Interview with Abigail Silver, Author of Visions of Fire (book 2 in the Redeeming Grace Trilogy)4/15/2023 Abigail Silver grew up reading Anne McCaffrey's Pern books and her father's old comic book collection in the mountains of central Pennsylvania. She holds a BFA from Edinboro University of PA and currently resides near Charlotte, NC. She shares a humble one-story abode with her husband, son, and fur children. When she's not reading, writing, or drawing (which is rare), she enjoys blasting music with the windows down on long road trips. Hi, Abigail! I am very excited for this interview and I appreciate you taking the time to answer the questions. Absolutely a pleasure to talk with you, Ellie! Thank you for taking the time to read Visions of Fire and to ask such thoughtful and insightful questions! 1) Are you a pantser or a plotter? Can you share a little about your writing process? So, I’ve never been someone who can plan out all of my scenes and then write them down as if I were filling out a worksheet. That process takes out all of the mystery and discovery for me, which is what keeps me coming back to the page. That said, there’s no way to tell a story this complex without some kind of a road map. This was the first time I tried to write with a particular ending scene in mind rather than letting the characters and logic take me where they would. So, starting with that scene, I sort of fleshed the story out in a backwards way, asking myself what I needed in order for everything to make sense in the end. I did do a scene by scene timeline when I was about halfway through the book, just to keep track of all the moving pieces. I referred back to it a few times, but by the end it was completely ignored. I have looked at it since finishing the trilogy, and I'm pretty sure it’s a completely different book. 2) What inspired Gracie's story? Music is a huge inspiration for me. I have a long commute and I enjoy listening to the pop stations and streaming services, as well as news and talk radio. I get a lot of inspiration for my writing from all of those things - from song lyrics to current events, as well as situations going on in my own life. Of course other fiction, like books, TV shows, and movies can give me a creative nudge as well. For Gracie in particular, I was watching a lot of Dr. Who at the time and very interested in time travel. I had just finished working on a piece about the romance between my characters, Gabriel and Olivia, and was wondering what would happen to them in the future. Then I heard “A Team” by Ed Sheeran on the radio and this little scenario came into my head. Then a writing prompt popped up on one of the writing pages I was following at the time and I decided to jot down a short story that I called “Amaya Over the Rainbow.” Gracie has her first mention at the end of that short. After that, I had to know how it all worked out! So I started writing Gracie’s story, and the original short story ended up being rewritten and incorporated into the end of Book 3. 3) Books in the Redeeming Grace series are very well balanced, whether it is the various aspects- world building, action, romance, family drama, the different fantasy and scifi elements- or the reminders of book 1 in Vision's of Fire. How do you achieve such balance? Thank you so much! This is a balance I think about constantly, especially after reading so much sci-fi and fantasy as a young person. When this mix is off, it makes a work incredibly difficult to read! When I approach a scene or a line, I always ask myself what it is contributing to the narrative. If a scene isn’t doing at least two or three important things, I usually try to cut it and incorporate the information in it somewhere else. For example, let’s take the scene from Visions of Fire where James, Liam, and Gracie are talking about Gabriel’s past while eating in the cafeteria. Obviously I needed to cover a lot of Gabriel’s backstory, but by having the banter between the three young characters occurring in the same conversation, we’re also building their relationships and characters at the same time. In fact, I tried to make a lot of the backstory and technology talk conversational, so that instead of being forced to read through blocks of text, the reader instead gets to enjoy a dialogue very much like gossiping with friends or reading a series of text messages. Not only do we learn a lot that way, but we then feel like the characters are our friends who have just shared fun information with us. 4) There are popular tropes in Visions of Fire, such as love triangles, but it's always a unique and refreshing take. Do you enjoy these tropes as a reader that you play on as a writer? And how does that affect your writing of them? As a reader, I’m very hard to please with tropes. When I was little, I’d read a story and think, “it would be so much better if they just did THIS instead!” So I’d grab a pencil and write my own stories. Thirty years later, I'm still doing it! My favorite thing to do as a writer is to turn gender roles and tropes on their head. That said, I won’t break something unless lived experience says it can be broken in a realistic way. Some tropes are that way because life is that way - like characters who aren’t always trustworthy, or who turn out to have ulterior motives. That’s just how life is, and I don’t mind including characters or tropes that bring the reader valuable insight into human nature. But let’s face it, a lot of tropes, especially romantic ones, often paint women as helpless and men as stupid or emotionally stunted. I don’t think that’s accurate or fair to anyone. My goal with breaking tropes is to make my characters as human and relatable as possible. They may be vulnerable or uninformed, but they’re not helpless or stupid, and they’ve usually got their heart in the right place. 