And we’re back from our two Editor’s Weeks with the last of our interviews! Certainly not the least, however. Today we get a from the exquisite storyteller that is Caroline Bigaiski. On with the questions! 🙂
1. What inspired your short story? Where did the idea come from?
As soon as I read the words Dragon and Solarpunk, I knew I wanted to write about how dragons were necessary to develop a solarpunk society. I’ve been researching Japanese Dragons for awhile now for another project, so it was just natural to use them. The rest of the plot just sort of fell into place when I started writing.
2. Had you heard of solarpunk before this call for submission? What do you like about the genre?
Yes, definitely! I am a big fan of the solarpunk genre. Everything about it appeals to me, to be honest—a diverse, eco-friendly society that mixes technology with nature and believes in a brighter future, what’s not to love?! Especially when you take into considering the pessimism found in many SF genres, so it is quite literally like breathing fresh air.
3. What genre do you usually write in? Your story, The Dragon of Kou, has a very peculiar narrative style. Was this a first time for you?
I am very eclectic with my writing, but I tend to write mostly realistic YA/NA and SF centred on character study. I like to play with style a lot—one project I’m working on currently, which I fondly call my magnum opus, will have quite a variety of narrating styles to help differentiate my eleven (!) narrators—so the style I used for The Dragon of Kou wasn’t entirely new, but the specifics weren’t something I had tried before. It is pretty much a story told inside a story, and I was inspired by the old tales of b.C. when people would sit around the fire and tell stories of myths to come up with the idea.
4. What’s your favorite part of writing?
Characters. As I am a very introverted person, I tend to observe more than I interact, and there’s nothing that gives me more joy than choosing one little thing about someone and using it to create a whole new person from scratch. Also, as a Letters student who has gone through the most varied classes about literature, linguistics and translation, I love to play with language, be it by repeating a few words or expressions that will give strength to the story or just having fun with alliterations and mixing languages.
5. What do you love the most about dragons?
There’s not much I wouldn’t give to able to ride a dragon in the style of How To Train Your Dragon. They’re just totally awesome and my very favourite mythological creature.
6. What’s your favorite book or TV show? Why?
I honestly don’t have an answer about my favourite book, because I tend to love different books for different reasons. I do tend to come back to some, such as the Harry Potter series and any book by Maggie Stiefvater (no one does character development like her IMO). For TV show, I am very fixed on sense8 right now. I’ve watched it twice, once by myself and once with my mother, who I forced to sit through the first episodes before she got hooked too. The series is basically tailored for me—plenty of character growth, plenty of supernatural, plenty of interesting characters and plenty of diversity. It doesn’t hurt that the story itself is really good too. I can’t wait for season 2.
7. Where can we find more of your work?
I am very new to this publishing business and “The Dragon of Kou” is my first published story, but sometimes I post mini short stories on my tumblr, adfinitem.tumblr.com. More published stuff is to come, hopefully!
And, though only since very recently, I am on Twitter at @carolbigaiski.
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Thanks so much for answering!