Author Interview-- Ariel Paiement
Hello, everyone! Today, I have Ariel Paiement on the blog!
Not only is she an indie author, but she does interior formatting, editing, proofreading...she is one busy lady! You can check out her website here!
And thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview! Let's get on with the questions!
(But first, let's admire this gorgeous cover for a moment, shall we?👀👀 The colors! The curls!)
Okay. NOW on to the questions😂😂
What inspired you to write Shadow’s Dissident?
My inspiration for this one was a combination of things. First, Indie/pendent Publishing Services was doing a multi-author series that surrounded children (up to 18) with various superpowers or magical abilities. At the same time, I was thinking about possible plotlines to participate and thinking about areas of my own universe I wanted to explore. Most of my books are interwoven into one universe that spans many galaxies and worlds, so for every new book I take on, I always find a way to make the plot work with the lore and storylines established in other works. I had been working on some exploratory writing that involved a shadowy organization with its hands on the connecting strings between several of the worlds, and between that and the series requirements, I ended up deciding to write a duology that showcased that organization from the inside.
How many books have you written?
At this point, I have written and published six full length novels, one nonfiction guide on plotting, and three short stories under this pen name. I have a fourth short story out under my other pen name, Atlas Rose, which is a philosophical dystopian short.
Was Shadow’s Dissident your first book published?
No, it was my fifth of the six full length novels I’ve published. My official debut was In Darkness Lost with Bane of Ashkarith following shortly after on the official publication dates, though my debut was written years before Bane of Ashkarith was.
What is your writing process? Are you a plotter or a pantster? When do you write best?
I’m definitely a plotter! Since I usually dictate my work these days, my process requires a lot more planning ahead to get the right scene details and descriptions into the work in the rough draft. I typically dictate a chapter or two after I’ve spent an hour or so editing earlier parts (if I have them). I write best mid-day, I’ve discovered. I’m the most alert then and am not exhausted from the day but am also not bleary-eyed from just waking up.
Who was your favorite character to write, and why?
In this book, it was definitely the male lead, S or Sheppard. He was the hardest one to write, to be honest. My first step in most books starts with getting the main characters talking to me. No, I don’t hear verbal, literal voices! But I do sort of hear a mental voice, almost like some people talk to themselves. Well, my characters talk to me. Except for S. He was the first character I ever had who would not talk, and his love interest, while talkative about literally anything else, wouldn’t offer any insight either. So I was really stuck at a point when I needed to get things moving. I finally managed to get him talking with the help of a friend engaging the character with questions. Somehow, something finally clicked, and he started talking. Albeit, mostly to shake his head at me for being so silly sometimes, but he did start talking, and the book flowed smoothly after that. I love how he’s so opposite of me and of his love interest in many ways, but is still so patient and gentle as a character. His interactions with Gwen were fun to write because of how attentive he can be while also being strict where needed.
What was your favorite moment to write in Shadow’s Dissident?
Man, this is a tough one. I had a few moments I really liked, but I’ll just share one.
Malfor sighed, but the slight smirk on his lips said he didn't care who was punished this time as long as someone was. "Very well. Shade, you will punish your trainee as you see fit, and this time, we will punish you for not making the rules clear and keeping her in line." His gaze fell on Gwen who was trying to push around Sheppard now. "Consider yourself lucky that you have a trainer willing to bend rules for you, little girl. Next time, he won't be able to protect you, if he's even willing to try after we're through with him." Sheppard pushed her toward the door. "Leave." This time, she did as told with a tearful glance back toward him. He had a feeling this would be a stronger lesson for her than any beating would've been, but he wished it hadn't come to this. Skipping class wouldn't usually gain such a punishment. It was just their luck that the Masters had taken a keen interest in her and in his implementation of her training. He stood still, staring at the Masters, and listened to her retreating footsteps. The doors whispered open and then boomed shut, closing him in to face the men who had made his life a living hell for so long. He squared his shoulders. He'd already failed one woman, and he wouldn't fail this one. They would lose this war they'd begun when they sent him to Gwen. He was strong. He wouldn't break. In his own way, he was going to fight them no matter the cost.
What movies or books would you say are similar to Shadow’s Dissident?