5) "I'm not chasing after anyone, except maybe me" is just one of the lines that stuck out to me. Gracie's, the main character, exploration of identity and trying to figure out her place in the world comes across as very feminist. "Thought-provoking" is another adjective that comes to mind with the tough topics you don't shy away from, like Gabriel's addiction. You always write with such respect. How mindful are you of that while writing? How do you maintain such respect for both characters, as well as readers who might be living similar experiences? The way I view character development is empathy. I try to imagine the world through that character’s eyes. What are their hopes, dreams, and most importantly, fears? I find, more than anything, people are driven by fear. Whether it’s Gracie’s fear of being trapped in Angelus Quietum, which is just another way of saying nowhere, with her dad forever, or Gabriel’s fear that Gracie will learn about his past and no longer find him worthy of love or admiration, those kinds of deep fears are what drive their actions. When we understand a character’s motivations, when they show us that their fears are so much like our fears, suddenly we can’t help but identify with them. And that’s where I try to write from as much as possible. When you’re talking about the addiction issue and all the painful things that come with that, I wouldn’t say it’s any different. I think of these characters as real people, almost as friends, and I write them as I would want to be written - with respect and compassion for their humanity, while also being honest about the consequences of their choices. 6) Your settings are always so rich and fleshed out, almost as if it is a character itself. From history to religion to politics. Can you share a little about your process for world-building? Any tips or tricks? How do you keep it at that sweet spot of just enough in your stories? My world building is a little unfair, because I have been writing in this multiverse for at least two decades now. All of that planning and history allows me to write as if I live there, because mentally, I suppose I do. One tip I can give, is one of the first things I always do when starting a new novel. And that is to create a planning document that is separate from the manuscript. It’s there that I keep any important definitions, scene ideas, and cut scenes that didn’t work out. When planning out Cybele, the planet Gracie’s story takes place on, I had the advantage of writing Gabriel and Olivia’s story first. So I knew all about the history of the Inspiration and had whole genealogy charts and charts of who was in what job on the generation ship, before I even started. Then, when I began brainstorming for Gracie, I drew out a large map of Cybele and assigned place names that tied back to individuals on the Inspiration. That way, their history would be seamless and I knew what kinds of last names and features people from various areas would have. I also kind of let my mind wander about the world at that point, thinking about what kinds of religion and societies might have sprung up from the characters and families in the earlier novel. 7) Visions of Fire deals with a bit of science. How much research went into writing your books? Was it something you have always been interested in? How do you make real-life facts compliment the fantasy elements and the flow of the narrative? My father is a retired chemist who loves science fiction. To him, I am sure my work is much more fantasy than sci-fi. He's the type to research every tiny detail. For me, as long as I can explain it in a way that makes logical sense to me, I am happy. I don't have to know the exact equations behind it. I'm more of a big picture, application sort of person. What would this concept look like in real life? That said, I have done a lot of reading on the science of aging, addiction, and the psychology of trauma. I love reading psychology text books more than is probably wise for someone without a degree in it! 8) Your illustrations are such a cool addition to the reading experience. What inspired you to include them? Can you share a little about your process for illustrating? Is this something you're planning on doing with more of your books going forward? My day job is in visual arts and drawing is intimately tied to my characters and world building. As I am thinking about these characters, drawing them is part of that empathy building process. That said, I have created well over 100 drawings for this trilogy and it has been an exhausting process! The illustrations also make publishing and downloading the books more difficult. I think they work in a unique way for Gracie's story, because I wanted to tell her story almost as if she were speaking or journaling. Since she is an artist, I feel that the sketchbook style makes sense and gives an intimate feel to her story. All this to say, I'm not sure if I will continue illustrations if or when I ever publish again after Book 3. 