Not only was it great to get some info on the surprising ease of wrapping up Willow Patterns, but we also ask Rjurik some questions about his writing style and what's next for him in the writing world.
*
1.
As you were a close second in finishing your chapter, and indeed were
almost done before dinner arrived, can we assume then that the writing
process for you on the day was an easy one or were there some stressful
moments the data doesn't identify?
You're right, it was surprisingly easy for me, and I think that had to do with the context. We all simply had to finish the piece. Usually, there are plenty of reasons to walk away from the writing: the phone rings, Facebook calls, emails arrive, you just feel like stopping. Instead, at every tiny moment I felt like stopping, at every moment when I didn't know what to write, I simply had to keep going. Once these decision were made - by the context - the only ones I had to face were story questions. What is the plot? What do the characters do now?
2. Your story is very unique, taking a new tangent with the future of the human race. Was this an idea you had held previously or did you come into the project looking to start something completely from scratch?
I had no idea what I would write. Partly this was because we agreed on a number of things in common at the beginning of the day. Bringing an idea to that would have been dangerous I think. The key moment, for me, was when someone suggested the stories take place in a library. When that was agreed upon, together with the suggestion that there be a flood involved, the image of an empty, ruined library sprung into my head. Then immediately afterwards, a notion of two warring characters, then the opening line: "At night I sharpen the axe..... " So it was all pretty much conceived in the moment.
3. Some of the other authors so far have had reservations about their work on Willow Pattern, what with it being a fast first draft and all. How did you feel about your own work, and and the outcome overall?
I don't really have any reservations. No. I mean, it's a first draft, but my story has a vitality to it, a lack of frills which I like. I recently re-read it and there are a few errors - including an erroneous name - but I think it works well. I think you're bound to have uneven contributions during a process like that. But it worked for me. I wish I had a 24-hour book project every day. It would certainly increase my productivity!
4. Being the last writer on the book allowed for certain freedoms as well as more constraints to tie the book together, which you did tremendously well. How did being last effect your writing? And did you put your hand up for the job?
I did put my hand up for the job, because I wanted to write speculative fiction. I wanted the ruined future library that I pictured during the initial discussions. As soon as I got that, I tried to incorporate as much of the common ideas and characters as I could. This meant periodically checking out the wall where people placed little notes, ad well as listening to the others when we had our mid-day meeting. During the actual writing, though, I could only afford a piece of my mind to what the others were doing. Mostly it was: "How do I make this story work?"
5. The title of your collection The Library of Forgotten Books brings to my mind Borges and I have read that he is an influence of yours also. Were there any specific influences in your Dark Tides story for Willow Pattern that you can recall?
Looking back on it, I'd say my story is quite Ballardian. It reminds me of his early stories, the ruined world, humanity which is transcending in some way. The environmental concerns are my own, as is the way I handle the conflict between human and post-human. In Ballard, humanity is doomed. In my story, well, it's uncertain what the future holds. There might be a bit of Peter Carey in there too. I love Carey's stories, and maybe 'Crabs' might be an influence here?
6. Certainly 12 hours to complete a short story is out of the ordinary, how long do you generally spend on one of your pieces of short fiction?
The stories of mine which work the best tend to be written quickly. Sometimes even in around two sittings, though they're never finished in one day. I'll tinker with them a couple of times after that, to add the little bits the story often really needs to be complete. Others I work and work on, and they often become huge and unwieldy - sometimes these end up working, but there are others that are half-finished and I don't know if I'll ever complete them. Nowadays I want to simplify. I find beauty in that simplicity. In music they call it knowing "when not to play." The word for it is grace - doing something with the simplest possible motion. That's what I'm starting to appreciate more. I've been reading Ursula Le Guin, and she has that grace.
7. You were, for the most part, writing short fiction before working on Unwrapped Sky, your first novel, at the time of the 24 hour book. How do you find the differences between novel writing, short stories and this rapid approach? And which do you prefer?
I love short stories, but I haven't worked on any for some time. Sadly, unless you're Alice Munro, you're not going to be able to survive as a short story writer. So it's novels for me at the moment and I spend a lot of time in the midst of these very complicated books thinking "I just want to write short stories!". I love them both though. Still, a novel is a big investment, and when they don't work you can't just walk away. I will however get back to stories in between novels. I can't leave them alone for too long.
8. With your first novel almost ready for release what is next for you?
Well, I'm working on the second novel, a sequel to Unwrapped Sky. It's called The Stars Askew and I'm about to send it to my editor. Then I'll be working on a 1890s Australian steampunk novel. It's set in an Australia which still has the inland sea, and the lead character is a suffragette. It involves a massively changed Melbourne, automatons, and Australian megafauna. Most of all, it should be fun. It will be nice to leave the world of Unwrapped Sky and write something simpler and snappier.
9. And would you ever consider being involved with something similar to the 24 hour book again? Perhaps now you're a novelist, a 24 day novel?
