Darklight On...Rhyll K (Q&A)

Today's Darklight On... is with Rhyll K. Welcome, Rhyll!

How did you come to write speculative fiction? What attracted you to the genre? I’m a fairly quirky person, easily bored by the straight and normal, so I like either making the everyday strange (or the strange everyday) in my writing. Speculative fiction is perfect for doing that.

Are you a plotter? Pantser? Or somewhere in-between? I bounce both ways, like to plot like a third world dictator but if my pants grab the reins while I’m writing, I’ll listen to them—as long as they don’t get too silly.



Do have a favourite of your characters?
I’m only working on my first paranormal romance manuscript, but already I’ve fallen for my leads. I also have a soft spot for the evil mother of the heroine. She’s evil, really evil...so I think that might be confirmation of my ‘truly twisted’ status! 

What are you currently working on?
A tale of inter-realm demon love. Post-traumatic stress, teleportation, tail-pulling and BDSM all make guest appearances.



What is your favourite part of the process of writing? 

Getting inside your character’s heads and their world/dramas. You get the fun and the enjoyment of having a little alternate universe at the back of your mind all the time and it changes your perception of real life! Seeing the world through my ‘fiction brain’ makes everyday life more enjoyable. For example, you hear a phrase or see an image, and you can imagine one of your characters saying it, or you see it through your character’s eyes. Or you’re talking a walk and all your characters come out to play (maybe without being invited) and a little motion picture starts rolling through your head. The characters are there all the time, even when you’re not writing. And you get to become a magpie, looking for things to steal from real life to adorn the little nest of your fictional world!

What can we expect from Rhyll K in the future? 

A steady increase in her storytelling craft, hopefully! I only joined RWA this year but already I’ve found the competitions and the amount of knowledge circulating the message boards phenomenal, as is the generosity and willingness of members to help each other out. I hope to submit my first paranormal romance manuscript to a publisher next year, once I’ve finished polishing and then polishing some more. I’m enjoying the demon world I’ve created, so I might remain in the Hell dimension for a while. My fascination with Russia means I’ll probably keep writing about Russian settings too. But I’m always good for a surprise, so I could also end up writing about vampire motorcycle mamas or man-on-man lumberjack orgies.

Who are your favourite authors? Cara McKenna is my favourite at the moment, she’s so cunning in her writing of ‘smart’ erotica I’m learning a bunch just from analysing her stories—after I’ve read them for enjoyment! Other faves are Kelley Armstrong, Keri Arthur, Gia Dawn, Jennifer Estep, Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Shelley Laurenston and Gena Showalter.



What are you currently reading?
Studs Lonigan, Townie: A Memoir, I is an Other, The Sweet Science, and critique partner chapters!



Do you have a favourite spec fiction movie or tv series? More than one...True Blood and Game of Thrones (roll on series 2!)

Do you have advice for emerging writers?
As an emerging writer myself, my credo is ‘do it just because it’s fun!’ It’s good to have goals like competitions and publication, but don’t lose sight of how much fun it is and how damn satisfying it can be even when you’re your only reader!

~~~

Thank you, Rhyll!