Darklight On ... Sue-Ellen Pashley

Today's Darklight On is ... Sue-Ellen Pashley

Welcome, Sue-Ellen

Breadcrumbing. I love it! It’s a great tool to have as a writer. Just to give little morsels of information that peak the reader’s interest, get them wondering what the hell’s happened to the character or will the questions throughout the story be finally answered. Hopefully good breadcrumbing will keep a reader turning the pages to find out. I know that’s what I love in a good book – an avoidance of information dumps that tell me exactly where I’m going and instead, hints that lead me down an overgrown path which means I can only see a little ahead of me.

Good breadcrumbing can definitely add suspension to the writing rather than killing it. But it also needs to happen at a good pace. Too often and the reader may as well give up now – you’ve shared everything, why would they continue? Not often enough and they’re going to get bored. Breadcrumbing needs to be as well paced as the writing. And as you get towards the end, it can change pace, happening more often, faster, faster, creating tension...bring it on! 

So one of the things I loved about writing Streamer was being able to do this to a character as well. Rhi, the story’s central character, doesn’t know anything about herself apart from what she can see in a mirror. She doesn’t know her name or if she has family or why she keeps suddenly disappearing only to reappear in a new location. And she definitely doesn’t know who the cute guy asleep in the bed is when she suddenly appears in his apartment (that was a fun scene to write!)

So not only was I breadcrumbing to the readers but also to Rhi…feeding her little bits of information to keep her searching, keep her going, even when it got hard and it would have been easier for her to give into the grief of knowing nothing. 

It was an interesting journey.

Streamer

How can you disappear, only to appear in a new location, and not know how it happens? 

How can you have any sort of life if you can’t control when this happens? 

And how can you find the answers when you don’t even know your own name? 

For twenty year old Rhiannon Clarke, the last three days are all she can remember. And they have just been a series of flicking in and out of different locations with only vague memories to guide her. But as she slowly starts to build a picture of her life, the questions are getting harder. Why is this happening to her? Why does the thought of her brother fill her with unease? Why does her father’s name make her break into a cold sweat? 

And who is the mysterious man in the bed?

~~~

Thanks, Sue-Ellen

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Darklight On... Sue-Ellen Pashley

Today's Darklight On is... Sue-Ellen Pashley

Welcome, Sue-Ellen

                             

How did you come to write speculative fiction? What attracted you to the genre?

I’ve always loved speculative fiction – to be able to let my imagination run that little bit wild and fantastical is a real joy. I have tried a few times to write stories that are more ‘real to life’ but always seem to end up putting something in them that blurs the boundaries. It’s what I love to write.


Are you a plotter? Pantser? Or somewhere in-between?

Somewhere in between. I usually have a very sketchy plot plan to guide me but it really is the characters that drive the story. There’s nothing quite like the feel of surprise when the characters react in a way that I wasn’t expecting (or maybe that’s just me – hmm, perhaps I’m saying too much – I am sane, truly!).


Do you have a favourite of your characters?

That’s an interesting question…like asking if I have a favourite child (which, for the record, I don’t)! I immediately went to say Nick, because I love the slight element of dorkiness that he has, coupled with such a strong determination but I love Grace and the way that she grows in the story – how strong she becomes. Lillie, of course, is just awesome and Jake is the best friend that everyone should have... No, sorry I can’t answer that question!


What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on another book that features one of the minor characters from Aquila. She is such an interesting person – very different to what you see on surface level and I’m really enjoying getting into her head. And better yet, she’s heading to Noosa for the story – a place I love.


What is your favourite part of the process of writing?

I love the excitement of getting into a character’s head and thinking about where their story might head. But I love getting to the end of the first draft too and that wonderful feeling that comes from finishing the story…even if it might need to be tweeked slightly in the editing process.


What can we expect from Sue-Ellen Pashley in the future?

I’d love to say ‘a lot more books!’ And hopefully, that will be true. As well as the MS I’m working on at the moment, I have another 2 in progress as well as a novella that I’m planning to release as a set with 3 other fantastic and talented writers. 2015 will hopefully be a good year.


Who are your favourite authors?

Oh, I have a lot of favourite authors. Anne McCaffrey, Tolkien, Charlaine Harris, J. K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, Debora Geary, Douglas Adams, Teri Terry, Dan Brown, Maryann Keyes…I could just go on and on. Australian authors include Sandy Curtis, Cheryse Durrant, Amanda Bridgeman, Colleen McCullough, Graeme Simsion, John Marsden…I’d better stop before this list gets ridiculous!


What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Jump: Twinmaker 1 by Sean Williams


Do you have a favourite spec fiction movie or TV series?

Dr Who (of course), Matrix (despite how confusing it got sometimes!), Game of Thrones (loving the dragons – I want one!), Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (old and new) and I am really loving the Penny Dreadful series at the moment. It has me well and truly hooked, which hasn’t happened for a while. Can’t wait for the second season.


Do you have advice for emerging writers?

The old adage of ‘you can’t edit a blank page’ still stands. So get writing! Also, go to workshops, join writers groups, immerse yourself – learn about the craft and make friends and contacts. And above all, write what you enjoy writing about.

~~~

Thanks, Sue-Ellen

Aquila, the blurb:

Eighteen-year-old Nick Larcombe is a self-confessed non-romantic. Until he lays eyes on Grace Carr, who has just moved to Bruny Island with her grandmother, Lillie.

Already bruised and battered by life, Grace isn’t looking for any sort of relationship, but when Nick, the mysterious boy next door, somehow rescues her from sure death at the bottom of a windswept cliff, Grace needs answers.

But how can Nick give her the answers she needs when he’s been sworn to secrecy, ordered to keep his true nature hidden from the girl he’s fallen hard for? And what will his community do when they discover he’s fallen in love with a human?

Intensely romantic, Aquila is a story of sacrifice and passion, and how true love can make you soar.
 
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