SPACESHIPS PASSING IN THE NIGHT
I’ve been writing stories for almost as long as I’ve been able to read and write, and it’s always been Sci-Fi, fantasy, or a mix of the two. I read as much as I could growing up, and when I wasn’t reading, I was playing video games where I explored new worlds, characters, and stories. I always imagined new stories within them, though I never got as far as writing fanfiction. I think it was inevitable that I started writing down worlds and ideas of my own.
At the time of writing “Spaceships Passing in the Night”, I was inspired by the Mass Effect trilogy of games. The loveable cast of characters and being able to explore different planets, space stations, and their inhabitants’ way of life really encouraged me to think about what life might be like in the future and create my own stories.
Since then, I have been inspired by the character-focused, cosy Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers and the rich and complex societies in Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch series and Arkady Martine’s Teixcalaan duology.
Finding the balance was something that went beyond the plot for me. The first three drafts of “Spaceships Passing in the Night” were written during COVID lockdowns, and I was at a stage in my life where a lot of things were changing. I spent a lot of time trying to find a new normal and make a safe, cosy space to create and disconnect from things like the constant bad pandemic updates in the news. Like a lot of people, I read a lot and played a lot of cosy, but introspective, games that helped me figure out what I wanted from life and my own writing.
The balance in the plot was teased out through finding balance in everything else, I think, and the gentleness was inspired by the media that helped me find it.
Do it scared and do it at your own pace. Indie publishing is a big undertaking, and it’s so easy to get swept up in social media and feel like an imposter. People often talk about the creative control that comes with being an indie author, but you also get business control, so hitting pause on the process if you need a break and changing direction when something isn’t working for you, your life, or your book is all in your power. Once you come to terms with that, self-publishing can feel quite empowering, and I found it to be a very rewarding process.
