Debut author Freya Finch (she/her) has arrived in the Rambling Realm. During her stay, she kindly agreed to chat with me about herself, her debut novel Rise, and the secrets of her writing process.

About Freya Finch

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

What inspired you to start writing?

I always wanted to be a writer. It really boils down to lifelong interest that made me keep at it because believe it or not: writing is hard. But quitting was never an option for me, even if I only did it for fun. I was privileged to have support from some really great teachers in school–even all through grad school–and my parents always taught me never to give up.

About Rise

What can you tell us about your debut?

What was the inspiration for Rise?

The climax of the story came to me first, a real lightning bolt moment (Thanks, Thor?). I was laying in bed, and this scene came to me almost fully formed. It was this huge action scene between–SPOILERS AHEAD–these two valkyries duking it out in Valhalla. One of them was powerful, brutally efficient, and terrifying, and the other one… not. Outclassed in every way. She became my main character, Bryn. The climax has remained almost entirely unchanged since it was first envisioned, and the rest is history.

I’ve always adored fantasy action/adventure movies like The Mummy (1999) and Pirates of the Caribbean, and I think I wanted to write something that would make me feel the same way I did growing up watching those.

If you were a character in your book, who would you be and why?

I’m not cool enough to be a named character in my book. I’d probably be a background character in Ravenswood, sitting in Dragon’s Den, eating a deep dish pizza and drinking ale, planning what show I want to see next.

If Rise was turned into a movie, who would play the main characters and why?

While writing RISE, it played out in my head like a renaissance-era animated Disney movie, like Hercules or Mulan. So I didn’t picture any one real person playing the part. If Disney made an animated movie, I’d be so excited with any professional voice actor, but I’d absolutely die if all the creatures were voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.

Are there any fun behind-the-scenes moments or any hidden easter eggs in your novel that you’d like to share?

Eagle-eyed fans of Norse mythology will find some hidden easter eggs, yes! I won’t say what, but I can’t wait for some people to find it for themselves. There are also a bunch of references to one of my favorite TV shows, The Good Place.

Can you share a favorite quote or excerpt from Rise?

“Hey, stop!” I shout, rushing in.

The guy ignores me as he raises his sword, ready to strike the girl on the ground.

Before he can do anything, I grab his arm and whirl him around. “Hey! What are you do-AUGH!”

One thing is immediately obvious: this guy is dead. Like dead-dead. Like, freak of nature in all meaning of the term, dead.

His face doesn't have lips, or a nose, and half of one of his cheeks is missing. He's more of a skull at this point. It looks like he's been gnawed on by animals, revealing bone and sinew. What's left of his skin is cold and shriveled and it's mottled blue and white, like frostbite. The smell of earth and decay overwhelms me. The worst are his eyes–they glow orange like the setting sun.

Fully decked out in tarnished leather armor, rusty chain mail, and a corroded helmet, he's ready for battle.

I snatch my hand away, wiping the feeling of dead guy on my hoodie. A laugh escapes me, nervous and high, as he takes a step toward his new target—me.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to scream…” I swallow a lump of fear in my throat, walking backward, my palm sweaty against my bow. “I’ve never met a zombie before.”

He hisses like a snake as he comes closer.

"Ha, yeah totally," I say.

Rearing back, the zombie whips his sword at me just as I slam my hand to my necklace.

With a burst of light, astral armor materializes around my body. Silver breastplate, vambraces, chain mail, winged helm-all of it magically melting over my clothes in the blink of an eye.

As my armor solidifies, the sword hits me in the chest, knocking me back twenty feet and into the wooden fence near the castle. Splinters fly everywhere.

The girl screams. To her, it would have only been a second. She must have thought I was a goner. If not for my armor, I would have been.

The dead guy is stupidly strong for a pile of bones. If he's surprised that I'm still alive, he doesn't show it. I doubt there's much going on in that empty skull to begin with.

I get to my feet and draw an arrow from the quiver on my back.

“Drop the sword,” I say, staring him down. I sound a lot more confident than I feel.

He rushes me, sword up.

I let loose one-two-three arrows in quick succession. Each stick in his padded leather armor, but he doesn't slow down. In a second, he's on me, cutting and slicing for my neck.