9) Can you share a little about book 3 in the Redeeming Grace trilogy and what else you are working on? Sure! Book 3, The Fear of Time, pulls together all of the threads I've been weaving in Child of Awareness and Visions of Fire and reveals the shape of the pattern. I will warn you, it is not for the faint of heart! As Gracie's asides have hinted since the beginning, there are so many roads that could have led away from disaster, but she isn't on one of them. For those brave enough to see how the story ends, I am hoping to have her ready for publication this summer. As for new projects, I actually have a vision of Cybele's future that I would like to write, but it has so many moving pieces that it makes Gracie's story look quite simple. As a result, I have been working on a lot of writing that I would consider "pre-work" or back story. Stuff that takes place off stage that I need to know, but that doesn't necessarily show up in the published cannon. One of those pieces is my current drafting project, a rewrite of the love story between Gracie's grandparents, Gloria and D'nay. Follow Abigail Silver on Social Media! Check out Abigail Silver's website and TikTok, as well. Follow Abigail Silver on Amazon and Goodreads! My name is Gracie Usuriel and fire is in my blood. According to my dead sister Ariel, it’s in my very DNA. She thinks I’m the strongest pyrokinetic ever born on Cybele—so strong my flames actually burn holes in the fabric of reality that allow me to peer into other times and places. Hence why my best friend happens to be the ghost of my (much) older sister. So what exactly am I supposed to do with all this firepower? At eighteen, I had no idea. I just knew I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life twiddling my thumbs on my father’s farm. Dad might choose to spend his whole life hiding out in Angelus Quietum, but I was ready to go have some adventures! Not to mention a whole bunch of long-overdue research into a particularly mysterious immortal parent. And if I happened to be taking off to the same university as a pretty, blond diplomat-in-training, well, that was just a bonus, right? Dad, on the other hand, didn’t see it my way. He pulled every guilt protocol in his coding. Once he saw I’d made up my mind, though, he relented with a stern warning about the Overwatch. “They’re our police,” he said, “the ones who make sure individuals of Awareness stay in line. With your head blindness, the telepaths will be very nervous around you and I won’t be there to make sure everyone remains… civilized.” “I’ll be fine, Dad,” I reassured him. “After all, how much trouble can I get into at school?”
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Interview with John St. Clair about his debut novel, Stalin's Door! John St. Clair started his career as a novelist after spending 25 years battling fraud and abuse in the cyber realm. John St. Clair lives with his wife in the northern Virginia suburbs. Stalin's Door is his debut novel. Tea enthusiast. | Cautiously pessimistic. | He/Him. | Pro em dash and pro Oxford comma! ***Spoilers will be marked in red with a clear warning!*** You mentioned in previous interviews that you consider yourself both a pantser and plotter. How much of genre do you feel affects that? JS: Just to level set for the readers of this interview: a “pantser” will typically not know in advance how a story is going to play out—they will just write and see where it leads them. A “plotter” on the other hand likes to have all the details in their story worked out before putting pen on paper. To be honest, I don't assess the genre I'm writing in before making the decision on how to go about writing it. I find that my approach of thinking of the overall story arcs first, often for an extended period of time, will give me the greatest chance at nailing down what I like to call “the 50,000 foot view” of the story. From there, it's just fun to fill in the gaps with a little pantsing. I will admit that in the moment of writing, I am often surprised at where I end up! Was the construction of the novel, the organization of the different sections and corresponding perspectives, planned? What was your process? ***SPOILERS*** JS: For the technical construction of Stalin's Door, and considering its complexity, I did absolutely plan out the sections beforehand. Eagle eyed readers will have no doubt picked up on a few things. In the