I’m not sure what to compare it to, to be honest. I wrote a book I’d want to read, not one that was meant to necessarily fit in with other books or movies in the genre. It has some Divergent parallels, in the characterization mostly. The way that the male lead is in charge of training the female lead and gets romantically involved is similar to the dynamic between Tris and Four, as is the way both male leads tried to protect their girls without clipping their wings. Gwen and Tris don’t have very many similarities in terms of personality, but they do share the determination to survive and the refusal to give up. Both books also have dystopian worlds and larger organizations pulling the strings, though the organization is right there and in the open in my book where it wasn’t in the Divergent trilogy. However, the book also has key differences in that it does take place in a science-fantasy world where magic exists and Gwen maintains her determination and open communication with S throughout both books despite the things she goes through. In Divergent, Tris sort of falls apart and shuts Four out in book two before getting it back on track in book three. I didn’t have a third book, and I skipped over book two’s trend in the Divergent series and went straight to the trend in book three where Tris is back on track.
What is Shadow’s Dissident's theme song?
Another tough one since I don’t often assign specific songs to books for themes. But if I had to give it one, I’d probably say it’s “The Dreams We Never Lost” by Tide Lines because it really captures the hopeful but melancholic tone the book maintains. I think the phrase in the chorus where he says, “We’ll raise a toast tonight to the dreams we never lost tonight. In your eyes, I see the morning as it burns across the sky, burns across the sky” really captures the essence of the book as well as the way Gwen was the light to S’s dark in the moments where he really needed to see the light dawning.
What is Gwen’s and S’s theme songs?
I have two main characters, so I’ll answer for both.
For S, it would be “Memory” by Emily Maguire. It really captures his struggle to cope with his past lover’s loss and the revelations about her that he receives later in the book.
For Gwen, I would go with either “Dream Big” by Queeva because it captures Gwen’s indomitable desire to reach for the stars and her refusal to let anything or anyone drag her down or with “I’m Still Here” from Treasure Planet just because it really captures her response to Oblivion’s attempts to beat her down--”I’m still here and I’m not going to let you define me. I’m never going to be what you want me to be, and I won’t be broken so long as I know who I am.”
How did you come up with your world?
The world sort of just came together naturally as a result of Oblivion’s nature. They are pretty technologically advanced and wouldn’t colonize a world without a good reason, so there had to be a good reason to establish there. From there, it was easy to determine that they’d come there for the resources and that they would’ve subjugated the existing regimes by forcing them into small, easily controlled communes with puppet leaders over them to keep them compliant and working. You see much more of the world outside of Oblivion’s base on Koatona in book two when more of the politics of the world and outside cities come into play.
If your book was a dessert, what would it be?
Hmmm. German chocolate cake, probably. Bittersweet but worth every bite. There are some really difficult situations in the book, and I definitely don’t shy away from the grittier aspects of life, though I’m not very descriptive of much of the worst of it due to the YA audience this is intended for. But there are also some very sweet and endearing moments between the two MCs, which balance out all the heartache and pain they endure.
If you were to give new writers advice, what would it be?
Write things you want to write, not what you think others will like or what you think will be popular. If you want your writing to possess soul and heart, you can only get it by writing things dear to your own heart and bringing the things you care about into the work. Never, ever try to hide your worldview or the causes you care about. Use your philosophy and worldview as a framework to tell the story.
To grasp how this is done, I highly recommend every author read broadly and extensively, but I also highly recommend that every new author in their mid-to-late teens or older read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand for an example of this principle in action. The author does a masterful job of crafting a story that showcases her philosophy without, overall, preaching at you. The book is engaging, though long, and it presents her worldview as the frame from which every hero acts rather than inserting it into the work as a long sololiquy in support of her philosophy. This is something every writer should learn to do: neither bury your philosophy nor beat the reader over the head with it.
For younger readers, I recommend Orwell’s 1984 with close attention paid to how Orwell makes his view of statism and collectivism or “Big Brother” clear throughout the narrative. I don’t recommend Rand, in general, to younger readers because they often lack the perspective on the world necessary to balance out what they’re discovering and I’ve read from numerous individuals the damage that did to them. Orwell is a little easier to wrap your head around at a younger age level, and he is shorter too. However, you can see similar principles in action as he too weaves his views into his writing as a framework, not as the main point.
This is what you should aim to do as you are studying and learning the craft. Bring your heart and soul to the story, bring your own perspective, and tell the story you are passionate about. If you don’t do so, it will be obvious, and not many will want what you have written no matter how nicely the words are put together. If you do, you will find your audience as long as you put the work in, and the book will reach the right readers. The pay off from this is the most rewarding part of publishing, but the most rewarding part of writing is exploring the intersect of philosophy/worldview with a story you are eager to explore in its own right. The combination of the two is fascinating and rewarding, and I recommend every writer do this even if they never let the work see the light of day. At the end of the day, you don’t write for others; you write to tell the stories you would want to read and you write for yourself. Be selfish and make it a rule never to write something for your own audience that you wouldn’t find interesting to read or write.
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