Thank you so much Kiyash for the interview. Kiyash has been in the media for years as a writer and producer and has written the book Once There Was.

Interview

What was your inspiration for Once There Was 

There are two animating forces behind this book. The first is a lifelong love of mythology and mythical creatures, which led me one day some years ago to a kind of flash of inspiration — a veterinary clinic for mythical creatures. It seemed like a cool idea, and I worked on it for a long time before the second animating force stepped in and made it into a story. 

That second force was a desire to connect with my Persian heritage. I have vivid memories of my grandmother telling me stories in Farsi when I was young, and I wanted to give readers that same feeling. I also wanted to celebrate Persian mythology, and the contributions that Persian artists and storytellers have made to the collective imagination. That choice infused the creatures and their world with meaning, and actually gave the whole book a structure and a cadence that it had been lacking.

What was your process for writing Once There Was with your previous experience writing short stories and other media?

There have been many versions of this story over the last few years, and I think my process has changed over that time (hopefully for the better!). The first draft of this book, almost ten years ago now, consisted of loosely-linked short stories, sort of a “monster-of-the-week” approach. It was comfortable to me to approach it that way at first, because that was how I was used to writing, but it wasn’t an approach that lent itself well to things like deep character arcs (or, frankly, deep characters). One thing that’s changed in my process is that I’ve learned to let the characters lead. That’s a challenge when you know that there are certain waypoints you want your story to hit, but I think you have to trust your characters and their needs and desires, that they’ll get you there. 

How did you choose which character to have as a focus of your story?

I always knew that this story would have a female protagonist. I have daughters, and it was important to me to write a main character that they could one day read and feel some kind of connection with. And at some point, I knew that my protagonist would be Iranian American, because that’s a story I knew I could tell. That’s when she became Marjan, and more or less became the character on the pages of the finished book.

How did your main character develop over the course of brainstorm to actually writing the novel?

She changed a lot! She went from someone who was essentially a tour guide to a host of mythical creatures to a wounded and broken kid who wants many things, but most of all, answers. That transformation took a long time, and I was resistant to parts of it along the way because they sometimes made me uncomfortable. But I love who she’s become.

From the beginning, she’s always been a little lost, and a little haunted, but over time, she’s gotten both angrier, and more caring. And because the story is told through Marjan’s voice, those changes have given other characters the chance to breathe a little more, and dance a little more.

What was your process for character and world building?

My process in general on this book was messy, but the core tenets of the world were clear in my head, almost from the beginning: there are mythical creatures that exist in our world, just out of sight; they are real, physical beings; sometimes they need help. Everything around that has been a journey first of trial and error, and later of shaving away anything that might make a reader question those tenets. 

With characters, I kind of let them reveal themselves and grow as I revise. The character of Malloryn — a young witch who becomes Marjan’s friend and ally — is a great example of this. In the first draft, her defining traits were loneliness and longing. I would say those traits are still part of her personality, but they’ve become much quieter, and maybe more powerful for their quietness. Now she’s also bright, deeply caring, and endlessly optimistic, and I love her complexity. 

How would you describe Once There Was in five words?

Feral, hungry, wounded, caring, healing

Did you have a favourite moment to write?

I did! There is a particular small moment towards the end of the climactic action scene. I had this little moment — literally a couple lines of text, a certain character making a timely appearance — in mind from the very beginning. I was picturing this moment, and really hoping that everything else would line up such that I could land it, and for a long time, it just felt like it was this distant, delicious treat that was miles away. I kind of found myself silently whispering the words I would use when I got there, and really hoping that it would land with the impact (or the softness — that’s a clue without being a spoiler) that I was imagining. And when I did get there, and I wrote that little moment, it worked exactly right, and I honestly don’t know if there’s a more satisfying feeling to have when you’re deep in the trenches.

What was your favourite book growing up?

I got into horror when I was young. I think it felt dangerous to be reading dark stuff. I loved Stephen King’s short stories. We had a copy of Night Shift, and I’m sure I checked Skeleton Crew out from the library many times. Those stories collectively are a masterclass in voice, tone, and efficient character development. I read a ton of Lovecraft, too, and Clive Barker’s Books of Blood. I didn’t have a single favorite, and obviously Lovecraft is a problematic figure for many reasons, but there are still stories and moments from all three that have stayed with me all these years later. 

Do you have a favourite genre to read?

Broadly, fantasy. More specifically, I think I’m drawn to fantasy that touches the real world in some way, though there are some constructed worlds that are very dear to me (EARTHSEA!!!). But I get a lot of inspiration from reading outside of that genre. Really, I think any storyteller who is executing their craft at a high level is a joy to read and experience.