1. Tell us a bit about yourself as an author and as an individual.

I joined Wattpad in 2022 after spending most of lockdown reading and writing to keep myself relatively sane. I'm the author of the Lindensea series, which consists of light historical fantasies set in a world closely resembling ours, but with a few twists. I'm planning seven novels, with some companion volumes added here and there (perhaps).

I live in a small coastal town in Australia, usually very pleasant and sunny. Right now it's the middle of winter, and freezing winds are coming straight up from Antarctica. I'm surviving by wrapping myself in a big blanket in front of the heater and watching the Tour de France.

2. How long have you been writing? What inspired you to start writing?

I started writing stories and poems when I was in primary school. As far as I can remember, I got bored or frustrated with the very rigid writing assignments given in school, and started creating stories based on my own interests. I loved fantasy stories, so it seemed natural to write my own.

3. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I'd call myself mostly a plotter – I write out an outline of the story and mark out the important plot points before I begin. However, there always seems to be plenty for me to be surprised by once I actually start writing. I have a terrible habit of making throwaway comments that need to be followed up later, or introducing minor characters and realising I now have to give them a story too.

4. What was the most difficult thing to write in your book? How did you pull that off?

Between Life and Death is a piece of fanfiction about the comedy duo The Mighty Boosh, imagining them in a fantasy setting. The hardest bit by far was the section where the story switches to real life.

I had to do an awful lot of research as to how that specific part of their lives actually happened, going through interview after interview that they gave about it, and using their own words in the dialogue. I also downloaded a plan of the building it occurs in, and looked at a ton of old photos.

5. If you could take only one book with you to an island, what would it be?

The Death of the Heart, by Elizabeth Bowen. It's a novel that seems like a different story each time you read it, as there are so many different ways of analysing the characters and their motivations.

6. Who is your favourite author?

Virginia Woolf. I quite often use her letters and diaries for historical research for my stories because they are so detailed.

7. What tips would you give someone who is just starting out?

The best tip I could give is to get into a consistent daily writing routine. Whether you commit to writing for one hour a day, or 400 words a day, the discipline will really pay off.

The other thing is to ask for help when you need it. Professional writers have teams of editors and designers to make their book look good, so there's no shame in an amateur writer reaching out for a beta reader, editor, or cover artist to assist them. A supportive writing group can also be a great way to gain confidence in your work.

8. What motivated you to write the book which won the contest?

I started writing it a few years after I lost both my parents, a few months apart. Looking back, I can see it was an attempt to process my grief and also build a hopeful picture of what may follow death.

9. Do you experience writer's block? If yes, how do you cope with it?

I don't think of it as a block, but as not being quite ready to see that far into the story yet. When I get stuck, I switch to a different writing project. If I'm simply too tired or drained to write, I edit past chapters or do research for future chapters.

10. What message or theme did you hope to communicate with your readers through your book?

The main message of the book is to never lose hope, even when the worst has seemingly happened. I was also very careful not to make death frightening or the afterlife a punishing place – I wanted it to be beautiful and uplifting.

Even though books about the afterlife are purely fictional, they can still influence how people view death, so I felt a strong sense of responsibility not to make readers feel fearful or despondent about what may lie ahead.

My goal was to give readers hope, healing, and comfort, because that's what I was trying to give myself.

11. For readers who are unfamiliar with your works, how would you describe your writing style and what distinguishes your book?

I like to create beautiful worlds for the characters to exist in, so expect lots of description. There always seems to be at least a few pretty emotional scenes, and I do tend to put my protagonists through a fair bit of stress and angst! Even in a love story, relationships with friends and family will be in focus.

Between Life and Death is fanfiction, but plenty of people have read it without knowing the source material, and some haven't even noticed it's fanfiction. It is above all a romance, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to write something so strongly emotional and intimate. There's quite a few moments of comedy too – I'd classify it as a romantic comedy drama philosophical cosmic fantasy.

12. Are there any characters or scenes in your winning book that hold a special meaning to you? Why?

There's a scene in Between Life and Death set on a park bench in a garden of white roses where a character begins to feel dangerously close to reaching "the answer" of life, the universe, and everything.

It's inspired by something that I experienced shortly after my mother died unexpectedly. She was a very keen gardener, and I had an image of her in my mind as stepping through an archway in a shaft of silver light to a beautiful garden of roses.

I found it very comforting and healing, and I tried to give that scene the same sense of mystical wonder and awe. It's my favourite chapter in the book, hands down.

13. Do you have any future projects or ideas that you are currently working on or intend to pursue?

I'm currently writing Eden at Yuletide, a historical fantasy teen fiction midwinter pagan adventure story, and I'd like to do a historical romance next year. I also need to complete the companion volume to Between Life and Death, which is called The Annotated Afterlife.

14. What was the most surprising or unexpected feedback you got from readers about your book?

While reading comments in another book, I saw my favourite author on Wattpad, @obliviablack, name Between Life and Death as her favourite of my books. That was a pleasant surprise that had me smiling all week!

15. Is there a character you created randomly who received more attention than the main character? Why do you believe that happened?

Not in this book, the main characters really dominate the action. But in my Lindensea series, readers have got so attached to minor characters that they've asked for a spin-off book just for them. I've even had to bring back fan favourites back or devote more of the book to them.

I think what does it is if the character has just enough of an intriguing back story that readers want to know more. I notice they tend to be adventurous young women leading unconventional lives, which I suppose is a sign I should really be writing about someone like that ...

16. What do you believe is the most important trait or skill that a successful writer should possess?

There are many different types of successful writer, whether that means big sales, consistent releases, a loyal fanbase, critical acclaim, prestigious literary awards, being able to make a living solely from writing, owning a vast multimedia empire, or just finding happiness and self-fulfilment through writing.

I think all of them would have this in common – they all have a strong belief in their own work, and an almost compulsive need to keep writing. That won't guarantee success, however you define that, but I don't think you can be successful without it.