An Interview With Ian Benke
Believe — to make it real. Take inspiration from the great authors of science fiction and fantasy, who were often forecasters. Think of it: Quantum physics now links time and space! Epigenetics reveals we carry in our bodies the experiences of those who’ve gone before us! Oceanography discovers aliens of the deep, highly intelligent, creative and empathetic sea creatures — some glowing with inexplicable sources of light! Relax. Breathe. Believe. After all, your story may be true.
Science Fiction and Fantasy are hugely popular genres. What does it take for a writer today, to write compelling and successful Science Fiction and Fantasy stories? Authority Magazine started a new series called “How To Write Compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories”. In this series we are talking to anyone who is a Science Fiction or Fantasy author, or an authority or expert on how to write compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kellye Abernathy.
Kellye Abernathy is the author ofThe Aquamarine Surfboard (Atmosphere Press, 2022). Her passions are writing and serving trauma survivors as a yoga teacher and practical life skills advocate. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Kansas and lives in Plano, Texas — find out more at kellyeabernathy.com.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share a story about what first drew you to writing over other forms of storytelling?
Writing was one of my first loves, along with reading. Since I grew up moving around frequently, I was always the new girl in school. Thankfully, I learned to escape to the school library whenever things got overwhelming or lonely. No matter where I was living, libraries were a comforting place to read and write and dream. I’m drawn to all forms of storytelling, but the written word comes most easily to me — probably because books were my best friends in those challenging early years.
You are a successful author. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Openness:
I spent the first few years of my writing career writing contemporary thrillers. I called these unpublished books my cathartic novels — a way for me to work through some of the troubling scenarios I saw in my advocacy work with trauma survivors.
One bright day, I realized I needed to open my writing up to the magical parts of life. Shortly after that, on a misty morning when I was staying in a cozy beach cottage on a trip to the California coast, I made my way down to the sand for an early yoga practice. The beach was deserted, except for a few ancient old ladies, collecting shells and picking up trash. Curls of mist off the water made them appear other-worldly. I closed my eyes and began my practice, breathing in the clean ocean air.
Soon I lost track of time. When I finished, the old women were gone, along with the mist. I glanced out to sea — and that’s when it happened. A dark-haired boy in a wetsuit popped out of the water where the biggest waves were crashing. Caught in the first rays of sun, he hopped on his board and made a spectacular surfing run to shore.
I was awe-struck. I didn’t know how he had possibly gotten out to that rough and tumble line of waves. That part of the shoreline is a tangle of scattered rock. Surfing is forbidden there.
My imagination took hold — and The Aquamarine Surfboard was born!
Curiosity:
Curiosity fuels all parts of my life, especially my obsessive study of the ocean’s mysteries. Can you believe the ocean is less than 5% explored? Curiosity keeps me dedicated to discovering the magic of the deep, both real and imagined. Curiosity also keeps me seeking new creative ways to build community — one of the major themes in my writing. Most importantly, curiosity keeps me on my toes, wondering how I can pull all these elements together into a compelling story!
Self-discipline:
Keep moving, breathing, learning, loving — embrace failure and setbacks as gifts — stay committed to finding joy whenever you can. Joy’s the payoff for self-discipline. It always comes down to that for me. The trick is enjoying the journey and surrendering the outcomes.
Can you tell us a bit about the interesting or exciting projects you are working on or wish to create? What are your goals for these projects?
I’m excited to share that the second book, a companion novel to The Aquamarine Surfboard, is well underway. (Think Amethyst!) A third book in the same world is also planned, currently playing around in the outer banks of my imagination. I’d love to see my work turned into movies or a series. What fun to bring a story infused with unpredictable ocean magic to the screen!
Wonderful. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Let’s begin with a basic definition so that all of us are on the same page. How do you define sci-fi or fantasy? How is it different from speculative fiction?
I define fantasy as fiction that creates an imaginary world where impossible or improbable things happen. Science fiction takes fantasy a step further, bringing in elements related to science and sometimes technology. Often sci-fi contains futuristic concepts related to time, space or travel between worlds and dimensions.
Differentiating between sci-fi and fantasy and speculative fiction is difficult. That said, I think I’m most comfortable putting sci-fi and fantasy under the big umbrella of speculative fiction, along with supernatural and horror — each of these genres feels speculative to me.
It seems that despite countless changes in media and communication technologies, novels and written fiction always survive, and as the rate of change increases with technology, written sci-fi becomes more popular. Why do you think that is?
Written sci-fi brings an extra element to the story — the reader’s limitless imagination! Reading brings new energy to the experience of visiting uncharted worlds. Each reader has a unique lens — that marvelous mega universe called the human imagination.
In your opinion, what are the benefits to reading sci-fi, and how do they compare to watching sci-fi on film and television?
I love the artistic power of film and television but reading deepens my connection to the story. I get attached to my own imaginings and emotions while reading, filling in gaps when things are not explained by the author. The gaps — intentional or not — are places where the writer leaves things unsaid. Portals to the reader’s imagination, the gaps are where the story is enhanced by personal interpretation.
What authors and artists, dead or alive, inspired you to write?
Madeleine L’Engle, science fantasy author of A Wrinkle in Time
L’Engle’s books are infused with the magical powers of countless story forms, poetry, history, myth, music, a love of sunsets and sea. She wrote fearlessly — without limits!
