Tag: Susie Williamson

For the Love of Dragons

Writing is well under way for Book 3 of Blood Gift Chronicles. While living alongside characters who inspire me daily, I am also immersed in wildlife and dragons as I forge journeys through land, sea and sky. It’s everything I love about fantasy fiction, grounded in relatable experiences, whilst offering inspiration, colour and magic; against a backdrop of danger. There is everything to lose and everything to gain, when we embrace the truth of our identity, and look to freedom. Flight offers the ultimate in freedom, in the skies, or swimming in oceans deep. And so I look to dragons, of different kinds.

I recently received a gift through the post, a gorgeous postcard featuring the Maeshowe dragon, an intriguing and playful image, ancient graffiti left behind in the Neolithic tomb of Orkney, etched by visiting Norsemen. I love the idea of mythical creatures just waiting to be re-awakened. And I love a new book just waiting to be opened, like my recent purchase, Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan, a title I’ve had my eye on for some time now – sirens, sea witches, kelpies, and a deep dive into Japanese folklore with kappas and eastern dragons, what’s not to love.

And so what is the draw to the ever popular dragon?

‘Beyond this place, there be dragons,’ the old map makers used to say…

Fantasy requires us to take a leap of faith and step into the unknown, to render our desire for control and open ourself up to a different possibility. The fact we enjoy the genre suggests we’re looking for that kind of adventure. What better way than with creatures that can take flight or disappear into the deepest oceans, that can shape-shift, have intelligence and speak many tongues, that teach us humility, less we choose the path of destruction, or create opportunity to unite behind a common enemy – if a dragon can wipe out an entire army, it will take more than an army to defeat one. Whatever purpose they serve, they tip us well beyond the threshold of the familiar, transcend to a point of no return.

‘I do not care what comes after; I have seen dragons dancing on the morning winds,’ Ursula Le Guin.

They are also weirdly relatable, since we grow up learning about the giants of history, aka dinosaurs. And of course we know lizards, and there are those that can fly. Flying lizards appear in my WIP novel, and this photograph has been my screensaver for some time, as pointed out by my paper-mache version, companion of the book table.

The feelings that dragons can invoke are also relatable to contemporary issues of climate change, habitat loss and depletion of the species. Ann McCaffery’s dragons are literally allies in the fight against climate change. More subtle, the mysticism in Ursula Le Guin’s dragons in Tales of Earthsea explore the possibility of extinction from the world we know, melancholy at the thought of dragons flying the other wind, leaving behind a world without dragons, a world without the majestic mystery of this awe-inspiring other-worldly magic.

In my series, Blood Gift Chronicles, the theme of power is explored through the hard magic of traditional fire breathers, and the soft magic of water dragons. One power will out, which one, you’ll have to find out, but the aim was never to rid the world of dragons, but rather lean into creation. Exploring these internal and external worlds, opening ourselves up to perspectives of air and sea, considering the power of the otherworldly, gives a vast overview of the world that only dragons can bring. It’s a fly high, and a deep dive, battling internal struggles, fighting powers in a bid for freedom, with the question, if you have fought a dragon, is there any turning back?

Landscape credit to the coastline of Hartlands, where lies a partly submerged, rocky dragon.

Octavia Butler & the Freedom of SFF

It is just over a week ago that I returned from the International Science Fiction Convention, Worldcon 2024 in Glasgow, and what a magnificent few days it was. I have lots to catch up on and share, the sights and inspirations, but first I want to begin with a few thoughts on my latest read, a woman who kept me company for the convention, whose words have been ringing in my ears for many years, the wise and deeply human, Octavia Butler, whose ‘The Last Interview’ was a joy to read.

Octavia Butler was a survivor, a dreamer and a loner. She was painfully shy as an adolescent, dyslexic, and ‘probably’ gay was her literal answer to a direct question. Bloodchild was about male pregnancy. She enjoys working in SF for the freedom it offers, the ability to go into any technological or sociological problem and extrapolate from there. Her work is underpinned by concepts of power, told in worlds of different races, sexes and cultures, with interest in powerless people gaining power. A theme I very much identify with as a context for my own work.