first section, “Zhenya's Tale,” there's a progression from Spring to Summer to Fall to Winter, over consecutive years, with each season becoming progressively darker in tone. Also, you'll notice that the ages of the protagonists increase with each section; Zhenya as young girl, then Sava as an early middle-aged man, then Lera as an older middle- aged woman, and finally Zhenya as an old woman. I wanted to show the passage of time and in the same way offer different perspectives from each of the main characters' points of view. Were your characters “walk-ons,” just coming to you, or were they carefully constructed? JS: The three main characters in Stalin's Door; Zhenya, Sava, and Lera were all absolutely carefully constructed, and fleshed out before I started writing. Each of the minor charactersless so. You write three different perspectives that include age and socioeconomic backgrounds. You mentioned in a previous interview that Lera was a favorite between the three. Was there a character and perspective that you found most difficult to write? ***SPOILERS*** JS: An excellent question! While every author certainly “loves” all of his or her characters, I do admit a certain first amongst equals when it comes to Lera. That said, I did find that the writing of the character of Admiral Krayevsky to be, shall I say, challenging. You'll recall that the age of the admiral and that of Sava, are equal, with their birthdays only 2 days apart. And their careers within the Soviet Navy were wildly divergent. I wanted the admiral to be like a foil to the character of Sava, so I took great care in writing his story too. Was there a part of your own writing that surprised you or did you know everything that was going to happen? JS: Stalin's Door, the novel, had an interesting birth, so to speak. The first part, “Zhenya's Tale” was written as a short story first, and was known simply as Stalin's Door. I sent it out to some beta readers and received some excellent feedback. Later, I added what would become “Sava's Tragedy” and entitled it Behind Stalin's Door. Both the first and second parts were now the size of a novella and I again sought out feedback from my beta readers. Once I finished the novella, I knew I had a great shot of turning it into a full fledged novel with the additions of “Lera's Yarn” (Beyond Stalin's Door) and “Zhenya's Allegory” (Return to Stalin's Door) the third and fourth parts to the story. All along the way I was still doing all that arduous historical research to ensure my story was as authentic as possible. ***SPOILERS*** Getting into the nitty-gritty details definitely surprised me. Some scenes that turned out even better than I could have hoped for were: the reception-party where Stalin makes an appearance, the scene with Zhenya, Lera, and the hooligan guards at the train depot on the way to the Gulag, and scene with Zhenya and Lera in the cemetery at the end of the novel. How much of your story is “research-based” versus character driven? JS: In any historical fiction piece, unless it's outright historical fantasy, I feel that the author should strive to make it as genuine as they can. This is the reason it took me 5 years of research to try and make Stalin's Door as authentic as I could. Details—even down to the most minute ones—matter. Now that said, my characters have to live within that world that is well documented. I'm trying to tell a story within a framework: a world and a time that my readers haven't been to or lived in. My characters faced challenges and ordeals that fit within the known facts of where and when I placed them into. My job as a writer was to make that as interesting and compelling to read as I possibly could! I’ve heard historical fiction authors discuss that sometimes history or the story itself is sacrificed for the other. Did you find this to be the case in writing Stalin’s Door? Do you agree with this belief? JS: I think it's perfectly fine to tell whatever kind of story you want to—and make whichever sacrifices you need to. However, to be clear, if the author deviates a great deal from the established facts of history, then the work should be either labeled fiction, or historical fantasy. My goal was always to write my story within the genre definition of Russian historical fiction, so my “goalposts,” so to speak, are very well defined and known. I tried extremely hard to stay within these goalposts, for the sake of accuracy and authenticity. Through Lera and Sava’s sections, you explore events before, and that led to, Stalin. With so many individual events occurring within a single period of time, how do you decide what to include? JS: This is a terrific question! The period of time that's central to my novel, known as the “Great Terror” may only be a couple of years, however there was so much to tell! I really had a tough time deciding. That said, when writing from the first person, past tense point-of-view, my decision on what to include event-wise became a lot more clear. Only knowledge known to the narrator, or events experienced by the narrator are going to be passed