A Magical Cat, Zombies, and Poetry: The Many Worlds of Vickie Johnstone
Vickie Johnstone discusses her writing journey, inspirations, and love for storytelling. She explores self-publishing, world-building, and genre challenges, sharing insights into her popular Kiwi series, I Dream of Zombies, and poetry collections.
Vickie Johnstone is a prolific storyteller whose literary journey spans a diverse array of genres, from whimsical children’s fantasy to gripping horror and thought-provoking poetry. With 23 self-published books to her name, she has captivated readers with her vivid imagination and engaging narratives. Her work includes the beloved Kiwi series, featuring a magical feline detective, as well as I Dream of Zombies, a thrilling post-apocalyptic saga with a strong female lead.
Her passion for storytelling began early, but it wasn’t until the rise of indie publishing that she found her path to sharing her work with the world. Undeterred by initial rejections, Vickie embraced the opportunities of self-publishing, building a dedicated readership and refining her craft along the way. Whether weaving tales of adventure, exploring the complexities of human nature through poetry, or crafting chilling horror stories, she brings depth, originality, and heart to her writing.
In this exclusive interview for Reader’s House Magazine, Vickie opens up about her inspirations, the challenges of world-building, her creative process across multiple genres, and the book she dreams of seeing on screen.
What inspired you to write your first book, Kiwi in Cat City, and what was the process like from writing to self-publishing?
I wrote Kiwi in 2002, when I was between jobs for two months. The main character is a quirky black cat, inspired by my own. I wanted to write something fun as I was bored and it meant I knuckled down! It was the first full-length book I finished, apart from one as a teenager.
Kiwi is curious about the world and everyone in it, likes solving mysteries and comes from a line of magical cats. Her home is Cat City, inhabited by felines, and her best friend is Inspector Furrball, head of the Cat Squad. Her human besties are Amy and James. One day, Kiwi can’t stay silent any longer and decides to speak to them in their language. Then she turns them into kittens and whisks them off on adventures.
Back then, I sent Kiwi to Harper Collins, who rejected it with one sentence. Years later, I discovered that’s normal and you’re meant to press on, but my confidence died and I put the book away in a drawer. Fast-forward to 2011, and my then boyfriend (superhero) read an article about KDP and said to me, “You have a book, don’t you?” It was an awesome feeling when someone actually read it and liked it. It was my dream come true.
I joined online book groups and got amazing support from other authors. This was back at the beginning of indie publishing, and everyone was venturing into the unknown and excited about it, and selling books. It takes a lot of marketing! The feedback inspired me to write five more Kiwi books, each one bigger plot-wise with more magic and the cast grew. Something changed in 2015 though as my sales dipped.
Your I Dream of Zombies series features a strong female lead and a gripping post-apocalyptic setting. What drew you to the zombie genre, and how did you approach world-building for the story?
When I wrote this, I was well into The Walking Dead! The town of Rickslaw is a nod. My dad was a horror buff and what scared me most were zombies. I wanted to bend the genre and I’m obsessed with parallel universes, so there are two worlds: the one that exists in Ellen’s imagination and the one in reality. I wanted Marla to be strong, but her weakness is her love for her sister. She has a developing love interest too – Tommy.
I wanted to start at the beginning, so I have the media reporting a few weird, violent incidences. Ellen dreams what’s coming before it happens – and she’s not the only one – but no one believes it.
I wanted the setting to be one everyone knows, so all the places exist – I had my map out! It’s a journey out of London, which goes into ‘lockdown’, involving a coach, train and narrowboat. Zombies on a train was interesting because you’re trapped. The dream world is grey, crumbling and ghostly; a nightmare that keeps repeating itself – until it changes.
I wanted the sisters to be relatable. Marla has a military background, but Ellen doesn’t. The most strenuous thing she’s ever done is yoga! I wondered who they’d meet, gathering a group, and the dangers – sometimes it’s not zombies.
I changed the ending. Originally, in the version that went to beta readers, it was half zombie/half sci-fi, and the ending involved aliens and the characters going into space.
It’s a trilogy. The second part has more characters than the first. I started the third.
You’ve written in multiple genres, from poetry to children’s fantasy to horror. Do you have a favourite genre to write in, and how does your approach differ between them?
I’ve written stories since I was a kid. As a kid my favourites were The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Fantastic Mr Fox. Fantastic worlds are just pure imagination – making the unbelievable believable. You can just let go.
Children’s fantasy is amazing because you’re trying to create something that’s surprising, enjoyable, fun, crazy believable and yet addresses important issues like bullying, building confidence, being brave, friendship, growing up and discovery, and you need to keep the words and story appropriate for the age group. I loved creating these characters. There’s a three-legged cat too – she can do all the things everyone else can, plus more as she has a secret talent.
I think horror is the hardest because you’re thinking okay this part has got to be scary, but is it scary? Do I have enough zombie action? People want to be scared, but you also need a story. I got into each character, thought how they would deal with a situation and went from there. At the start, the sisters are in a supermarket and a man starts biting someone. Something they’ve never seen in their lives – how would you react?
Your poetry collections showcase a mix of styles, including haiku and free verse. What themes or emotions do you most enjoy exploring in your poetry?
I started writing poetry at 16. I don’t plan a poem. I just start and see where it goes. They can be about anything – philosophical, existential, abstracts, made-up characters or something in the news, like the Ukraine War, or a women’s rights issue.
I wrote a poem about a man who had just been released from prison. He was innocent and had done the longest stretch in the US before being exonerated. I had to try to write about it, although I can’t imagine what he went through, but I tried because his story needs to be heard.
Haiku is fascinating – painting a picture in three lines.
If you could see one of your books adapted into a film or TV series, which one would you choose, and who would you cast in the main roles?
I pick I Dream of Zombies.
Marla – I always thought Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lawrence or Kate Winslet, but I recently watched Black and Blue, and Naomie Harris is totally Marla.
Ellen – Emma Watson
Tommy – Chris Hemsworth
Eric – David Oyelowo
Billy – Mike Colter
Devan – Ben Whishaw
Peggy – Leslie Manville
Harold – Bill Nighy
