Discover How Folklore And Personal Experiences Shape The Enchanting Worlds And Characters In Her Fantasy Fiction
Kate Church discusses her inspirations from folklore and healthcare, her creative process, and the themes of power, acceptance, and imagination in her captivating stories.
In the enchanting realm of fantasy fiction, where imagination knows no bounds, Kate Church emerges as a captivating storyteller whose narratives are as rich and diverse as her own life experiences. By day, she dedicates herself to the noble profession of healthcare, but by night, she transforms into a creator of worlds, weaving tales that transport readers to realms filled with folklore and medieval intrigue. Her passion for nature and literature fuels her creativity, allowing her to craft stories that resonate with both the heart and the mind. With a deep-rooted love for Northern European folklore and medieval history, Kate Church masterfully blends these elements into her writing, offering readers a unique and immersive experience.
Kate Church’s literary journey began with her debut novel, “A Breath Before Drowning,” published in 2020, which marked the start of her exploration into the depths of fantasy fiction. Her subsequent works, including “Seeking the Wolf” and “Lifting the Veil,” the latter being the second instalment in The Chronicles of Caladh trilogy, showcase her ability to push the boundaries of traditional fantasy tropes, infusing them with her own imaginative twists. Her storytelling prowess extends beyond adult fiction, as evidenced by her delightful children’s book, “Splat the Dinosaur,” which not only entertains but also brings awareness and acceptance for those on the autism spectrum. Through her works, Kate Church invites readers to embark on a journey of discovery, where themes of power, pride, and self-acceptance are intricately woven into the fabric of her narratives. As we delve into the interview, we gain insight into the mind of an author who continues to inspire and captivate with her boundless creativity and heartfelt storytelling.
“Kate Church masterfully blends folklore with fantasy, creating immersive worlds that captivate readers and promote understanding and acceptance.“
EDITOR, READER’S HOUSE
What specific folklore or medieval historical events have inspired your writing, and how do you incorporate these elements into the worlds you create?
While I study folklore from around the world, I tend to be drawn towards that of Northern Europe, particularly Celtic folklore, where I feel my connection is strongest. That accompanied by my fascination and research into the Middle Ages of the same region allows me to embrace the culture along with architectural and other historical findings to provide a guideline for what will be.
“Writing was just another form my art has taken.” –Kate Church
As a healthcare worker, how does your professional experience influence your storytelling in fantasy fiction, particularly in terms of character development and themes?
I do not believe it has influenced my work in the least. I have been an artist all my life and writing was just another form my art has taken. While my characters, creatures and worlds are created of my own imagination and/or experience, the fact that I have worked in healthcare has held no merit in the development of my work.
What inspired you to create the world of Caladh and the concept of shapeshifters in Seeking the Wolf?
Being an avid fantasy reader since I was young, part of what had drawn me to writing was the ability to fill in gaps or tell stories that I had yet to encounter in literature. While The Chronicles of Caladh has several of the traditional tropes found amongst other works of fantasy, I enjoyed bending those tropes or adding my own twists to them. It is why I love fiction. There are no rules and each storyteller has the ability to create a world all their own.
How do the themes of power and pride in Seeking the Wolf reflect the current challenges we face in our own society?
We have all bore witness to an abuse of power or the pride grown too strong for one’s own good. I think in a way Seeking the Wolf reflects a lifetime of those occurrences however vast or insignificant they may have seemed at the time. Since my writing draws from my own experiences it would be only natural for some of those subconscious thoughts or feelings to seep their way into some of the characters.
What challenges did you face while developing the plot and character dynamics in Lifting the Veil, particularly with themes of hidden intentions and alliances?
The biggest challenge I faced in developing the plotline and characters in a series was cohesiveness and consistency. I took extensive notes on the verbiage used by the characters, created bios for each as several of the characters have some sort of connection that may or may not be apparent depending on where in the series you are at and even created a map to help better navigate the world as I was telling the story.
In Lifting the Veil, how do you explore the idea of power shifting through unlikely individuals, and what message do you hope readers take away from this?
I choose to write Dark Fantasy as characters often tend to be morally ambiguous allowing the reader to determine for themselves how they choose to see those characters. I explored this idea a great deal for nearly two years before Lifting the Veil came into existence. That accompanied with the idea that we rarely know those around us created the mold that builds a growing curiosity when a new character is introduced, or something previously thought to be unremarkable gains a foothold.
What inspired you to create a story about a dinosaur who struggles with being different, and how did you develop Splat’s character to convey themes of self-acceptance and kindness?
My son was diagnosed with autism several years ago and as we ventured to therapy every week, we used to tell each other stories as we drove. Sometimes we would even create a story together and that was how Splat was born. He would add a piece of the story and then I would add another and so on until the story was complete. Initially, I believed that Splat was my son’s way of expressing how he felt the world treated him and being autistic myself, I could relate to this. In truth, my son is Splat and through his eyes he wants the world to be more kind even if we do not always understand, appear or act like one another. Each person is given the opportunity to be kind and accept those as they are, but that opportunity is often discarded when it should not be. I never intended to publish the story, but the more I spoke of the story the more interest grew. Splat has become a comfort to so many and in the spirit of kindness my son and I use this project to spread kindness and let others like ourselves know that they are not alone.
Can you share any insights into the creative process behind the book, particularly how you approached illustrating Splat’s journey and the challenges he faces?
Seeing how the book was designed for children and partially created by a child, bright colors were the logical choice to make the story appealing for all ages. In addition, since autism is not always visually apparent, my son and I decided to make Splat’s differences physical to better convey the meaning behind the story rather than relying on subtext. After sifting through several illustrators, I stumbled upon Caleb Peregrine, an autistic artist from the UK. With his background in paleontology and watercolors, Splat no longer was just in our imagination, but a beautiful character created by the minds of three autistic individuals.
