From Maura and her marvelous painting-inspiration, we move to Gemini Pond’s desert story, and the unshakable ambiance of pride. We hope she has just as much pride in her work than her characters’ do in theirs. And now, the questions!
1. What inspired your short story? Where did the idea come from?
It was actually sort of a multi-step process! One of my best friends made me aware of the call for submissions and was trying to brainstorm ideas. I ended up doing a fair amount of research into solarpunk to help her with her own idea. In the process, I got inspired. One of the ideas I had thrown at her had been about the Great Green Wall, which I had read about on Tumblr. She decided to go a different route, but the idea of the Great Green Wall and dragons just sort of stuck in my head, especially because there are so few characters of color in fiction. The whole idea of stopping the desertification and making local populations self-sufficient seemed to fit exactly into the solarpunk future I had read about, and the more research I did into the Great Green Wall the more excited and inspired I got. I wrote half of it in one night!
2. Had you heard of solarpunk before this call for submission? What do you like about the genre?
I had not heard of solarpunk before this call for submission, but I absolutely love it now. As an avid reader, I have read dystopian future books, and after a while, the whole “earth has gone to hell in a handbasket” idea gets a little depressing (don’t get me wrong, I still love it!). I like the feeling of hope that solarpunk brings to the future, the human triumph, and the idea that science and technology help people instead of enslaving them.
3. What genre do you usually write in? Talk about your projects!
I would say that I dabble in a little bit of a lot of things, but fantasy is my favorite. I used to write a lot in high school and college, but unfortunately after graduation, I slowed down and didn’t write as much because of work, other hobbies, and life things. I’ve been starting a lot of things recently, but not actually finishing them. It’s a fatal flaw.
4. What do you love the most about dragons?
Dragons! Does that count as an answer? No? Then I suppose that my favorite thing about dragons is that they are so often portrayed as giant, scaly, fire breathing cats, and I have always loved cats. I love the idea of dragons being these wise, disdainful creatures who think they are infallible but are just as flawed as any other creature.
5. What do you do when you’re not writing? Any day jobs or passion?
By day, I have the glorious professions of proofreading medical dictations and working reception. By weekend (because who has time at night?), I create costumes and crafts for cosplay purposes. For anyone unfamiliar with cosplay, it is the art of recreating your favorite characters’ outfits for yourself, costume + play. It is a wonderful hobby that will consume your time, paycheck, and soul; I highly recommend it. When I’m not doing any of that, I am the Hufflepuff admin for the blog Hogwarts House Habits.
6. What’s your favorite book or TV show? Why?
I can’t pick just one! A rundown would include : The Harry Potter Series, which has become a part of my identity, as I’m sure it has for so many other people who grew up with the series; A Song of Ice and Fire for its intricate plot and amazing female characters; Cress from The Lunar Chronicles because I love fairy tale retellings and I basically am Cress; The Island and the Ring, which is one of those books I read as a child that has always stuck with me; and World War Z for its unique story telling style, the way it provides a world stage for a world disaster, and how it honestly shows the good and the bad sides of humanity.
As for television shows, my favorites right now include Game of Thrones, though I prefer the books, and Steven Universe for its diverse cast of characters and heartwrenching stories.
7. Where can we find more of your work?
I’m in the process of moving some of my finished and unfinished work to my book blog, geminidragonbooks, which can be found on Tumblr.
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Thank you so much for answering, fellow Steven Universe fan! 😉