I first read Octavia Butler when I was a young teen, starting with Kindred. Dana Frankin, a Black woman from an interracial marriage in LA in 1976, is mysteriously and repeatedly plucked back in time to 1824 Maryland and to a moral dilemma involving her white ancestor. The author describes how it was purposeful to give Dana a white husband, to complicate her life, and it was purposeful to make her lose her arm, to demonstrate that she could not come back whole from those experiences. The perspective is told from the viewpoint of not what it might have been like for her ancestors, but rather what it might be like for her, how slavery might reshape her emotionally, whether the compromises and capitulations she would have to make might destroy her, and if not, why not?

Octavia Butler speaks of striving to tell a good story, to take the reader to a world they haven’t seen before, one she has enjoyed creating. She subverts expectations about race, gender, and power, incorporating strong women, multiracial societies and aliens who challenge humanity’s penchant for destruction. In Bloodchild, she wanted to subvert expectation of the invasion story, often represented as humans colonising other planets and either facing aliens who resist, or who submit and become good servants. The author created another possibility in the Oankali, a centipede-like creature that you’re not supposed to regard as evil. It is a species that do not force or rush humans into mating but rather try to bring them in gradually. And in Adulthood Rites, the Oankali become convinced that they cannot destroy the humans who participate, and that humans deserve an untouched world of their own, even if it is Mars.

Octavia Butler advocated for write what you care about, rather than write what you know, (or what you think you know, which is often just regurgitating ideas you have been told, ideas you might tell yourself you believe, when in fact you don’t). Writing can push back against human laziness that is prone to stereotyping as a form of shorthand, that might be a way to deal more with the things we care about and less with the other, but it is reductive and can prevent us from discovering things we could want to know.

Last word:

“Feminism is freedom. It’s the freedom to be who you are and not who someone else wants you to be. And science fiction? Science fiction is wide open. You can go anywhere your imagination can go.”

xxx

Nature’s Magic

Summer is here and through the mixed bag of rain and shine, it’s lovely to get out and about for a breath of fresh air at the river, where cygnets are hatching and the heron’s out fishing, and swallows fly ducking and diving over the reeds.

And in the River Otter, industrious beavers are building their damns. We were lucky enough to catch sight of one of these gorgeous creatures tucking into a well-earned dinner, and all thanks to Devon Wildlife Trust. DWT successfully pushed back against the UK government who had planned to have beavers removed from the river after a sighting of kits in 2008. After consultation, the first wild beaver re-introduction project began, starting with two family groups. These industrious creatures successfully began managing the waterway, and after evidencing the benefits to both people and wildlife, in 2020 the government announced Devon’s beavers could stay – and spread naturally into other river catchments. It was the first legally sanctioned reintroduction of an extinct native mammal to England. Currently there are 15 family groups estimated, and long may they continue to thrive.

An appreciation of wildlife extends into my fantasy series, Blood Gift Chronicles, with nature and magic entwining to form a luxurious backdrop. The natural world is more than a setting, it is a character, with moods, histories and qualities that can be bizarre, tragic, mysterious, frightening or inspiring. Once the backdrop is alive, I explore how the characters interact with it, and how it weaves its way into revealing culture, belief, and conflict.

The natural world is intrinsic in the worlds we create. It provides us with food and water, and air to breathe; it nurtures crops with rain and sun, offering herbs with medicinal properties; it is one of the reasons we are alive. I enjoy stories that invite us to reflect on our relationship with living things. While some stories portray characters with human-like traits, I prefer to work with a more realistic approach, and leave it up to the human characters to discover ways of forging connections with wildlife that is wild.

The first book in the series, Return of the Mantra, explores the idea of nature being personified against a backdrop of conflict. The young woman protagonist, Suni, explores contrasting environments, surviving to discover and forge her own identity which strengthens her fight for justice. Another significant character, a boy called Wanda, begins his mysterious journey in understanding his unique connection with wildlife. Through the series we see characters age and grow as the world expands, and revelations are explored through the connections characters have with the natural world. There is tenderness, wisdom, ferocity, devastation, and strength, through themes of self-determination, environmental justice, love, loss, and becoming. I particularly enjoy scenes of heightened empathy that express the significance of our relationship with the natural world. And in writing book 3 I’m enjoying the renewed strength that characters old and new bring, among wildlife that lets us know just how significant it truly is. In turn there is an exploration of what it means to be human, vulnerable and alive.

