Denise Dowdell-Stent Interview Published on: 29, Aug 2018
Tell us about your childhood and how your writing has grown over time.
Well, I had a very eventful childhood, filled with lots of love, laughter and a plethora of colourful personalities - young and old alike! My parents provided me with an exciting treasure trove of travel, culture, the arts, and books - a heavenly cornucopia of books! This enriched environment planted a seed of curiosity in my mind - which nurtured by love and my unbridled imagination - began to sprout from a tiny fledgling to a fully grown tree that continues to grow, albeit somewhat slower these days!
I have always been blessed with a vivid imagination and would experience wild, immersive dreams and nightmares, some of which I can still recall! I could - and still can - project mental images - into the ether, providing that I am lying in a darkened room. I would look and explore, devouring whatever knowledge I could assimilate, and then express this creatively through my artwork and writing - which then - I probably produced in equal measure.
Amongst my early literary influences and favourites were 'The Hobyahs', Tolkien, books on dinosaurs, Egyptology, and the amazing Maurice Sendak's brilliant illustrated works, such as 'In the Night Kitchen', 'Outside Over There', 'Charlotte's Horse' and of course, 'Where the Wild Things Are'.
I learnt to read and write in my pre-school years and being a very shy only child, I had to build my own fantasy world to combat the loneliness and isolation that I frequently felt. However, it was not until I won my first writing contest (at school), that I realised the strength of my storytelling and literacy skills; this early accolade spurred me on to write more, share more of my imaginary worlds and characters! I continued to write stories - and later - screenplays, throughout my childhood and early adulthood, but it was not until a fateful game of Rory's Story Cubes, that I realised that creative writing was my true calling, my passion, my lifeblood! I think I had always known this, but something always held me back, stopping me from realising my dreams of being a writer - now though, I was set free and the seed of the Eternal Trilogy started to germinate...
What was it like growing up on the river-side? Do you continue to prefer similar places to live in even now?Godmanchester is a beautiful, rural town with Roman roots. The Great River Ouse runs through the centre, sparkling like diamonds in the sun, its muted colours rippling moodily in cloud, and glimmering with a mystical and alluringly enchanting smoky shimmer after dusk. What secrets does it keep?
I grew up, and continue to live in Godmanchester; it is quiet and picturesque, ideally situated near historic Cambridge. I do prefer being near a large body of water and would love to own a second home by the sea! Water is very calming to the soul, very cleansing...
It’s so amazing that your son takes after you in terms of his reading and storytelling. Has he ever read any of your books? Can you tell us about the YA Fantasy Horror book that the two of you could be collaborating on?Ah yes, my beautiful boy! Andrew is eerily similar to me in so many ways and is already a master storyteller and poet; I am truly humbled by the sensitivity, maturity and poignancy that he brings to his writing. He has read snippets of my books, but not sure he is quite ready for the more 'mature' romantic content - or at least - I'm not ready for Andrew to read it!
Andrew and I are planning a mother and son collaboration for an unusual YA Fantasy Horror, which draws inspiration from global folklore and our own nightmares! It is still in its infancy, so we're just collating ideas, characters, and potential scenarios. And of course, the requisite research!
What is it about the Paranormal and Fantasy genre that intrigues you? What are the challenges involved in being a writer of this genre?The Paranormal and Fantasy genres have always intrigued me, always reeled me in and held me in thrall! What particularly draws me, is the scope to create entire new worlds and realities, unhindered by our own narrow constructs of the universe. It is a genre that truly allows the imagination to soar, to reach new heights, whilst fundamentally remaining relatable and tethered to real-life situations and ensuring my characters are 'real people' with real world problems, no matter how fantastical the setting or what other challenges present on their journeys. The Paranormal genre is interesting in its own right, because there is so much we are yet to learn - and from the personal experiences of myself and family and friends - even the 'normality' of our everyday lives - is anything but!
Could you tell us about the world of Candalia? What is a fae and what is their relationship like with humans?Candalia is the fae realm which co-exists parallel to the human world. It comprises four kingdoms: Avalonia, Briallania, Cavania, and Moredonia. Each of these kingdoms possess their own unique geography, flora and fauna, climate, and architectural style - though regarding the latter - the unifying theme is one of coalescing with the natural world. The fae have built a way of living that is symbiotic with their natural environment and their very organic styles of architecture, reflect this. Additionally, to make Candalia fully believable, I wove in a rich tapestry of fae culture, customs, folklore and their prior history and dealings with the human realm. I wanted to bring Candalia out from my imagination and make it manifest, so that my readers find it a truly immersive experience, even down to the delicious culinary delights of the fae! As alluded to before, the fae have a long and complex relationship with the human realm, but to avoid spoilers for those who are yet to read 'Eternal', I shall say no more!
You have created some very intriguing creatures in the Eternal Series. How do you come up with these creatures? Can you tell us about the Spindler and the Dessicati, and how you came up with them?Honestly, much like the human and fae characters inhabiting the Eternal world, the creatures - cute and fierce alike - just took form organically, as though woven from invisible threads already present in the ether for plucking. Most of the sinister and more malevolent entities (except the Dessicati and the Spindler), were named by my son.
The Dessicati are the Spindler's minions; the Spindler feeds them just enough souls to sustain them - though barely - hence the decomposing state possessed by a significant number of Dessicati. The Spindler's favourite select few, however, are preserved from ageing and consequent decomposition.
The Spindler, however, had a rather different inception! The Spindler took form after a strange dream I had had, approximately a decade ago; I transcribed the dream into poetic form, but for years, it remained as thus, until I brought it to the fore when Eternal was born four years later! The original poem actually features in the first Eternal book!
How is Vala’s personality different from your own? If you were in her place, would you do anything differently?Vala is ostensibly a younger version of me! Therefore, all her decisions and choices are based upon how I would react if in Vala's position. Vala is quite possibly more confident than I was at that age, but any personality differences between Vala and myself, are insignificant, if at all!
Is there any character in the Eternal series that you would consider writing a spin-off series on?I had been considering a spin-off series centered around Maiwen, Elvar's younger sister. Maiwen is very spirited, feisty, intelligent - yet also possesses a very caring and sensitive nature. I think she is definitely at the back of my mind to develop further at a later date!
We know that you are fond of TV shows. What’s your all-time favorite? What are you currently watching?Oh goodness, I'm actually not watching much TV currently! I'm a fan 'Stranger Things', 'Anne with an 'e' ', and Young Sheldon. I think one of my all time favourite films though, is 'Labyrinth', made in 1986 and starring the magnificent David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly.
What would you be doing today if you weren’t a writer?Honestly, I have absolutely no idea! I can't imagine my life not involving a career in writing!
What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done? Are you one to step out of your comfort zone often?Ooh, that's a tough one! Yes, I have stepped out of my comfort zone a lot lately! The most adventurous thing? To be honest, I don't know!
What is something you have learned about the industry after becoming an author, that you did not know before, or that you did not expect?I didn't realise what a tough art form professional creative writing would be! The level of time, commitment and re-writes came somewhat as a shock! I also wasn't prepared for the constructive criticism received from my editor and select others, but I soon learnt not to take it personally and to actually listen and assimilate what was being said in order to improve and home my writing skills.
What motto do you have in life?Live each day, not as though it were your last, but as though it were the first. Stay curious and keep asking questions! It's how we learn!
What book ideas are you currently working on?I am currently working on Book Three of the Eternal Trilogy: 'Foretold', but also in the preliminary planning stages of the collaboration with my son.
