Interviews with Cecilia Page One, continued.

No, it was not a story about aliens. That’s the way people draw when they’re little kids!!
You know how when you’re a child, adults always ask you "what you want to be when you grow up"? I always instantly replied, "An author. And I want to illustrate my own books." (Haven’t got around to the illustration part yet.). Throughout my life I’ve written stories as a form of recreation. I possess boxes full of tales and poems scribbled throughout the years. They were more ‘outpourings of spirit’ than anything that could claim to belong in the literary domain. But I was learning through doing. At least, I like to think I was. I always wanted to write fantasy and science fiction but the real fantasy clincher was when I read The Lord of the Rings at the age of nine. Like so many people, I was deeply influenced by Professor Tolkien’s tale. I loved it. I wanted to visit Middle-Earth, and that reinforced my desire to create my own "alternative world".

Future Fiction: What are your plans from here? Once the trilogy is done will you be returning to this world or do you have other topics you’d like to write about?

Having finished the three Bitterbynde books, I am currently writing a second trilogy. Why a trilogy, I have no idea. There’s probably some subconscious reason. Conceivably, I was more profoundly influenced by Lord of the Rings than I realized.
This second trilogy is set in a land very similar to Erith, although it is another world entirely. I do love my eldritch wights. It would be hard to stop writing about them. In what is euphemistically called my "filing system" there lurk a few unfinished tomes. One is a historical novel with overtones of fantasy. Another is a humorous science fiction/fantasy. Whether I will eventually return to them, I’m unsure (but the humorous piece cracks me up).

Future Fiction: Please tell us something about the authors or other individuals that have influenced or inspired you over the years.

Gladly. I have already mentioned Professor Tolkien, who changed my life. The other author who has been a Major Muse for me is Tanith Lee. The first Lee stories I ever read were Drinking Sapphire Wine and Don't Bite the Sun. These tales had me instantly enthralled, and when I went on to read her Birthgrave trilogy my Lee-addiction became incurable. Her use of language is unparalleled. The opening lines of Birthgrave took my breath away: "To wake, and not know where, or who you are, not even to know what you are – whether a thing with legs and arms, or a beast, or a brain in the hull of a great fish – that is a strange awakening." In hindsight I suspect, or rather I know that opening subconsciously and inadvertently influenced me when I was writing The Ill-Made Mute. Another favorite Lee book is her anthology Forests of the Night.
Other authors who have influenced and inspired me (in no particular order), include Nicholas Stuart Gray, George McDonald, Andre Norton, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, William Shakespeare, E. Nesbit, Eleanor Farjeon, Katharine Briggs, Ruth Tongue and Alan Garner.
It is necessary to include ‘artists’ in the category of ‘inspirations’. For me, visual images and literature are so closely related they can at times be almost indistinguishable. Perhaps this is a form of ‘synaesthesia’? No matter; the fact remains that words and pictures mingle together almost inextricably in my mind, along with music and, sometimes, three-dimensional shapes. Artists who have influenced my writing include Cicely Mary Barker, Arthur Rackham, John Waterhouse, Edward Burne-Jones, Maxfield Parrish, Brian Froud, Alan Lee, Paul Gregory and Michael Whelan. My website contains some links to their works.
And then there are the musicians – The Chieftains and Clannad in particular.

Future Fiction: It was rather refreshing to read a fantasy novel that had such unique and interesting characters and situations. Thanks for reminding us that there’s more to fantasy than elves, dwarves and goblins!

Thank you. You have recognized one of the main thrusts of Bitterbynde. In writing this trilogy, I deliberately set out to beat a path of my own. Partially, this stemmed from reading a lot of very similar fantasy that seemed to try to reflect Tolkien but never quite managed it. Partially it evolved from my desire to ‘create’ a world that was truly different, not merely a caricature of Europe in the Dark Ages populated with 21st century characters dressed up in medieval costume. Professor Tolkien was inspired by Scandinavian mythology, a source of elves, dwarves and goblins. It is a marvelous, thrilling tradition, but only one of many folk traditions in the world.

Future Fiction: I sense a very strong Celtic influence in this novel, can you tell us more about how you came up with your characters and scenarios?

