An Interview with our Author Lilian Horn
Last year, we at Rising Action were delighted to sign Lilian Horn onto our imprint for her debut novel: Tales from the Red Queen (working title), a steampunk fantasy featuring Nordic mythology and a tough-as-nails Airship Captain. To get to know her as a person and a writer, we hosted an interview where she talks about her inspiration and being Norwegian.
Where are you located?
I live in the mythical land where we have midnight sun during the summer and three months of perpetual darkness in the winter with dancing aurora borealis painting our winter sky. This place is also commonly known as Northern Norway.
What age were you when you wrote your first story? Was it a short story? A novel? A fanfiction?
I can’t ever remember not writing. In school whenever we had story assignments, I would write pages upon pages to my teacher’s dismay, handwritten or otherwise. When I got my first PC at fourteen I wrote a ton of fanfiction, and although they were mostly terrible, they jumpstarted that side of me that wanted to create my own stories.
Is there any genre you would never write?
I’m not averse to any genre as my works tend to have a little bit of everything in it. But I'm definitely not cut out for writing romance or biographies.
Are you a pantser or a plotter?
I define myself as a plantser. Certain stories I have more or less the entire story plotted, but other times I barely have a concept and pants(?) my way through it, hoping for the best. I lean more on the pantser side as it gives me time to get to know the characters properly when I don’t know them all that well yet and it makes drafting fun.
Where did your inspiration come from for Tales from the Red Queen?
Tales From the Red Queen started out as a dream. In the dream, I saw a Spanish galleon with golden sails shrouded in a red fog and a shadowy figure at the bowsprit (front of the ship), gliding through the air in complete silence. All I had was the ship and this figure to go on, but knowing it flew through the air there was either magic or technology involved, and being a fan of Disney’s Treasure Planet, I had all the inspiration I needed about the technological aspect of the world. Growing up with Norwegian folktales, I wanted a Scandinavian setting with creatures familiar to me and a journey involving the Red Queen. The rest is history.
Have you taken any formal writing classes?
I haven’t.
Are you part of any writer’s groups or communities?
I should, shouldn’t I?
What part of writing do you enjoy the most?
Editing. Hands down, I love the editing process the most. Polishing those god-awful lines into diamonds is what I love the most. However, in the drafting process, I love world-building the most, all those subtle details about the world around the characters when I still don’t have much depth to the dialogue or emotional arc or growth.
Who has encouraged you the most in your writing?
My beta reader who also happens to be one of my best friends. He always asks the right questions that make me really think about the stories I’m creating. A good second would be my father when he gave me my first laptop. I don’t think he knew what writing monster he created when he gave me free access to the keyboard 24/7.
Aside from writing, do you have any other hobbies?
I paint watercolors, cross embroidery, digital paint (I’m dreadful but it’s fun), I play a lot of video games, read, study languages and the list goes on.
What three books would you cart around with you in an apocalypse?
Only 3?
Vampire Hunter D (the first novel in the series) written by Hideyuki Kikuchi
The Cleric Quintet by R.A. Salvatore
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
What is your favourite movie?
Disney’s Atlantis
Where is your favourite place to travel?
I really enjoyed South Korea, even though I never left the capital. Coming from a measly city of 70k people to a metropolis of 30 something million was mindblowing, and the cultural differences were incredibly fascinating. Plus the food was amazing.
Some silly questions!
Because you’re from Norway … have you seen Frozen/Frozen II and did you like them?
I have seen Frozen but not the second movie (yet!) and I enjoyed it quite a lot. A bit too much singing for my taste, but Arendelle was a cute touch.
I’ve heard that there are over 1500 fjords in Norway. Do you have a favourite?
That would be Geirangerfjorden and I would love to see it someday. I’ve only seen it through pictures but the view is breathtaking.
Are you a descendent of the Vikings?
If you live in Norway you become a descendant of the Vikings. What happens when you stay awhile is you’re inhabited by the ancient spirits of the country’s forefathers welcoming you into their arms and you get the urge to visit England and bring back souvenirs. On a serious note, I have no clue as Norway is a soup of people from all over, but many of us like to think that we are.
What stereotype of North Americans do you think is most amusing/confusing/mind-boggling?
You can hear them. You always hear them. If there’s a North American visiting my city I can hear them from ten blocks away. Otherwise, I would say what I find mind-boggling is how some wear shoes indoors.
Tales from the Red Queen is coming out in Autumn 2022! Follow Rising Action, and Lilian, on social media for updates!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilianhornwrites/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LilianHorn_