Leigh Cunningham - Author Interview: Story

Pick one of your favourites among your published fiction stories or a story which is an interesting example of published fiction. What makes this story one of your favourites or an interesting example from your fiction?

As is common in all my writing, Rain has a focus on family and relationships. I started writing Rain in 2005 and worked on it for six years until publication in April 2011. It was a difficult story to write as there is a lot of death and tragedy and this is based on my own experiences, in particular the death of my two older brothers. Each rewrite during those six years meant reliving times I did not wish to relive.

What genre(s) do you consider this story primarily to be, or how would you describe this story?

Rain is a multi-generational family saga. It follows three generations of the Wallin family whose ancestors immigrated to Australia from Sweden (as did my ancestors) in the early 1900s.

What is a published fiction story by another author you would compare this story to and why are they similar?

There are similarities with the storyline in Rain and The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough) including the Australian setting (outback and regional Australia), several decades following the families of immigrants (the Clearys from Ireland and the Wallins from Sweden) whose lives are filled with tragedy, forbidden love and changing fortunes.

To what extent did you use any pre-existing story formula, template, paradigm, plot design, archetype, or theory or principle of story/plot structure in planning, writing, editing or rewriting this story?

My writing style is the opposite of how I live my life. In life, I plan everything in great detail but when writing, I do not plan at all – the writing happens organically. I will usually have an idea of a beginning, the ending and a protagonist but not much else. Having an ending allows me to manoeuvre the story to get where I want to go, and also helps with focus.

How would you describe the first chapter, scene or section of this story in one paragraph?

In the first chapter, I wanted to give readers a sense of the town of Maine where the story is mainly set (at least for the first parts) because this then explains the attitudes of the characters. The opening sentence, “Maine was a town with immunity from outbreaks of new ways of thinking,” let’s the reader know the characters actions are governed by life in a small town where old-fashioned values reign and certain behaviours (including divorce) are frowned upon (it was the early sixties). Inspiration for Maine comes from my own childhood growing up in regional Australia but also from the movie The Truman Show where Truman Burbank lives in a perfect world albeit one that is artificial. I was also influenced by Utopia (Thomas More, 1516). Utopia is an island with one entrance and exit and only those who belong know how to navigate in and around the island safely. The second and third sentences in the first chapter of Rain are meant to convey this: “Bohemians had never penetrated its outer limits, nor had the beatniks, and the Hippies would go the same way—around the perimeter. The Aquarian age that blew through elsewhere releasing seeds that would sprout rebellion and enlightenment, passed over Maine at a great altitude.”

What makes this chapter, scene or section an effective opening for this story?

Helena Wallin, one of the main protagonists in Rain, is introduced in the first chapter. The intention was to offer an insight into what makes her tick so readers might understand the decisions she makes and her reactions during the story. We get a hint that she is not good-looking or glamorous (she compares herself to a Homy Ped: sensible and comfortable). We learn she has weight issues, she is comfortable with the insularity of her hometown, she is keen to please her father and to inherit the mill, and getting married and having children was a priority. We also learn that something had happened to her older brother, which is how she came to inherit the mill.

Major stages, twists or turns does the story conflict take in this story before the conflict is resolved (or not resolved)?

Being a multi-generational family saga, Rain progresses linearly with conflict in most chapters. The conflict arises from the various relationships or the actions of the antagonist. Much of the conflict does not resolve as the reader might like but ultimately the story is one of hope and renewal and there is a generational resolution in the final chapter.

How would you summarise the major sub-plot or sub-plots in this story? If this story has no sub-plots, how would you describe the main sub-plot or sub-plots from one of your favourite published fiction stories by another author?

A major sub-plot is the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Robert Wallin (Helena’s older brother) at the age of twelve. We are introduced to the mystery in the second paragraph of the first chapter but it is not resolved until Chapter 25. This storyline is based on the disappearance of Daniel Morcombe.

What does the story gain from the sub-plot or sub-plots?

The disappearance of Robert Wallin in 1947 explains the dynamics of the Wallin family including the overprotective patriarch, the older daughter who tries to compensate her parents for their loss, the younger daughter who feels trapped, and the fractured mind of Millie Wallin (the mother). All of these elements serve as catalysts for what happens throughout the story.

To what extent would you describe your story discussed here as typical or atypical of your fiction stories?

There are two consistent themes in all my writing whether it is for children or adults and that is the discussion on family relationships (and family structures), and death. My next title for the adult fiction market is in an entirely different genre and while it also has storylines based on family dynamics and death, it is a lighter read than Rain. I don’t feel compelled to stick to writing one particular genre – I write whatever idea germinates.

Author website: www.leighkcunningham.com



Janet Lee Carey - Author Interview: Setting

Pick one of your favourites among the settings from your published fiction stories or a setting which is an interesting example from your published fiction. What makes this setting one of your favourites or an interesting example from your fiction?

I’ve said little of my stand alone fantasy Stealing Death (Egmont USA, 2009) in these interviews. Because of this and because the setting surprised me, I’ll delve into that one here. It’s a favorite of mine because the setting really stretched me. I grew up in a redwood forest near the sea. I knew trees and mist and water, so many of my novels take place in or around the wild woods.

