I was very lucky enough to interview the lovely Mary-Jean Harris. She writes fantasy and historical fiction, both novels and short stories. Some of her short stories have been published in anthologies and websites, including the upcoming Tesseracts 18 anthology, Polar Expressions Publishing, and Black Lantern Publishing. Two of her short stories have been honourable mentions in the Writers of the Future contest in 2013 and 2014. Mary-Jean is currently a student at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, studying theoretical physics with a minor in philosophy. She has travelled to England, Scotland, and Peru and hopes to travel to many other interesting places. Her novel Aizai the Forgotten is the first in the series The Soul Wanderers.
interview
1. What books/ authors have influenced your writing ?
The Runelords series by David Farland has definitely influenced my writing, and was the first real high fantasy series that I read. The series is amazing, with a very unique world, captivating characters, and a lot of philosophical aspects to it as well. The Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart has also influenced my writing and has inspired me in many respect. It's a series that really speaks to your soul, and I find that the protagonists she follows in her works are similar to the kinds of characters I chose to follow in my writing as well.
2. Have you always wanted to be an author & what made you want to become an author?
I started writing in elementary school, but only got into writing novels later in high school. I wouldn't write as a full-time job, but I want to write novels throughout my life on the side and continue with the series I'm working on called the The Soul Wanderers. I love to write, to explore places I've never been, and follow characters I've never known, but in a way, as I write, I go to these places, learn magic, and become friends with intriguing characters.
3. Do you relate to any characters in your book?
The main character, Wolfdon, is a lot like me. Not necessarily his personality, but how he thinks, what he dreams of, and his obsession with books, especially old magical books. I think most authors are most like their main characters, even if they don't intend to be.
4. Have you ever experienced writers block, if so how do you over come it?
I usually get writer's block when I don't know what's going to happen next in the story. I sort of poke forwards and don't really get anywhere, and the characters just do boring things. I don't know what to do and they don't know what to do, and so I don't even want to write. I think the best way to over come this is to plan your story better and introduce neat elements that will come up soon so you have something to work towards getting to. If I know there will be a dragon at the other side of the hill, then the journey there somehow becomes easier, and more fun.
5. How did you come up with the idea of writing your novel 'Aizia the Forgotten'?
When I first started writing this story, I hadn't intended for it to be a novel. It started with me just speculating about a lost world that had come into existence and then had vanished, so i decided to write about it. i added a boy who had read about this world and was trying to discover what it was and if he could get to it. i was also trying to discover what Aizia was, but after a while, I figured it out, and at that point, i started plotting the story instead of just writing it.
I was also inspired by ancient estoric philosophies and secret socioties, which i have read some books about. For example, i have a few things about the Kabbalah, talismans, and ideas about New Atlantis, which are all part of old magic traditions around the world.
6.Who is your favourite author?
This is a hard one! I'd probably have to say Mary Stewart, who wrote the Merlin trilogy. Also Tolkien, because I'm a big fan of The Lord of the Rings. There are a lot of authors whose books i admire, mostly beautifully written fantasy books, which are my favourite kind to read.
7. What are you currently reading?
I read way too many books at once. I'm nearly finished The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart, which is amazing, and even though I know what’s going to happen in general, since it’s an Arthurian story, it’s so exciting! I'm also reading The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, which I'm really enjoying, and I'm reading The Way of Kabbalah by Z’ev Ben Shimon Halevi, which is a fascinating book about the Kabbalah. I'm learning so much from this one, and I'm going to incorporate it in future stories. I'm also reading Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier and a book about druids for research for my next novel. Yes, that’s a lot of books, but I like to read different things depending on my mood or the place I'm reading them.
8. What is your favourite genre to read & write about?
Definitely fantasy! I also read some historical fiction and classics, and I like to combine the style of fantasy with a more old-fashioned style in my writing. The magic and exploring other places is one of the highlights of fantasy for me. It also seems more “noble” and truer than other fiction, especially in books like The Lord of the Rings.
