Writing, music, and countless post-it notes clutter the creative mind of this Manchester-based writer.
It's our pleasure to introduce you to the exceptional science fiction & fantasy writer, Alethea Lyons! Her writing can be found at Bag of Bones Press and Eerie River Publishing's Fire Anthology coming out next month! Read on to learn more about her process, challenges, and inspiration!
Early days
The first story I remember writing down was about a rogue robot making unpoppable bubbles. I was 6 at the time and I’ve continued writing SFF since. I’ve done a few short stories in other genres, but they’re few and far between.
As a teenager, fantasy was often preferable to real life. I’ve suffered from anxiety since I was very young. Writing gave me a place to escape where the things I loved were normal. It gave an ideal of honour, worlds where cruelty was vanquished, places where beauty was cherished. It provided ethical and philosophical discourse.
During lockdown, introverted little me was happy as a clam. I finally had time to write without all those pesky social obligations. Losing the 2 hour roundtrip commute helped too! I got a lot of writing done, and my wall was increasingly cluttered with post-it notes, but I wasn’t getting better, so I put my name down to join a writing group online.
Levelling up
Of that group, only one stuck around. They’re now a close friend and alpha reader. They encouraged me to query and showed me the ropes. That’s when I got serious about writing. I started getting beta readers, got thick-skinned about feedback and rejections, and became friends with many talented writers. I’ve learnt so much from beta reading others’ work and from having my work critiqued. I’m fortunate to have a group of friends with whom I share drafts. I can’t recommend it enough. If you find someone who is constructive and you trust with your words, hold onto them.
Inspiration & support
I take inspiration from music (I play violin and mandolin) and have written several stories based on songs. Ideas of near-future science mixed with folk-music magic feature prominently in my books. I love writing places I know and seeing fantasy overlay real life, as though I might turn a corner and bump into one of my characters.
With the support of the writing community, and my endlessly patient husband, I’ve become a much stronger writer. I’ve had two short stories accepted for publication and my novel, The Hiding, is being published by Brigids Gate Press in spring 2024. My science-fantasy romance, Seeking the Light, is currently with beta readers. After that, I’ll be back in the query trenches crossing my fingers for an agent while I draft my next two WiPs (a changeling dungeon delve and a dystopic science-fantasy).
Connect with me:
Trapped in the slush pile? Don't suffer alone! Meet Steven, the big blue monster that lurks in this hopeless black pit. When he's not munching on the souls of hapless writers, he hosts an online writing community dedicated to making friends, having fun, and improving our literary skills.
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