And now, back to the novel…

Wishing everyone a lovely week ahead…

Elemental Spring

Early spring passed mostly in a flurry of wind and rain, and plenty of time to stay indoors with Blood Gift Chronicles and the magical twists and turns and soaring heights of Book 3’s WIP. But every now and then the weather holds long enough for a trip outdoors to see a refreshing sight.

From the stately home of Knighthayes, watched over by Devon’s rolling hills, and marking a grand presence over sprawling gardens of giant trees and early blooming rhododendrons…

To the watery expanse of Fernworthy reservoir, where moss-covered woodland is a step in time with magical realms…

For work, a visit to the local radio station was a highlight, in recognition of International Women’s Day. No photos this year but a reminder of last year’s late show with the phenomenal Mama Tokus, and our wonderful host, Kerrie Seymour.

It was great to be able to return this year, contributing to the ambitious 24 hour radio take-over by Dreadnought South West, sharing poetry themed on IWD, and chatting about writing, books and all I have coming up this year, including WorldCon and an epic trip to Glasgow in the summer. I’m super excited for a jam-packed, SFF weekend, and a chance to meet up with my lovely publishers, Stairwell Books.

Closer to home and we’ve just emerged from a weekend book festival on the Hartland Coast.

It was blustery there too, but a great chance to visit the dragon rocks of Hartland (or at least that’s how I see them), in the lovely company of my wife. I wrote The Warder before ever visiting this place, and yet I spy familiar sights with dramatic rock faces, circling birds of prey, rugged paths, multi-toned wild gorse, and a distant island view – Lundy Island in real life. With a writing week ahead, I’m inspired.

And while the blustery wind and rain has returned today, so too has spring made an appearance.

Wishing everyone a good week ahead…

Stories, Writing and Comic Fun

A busy weekend gone by at Comic Con, surrounded by stories old and new that have inspired through the ages, demonstrated by those who fully embrace the characters they love, with impressive cosplay and fun encounters. The craftmanship and animatronics is always awe inspiring, from clockwork owls, giant centaurs, a transformer or two, many more, and of course, Darth Vadar and his army of storm troopers. The Star Wars franchise is always a favourite of mine, not least because the time span of the series demonstrates the progress made for equality. The evolution of female characters is a subject in its own right, but oh, I do love Rey – maybe one day I will see her make an appearance there… In the meantime…

It was of course also great to discover new readers, and to chat with those who have read or are reading my own Blood Gift Chronicles. Accompanied by my artwork, and self-made props, it was great to be able to offer more immersion into my world, from the crystal mines of Shendi and the lost mountain lions, through the changing landscapes and the faces of those who carry us through, to tales of dragons, and real-life colonies of flying lizards. The geography and wildlife that inhabits the various land and waterscapes is as real in my mind’s eye as a blackbird’s song, and it’s lovely to share that vision with others. This is what stories are made of.

And of course some readers are writers, and with a fair few years under my belt, with various ups and downs along the way, I’m always happy share, to inspire, and of course in turn be inspired. And so for any budding writers out there, a few points that came up in conversation amid comic fun:

Find your routine, your groove, your working motivators whether that’s allocated time or word counts, and Just Write. Procrastination is the enemy. Talking about writing is not writing. Wanting to be a writer is not writing. Just write. Don’t get caught in edits, just get the story down. Beware of rabbit holes, maintain perspective, you’re the writer not a player, so Just Write. Writing is rewriting is rewriting… that’s how you build, that’s how you discover, that’s how you finish… And then you start all over again. Just Write. If you’re looking for an easy way through, you’ll be disappointed: there is no easy way, there’s just you. Are you a writer? Then Just Write.

Have a wonderful week…

Eastercon 2023

Reflections of a busy weekend in Birmingham for this year’s Eastercon, an annual convention of all things sci-fi, fantasy and horror. It was great to be there in person, representing Blood Gift Chronicles with readings from The Warder.

And it was a great chance to catch up with my publishers, Stairwell Books, at home with a fabulous book table in the dealer’s room.

As a writer/reader/watcher of these genres, the fact that I love them goes without saying. But it’s conventions like these that give you the deep dive into a world that knows no bounds, and demands that you look harder, root further, for all we bring as writers, and for all we celebrate as readers. I took part in many great panels, which in themselves is revealing, including topics around feminism, LGBTQ+, young adult, older protagonists, and cats – which proved popular for a nation of cat lovers!!! Plus it was great to meet new people, talk with readers, share ideas, support and encouragement, and be inspired by possibility.