9. Do you have any advice for beginner writers?
I think that if you’re just starting, you have to try different things to see what you like. Write short stories in different genres, different styles, different points of view, etc. When you find out what you really like, and it might be a lot of different things, which is great, then I would just write what you love to write about, and have fun with it. I wrote a few novels before getting Aizai the Forgotten published, and even though they weren’t published, they were definitely worth it and improved my skills a lot. It’s also important to write frequently enough so that you can really get into the story you’re writing. Sometimes it’s hard to make time to write, but if you really like to do it, then I’m sure you can find the time.
The Runelords series by David Farland has definitely influenced my writing, and was the first real high fantasy series that I read. The series is amazing, with a very unique world, captivating characters, and a lot of philosophical aspects to it as well. The Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart has also influenced my writing and has inspired me in many respect. It's a series that really speaks to your soul, and I find that the protagonists she follows in her works are similar to the kinds of characters I chose to follow in my writing as well.
2. Have you always wanted to be an author & what made you want to become an author?
I started writing in elementary school, but only got into writing novels later in high school. I wouldn't write as a full-time job, but I want to write novels throughout my life on the side and continue with the series I'm working on called the The Soul Wanderers. I love to write, to explore places I've never been, and follow characters I've never known, but in a way, as I write, I go to these places, learn magic, and become friends with intriguing characters.
3. Do you relate to any characters in your book?
The main character, Wolfdon, is a lot like me. Not necessarily his personality, but how he thinks, what he dreams of, and his obsession with books, especially old magical books. I think most authors are most like their main characters, even if they don't intend to be.
4. Have you ever experienced writers block, if so how do you over come it?
I usually get writer's block when I don't know what's going to happen next in the story. I sort of poke forwards and don't really get anywhere, and the characters just do boring things. I don't know what to do and they don't know what to do, and so I don't even want to write. I think the best way to over come this is to plan your story better and introduce neat elements that will come up soon so you have something to work towards getting to. If I know there will be a dragon at the other side of the hill, then the journey there somehow becomes easier, and more fun.
5. How did you come up with the idea of writing your novel 'Aizia the Forgotten'?
When I first started writing this story, I hadn't intended for it to be a novel. It started with me just speculating about a lost world that had come into existence and then had vanished, so i decided to write about it. i added a boy who had read about this world and was trying to discover what it was and if he could get to it. i was also trying to discover what Aizia was, but after a while, I figured it out, and at that point, i started plotting the story instead of just writing it.
I was also inspired by ancient estoric philosophies and secret socioties, which i have read some books about. For example, i have a few things about the Kabbalah, talismans, and ideas about New Atlantis, which are all part of old magic traditions around the world.
6.Who is your favourite author?
This is a hard one! I'd probably have to say Mary Stewart, who wrote the Merlin trilogy. Also Tolkien, because I'm a big fan of The Lord of the Rings. There are a lot of authors whose books i admire, mostly beautifully written fantasy books, which are my favourite kind to read.
7. What are you currently reading?
I read way too many books at once. I'm nearly finished The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart, which is amazing, and even though I know what’s going to happen in general, since it’s an Arthurian story, it’s so exciting! I'm also reading The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman, which I'm really enjoying, and I'm reading The Way of Kabbalah by Z’ev Ben Shimon Halevi, which is a fascinating book about the Kabbalah. I'm learning so much from this one, and I'm going to incorporate it in future stories. I'm also reading Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier and a book about druids for research for my next novel. Yes, that’s a lot of books, but I like to read different things depending on my mood or the place I'm reading them.
8. What is your favourite genre to read & write about?
Definitely fantasy! I also read some historical fiction and classics, and I like to combine the style of fantasy with a more old-fashioned style in my writing. The magic and exploring other places is one of the highlights of fantasy for me. It also seems more “noble” and truer than other fiction, especially in books like The Lord of the Rings.
9. Do you have any advice for beginner writers?
I think that if you’re just starting, you have to try different things to see what you like. Write short stories in different genres, different styles, different points of view, etc. When you find out what you really like, and it might be a lot of different things, which is great, then I would just write what you love to write about, and have fun with it. I wrote a few novels before getting Aizai the Forgotten published, and even though they weren’t published, they were definitely worth it and improved my skills a lot. It’s also important to write frequently enough so that you can really get into the story you’re writing. Sometimes it’s hard to make time to write, but if you really like to do it, then I’m sure you can find the time.