Yes. Yes. Yes. But a 24 hour novel might be a bit complicated, unless you had time to plan. a 3-day novel, perhaps? But then you've got finance problems. Anyway, I loved the experience and would do it again in a heartbeat.
You're right, it was surprisingly easy for me, and I think that had to do with the context. We all simply had to finish the piece. Usually, there are plenty of reasons to walk away from the writing: the phone rings, Facebook calls, emails arrive, you just feel like stopping. Instead, at every tiny moment I felt like stopping, at every moment when I didn't know what to write, I simply had to keep going. Once these decision were made - by the context - the only ones I had to face were story questions. What is the plot? What do the characters do now?
2. Your story is very unique, taking a new tangent with the future of the human race. Was this an idea you had held previously or did you come into the project looking to start something completely from scratch?
I had no idea what I would write. Partly this was because we agreed on a number of things in common at the beginning of the day. Bringing an idea to that would have been dangerous I think. The key moment, for me, was when someone suggested the stories take place in a library. When that was agreed upon, together with the suggestion that there be a flood involved, the image of an empty, ruined library sprung into my head. Then immediately afterwards, a notion of two warring characters, then the opening line: "At night I sharpen the axe..... " So it was all pretty much conceived in the moment.
3. Some of the other authors so far have had reservations about their work on Willow Pattern, what with it being a fast first draft and all. How did you feel about your own work, and and the outcome overall?
I don't really have any reservations. No. I mean, it's a first draft, but my story has a vitality to it, a lack of frills which I like. I recently re-read it and there are a few errors - including an erroneous name - but I think it works well. I think you're bound to have uneven contributions during a process like that. But it worked for me. I wish I had a 24-hour book project every day. It would certainly increase my productivity!
4. Being the last writer on the book allowed for certain freedoms as well as more constraints to tie the book together, which you did tremendously well. How did being last effect your writing? And did you put your hand up for the job?
I did put my hand up for the job, because I wanted to write speculative fiction. I wanted the ruined future library that I pictured during the initial discussions. As soon as I got that, I tried to incorporate as much of the common ideas and characters as I could. This meant periodically checking out the wall where people placed little notes, ad well as listening to the others when we had our mid-day meeting. During the actual writing, though, I could only afford a piece of my mind to what the others were doing. Mostly it was: "How do I make this story work?"
5. The title of your collection The Library of Forgotten Books brings to my mind Borges and I have read that he is an influence of yours also. Were there any specific influences in your Dark Tides story for Willow Pattern that you can recall?
Looking back on it, I'd say my story is quite Ballardian. It reminds me of his early stories, the ruined world, humanity which is transcending in some way. The environmental concerns are my own, as is the way I handle the conflict between human and post-human. In Ballard, humanity is doomed. In my story, well, it's uncertain what the future holds. There might be a bit of Peter Carey in there too. I love Carey's stories, and maybe 'Crabs' might be an influence here?
6. Certainly 12 hours to complete a short story is out of the ordinary, how long do you generally spend on one of your pieces of short fiction?
The stories of mine which work the best tend to be written quickly. Sometimes even in around two sittings, though they're never finished in one day. I'll tinker with them a couple of times after that, to add the little bits the story often really needs to be complete. Others I work and work on, and they often become huge and unwieldy - sometimes these end up working, but there are others that are half-finished and I don't know if I'll ever complete them. Nowadays I want to simplify. I find beauty in that simplicity. In music they call it knowing "when not to play." The word for it is grace - doing something with the simplest possible motion. That's what I'm starting to appreciate more. I've been reading Ursula Le Guin, and she has that grace.
7. You were, for the most part, writing short fiction before working on Unwrapped Sky, your first novel, at the time of the 24 hour book. How do you find the differences between novel writing, short stories and this rapid approach? And which do you prefer?
I love short stories, but I haven't worked on any for some time. Sadly, unless you're Alice Munro, you're not going to be able to survive as a short story writer. So it's novels for me at the moment and I spend a lot of time in the midst of these very complicated books thinking "I just want to write short stories!". I love them both though. Still, a novel is a big investment, and when they don't work you can't just walk away. I will however get back to stories in between novels. I can't leave them alone for too long.
8. With your first novel almost ready for release what is next for you?
Well, I'm working on the second novel, a sequel to Unwrapped Sky. It's called The Stars Askew and I'm about to send it to my editor. Then I'll be working on a 1890s Australian steampunk novel. It's set in an Australia which still has the inland sea, and the lead character is a suffragette. It involves a massively changed Melbourne, automatons, and Australian megafauna. Most of all, it should be fun. It will be nice to leave the world of Unwrapped Sky and write something simpler and snappier.
9. And would you ever consider being involved with something similar to the 24 hour book again? Perhaps now you're a novelist, a 24 day novel?
Yes. Yes. Yes. But a 24 hour novel might be a bit complicated, unless you had time to plan. a 3-day novel, perhaps? But then you've got finance problems. Anyway, I loved the experience and would do it again in a heartbeat.
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