It is always interesting to reflect on the power of representation and its role in fuelling liberation, on a personal level with the potential to translating into wider society. Empowered people seek liberation. And then, while standing on the shoulders of giants, (thank you Ursula Le Guin and Octavia Butler, among others) we imagine anew and expand on ideas of possibility. As far as the environment goes, it has never been more urgently needed. Whilst I may expand on some ideas in future blogs, for now, a special mention to the ever-growing young adult market, a genre for all ages, with enormous range, scope and potential. Personally, as far as politics goes, the future depends on young people, as well as an open line of communication across generations. And what better way to share than through stories.

“We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begins in art, and very often in our art, the art of words.” Ursula K. LeGuin

Speaking of the environment, it was a breath of fresh air to appreciate a big pocket of wilding among the urban, from Canada geese at the NEC, to promising bat boxes. And a special injection of art, with lilies on the water, and a sculpture entitled ‘Beyond All Limits’ by Luke Burton, specially commissioned to commemorate the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, and dedicated to Help for Heroes.

 

 On a different note, it was a special someone’s birthday on Monday, and since we were in Birmingham, what better way to celebrate than a visit to Cadbury’s World, followed by dinner at TJI Fridays…

Goodnight Birmingham…xxx

Worldcon: Pre-Convention Dragons

Two days to go and I will be at Worldcon, the 80th World Science Fiction Convention which this year is being held in Chicago. Thanks to the wonders of technology, I’ll be tuning in from the comfort of my writing room. As well as being an avid spectator, I’m joining in with the programme, which involves taking the time to consider my work and perspectives.

And this Tuesday morning it’s all about dragons… which feature in my series Blood Gift Chronicles. Prior to the books, in the planning stages, I didn’t start out with the intention of writing dragons, although it’s possible that there was something happening in the sub-conscious. I mean who doesn’t love dragons? I remember the decision-making process, whether to go with something as familiar and perhaps obvious, or go for invention. Ultimately, I was drawn to dragons, or at least versions of them – as familiar as dragons are, I’m definitely going for a whole new angle.

I was thinking about the quote by Ursula Le Guin: “I do not care what comes after; I have seen dragons dancing on the morning winds.”

They are creatures that reveal an awe-inspiring feeling of other-worldly magic. They are the ultimate strength, the lesson in humility, the fact that there are things bigger than us, out of our control. But rather than the idea of going up against a dragon, trying to beat a dragon, the story develops into becoming a dragon, what that reflects in us, storylines analogous to loss, love, loyalty, grief and empowerment – the idea of ‘beyond this place, there be dragons’ – rather than an outer journey, thinking about an inner journey that someone might go through in transforming.

Back to Blood Gift Chronicles, and dragons don’t actually feature until the third book. Stories are told of them in the second book and the magic is alluded to, but it’s not until the third that we discover the big mystery of the dragons.

A final thought for now, the idea of dragons comes with a kind of melancholy, that idea of bordering on extinction – extinction of magic, and the fantastical, and creature extinction. That fits with some of the themes in the books, around wildlife and the environment. There are storylines around the interplay of capitalism and corruption and impacts on nature, and just generally, wildlife is a very visible backdrop throughout the books, almost with an identity of character in lots of ways. In fact, in book one it does take the form of a fantastical creature character.

Have you met the Mantra yet?

    

The Warder Celebration & BGC Art

June 2022 was the month for finally getting together to celebrate last year’s release, The Warder. The event was set to go ahead here in Exeter, and preparations were going swimmingly…

but alas, we were thwarted by Covid. Life can be as unpredictable as the twists and turns of our stories, and so came a last-minute shift onto zoom.

Hosted by my publishers, the lovely folks of Stairwell Books, and joined by local guest readers bringing more fantasy, folklore, poetry and rhyme, it was lovely to spend time in the company of other writers, as well as readers of my series so far. And onto my readings.

