An Interview
How long have you been writing?
I've been writing for over fifteen years! I started in sixth grade and just never stopped.
What are your favorite books?
In no particular order, A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix, Reckless by Cornelia Funke, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, and If On A Winter's Night A Traveler by Italo Calvino.
What was your inspiration for Toast? For the Farsian Trilogy?
Toast, if you'll pardon the metaphor, is a soup of many influences. The biggest ones are Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away, Clive Barker's The Thief of Always, and John van de Ruit's Spud. In my head I started with a magical and dangerous train station, and built out the world from there. As for the Farsian Trilogy, I got inspired in a history class. I was learning all about Alexander the Great, and thought to myself: what an amazing villain!
Do you have a favorite Pokemon?
At the risk of sounding too mainstream: Hoppip.
How did you come up with all the nicknames in Toast and Teacup?
The best nicknames arise from defining moments—so usually I think of what the character does to literally make a name for themselves, and use that.
How do you create the worlds in your novels?
It always starts with a “What If?” What if everyone had elemental magic? What if a sorcerer kidnapped boys and trapped them on his estate? What if you had a private dimension concealed within a minute of the day? Once I ask that, there are tons of smaller questions to answer: What do people wear? Who is important in this society? What are people afraid of? Interesting worlds are built on heaps of questions.
Do you write every day?
Pretty much! A lot of the time this takes the form of editing drafts, which is less glamorous but just as important.
What do you do when you get writer’s block?
The usual tricks: work on another story, go for a walk, recite Italian words into a mirror whilst making prolonged eye contact with my reflection. Spazzolini.
Do you know what will happen to your characters or are you surprised how their stories turn out?
I'm often surprised! I always outline my books but by the end, the characters have gone off script and I'm just following where they're going. It seems to work out though.
You have many characters in the Farsian Trilogy that are often on the move – how do you keep track of where they are?
Echolocation, mostly.
What is your interest in the Void?
I've always been fascinated by the distinction between the absence of something and the presence of nothing. I think if you're interested in words, you're at least partially curious about nothingness.
Which casting do you wish you had?
Either Insightcasting or Temperaturecasting. I'd like to know if people hate me and I'd like to reheat my tea when I don't drink it fast enough.
What’s your favorite tea?
Ceylon when I can get it. Irish Breakfast from Trader Joe's when I can't.
What is your favorite place to write?
I write best on my own—in my room, isolated from the world, listening to the Hollow Knight soundtrack.
Any advice or tips for aspiring writers?
When you think you have an idea for a story, DON'T start writing immediately. Spend a full week just thinking about that idea, attacking it from every angle, considering about all the implications. If you get bored of the idea during that time, that's okay, you'll think of another—but if after all that you're still interested, get writing! That way, hopefully, you've got an idea you're so excited about it'll carry you through the exhausting process of writing.
What the heck is Epicurean Postmodernism?
It's my not-very-precise philosophy. In terms of ethics, I like a lot of what I see in Epicurus's teachings, and I think postmodernism is an extremely useful way of understanding the world around us. I'd go on, but I'd rather not bore you to your demise.
What's your favorite Shakespeare play?
Measure for Measure, especially when Lucio is on stage.
How much olive oil is too much olive oil?
Four gallons.
What's your most controversial opinion?
Raichu is a cooler Pokemon than Pikachu.
What is your favorite word?
Doozy.
What is your least favorite word?
Isthmus. Just the worst.
Do you have a favorite character in any of your stories?
Melvin Howitzer. He's not a character in my books, but he's a clairvoyant detective in my One Act Play, Groundnut Stew. He's a bumbler and I like that about him. In my novels, I'd have to say Slop Shop from Toast and Firuzeh from the Farsian Trilogy.
What are you working on next?
Now that I've published Teacup, I've got some super secret novellas to work on. I'll keep you posted!
I've been writing for over fifteen years! I started in sixth grade and just never stopped.
What are your favorite books?
In no particular order, A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix, Reckless by Cornelia Funke, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, and If On A Winter's Night A Traveler by Italo Calvino.
What was your inspiration for Toast? For the Farsian Trilogy?
Toast, if you'll pardon the metaphor, is a soup of many influences. The biggest ones are Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away, Clive Barker's The Thief of Always, and John van de Ruit's Spud. In my head I started with a magical and dangerous train station, and built out the world from there. As for the Farsian Trilogy, I got inspired in a history class. I was learning all about Alexander the Great, and thought to myself: what an amazing villain!
Do you have a favorite Pokemon?
At the risk of sounding too mainstream: Hoppip.
How did you come up with all the nicknames in Toast and Teacup?
The best nicknames arise from defining moments—so usually I think of what the character does to literally make a name for themselves, and use that.
How do you create the worlds in your novels?
It always starts with a “What If?” What if everyone had elemental magic? What if a sorcerer kidnapped boys and trapped them on his estate? What if you had a private dimension concealed within a minute of the day? Once I ask that, there are tons of smaller questions to answer: What do people wear? Who is important in this society? What are people afraid of? Interesting worlds are built on heaps of questions.
Do you write every day?
Pretty much! A lot of the time this takes the form of editing drafts, which is less glamorous but just as important.
What do you do when you get writer’s block?
The usual tricks: work on another story, go for a walk, recite Italian words into a mirror whilst making prolonged eye contact with my reflection. Spazzolini.
Do you know what will happen to your characters or are you surprised how their stories turn out?
I'm often surprised! I always outline my books but by the end, the characters have gone off script and I'm just following where they're going. It seems to work out though.
You have many characters in the Farsian Trilogy that are often on the move – how do you keep track of where they are?
Echolocation, mostly.
What is your interest in the Void?
I've always been fascinated by the distinction between the absence of something and the presence of nothing. I think if you're interested in words, you're at least partially curious about nothingness.
Which casting do you wish you had?
Either Insightcasting or Temperaturecasting. I'd like to know if people hate me and I'd like to reheat my tea when I don't drink it fast enough.
What’s your favorite tea?
Ceylon when I can get it. Irish Breakfast from Trader Joe's when I can't.
What is your favorite place to write?
I write best on my own—in my room, isolated from the world, listening to the Hollow Knight soundtrack.
Any advice or tips for aspiring writers?
When you think you have an idea for a story, DON'T start writing immediately. Spend a full week just thinking about that idea, attacking it from every angle, considering about all the implications. If you get bored of the idea during that time, that's okay, you'll think of another—but if after all that you're still interested, get writing! That way, hopefully, you've got an idea you're so excited about it'll carry you through the exhausting process of writing.
What the heck is Epicurean Postmodernism?
It's my not-very-precise philosophy. In terms of ethics, I like a lot of what I see in Epicurus's teachings, and I think postmodernism is an extremely useful way of understanding the world around us. I'd go on, but I'd rather not bore you to your demise.
What's your favorite Shakespeare play?
Measure for Measure, especially when Lucio is on stage.
How much olive oil is too much olive oil?
Four gallons.
What's your most controversial opinion?
Raichu is a cooler Pokemon than Pikachu.
What is your favorite word?
Doozy.
What is your least favorite word?
Isthmus. Just the worst.
Do you have a favorite character in any of your stories?
Melvin Howitzer. He's not a character in my books, but he's a clairvoyant detective in my One Act Play, Groundnut Stew. He's a bumbler and I like that about him. In my novels, I'd have to say Slop Shop from Toast and Firuzeh from the Farsian Trilogy.
What are you working on next?
Now that I've published Teacup, I've got some super secret novellas to work on. I'll keep you posted!