Some of the main human characters are based on people I know. As for the immortal characters - before I started writing The Ill-Made Mute I had, for several years, been interested in the folklore of the British Isles. My reading in the area was extensive. Gradually I came to understand that the world I wanted to write about was rife with the supernatural denizens of British folklore. By British folklore, I mean the genuine, oral traditions of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The term "Celtic" refers, geographically, to Scotland, Ireland and Brittany. (Does it also refer to Wales, or is that ‘Cymric’?) I’m under the impression that strictly speaking, Celtic legend refers to such famous, tragic and bloody sagas as "Cuchulain", "The Red Hand of Ulster" and "The Cattle Raid of Cooley" (Tain Bo Cuailnge). The folklore in which I am immersed does not in any way touch upon those legends. Rather, it pivots around the everyday beliefs originating in ancient rural communities throughout the British Isles. England is not ‘Celtic’, but much wonderful folklore originates in English localities like Somerset, Cornwall and the Midlands. I suppose one might call these mingled and often overlapping lore-traditions "Anglo-Celtic." ("Gaelo-Anglian"? "Celti-Angloid"?) All the "wights" in The Bitterbynde Trilogy are drawn from the pages of authentic folk records.

Future Fiction: Do you have any advice for fledgling authors?

My advice to fledgling authors is the same as the advice I’ve so often heard from writers – but it is GREAT advice. Find your voice and follow it. I used to think, "What do they mean by ‘voice’?" And I still find the term hard to define. It’s to do with writing about subjects that fascinate you, and writing in a way that feels right to you. It’s to do with NOT writing what you think you "ought to", or what you believe "the public will like" or "editors will like", or what is "the current trend". It’s about believing in yourself.
The other advice would be, ‘read the best’. Read the cream of writing. As you read, the good stuff somehow seeps into the cranium by means of a strange form of osmosis. On second thoughts, you can read rubbish if you want. I often do. But try to balance the garbage with the treasure; try to allow the good stuff to be the only thing that seeps in.

Future Fiction: Once they have a story written, how should they go about getting it published?

Step 1: (Optional).
Go to a writer’s workshop of some description. It may be a real world one, or it may be online, such as www.onlinewritingworkshops.com which focuses on Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. These workshops are designed for writers to exchange views on each other’s work. You will be criticized. Brace yourself. But don’t take criticism to heart; don’t let it destroy you. You will also receive praise and good advice. The trick is sorting out the bad advice from the good. Go with your instinct. Don’t simply believe everyone else is right. Workshops are a good way to polish your story.

Step 2:
Many publishers will not look at manuscripts from unpublished authors unless they are submitted by literary agents. Therefore, find a reputable literary agent and send them a query letter. http://www.sfwa.org/beware/agents.html provides warnings about certain unscrupulous operators in the field. The Association of Author’s Representatives http://www.publishersweekly.com/aar/ can be helpful, as can the publication "The Literary Marketplace" at http://www.bowker.com/bowkerweb/catalog2001/prod00093.htm. If your reputable agent responds positively, send him/her your neatly and beautifully typed manuscript formatted according to a set of professional guidelines (e.g. from "The Literary Marketplace").

Step 3
Keep writing while you’re waiting for your agent to get a sale. If nothing seems to be happening, be patient. If nothing still seems to be happening, pester your agent (slightly).

Step 4
Never give up. If all else fails, you can always self-publish.

Future Fiction: How long did it take you to find a publisher for The Ill-Made Mute?

It was not long; two weeks perhaps. As soon as my agent took me on as a client, she sent the manuscript to Warner Books, and as I recall it wasn’t too long before they bought the trilogy. Before that I had been too reticent to show the manuscript to a publisher. The closest I got to doing that was posting part of Chapter 1 on the Del Rey Online Workshop. So, if you count that as starting to look for a publisher, it took me three months.
It was a huge buzz to be taken on by the first publisher to see the full manuscript, and when Warner Aspect said they wanted to publish the trilogy in hardcover the buzz just zoomed out of control.
So miracles do happen, and they can happen to any budding writer.