With a brief intro. to Book One, Return of the Mantra, I was reminded of intrepid Suni and her search for justice and her own identity. Thrust into some stark environments, she discovers what she’s really made of, in contrast to the mountaintop view where her worldview is forever changed. And of course, when you’re up against tyranny and fighting for the natural world, it takes more than one voice. Onto Book 2, The Warder, where we get to know more of our heroines and heroes.

With three main characters in The Warder, three scenes jumped out at me to share.

Wanda, an eighteen-year-old young man, gifted but also cursed by a shadow bound to him. One of his opening scenes is a favourite, looking out over the grasslands, searching for respite from his curse.

Ten-year-old Luna, troubled by strange visions, experiences her own personal breaking high in the mountains.

And, perhaps holding it all together, Suni returns, working to restore harmony to her hometown, while using her gift to watch out over her young friend.

The dominoes are falling, squeezing characters and revealing timeless bonds. All set in a world with new lands revealed, where old and new, the mundane and the fantastical, coexist. Prepare to be cast away to an archipelago of islands in the far western reaches, with the musty air of the cavernous temple and the sound of footsteps crossing the mosaic-tiled floor; in contrast to the warm desert winds of Shendi, carrying spells and curses that touch all those with the gift to hear…

With themes of wildlife and the environment, social justice and marginalisation, magic, animism, being true to oneself, and dragons… Not to mention a diverse range of character arcs revealing love in all its forms.

Prior to the event, I set myself a project to imagine what my characters might look like. Of course, it’s ultimately for readers to draw their own conclusion, but I’ll leave you with the result of the project: a series of portraits, my own artistic interpretation of my beloved characters that span the series, Blood Gift Chronicles.

Happy Reading!

 

The Warder – One Year Anniversary

March saw the one-year anniversary of my sequel, The Warder (Blood Gift Chronicles Book 2). It’s a strange thing to release a book during lockdown, yet the year has been busy regardless, with online events including travelling to Montreal from the comfort of home for World Fantasy Convention 2021. A few in-person events to Birmingham, Bristol and the lovely Weston-Super-Mare were great opportunities to meet readers and join panels that always leave you with more questions than you can ever answer, which is why there are always more books to write!

Winning Firebird Awards for both Blood Gift Chronicles novels so far was a real highlight! Click here for my radio interview. https://www.speakuptalkradio.com/author-susie-williamson/

And, WOW to be compared to the phenomenal Ursula Le Guin in the latest review of The Warder. Click here.

And the reviews keep coming.

Some recent 5*reviews for Return of the Mantra were gratefully received, and raised some thought-provoking points. Plus it’s always wonderful to hear that these characters we painstakingly bring to life are loved and appreciated and strike a chord with readers.

 Click here for review by Yvonne Hendrie: “The otherworldliness of this novel is magical, but the issues Suni faces jab at our consciousness because her world is a microcosm of our own. It’s this which allows the reader to explore their own feelings and responses and ask what they would do in the place of Suni and indeed all the characters who must make difficult choices and decisions. We can do this only because the characters are so real – alive, flawed, trying to survive and thrive while the world around them disintegrates. A truly thought-provoking novel.”

Click here for review by Eliza Mood: “Enjoyed this fantasy of rites of passage touching on belief, spirituality, inner strength. A fable resonant for our time.”

Click here for review by Michelle Kenney: “Return of the Mantra is thought-provoking, unique fantasy, as well as a story that isn’t afraid to tackle difficult themes. I defy you not to be thinking of Suni long after you’ve turned the final page.”

Thank you, Michelle. I feel the same way about Suni, actually about a number of characters in Blood Gift Chronicles. I am currently working on Blood Gift Chronicles Book 3, introducing some new characters, expanding the world to incorporate new landscapes, while prominent faces from the first two books remain. The world is connected and events can throw the most unlikely lives together, pretty much like the world as we know it. I’m enjoying expanding on the story, while hopefully laying the way for readers to venture into unlikely places.

One of my favourite quotes from Lord of the Rings:

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

And I wonder, would Suni, Zandi, Juna, Wanda and co. share Frodo’s sentiment or Gandalf’s. And I say, choose well, because there is no saying where this next adventure may lead…

Happy Reading!

FantasyCon 2021

Nearing the end of September and the month has flown by. Last weekend involved a trip to Birmingham to join FantasyCon 2021, an annual convention celebrating the weird and wonderful worlds of SFF.

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