on to the reader. If I as the author wanted to “pass on” something important history-wise to the reader, then I had to make sure the characters in my novel actually experienced them. This is exactly why Sava goes to work for the NKVD, and why Lera is exiled to the Gulags. They experienced these things, and could tell their stories first hand. I felt this was a stronger and more genuine way to tell my story! What didn’t make it into the finished book, research-wise and otherwise? What was cut in the editing process and how did you decide what to cut? JS: Believe it or not, I don't have a lot of “bonus scenes” that got left on the cutting room floor. For the most part, what is in the book is exactly what needed to be in there. Of course the time periods I explored in my story could have been even bigger if I wanted, however I felt that the way I structured it, with three very different characters, in three distinct points of time in their lives, and three distinct locations—made my story riveting. When reading Stalin’s Door, I couldn’t help but draw connections to other events in history that shared similarities. How conscious are you of the similarities between other events of different times and places to the ones you wrote about? JS: To be honest, when writing historical fiction, I always want to ensure I'm as accurate as possible for the time period I'm writing about. So, to answer this question, if there are similarities between what is happening in Stalin's Door, and what is happening elsewhere in history, it's likely because history tends to repeat itself. George Santayma had said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Do you agree? Do you hope Stalin’s Door can help us remember? JS: I absolutely agree with this terrific quote, and am distraught to say that autocratic and dictatorial rule are still very much rampant in today's world. My novel, I hope, can paint a dire picture of what can happen when that autocratic and dictatorial rule are left unchecked. So in a way, I do hope it can serve as a warning and a deterrent. Have you ever visited Russia or the museum at The House on the Embankment? If not, do you ever wish to visit? JS: I have not yet visited Russia. I definitely would like to, one day. Certainly the trip would include going to the wonderful House on the Embankment, in the heart of Moscow, and its on-site museum. I fear that the current geopolitical situation and world events will prevent this trip for many years to come, unfortunately. Another author had described your writing style in Stalin’s Door as “memoir.” After reading the book, it feels like the perfect description. Was this intentional? Do you feel this is reflective of your style in general, or was it unique to Stalin’s Door? JS: Writing Stalin's Door and giving it that memoir “look and feel” was definitely intentional, as I have an affinity for the first person, past tense perspective. I don't know if it's reflective of my style, however it was the very best choice I could make for telling this story. All the events are witnessed, or recounted, by the narrators. If something isn't known to the narrator, it won't be known to the reader. In this way, more than any other I can think of, one truly is living inside the head of the protagonist. This is more intimate, and much more rewarding, I feel. You have a bit of a fantastical element to your story. As a writer, did you always intend to mix genres? What inspired this aspect of your story? ***SPOILERS*** JS: I do admit I felt it was taking a bit of a risk when I added in these fantastical elements. Thankfully they are tiny, in my opinion, and don't distract from the more pure historical fiction elements. That said, in one very obvious case, when Zhenya is reunited with Lera, it was necessary to bring in a little fantasy. I always knew they would meet each other at the end of the novel, and quite frankly, I'm not sure there was any other way to go about it! In my opinion, a good historical fiction entices the reader to want to learn more and there is always more to learn. What questions do you hope the readers walk away with? Where are you hoping they go next? What are you hoping to spark in them? JS: A fabulous question! In so much of my feedback, I've been told that I've inspired my readers to go and investigate the time period I refer to a lot, that of the “Great Terror” that overwhelmed Moscow, and all of Russia, in the mid to late 1930s. Readers have also looked up and researched the Gulags, the specific Russian naval ships I mentioned, and even the House on the Embankment, not to mention the 800-pound gorilla in the room: Joseph Stalin himself! I hope they can come away with a greater understanding of this specific time period, that echos even today within Russia itself. Is there anything else you'd like to share with current or future readers? JS: I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to write and I am truly thankful for all the readers my book has found—and will find! I am always working on something new; micro- fiction and short story contests, anthology