Emily X. R. Pan, author of The Astonishing Color of After
Pan’s work sings with the magic of lyrical writing while tenderly lifting the veil on sensitive subjects. The story is mesmerizing, the journey deep and mystical — the evocative title says it all.
Social Media Tags: Instagram: @exrpan
Twitter: @exrpan
Facebook.com/ Emily X. R. Pan
Sy Montgomery, author of the Soul of an Octopus and The Octopus Scientists:
A naturalist and non-fiction science writer, Montgomery documents the amazing lives of little-understood sea creatures. (Yes, octopuses really are clever and empathetic!)
Social Media Tags: Instagram: @sytheauthor
Twitter: @SyTheAuthor
Facebook.com/Sy Montgomery
Rene Denfeld, author of The Child Finder and The Butterfly Girl
Denfeld’s work is suspenseful and raw, exposing stories of the most vulnerable among us, homeless children. Using the transformative medium of the thriller detective story, she advocates for change.
Social Media Tags: Instagram: @rdenfeld
Twitter: @ReneDenfeld
Facebook.com/renedenfeldauthor
If you could ask your favourite Science Fiction and Fantasy author a question, what would it be?
I’d love to ask Madeleine L’Engle how she dealt with the difficult question: “Where does your book fit on the shelf?” L’Engle’s great body of work doesn’t easily fit in an age group or genre — an issue I’m currently facing. One of her great quotes: “If the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then write it for children.”
We’d like to learn more about your writing. How would you describe yourself as an author?
I describe myself as a pantser who wishes she was more of an organized planner. I tend to deviate from my best laid intentions right at the start of the first draft. It’s not until at least the second draft that I start to organize my thoughts and clean up inconsistencies. By the third draft, things are getting painful, there’s a lot of tightening and clarifying and cutting because I overwrite everything to a painfully detailed degree (making tons of typos along the way!). I also suffer greatly with “killing my darlings”, as Hemingway would say.
Can you please share a specific passage that you think exemplifies your style?
People say Windy Hollow is haunted. A lonely place, the tall tower of stone juts out of the sea on the far side of the cove, catching the worst of ocean gales and ragged surf. A crooked finger of stone bridges the tower to a high overlook. There the ruins of an abandoned mansion and an ancient spa hotel perch side-by-side, crumbling into the sea.
On calm days, and only at low tide, a dune of sand appears in the foaming waters below the Hollow, making it easy to wade to the tower’s stone stairs. That’s when Condi climbs to the top and makes her way over to sit on the orange-red rescue kayak, the one turned upside down, wedged between the two half-moon rocks.
For most of the kids in town, going to the top of Windy Hollow is forbidden.
But Grand Ella understands why she needs to go there.
Remembering is the most important thing, though it’s the hardest thing of all.
Based on your own experience and success, what are the “Five Things You Need To Write Compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories?” If you can, please share a story or example for each.
My YouTube Channel, Kellye Abernathy, contains my video of the “Five Things You Need to Write Compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories”. Here’s the unlisted URL:
Writing compelling fantasy and science fiction is about 5 things:
1) “What if?” Opening to this question allows writers to venture into vast unexplored worlds.
2) Breathe deeply into “What if?” As a yoga and meditation teacher for trauma survivors, I know the healing and creative powers of breathing. Not all breath is equal. Think of creative breathing as a wave. Inhale, wave rising, Pause, wave peaking, Exhale long… wave running to shore…
3) Sensory Connection. Some may call this mindfulness. More simply, it’s connecting to your world with all five senses. Smell, taste, hear, see — revel in all the colors, feel all the feelings…invite the magic in!
4) Ride the tide of ideas. Have fun! Not all ideas will end up in your story — but they’ll enhance it just the same. Readers will feel the depth and energy of all your unwritten imaginings.
5) Believe — to make it real. Take inspiration from the great authors of science fiction and fantasy, who were often forecasters. Think of it: Quantum physics now links time and space! Epigenetics reveals we carry in our bodies the experiences of those who’ve gone before us! Oceanography discovers aliens of the deep, highly intelligent, creative and empathetic sea creatures — some glowing with inexplicable sources of light!
Relax. Breathe. Believe.
After all, your story may be true.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Entertainment, Business, VC funding, and Sports read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them 🙂
I’d love to have a private breakfast or lunch with Dr. Brene Brown, research professor at the University of Houston, host of the Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead podcasts and author of numerous books, most recently her book on the language of emotions, Atlas of the Heart. Brene’s work is varied and far-reaching. She’s a gifted storyteller, activist, and fierce advocate for the underrepresented — a shining example of what it takes to live a life of vulnerability and courage — the very subjects she researches. I hope to instill these qualities in my readers.
Brene Brown quotes: “We can measure how brave you are by how vulnerable you’re willing to be.” “Show up, even when you can’t control the outcome.” “Stay awkward, brave and kind.”
Social Media Tags: Instagram: @brenebrown
Twitter: @brenebrown
Facebook.com/brenebrown
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Instagram: @kellyeabernathybooks
Twitter: @abernathykellye
Facebook: /kellyeabernathybooks
Linked In: Kellye Abernathy
Thank you for these excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent. We wish you continued success.
Author Kellye Abernathy On How To Write Compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.