Pagan Malcolm 'Starfall' Interview | Respect the Author
Where are you from?
I'm from a small town in Australia (which is right next to the Great Barrier Reef)
Tell us the story of how you got into writing
I've been writing since I first picked up a pen, but I've been telling stories since before that. I used to draw pictures as a young child and verbally explain the pictures to tell my stories to family members.
What was your favorite book growing up?
The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton! It was my favourite book and I used to re-read it constantly.
What is your favorite book as an adult?
There are so many books that I love, but one of them is Splintered by A. G. Howard.
What is the name of your new book?
My upcoming book is a novella. It's the 4th book in my Starlight Chronicles series and it's called Starfall.
What inspired you to write the book?
I always wanted to explore some of my character backstories in the novellas, and this one follows on from the prior novella, Starlight.
Tell us more about your new book
This novella primarily follows three characters and it's set prior to the main books in the series. Without spoiling any of the previous books, each one of them is in a difficult place and experiences a turning point that sets things in motion for the main books, where there is an ongoing fantasy conflict between the Starlight Entourage and the Urenphian Entourage.
Jason is one of my more complicated characters and we get a deeper understanding of what he's been through in his life, why he has so much angst, and how his alliances begin to shift towards the Starlight Entourage
Devian offers an interesting contrast as we also see why he was drawn to join the Urenphian Entourage and the many hardships of his (more ordinary) life.
Valarie is the glue sticking them together, because if you've read the series you'll know she becomes romanticallly involved with both at different stages (it's not much of a spoiler though, I promise!) So we get to see how both love interests view her and how the dynamics of both relationships twist and become more complicated.
Where do you go to get into writing mode?
Before I write anything, I usually need to spend some time listening to music and the most comfortable place for me to do this is in bed. Once I feel inspired, I'll grab my laptop and start writing at the dining table or in my office. I'm very specific about what I need to write--it needs to be on my laptop and in Microsoft Word or it becomes too hard, and I also need silence or music to concentrate.
Sometimes, if I can't focus, I will go to a coffee shop instead for a change of pace which works well.
Who needs to read this book?
Young adults reading The Starlight Chronicles Series--which you'll love if you're a fan of magic, royalty and romance.
Who inspires you?
There have been a lot of authors and artists over the years that have inspired me. It's hard to narrow it down because anything that I consume and enjoy I consider an inspiration. It motivates me to do better and keep going so that others can feel the same way about my own work. Everyone from manga artists, to authors, to TV show producers and actors have inspired me as a collective if I enjoy their media or content.
How important is reading and literacy for youth in this world?
I would say highly important. Reading stimulates creativity and offers an alternative escape from the real world.
What is some advice you would give to someone with a dream to create something they dream of?
A lot of people will tell you to go for it--and that's true, you should. But also realise this: you wouldn't have that dream, passion and skillset if you weren't meant to pursue it. So if you ever doubt that you can or that you should, remember that it was given to you for a reason and that everything will work out the way it should on your journey--because it's meant to be!
Where can people find your new book?: http://psmalcolm.com/starlight-chronicles-series/
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