Stealing Death had to be set in a drought-ridden country, in sand and dust and thirst and heat. First a short description of the novel:

Would you steal death to protect the one you love? After Kipp loses his family in a fire, Kipp swears he will never let anyone he loves die again. When the Death Catcher comes after the girl he loves, he steals the soul sack, and rides away.

Kipp is alone in the desert on the run from the Death Catcher through most of this story. I had to get to know the stark realities of desert survival to write an authentic tale. To learn how to find water when there’s none to be seen on the surface, to describe the landscape strewn with boulders that looked like hunched giants after dark, or show the dusty road drenched in light, to learn the habits of scorpions instead of woodland larks.

What is a setting from a published fiction story by another author you would compare this setting to and why are they similar?

I love Isak Dinesen’s Out of Africa. I listened to it on tape and and read it many times to taste the dryness of the landscape on my lips, and see the beauty in a wilderness that was ‘other’ than forestland. Dinesen loved her time in Africa and you can scent her love in her words. Beryl Markham, the author of West with the Night, also taught me how to see desert and dry savannah with a new light.

How would you describe the way you introduced this setting to readers of your story?

The book opens with Kipp’s dream: “In his sleep, Kipp heard hounds baying in the foothills. He dreamed of sweeping human bones into a sack. His mouth was dry when he awoke. The thorn bush scratching the window whispered the same kush-kush sound the broom made in his dream. But there was no howling now and no scattered bones to be swept off the floor.”

The dream is brought about by the sense of impending death due to the long drought and the hazards of fire. Kipp’s father had hoped to start a new life in Zolya, but the drought has withered his father’s dreams along with their orchards.

How would you describe the integration of characters and setting in this story?

Setting is a character in this story. It is the first antagonist, the bringer of death. Kipp’s journey forces him to live close to the land. He’s riding and camping out in the wilderness alone. He’s caught between the world of the towns and the world of the nomads. Because he’s different and alone, he’s not trusted in either place.

How would you describe the interaction of story and setting in this story?

Since Stealing Death is a fantasy, I want to mention the relationship between fantasy and reality in setting. Magical elements can be used to increase danger. Using magic to ‘rescue the character’ is problematic. I wrote this story knowing Kipp could just as easily die of thirst in the Zolyan desert as he could in a realistic novel. If that weren’t true, the book wouldn’t have any weight.

How much research did you do for the setting of this story, and what did that involve?

I have stacks of desert books. Along with studying landscape, plant, and animal life, I looked at tribal life in places like rural Africa and studied the nomadic way of life. My researched showed me the desperate need for clean water in drought-ridden landscapes like Africa. I usually donate to charity as a part of each book launch and raise awareness on school visits and put a link on my website to allow readers to learn more. For Stealing Death I chose Water for People (http://www.waterforpeople.org) to raise reader awareness for the need for clean drinking water. You can see more on that on the “giving back” page on my website.

To what extent would you describe the setting of this story typical or atypical of the settings in your fiction stories?

Atypical. It was really a challenge for me! I loved the challenge.

How do you usually decide on or develop a setting for your fiction stories?

Setting development comes naturally as the characters interact in time and space. Every detail heightens the reality. It’s especially essential in fantasy to ground the story. This is done through narrative using the five senses and through the character’s physical experiences. Masterful setting is real enough for the reader to feel it. An author friend of mine who grew up in India used to read Alistair MacLean’s book set in the Arctic Ice Station Zebra each year to “cool off”. Sitting outside in 110 degree weather, she would actually feel cold! That’s the ultimate setting challenge for any author.

To what extent do the settings of novels you read have an impact on why you read them, and why?

I’m a sucker for a good setting! One of the reasons I‘ve read Tolkien again and again to return to Middle-earth. And the same is true for other books like Out of Africa and West with the Night. Ursula K. Le Guin’s settings also stir me not only in her Earthsea books but in her science fiction and fantasy novels. I also relish well-crafted settings in historical fiction novels like Amy Tan’s descriptions of China in The Bone Setter’s Daughter, and Indu Sundaresan’s The Twentieth Wife and the rest her Taj Mahal trilogy set in the time of the Mughal Empire in India.

Yes there must be story and yes there must be character but I also want to GO somewhere. Don’t we all?

Author website: www.janetleecarey.com



Alane Ferguson - Author Interview: Story

Pick one of your favorites among your published fiction stories or a story which is an interesting example of published fiction. What makes this story one of your favorites or an interesting example from your fiction?

My favorite story is Dragonfly Eyes, which, as I explained in my Characters interview, is being expanded into a trilogy of novels. I think as a story it’s an interesting example of my fiction because in it I ask the question of what constitutes a life well-lived, particularly if one doesn’t have time enough to live it. The title Dragonfly Eyes comes from an ‘Ask Marilyn’ column; a reader queried what animal had the best vision on the planet. Her answer was the rabbit, but she said the creature that had the best vision was the dragonfly because it had prismatic vision that allowed it to see virtually everywhere. I imagined an earthbound spirit might gain a similar perspective, so I incorporated the concept of that super-vision exemplified by the title Dragonfly Eyes. By the end of the story, Savannah sees into other people’s souls, particularly one courageous character named Claire. Life, Savannah discovers, wasn’t at all what it had seemed when she was contained in a human form. What was important only moments before her death suddenly became trivial in the afterlife. Perhaps all of us will be surprised when death’s veil is lifted!

