Darklight On.. Lilliana Rose Q&A

Today's Darklight On... is with Lilliana Rose. Welcome, Lilliana!

How did you come to write speculative fiction? What attracted you to the genre?
I enjoy reading speculative fiction and so it was a natural progression for me to write in this genre. I also love writing genre because I can immerse myself in new worlds and let my imagination run wild. It’s a lot of fun.


You write poetry as well as fiction (congrats on your recent Australian Poem being in the Top 20 2011 Cricket Poetry Awards, by the way). What is the appeal of poetry for you?
Poetry is a great way for me to develop my writing skills. It forces me to write out of my comfort zone by writing in a style or form that I’m not familiar with. It’s a great way to play with words, to find new words, or to place together different words and to see what image or different meaning I can create. By writing poetry I’ve also learnt more about rhythm and pace within stories and how to be economical with words and still take the reader on a journey.



Are you a plotter? Pantser? Or somewhere in-between?
I started off writing my first novel as a plotter. Then subsequent novels were unplanned and so I was more of a pantser (I never stuck to any plans I had anyway!). Now I’m wondering if I’m a little somewhere in-between. I like the process of writing a story for the first time to be organic, so I have a chance to find the character who is hiding in the dark. My characters are really good at telling me what to write, so it’s important that I listen to them. Once I’ve finished a book, then I plot out the scenes to ensure that there are no big problems with plot or character arcs, so there might be a bit of plotting then – but that’s after the story has been written. 

 
Do have a favourite of your characters?
Zarna – a shadow fairy born without wings. She wants to fit in with the other shadow fairies and so steals wings from other creatures to make them her own. Zarna wants to find Christmas wings, but she ends up going on a dark journey of self-discovery and acceptance. (She’s the main character in my short story Christmas Wings written under Lily Rose).




What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on a young adult novel (cross over), which is a contemporary story set in rural Australia. It is so much easier to write speculative fiction than a contemporary novel, and I think this is one of the hardest novels I’ve had to write, and there’s no aliens or magic. 

 
What is your favourite part of the process of writing?
Starting a new novel, that’s a very special time when I’m discovering a new world and characters and they are taking form on the page. I love it. 

 
What can we expect from Lilliana Rose in the future?
In the near future, I plan to have a short story, dark fantasy for 12 year olds and above out on Amazon at the start of November – Christmas Wings under the name Lily Rose. It’s a story that can be enjoyed by adults as well.

I plan to keep writing novels, short stories and poetry – because I love it and if I don’t I get grumpy. I’ve got my fifth novel on the go and I’m looking forward to having it written by the end of this year.



Who are your favourite authors?
When growing up I enjoyed CS Lewis, May Gibbs, Alf Prøysen and Enid Blyton.

Marion Zimmer Bradley, Robin Hobbs, Tim Winton and Jacqueline Carey.



What are you currently reading?
Game of Thrones by George RR Martin 

Do you have a favourite spec fiction movie or tv series?
Dr Who (I started watching the series as a child, from behind the lounge), Firefly and Spooks.

Spooks

Do you have advice for emerging writers?
Don’t give up, write lots, find people who will support you on this journey, join a critique group (make sure you find one that is suitable for you) and remember to read lots, even out of the area you are writing in. Good Luck!

~~~

Thanks, Lilliana!

You can find out more about Lilliana at her website, 

where you can also read some of her poetry.