Thank you so much Madeline for the interview. Read the full interview below.

Interview

What was your inspiration for The Assassin Thief? 

To begin with, it started off as a very simple ‘what if’ which I then moulded to fit a fantasy landscape. I watched someone close to me go through a very difficult situation, and I began to think ‘what would it be like to wake up one day, and realise the person you thought you knew; you didn’t know at all?’ 

The story progressed from there, becoming one of betrayal, heartache and growth. It has grown a lot since then, and many other concepts have been added. But that was the moment that got me thinking, it was the ‘aha!’ moment that started to solidify the story and characters in my head.  

What was your process for writing your debut novel? 

At first, I was a pantser! That is, I wrote with no plan or outline in mind.  

I still am to some extent. I had no real process, I just sat down and started writing whatever came to my mind. Initially, I actually wrote the big finale scene in TAT first. After that, I went back to the start and tried to work out how the characters all ended up there.  

I would often go to the library on my days off to write- to try and limit any distractions. For a long while, I had no real process apart from trying to write 4k words a week.  

Eventually, about two thirds of my way through my first draft, I wrote myself into a corner. It was then I sat down and roughly plotted out the rest of the story. That’s when I realised I was trying to write a single book when really the story was a trilogy.  

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

Telium went from being a very one-dimensional, clique badass assassin to a truly morally grey character with depth and zest. I always knew I wanted a kick-ass FMC who wouldn’t take any nonsense.  

But after a while, she began to have a lot more to her than just that.  

She is broken, and healing. She is scared of her magik and what she is truly capable of. She can’t sing to save her life, she presents a hard front to the world but deep down questions herself often. There are people in her life that she loves dearly (even if some of those people doesn’t deserve it).  

What I ended up with was still a savage woman, ready to kick-ass. But now, she has flaws, dreams, and desires just like any other person would have.  

What was your process for character and world building? 

For the most part, my world was developed as the characters moved through it. As in, I wouldn’t picture a particular part of the world until my characters were in it. Worldbuilding is one of my favourite parts of writing, and I often write way too much detail about my characters surroundings in a first draft and have to do a big cut back.  

One of my favourite things to do is scour the internet & Pinterest for mood boards or art of particular landscapes. I will take bits and pieces from anything I like, and mash it together with some of my real-life experiences travelling and ta-dah! You have yourself a rich fantasy world.  

As for my characters, I have piles of notebooks with character bios. I found it very helpful to have a ‘Q&A’ with your characters to get to know them. Ask them things like ‘what is your biggest fear?’ ‘Sweet or savory’ ‘country or seaside’. They seem like silly little questions, but they really help you learn more about the characters you are writing & build them into well rounded people.  

There are lots of really good character template online that I would recommend any budding writers fill out for all out MCs- it gives you good information like what they do when they’re nervous, how they stand, how they behave in a room full of people ect.  

How would you describe The Assassin Thief in five words? 

Ohhh that’s a tough one!  

I would say ‘New-school twist on traditional fantasy’ or ‘sassy, savage FMC, romance, betrayal.’ 

What was your favourite book growing up? 

When I was super young, my mum would read a little bit of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe’ so that was probably my first favourite.  

When I started reading as a young teen I would say it would have defiantly been Christopher Paolini’s The Inheritance series or Lauren Kate’s Fallen series.  

What is your favourite genre to read? 

This is an easy one! Hands down, fantasy, every time.