About Rachael Clarke:
Rachael Clarke (R.A. Clarke) is an author/illustrator living in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. When not writing, she's enjoying family time, acting in community theatre, or relaxing at the lake. Her multi-genre fiction has won international competitions such as the Write Fighters 3-Day Novella Challenge, The Writer's Workout's 'Writer’s Games', the Writers Weekly 24-Hour Contest, and Red Penguin Books’ Humour Contest. She was a 2021 Futurescapes Award finalist, a 2022 Dark Sire Awards finalist, and her children’s book The Big Ol’ Bike was a Hindi’s Libraries finalist in 2021. Her debut sci-fi novel Race to Novus released in April, 2024.
What inspires you to write?
There are a lot of things that inspire me to write… like reading awesome books, seeing incredible movies (sci-fi has a special place in my heart), or the exciting, scary, wondrous, or bizarre things I’ve experienced that simply must get shared. I’d say my kids are the biggest aspect of why I am driven to write, as I want to produce books that will resonate with them—and maybe even make them proud of their ol’ mom. Writing also provides healing and escapism. I say this because I proudly worked as a police officer. However, after ten years and a CPTSD diagnosis, I had to give up that career. I shifted focus, became a stay-at-home-mom, and then, since I’d been creative since childhood, I opted to pursue my old writing and illustrating passions. Having an outlet to help cope with fallout from trauma has been invaluable, and I can’t see myself ever not writing now.
As for what inspired me to write my debut sci-fi western novel Race to Novus, it was my lifelong love of horses that started it all really. Years back, I entered a prompted short story writing contest and I was given a world building theme. I knew I wanted to write about a horse. So, I started thinking of what horses might be like in the future, or how they might change, and from that, my loveable bionic Friesian horse with a mood ring ocular implant (named Herc) was born. Then the story, characters, and technology all evolved from that starting point. For fun, here’s the book blurb.
Joining a rag-tag alliance, a disgraced and debt-ridden daughter enters her bionic horse in a nebulous race at the edge of explored space. The prize: free land and a fresh start. However, as suspicions mount, enemies and allies rise, and vicious creatures spawn from an alien jungle infused with inexplicable magic, her race turns into one of survival. For the vibe, I always tell folks to think of Hidalgo X Avatar X Aliens X Firefly.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
That’s such an interesting question. I don’t speak to them or hear them speaking to me specifically. Rather, I am aware of and feel them as more of an extension of myself. They’re so vivid to me, and as I write, I can see through their eyes—feel whatever they feel as their conversations and actions play out like a movie in my mind.
Tell us about your writing process.
I am a plotter when it comes to my long form writing, as I need the structure to help me keep on track and not forget important character or world building details. That said, I allow for flexibility—nothing is set in stone and sometimes the story needs to change. I’ll start with outlining, writing a solid body of text containing the entire plot, and then tweak and rework it until I’m happy with it. After that, letting it sit to percolate for a while is beneficial, as ideas and delayed clarity come after the fact sometimes. I then break it up into rough chapters and start writing the novel. I’ll make timelines if needed, as well as in-depth profiles of my characters as I go along. As for my short stories, I fly by the seat of my pants a lot more. I’ll have a much looser idea of where I’m headed, having only a basic overview concept and an ending in mind.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
That’s such an interesting question. I don’t speak to them or hear them speaking to me specifically. Rather, I am aware of and feel them as more of an extension of myself. They’re so vivid to me, and as I write, I can see through their eyes—feel whatever they feel as their conversations and actions play out like a movie in my mind.
What advice would you give other writers?
It’s tough being a writer sometimes. It’s no secret there’s plenty of rejection for folks pursuing creative ventures, whether art, music, writing, or something else. My advice is simply not to give up. Take healthy breaks as needed, but if you have a passion for writing, keep at it. Don’t let the imposter inside of you say you're not good enough. Be the one to write your own incredible story and make it a good one. 😉
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Funny enough, I kind of stumbled into self-publishing. I’d been planning to go the traditional path, but in 2020 I won a writing contest, which also included a free publishing package. Through that I put out my first book, The Big Ol’ Bike, a heartwarming children's chapter book about finding confidence in the face of bullying. However, after having illustrated it, edited it, pre-formatted it with images, and designed the entire cover myself, I realized I didn’t really need anyone else's help to put a book out. I also preferred the idea of having full control over publishing decisions, design, and pricing. So, I researched and learned anything I might need to, then created my teeny indie press (www.pageturnpress.com) as a home for my self-published work, with a future goal to expand into themed anthologies. Self publishing isn’t easy—it’s a lot of work—but it’s a route that made sense for me. I’ve put out a variety of books now, and released my first ever multi-author themed anthology Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora in late 2023.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
There will always be stories to write and people to write/publish them. I don’t think that will ever change. All I can hope is that the true creators in this world maintain their place at the forefront of the industry. I’d hate to see the convenience of AI win out in the literary world eventually as it advances. Writing a good book with fresh ideas takes incredible innovation, dedication, imagination, passion, and skill. No trained AI can replicate that perfect storm of qualities, and such exceptionalism should never be undermined.
What genres do you write?: I write sci-fi, fantasy, and horror mostly, gravitating most often to sci-fi with my long form projects. I also have a soft spot for humour and romance, and often sneak hints of both into my work. As a huge fan of genre mashing in general, it’s no shock I penned Race to Novus (which released in April, 2024), because it’s a sci-fi western thrill ride, with elements of fantasy and hints of both humour and romance.
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Rachael Clarke Home Page Link
Link To Rachael Clarke Page On Amazon
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
