, we both thought the scroll wasn’t necessary. It would cover up the artwork and wouldn’t be able to fit much anyway. Book cover titles and author names need to be easy to read. So the scroll went. I hunted around for fonts for the title and found one called Fairy Dust. We got permission from the font designer to use it, then played around with placement, colour and size. I pretty much drove my husband mad at this stage. We discovered that Harlequin was a little too close to the top of the image to fit the word ‘Harlequin’ comfortably, so Jamie photoshopped some extra sky in with Nadia’s permission. Finally, after many cups of tea and a great deal of ‘no, a little more to the right’, ‘can you make it two points larger?’, and ‘can you add a drop shadow?’, we had a book cover. I sent it to Odyssey for final tweaks – my publisher did the back cover blurb and interior design, including stunning embellishments. In a master stroke, she chose to print the books on matte stock.

Afterword: My Precious….

It was beyond exciting to receive my author copies and to see the final cover on a real book. I was thrilled to be able to give Nadia a copy.

I’ve been told an author should buy themselves a special gift to commemorate publication day. What I did was to frame the original artwork. Now, as I sit and write, I can look up and see Harlequin, the wagons and Mina’s journey, which lies at the heart of Harlequin’s Riddle.

Want to see more of Nadia’s amazing artwork? Go to Wayward Harper. Or to by prints, necklaces and other Wayward Harper goodies, visit Leaf Studios in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges.

Want to be one of the first people to see the cover for the second book? Sign up to my quarterly email newsletter (below) for a sneak peak…
An Interview with Laura E. Goodin

An Interview with Laura E. Goodin

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Author, humorist and bellringer, Laura E. Goodin

Today on my blog I have an interview with writer, academic and bellringer Laura E. Goodin. Laura’s exciting adventure fantasies, Mud and Glass and After the Bloodwood Staff, are published by Odyssey Books. Laura’s madcap take on academia, Mud and Glass, has been compared to the writing of Jasper Fforde, and with good reason. As an escapee from the Academy myself, I laughed out loud many times at the hilarity and madcap craziness. But as you will see from Laura’s answers below, her unique, humorous take on the world is only one of her many talents – her answers are deeply moving and insightful.

Which writer or writers opened your eyes to the magic of storytelling and why?

I learned to read unusually early, so I don’t really remember a particular revelatory moment in that regard.  My first reading obsession, though, was the Chronicles of Narnia.  From 50 years away I can see their flaws (racism, sexism, classism, theological approaches that create more problems than they solve), but at the time they were my gateway into a world where children were capable and strong, and magic and wonder were everywhere, and where I could imagine myself with the kind of daring and skills that I in no way had in real life.  I didn’t use the books for escape; quite the contrary:  I used them as a model for becoming someone better, more capable, more reliable, more courageous in the real world.  Granted, I wasn’t the happiest little misfit in the world, and stories of all kinds did provide a refuge for me.  But they also showed this little misfit the possibilities of the human spirit.  I saw ways my idiosyncrasies could be strengths, and I became determined to make the most of the person I was and am, rather than trying to be someone who always knows the right thing to wear to a party.  (I never really know the right thing to wear to a party.  Or anywhere else, for that matter.  It’s just my best guess.  So if I show up at your house dressed in completely the wrong manner for the occasion, you’ll know it’s because instead of studiously acquiring the rules for attire, I’ve spent my time learning karate and bellringing and fencing, riding horses, cooking elaborate meals, and teaching cool stuff to my students.)

Why do you think people need stories in their lives?

There are as many reasons for that as there are people.  Me, I need stories for inspiration and refuge, entertainment and education.  I need them because they urge me to fling myself at the world in a great big exuberant embrace, to grapple with it and comfort it and challenge it and heal it.  Stories show me truths and help me see what to strive for.  They strengthen my soul and increase my capacity for joy and compassion.  They help me see the miracles and wonders that await around every corner.  They make me more, they make me better, they make me my truest self.

What is your greatest magical power as a writer?

Hm.  Do you mean, “What am I best at as a writer?”  That might be dialogue.  Mine seems to be very easy for the reader to hear as natural speech and get immersed in.  I pay a lot of attention to the sounds and rhythms of the words themselves, and I’m a maniac for cutting extraneous words and syllables out; that could have something to do with it.  Do you mean, “How do I most effectively capture the attention – indeed, the awareness – of my readers?”  I like to think it’s a combination of quirky yet plausible characters, situations of mayhem with always the possibility of a belly laugh somewhere along the way, and SCRUPULOUS – I repeat, SCRUPULOUS – attention to spelling, grammar, and punctuation.  This last may be the most important, because well-punctuated, well-spelled words arranged in brilliantly clear ways let the reader relax:  they say, “You’re in the hands of an expert, precious reader.  You won’t have to stop to cringe at a rookie grammar error or scowl as you try to figure out how to resolve an ambiguity.  So breathe, begin, and instantly forget you’re reading.”  When readers can lose themselves into a story like that, that’s magic.  The magic of grammar, my friends.  It gives you power over your readers’ very minds.  But you must use your powers for good, never for evil.  Promise me!

Which mythic archetype or magical character most resonates with you and why?

I’m finding this incredibly hard to answer.  I think the character I most identify with is Cat Chant from Diana Wynne Jones’s Charmed Life.  Like Cat, I tend to be hesitant about inconveniencing others, and I spent the early part of my life profoundly unaware, for the most part, of my own powers.  Like Cat, I got the shock of my life when I started to realise just how powerful I am.  That’s one thing middle age is absolutely great for:  you begin to get a sense that you can handle what gets thrown at you, because at some point you’ve already handled some pretty horrible stuff.  You become aware of your powers.  There’s a reason older women have historically been objects of fear and persecution:  we are becoming aware of our powers, and, even more terrifying, we’re using them on purpose!  It doesn’t seem to matter that most of us use them to help and heal and drive positive change.  We’re masterless and wild, and we might inflict some serious damage.  Maybe that’s the archetype I now identify with:  wild, raving woman of wisdom and vision and might.  (But whenever I reread Charmed Life, I’m back to being Cat.)

What themes or ideas do you find keep arising in your writing?

I keep seeing two main ideas in my writing (and that includes not only my novels, but my plays, poetry, libretti, and short fiction).  First, the world is vastly more than we can see in our daily lives:  there are hidden meanings and miraculous coincidences and flashes of mystery and power that we sense but cannot often see.  Second, in such a world, how can we be anything other than heroic?  How can we turn our backs on our own beautiful, mighty selves to be just ordinary, when the world cries out to us?  My characters tend to find that whole new layers of meaning and challenge lie behind what they thought was reality, and that this means they’re going to have to be something more than they thought they could ever become.  The world is full of wardrobes.  (A friend in America had a wardrobe; they’re rare there, because most American houses have closets.  “Wow,” I said when I saw it.  “Does that lead to Narnia?”  She said, “I wish it did.  I could use the room.”)

Bio

Rachel Nightingale is a writer, playwright, educator and actor. With a passion for story telling and the theatre, it was only natural that her first fantasy series would centre on both. She lives in regional Australia with her family, a very bossy cat and the cutest dog in the world. She is represented by Creative Net speakers.

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