Interview with C. L. Holland, author of ‘The Empty Dark’

It’s now time for our last author interview from issue 1 of Fantasy Short Stories, which features C. L. Holland, the author of ‘The Empty Dark’.

Can you tell our readers a little about ‘The Empty Dark’ and how you got the idea for the story?

The characters were already floating around, but ‘The Empty Dark’ itself came from one of the writing challenges over at the Liberty Hall writers’ website. Unfortunately I can’t remember what the trigger for that particular challenge was, but it seemed to fit. The story’s been changed a lot since then, and it was the first time I realised Korix why is afraid of the dark.

Who are your favourite fantasy fiction authors, and why?

At the moment, Patricia McKillip and Sarah Monette. I love McKillip’s lyrical style, and the feel of the worlds she creates. Sarah Monette’s work is dark and beautiful, her world-building is so detailed and she’s not afraid of putting squalor and horror right in the middle of it.

Are there any authors that you admire from other genres?

I absolutely love Phil Rickman‘s series of Merrily Watkins books, about a female Deliverance Minister (exorcist) in the Church of England. I’m also making the most of having an e-reader to work my way through all the classics I don’t have shelf space for.

How did you get into writing, and why did you choose to write fantasy?

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t write. I used to tell bedtime stories to my younger brother if my parents weren’t able to. Genre-wise, I think fantasy chose me. The first stories I ever wrote were fantasy but I don’t know why. Writing in the real world scares me!

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I make jewellery and sell it at www.xanthalanari.etsy.com, and I’m also currently taking a distance learning course in proofreading. And I read, a lot.

Are you working on any other short stories or novels at the moment and if so can you tell us a bit more about them?

I’ve got several stories in various stages, one of which is another Korix and Leveri story. There’s also a superhero story, and a historical fantasy, as I like to try new things.

What are your ambitions as a writer?

At the moment I have the modest ambition to be able give up one day a week of my day job, in order to concentrate on freelancing. More time to do something I love would be wonderful. I also intend to try and keep all of my stories available, by putting out e-books whenever I have enough stories where the rights have reverted. So far I have two small collections available. Anyone interested in keeping up with my work can find me at www.facebook.com/CLHollandwriter, or my website Conversations with Dragons.