PHOTO: Elle McFadzean, Melbourne-based author and worldbuilder, surrounded by sketches, journals, and books that inspire her richly imaginative stories.
Blending Creativity With Structure In Fantasy Writing
Melbourne author Elle McFadzean discusses the inspiration behind The Potion Experiment, blending science and magic, worldbuilding through architecture, and capturing the intensity of friendship and self-discovery for middle-grade readers.
Elle McFadzean is a writer whose imagination is rooted as much in structure as it is in wonder. A graduate of architecture, she brings to her stories a systems-based way of thinking, shaping intricate worlds that balance logic with enchantment. Her debut, The Potion Experiment, demonstrates this distinctive fusion of design sensibility and literary creativity, offering young readers a narrative that is both fantastical and deeply thought through.
At her desk – surrounded by sketches of fantastical cities, diagrams of magic currents, and stacks of journals – McFadzean builds stories that reflect a unique blend of curiosity and discipline. She envisions magic not as a departure from science, but as a parallel path, bound by its own rules and discoveries. In her hands, potion-brewing becomes experimental chemistry, magical currents resemble electromagnetic waves, and the fantastical acquires a startlingly believable texture.
What makes her work particularly resonant for middle-grade readers is the balance she strikes between complexity and accessibility. The Potion Experiment is not only an adventure into worlds of science and magic, but also a tender exploration of friendship, courage, and self-discovery. Through Ange and Eva’s journey, McFadzean captures the urgency and intensity of adolescence, a time when perspectives shift, identities form, and empathy takes root.
As an emerging voice in fantasy and science fiction, Elle McFadzean reminds us that stories are most powerful when they carry both wonder and coherence. Her writing reflects the joy of curiosity, the rigour of design, and the delight of storytelling – a rare combination that promises to enchant readers young and old alike.
In The Potion Experiment, you weave science and magic seamlessly—how did your background in architecture and design influence that fusion?
My design background taught me a systems-based way of thinking. In architecture, you’re often solving open-ended problems using logic, creativity and constraints. That same mindset shaped the fusion of science and magic in The Potion Experiment.
I explored how magic could function like a science that evolved along a different path. Potions became a kind of experimental chemistry. Magic currents mirrored electromagnetic waves. I wanted Ange’s scientific worldview to make sense within a magical context, and vice versa, without losing the wonder of either system.
Design also taught me to keep developing an ideauntil it holds together across different layers – physical, cultural, social. This helped me keep each world consistent and distinct.
Fantasy often relies on world-building—how did your training in imagining spaces and places shape the setting of your novel?
Studying architecture influenced how I approached the feel of each world. I’m used to thinking about how space shapes experience –how light, materials and layout affect the way people move, think and interact. This helped me create two immersive settings: Ange’s familiar, structured world and Eva’s more ecological, magical one.
In Eva’s world, I leaned into fantasy tropes – ancient stone buildings held together by magic, flourishingherb gardens, potion brewing in classrooms – not just because they’re evocative, but because they’re recognised by young readers. Tropes provided familiarity, helping places feel lived-in and believable, that I could then twist or expand.
I also often explore ideas through sketches, to develop logic and consistency in my worldbuilding – even for magic systems. For example, the “magic currents” were visualised like textbook diagrams of electromagnetic waves, helping me bridge the logic of Ange’s world with the mystery of Eva’s.
You mention diagramming magic currents—can you describe one creative process or visual tool you used during writing?
At first, the sketches were just for me – messy diagrams, timelines and maps to help track story details. But then I realised notetaking was something my characters would also do.
I began shaping my notes into pages that would appear in the book. I mocked up very rough sketches to show my illustrator what should go where. I later added annotations using fonts to match the characters’ handwriting – sharp and tidy for Ange, curly and expressive for Eva.
In the end, thenote pageswere a mix of worldbuilding, character studies, and ways to keep the magic feeling tangible. They also break up the chapters in a fun way that reflects how the characters think.
Your protagonist’s journey in The Potion Experiment explores friendship and self-discovery—what inspired that emotional arc?
I was interested in how perspective shifts can drive personal growth. Ange and Eva come from completely different worlds, but through their shared dilemma they develop a kind of empathy neither could have learned on their own. Their emotional arcs are shaped by the realisation that their assumptions, about others and themselves, aren’t always accurate.
I also wanted to capture the intensity of being thirteen, when identity is still forming and your friends can have a huge influence on how you see the world. Angebecomes braver and more intuitive, while Eva learns to slow down and think things through.
You’ve written for middle-grade readers—what specific challenges did you face when balancing complexity with age-appropriate storytelling?
Writing for middle-grade meant balancing imagination, emotional depth, pacing and clarity. I wanted the story to feel rich in ideas, but without long explanations.
Dialogue was key to keeping the story moving and revealing details naturally. I also used it to show character, leaning on humour and curiosity to introduce complex ideas. I didn’t want to over-simplify, but I wanted readers to feel like they had enough information to solve problems alongside the characters.
As a debut author launching at Readings, what did that experience teach you about connecting with your audience?
The launch was a reminder of how special it is to connect with readers face-to-face. Especially kids, who are so open and curious. Seeing their excitement, hearing their questions about potions and the illustrations, made the book feel real in a new way.
It also showed me how important it is to engage with adults who support young readers – parents, teachers, librarians, booksellers. They’re championing stories, and helping books be found, shared and loved.
Your website highlights using STEM in children’s fiction—how did you research and implement scientific concepts in The Potion Experiment?
I began by exploring ideas like energy transfer, chemical reactions and multiverse theory to spark ideas. My research was driven by curiosity, often following a question until something clicked with the story.What if potions worked like chemical formulas? What if magic followed observable patterns?
Ange’s science-based viewpoint helped me weave scientific thinking into the magic world.My goal wasn’t to teach science directly, but to encourage scientific thinking – to leave readers wondering how things might work, even in a magical world.
What key advice would you offer aspiring authors hoping to create meaningful, educational fantasy stories?
Let your own curiosity lead the way. Whether it’s science, history, mythology or something unexpected, start with what fascinates you because your enthusiasm will come through on the page. In The Potion Experiment, I didn’t set out to teach STEM concepts, but I followed ideas I genuinely found exciting, and the educational elements emerged organically.
Also, don’t wait until you feel “ready.” It’s okay to figure things out as you go. Write the scenes you’re most excited about first. Play with structure. Some of my best breakthroughs came from experimenting – whether with format, like adding sketches, or by writing dialogue first and filling in around it later.
And finally, keep it fun. A sense of playfulness and wonder is what makes fantasy so powerful, especially for younger readers. If you’re enjoying the writing, there’s a good chance your readers will feel that too.
