On March 1, Damnation Books launched The Banishing, the premiere novel from a haunting new voice in dark fiction–Fiona Dodwell. She took some time to discuss her novel, her journey as a writer, joining us “damn good writers” at Damnation Books, and more.
Q: Tell us something about The Banishing.
A: The Banishing is a dark novel that explores both domestic abuse and demonic possession.
When Melissa first notices the change in her husband – subtle at first – she thinks it may be the stress of moving into their new home. Or working long hours. But soon he turns into something far darker, far more sinister.
Who or what is the dark shadow living beneath her husband? What is haunting him? Melissa must quickly find the answer to these questions, because Mark is changing, and fast. Soon her fight will be for her life, as well as for her marriage.
Q: Tell us your journey as a writer, from your first interest to when you started taking it seriously.
A: I began reading passionately when I was a young child. I remember being no more than about seven years old when I started reading young fiction horror novels, and from there, my interest grew and eventually inspired me to begin writing myself. I remember vividly walking into my primary school at the age of ten and announcing to my teacher: “I want to be an author when I grow up!”
Through my childhood and teenage years, I began writing short stories and poetry, and also entered competitions. It was only when I was in my mid-twenties that I began to take the craft of writing seriously, and began writing horror novels.
Q: Tell us about your search for a publisher and what brought you to Damnation Books. What was it about them that made you decide that this is who I want to trust my novel with?
A: When The Banishing was ready to be sent out into the world, I did some online research, trying to find agents and publishers that would consider horror fiction. To my surprise many didn’t, and I found it was, at that time, a niche market. I came across the website for Damnation Books and fell in love immediately – here was a publisher that not only accepted horror, but celebrated it! The darker the better! So it was the perfect place for my book. I submitted to them, and the rest, as they say, his history.
Q: Do you have any other short story credits along with the novel? What are you currently working on?
A: Well, I have written many short stories but my heart mainly lies with full-length fiction. I have, so far, written three novels. I do add short stories occasionally to my blog, to give readers an idea of my writing and also as a gift to my regulars, but for now I am concentrating on my full-length work.
Right now, I am writing The Governess, a haunted house horror story with a huge twist. Last year, my short story, Close Your Eyes, was the prize winning entry in a fiction competition – readers can find that over at my blog.
Q: The Banishing tackles a very sensitive subject–that of spousal abuse. The pattern of a woman protecting an abusive partner is a pattern talked about all over in the media, so choosing to have a protagonist who truly believes her husband is truly not himself during these episodes strikes me as a tough topic to approach. Did you do any research to prepare you to discuss this topic in your fiction, and how do you distinguish Mark’s behavior from a “typical” abuse situation?
A: The Banishing was a difficult book to write. I had times when I just wanted to omit certain scenes or change the direction of the book, but I felt drawn and compelled to move forward with it, despite those feelings. Melissa, my main character, goes through hell. There were times I just wanted to get her to pack up and get out of that house, away from her husband, but somehow that wasn’t the story that wanted to be written.
I wanted to explore the reasons women might stay in an abusive relationship. It does happen, unfortunately. I wanted to explore my character, the way her mind works. In the book we find out she lost both of her parents in a car accident some years before. She is quite a solitary person. She is clinging to her marriage because, at times, she feels it’s all she has left.
Domestic abuse aside, I wanted to explore spiritual oppression and demonic possession. As someone who has long been fascinated by such subjects, I wanted to take the idea of an abusive character and take it down a different route: is he being influenced? Possessed? Are there demons in the house or in his mind? I’m hoping these twists take the reader on a new and original journey. Mark’s behaviour does become different from that of a ‘typical’ abusive relationship, as readers will see.
Q: Your main character is an ICU nurse. Did you draw from real life here or did you have to research her background? What aspect does this career choice play in the novel?
A: I do work in health-care myself, but I’ve never worked in an ICU ward. I did spend some time in ICU some months back, and for some reason the whole environment stuck with me. I wanted to use it, and it appeared in The Banishing.
I think Melissa’s work in ICU displays her caring side – often in the book she refers to the fact that she finds it hard to not become emotionally involved with patients in her care. I feel her work reveals her vulnerable side, which, in a sad way, makes her abusive relationship much tougher to deal with.
Q: Tell us your day job and hobbies, and how the impact of being a published author affects those other things in your life.
A: I have studied psychology part-time, and also Health & Social Care. I work in a hospital and enjoy what I do. I work part-time rather than full-time, to support myself and contribute to the household bills, but also so I can have time aside for my writing. I feel if I worked full-time, my writing would suffer. I need space – mentally and physically, to work at my best. My husband is a passionate musician and so he is as passionate about that as I am with writing, so he understands my need for time alone to be creative.
Q: Do you have any writing peer editors, belong to any writer’s groups, what method do you embrace in composing your own fiction?
A: There is a local group of writers who enjoy writing horror – sometimes I show my work to them for feedback. I also contribute to online writing communities. I find being able to share the ideas, troubles and issues with other writer’s very helpful. As for composing my own fiction, I start with a simple seed of an idea and work out a vague outline. I never rigidly plan my books, I like them to flow and it’s a marvellous feeling to see your own characters come to life and make changes of their own.
Q: What’s a nice girl like you doing writing horror? Tell us of your fascination with horror, ghosts, the occult, etc. Are you a fan of the genre? What writers do you read, and who would you compare yourself to?
A: I have been fascinated with the paranormal all of my life. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in the subject. I grew up reading accounts of hauntings and demonic possession, I joined online communities to discuss such topics, and I am also a member of the staff team at Talk Paranormal.
The writers I enjoy reading? I love Stephen King, Christopher Ransom, Bill Hussey, Adam Neville, Stephen Leather, Susan Hill, Edgar Allan Poe. The list goes on! I also enjoy non-fiction books on the subject of the paranormal and occult. I highly recommend Hostage To The Devil, by Martin Malachi.
Please visit Fiona’s website for more information:
www.fionasfiction.wordpress.com
Damnation Books released The Banishing March 1, 2011. You can order the novel in paperback and e-book formats from Amazon.com Damnation Books.com Barnes & Noble.com and Book Depository.
Thank you for having me over, RJ!
The e-book version is available now from Amazon and Damnation Books – the paperback version will follow a week later!
x
Pingback: Author Fiona Dodwell over at RJ Sullivan’s Blog today « Damnation Books Blog
Pingback: I’m over at RJ Sullivan’s blog today for a chat…. « Fiona Dodwell
Pingback: News, plans and updates… « Fiona Dodwell