An Interview with C. Pierce, author of Legends of Icaria
Pierce is a new author from the east coast of the United States. Currently based in London, she has just transitioned from five years in the Armed Forces, experiences in which inform her writing. She began writing poetry when she was in high school, self-publishing a couple of collections, but her main focus now is high fantasy. Respectful of myth, Pierce endeavors to explore the quiet developments of collective belief in both heroes and villains; this is more easily accomplished in a new world of her making. She can be found on Instagram under the handle @legends_of_icaria or on subtack here: https://legendsoficaria.substack.com.
What/who is your favourite dragon in literature?
This is such a great question. My dragon of choice would have to be Gadzooks in Chris D’Lacey’s The Last Dragon Chronicles. He’s an inspiration to another struggling author in the series. That series in general is one of my favorite depictions of Dragons in youth literature, but really storytelling in general.
Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external harddrive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?
My first novel is sitting on the hard drive of a computer I no longer own… I wrote it when I was in my early adolescence (14 maybe?), and it is a reflection of a 14-year old’s writing. The first novel I wrote as an adult and polished and queried also sits on a hard drive waiting for changes from the feedback I received. She’s still waiting- but perhaps this will be good inspiration to return to her!
Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?
Habit. Writing and writing and writing and writing is the only thing that polishes. Edits and feedback of course improve every piece, but the one thing that ensures rust never forms on your wrist is consistency. I try to write SOMEthing every day, whether it’s a poem, an outline, the beginnings of a chapter or short story… Something to burn off my brain fog and keep the habit formed. The brain requires exercise to stay fit too; it takes an author as long as it takes a runner to get back into shape after a break.
Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?
I like to hustle once I have an idea. That could mean I’m writing 5k words a day, or it could mean I’m waiting. Once I finish a work I like to set it aside and explore for another idea- sometimes it strikes quickly and sometimes it doesn’t. I’m not certain this is a useful answer, but it’s honest.
I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?
I am absolutely not a single place author. I write when I have time, wherever I am. Sometimes the best writing comes (to me at least) in the most unusual places. As such, I write with whatever I have. I was in the Armed Forces for a while, and as I exited, I went through all my old notebooks and found nonsense scribbles, half poems and story ideas from my most delirious watches, boredom in meetings, and those in-between times when your mind is still moving. For me, the habit of continuing to write is more important than when or where I write.
Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?
Believe it or not, I have two former English teachers who I inquire to read my works. I have two very good friends (also writers) who often help read for pace and content- and I read their works as well- but for grammar and style, I have my Strunk and White from my high school English classrooms in my back pocket. There’s something magical about a good English prof.
I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?
This is an interesting question for me… My family grew up “off the grid” without much technology. Early on I only had hardcopy books- which was lovely. I always had a book with me. As I grew up and into technology, I found e-books useful when I worked into my studies, particularly at university. E-Books allowed me to highlight and export highlights for citations… I also enjoy audiobooks as an adult now, but I do prefer when the author reads the text. So I suppose you might say I am all over the place now; but there is something particularly romantic about a book you can hold in your hand, flip the pages, and dive into. It’s finite in a way that e-books aren’t, and in that singleness it seems a bit more precious.
I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?
I am a high fantasy girl myself, but I also enjoy a good work of literary fiction. At this point in my life, I tend to read books based on recommendations (a dangerous pastime!) so I read all over the map!
Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job. What do you do?
I loathe social media myself. Like I said, I grew up pretty off the grid- I still don’t have personal social media. I have one page that I use to promote my work (I think I have about 200 followers…), and I manage it myself. I post once a day to let people know that I still exist, as does my writing. I should probably invest more time in learning how to navigate this potential source of connection! I really dislike posting, it often feels cheap, but I do like when people learn about me and my work from the site. I only post on Instagram, and I send out writing twice a week on substack, otherwise I steer clear from the social media stage. That being said, I do think it can be a powerful tool for people who know how to harness it.
Answering interview questions can often take a long time! Tell me, are you ever tempted to recycle your answers from one to the next?
Ha! You’re kind. This is my first author interview, so I will let you know if I ever do another!
Looking for the novel? Find it here:
https://legendsoficaria.substack.com
https://legendsoficaria.wixsite.com/legendsoficaria/