What genre(s) do you consider this story primarily to be, or how would you describe this story?

I would classify Dragonfly Eyes as a paranormal mystery. Wow – did I just make up a new genre? Never mind, I just Googled it and that is already a genuine literary category. So ‘paranormal mystery’ it is!

What is a published fiction story by another author you would compare this story to and why are they similar?

The story that comes to mind is The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Her story and my Dragonfly Eyes are similar because they are both told from a ghost’s perspective, but they are quite different in that Savannah does more than just observe from the ‘other side.’ Savannah makes choices that affect the living as well as the dead, although the rules concerning earthbound spirits prohibit their interaction with humans. By breaking through, Savannah alters fate. Naturally, there is a consequence for that breach. So although they are similar, I choose to concentrate more on how these stories are different.

To what extent would you describe your story discussed here as typical or atypical of your fiction stories?

Dragonfly Eyes deals with death. Need I say more? (In other words, it’s typical of my subject matter!)

To what extent did you use any pre-existing story formula, template, paradigm, plot design, archetype, or theory or principles of story/plot structure in planning, writing, editing or rewriting this story?

What an interesting question! I answered this in the Characters interview, but will repeat it here in case readers are choosing to access one category only. Again, I must go back to my origins in order to fully explain how I approach the process of creating a storyline. When I was young, my sisters and I called ourselves the Estrogen Nation, because I was the fourth in a family of five daughters all born within six years to an aerospace engineer father and an author mother. All of my sisters went on to amazing careers (doctor, engineers, etc.) but I, sadly, never finished college. I actually learned to write in an unconventional way, which I can only describe as ‘author osmosis.’ I began to understand the intricacies of writing by critiquing my mother’s published work. (I had that kind of chutzpah at the tender age of twelve, if you can believe it. To her credit, my mother actually listened to my ideas. I’m not saying she took all of my advice, but she considered my opinion, which, in retrospect, is amazing. Here’s a shout out to my still-publishing mother, author Gloria Skurzynski – she rocks!).

I also had the privilege to eavesdrop on the writer’s group held in our house. (Important writing tip: choose your parents wisely!) My mother’s published friends read aloud, and that was followed by a gentle but straightforward manuscript critiquing. Character arcs and plotlines were discussed, work was polished, and I learned the most valuable lesson about writing anyone could learn, which is to embrace the revision process. As to creating my own world, well, for me it was a bit like learning to play an instrument by ear – I’d absorbed all kinds of information, so one day I just jumped into the deep end of the pool and wrote a picture book. Luckily for me, it was sold to the first publisher I sent it to. That unexpected success was followed by and Edgar Alan Poe Award for my first novel, Show Me The Evidence, and…I’ve been writing ever since. Which is my long-winded way of saying I’ve never heard of templates, paradigms, theories or archetypes. Embarrassing! For me, it boils down to the instinct of writing a strong story with a character I believe in, and then being ready to cut/expand/rethink anything that did not properly translate to my audience.

How would you describe the first chapter, scene or section of this story in one paragraph?

Answer: The first scene in “Dragonfly Eyes” is both terrifying and haunting. I believe that after completing such a jarring, life-to-death transition, a person would be above all confused, which is how I chose to portray Savannah’s initial response when she discovers she is no longer alive.

What makes this chapter, scene or section an effective opening for this story?

I believe it is effective because it is unique. Also, the question of what comes next is what I refer to as ‘a universal.’ Even if a person has come to the conclusion that this life is all there is, they have thought about what happens at the end. For Savannah, the end is only the beginning…

Major stages, twists or turns does the story conflict take in this story before the conflict is resolved (or not resolved)?

The major twist for Savannah is the realization that she never saw people correctly while she was alive. Her new paranormal vision makes her fearful to walk into The Light, because in death she is acutely aware of her own human inadequacies. This revelation about herself culminates in her decision to remain an earthbound spirit. It will be resolved by the completion of the trilogy, but I can’t tell you how I’m going to do it or it would ruin the surprise. I’ve already outlined books two and three, and trust me when I say there will be a major twist at the end!

How would you summarise the major sub-plot or sub-plots in this story? If this story has no sub-pots, how would you describe the main sub-plot or sub-plots from one of your favourite published fiction stories by another author?

The sub-plot for the novel Dragonfly Eyes concerns Savannah’s burgeoning feelings for Daniel, a young man she meets on the other side. Love while alive is complicated enough. When you’re dead, it’s close to impossible!

What does the story gain from the sub-plot or sub-plots?

The idea of consequences!

To what extent would you describe your story discussed here as typical or atypical of your fiction stories?

Again, I am turning the theme of death through my fingers like a worry stone. Which makes it typical of my fiction stories.

Author’s Website: www.alaneferguson.com