submissions, and my second novel which I hope to have out soon: Lucky Dainéil McElheney! I appreciate the time you took to interview me, Ellie! Read more about John St. Clair and Stalin's Door on The Red Head Notes blog, including a review, interview, and guest post! Stalin's Door In the dangerous time of Russia’s Great Terror, a knock on the door late at night could mean only one thing! Stalin’s Door is the unforgettable story of three extraordinary individuals who lived during the time of Russia’s Great Terror. They share a terrible fate which will forever intertwine their lives. Zhenya is the strong young daughter of an important government official, who is growing up fast in a privileged government enclave. Sava is a devoted husband, unceremoniously dismissed from the Soviet Navy, who considers a new opportunity. Lera is a wise grandmother who bears a crucial responsibility, while forced into exile in the outland of Siberia. My all time favorite blog is Noelophile, all about Christmas and the magic of the holidays! I am ecstatic to be interviewed by the talented and magical Dot about my Christmas short story, The Memory Tree!
Check it out here! I used to get C's in 6th grade English class for writing too much. Guess the jokes on that teacher because not only am I the author of two published books, but I also have two short stories in anthologies, with a third and fourth on their way and a few children's books in the works. My mother used to get phone calls from my middle school advanced art program about how I never followed the instructions. Well, jokes on them because now I am the illustrator of about eleven children's books, four of which are already published, and at my last event I sold two art prints. Everybody knows JK Rowling's amazing story. How many rejection letters? How many times did Walt Disney's business go under before Mickey Mouse? What's that quote from Edison? "I didn't fail. I just found 2,000 ways how not to make a lightbulb." Barbara Lieberman was told in first grade that she should never pick up a pencil to draw again. So, she didn't until she was an adult. Not only has she returned to painting miniature canvases, which she originally did as part of a miniature business with her father in the 80's, but she is also co-illustrating our upcoming My Mom is in a Wheelchair. I leave you with these thoughts: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts"- Winston Churchill "You fail if only you stop writing"- Ray Bradbury But also remember, Jackson Pollock stood in his own paintings. Vonnegut would sometimes write himself into his own books. Shakespeare and Dr. Seuss made up words. Forget what they taught you in Kindergarten. My mom always said, "You don't have to color inside the lines." And no matter what anyone tells you, no matter if that voice inside you is telling you that you got it wrong, every time you see a mistake or are marked down, remember it took even the greats more than one try and never quit. Earnest Hemingway said “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” When I write, I truly write. There’s not only an investment in the characters and storylines. It is pouring heart and soul. It is knocking down the barriers of the everyday, exposing and vulnerable and naked on a blank page. It is said that if there is no tears in the writer there will be no tears in the reader. From what I know of books like Chip Davis’s Angel’s Song in The Playlist Anthology and Barbara Lieberman’s To Miss The Stars (which comes packaged with tissues, by the way), there is truth in that saying. Each week I revisit my manuscripts to participate in the local twitter event, 1lineWed, where writers share lines from their work based on a weekly theme. This week’s theme is Chaos and in Society's Foundlings, which was published two years ago, I came across this one line, “There’s a comfort in what you’re accustomed to. Chaos becomes its own sort of peace.” It amazed me how a simple line could still stir those same feelings in me as when I first picked up the pencil to write them. 2015 was a chaotic year, if not for external reasons, then for internal. In the years following the outward became its own sort of chaos. Now, I am in a much better place in both ways. We have terms we use in my family for PTSD moments. Those little triggers that send you back to moments your body can’t seem to forget no matter how much your mind wants to. Those responses so ingrained in the brain, your breath catches, your heart seizes, the pain from that moment mere months or years ago is just as fresh and present now as it was then. But, revisiting this honest and sometimes brutal text that I created is different. It’s as bittersweet as the story itself. I’m better. My world is better. The characters will forever remain frozen in that moment, in those conflicts, though. I have moved on and in a way, while there is hope on that final page, it is a final page. It is a scar, that indelible reminder, but it’s the scars that let the light shine through. |
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