I duck and dodge out of the way, but he's wicked fast. I need space.

I leap to the side and take aim.

My arrow hits the side of his jaw.

Like a Frisbee, the lower half of his face goes flying, disappearing into the dark. A black tongue dangles from his gaping mouth like bloated worm.

He goes, “GAHHH!”

I go, “Gah!”

Fury in his eyes, he roars at me, his tongue waggling.

I think he's going to come after me again, but instead the ground opens up underneath him, and he starts to sink, like he's in quicksand.

“Do not let him escape!” the girl cries. She shoves her fist into a leather pouch and throws a handful of seeds at the zombie's feet.

Roots spring up from the ground, wrapping around his body like ropes.

Magic. She's got magic.

The zombie struggles to break free, chopping at the roots with his sword. He's halfway in the ground, melting into the dirt.

I draw another arrow, aiming for his eye, and let fly.

The shaft makes an odd twanging noise as the arrow lodges in the back of his helmet, pierced through his brain, or rather where his brain should be. The glow in his other eye fades, and he crumbles into a pile of dirt. When he does, a cloud of silvery-white smoke rises and disappears into the air.

All that's left of him are my arrows, and his armor and sword. And, as the girl lowers her hand, the magic roots shrivel up and wither away.

A chill rakes through me and my whole body shudders. You think. a valkyrie would be prepped to deal with dead folks, but there's a first for everything. I've never seen anything like that before.

The girl looks exhausted, but she stands, using her staff as a crutch.She winces, pressing her hand to her side.

“Are you okay?” I ask, as my armor fades and I'm back to being plain ole me.

“A valkyrie,” she gasps. “I...I found you.” A softness passes over her face and she wavers as her eyes roll back. She crumples to the ground, hard.

About Writing

What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

The mystery element, for sure. I had to work backwards, starting from the end, to figure out how all of the pieces fit together, making sure to include red herrings and diversions while also keeping the clues fair. I always include some element of mystery into everything I write, but this time I really approached it as if it was a mystery novel that just happened to be a fantasy action/adventure story.

How would you describe your writing process?

I like George RR Martin’s example: writers are often either gardeners or architects. Gardeners have a general idea about what kind of story they’re writing, but they’ll be surprised by what actually grows–how many leaves will appear, how tall it will get, how much fruit it will produce. Architects meticulously plan out their stories, down to every detail, building a structure before drafting. I used to be a gardener, but I’ve shifted more toward being an architect. I leave room for natural exploration when I’m planning my outlines, but I find having a distinct vision of where the story needs to go helps keep me and my characters on track, both with their internal motivations and external hindrances.

How would you describe your writing style?

Descriptive. I love a “voicey” protagonist voice, injecting subjective perspective into a scene, to make the world I’ve created feel lived in. My ultimate goal is for a reader to be able to escape into the page.

Do you have any strange or fun writing habits or rituals?

I cannot draft while listening to music with lyrics. I create a ton of playlists related to my stories: general vibes, character inspiration, instrumental soundtracks, etc. So I blast the instrumental playlist while drafting, and then I use the other playlists when I’m not actively writing to stay in the same headspace. Only when I’m editing or brainstorming can I listen to music with lyrics, and it’s usually all I listen to for months.

What's your favorite writing snack or beverage?

Trail mix and M&Ms

Finch’s Advice

What do you think is the most important thing for debut authors to know?

Your peers are not your competition.

What surprised you most about the writing and publishing process?

How slow it is.

Are there any resources or tools that were particularly helpful to you during your writing journey?

I draft with Scrivener, and I plan with a world building program called Campfire. (I have the desktop version, which has sadly been discontinued, but the subscription service is still available.) I keep all of my notes and character information in my Campfire database and refer to it constantly, adding as I go. I also can’t write without some kind of noise, so I use Spotify or Youtube for instrumental playlists or ambient sounds.

What is the strangest thing you had to research for Rise?

However, modern researchers, like Neil Price (whose book Children of Ash & Elm: A History of Vikings I used for my own research), emphasizes the importance of not determining gender based on skeletal structure, saying “This person may equally have been transgender, in our terms, or non-binary, or gender fluid.” It’s impossible, without resorting to necromancy, to know for sure how this person identified, and to assign gender to a skeleton is a misguided attempt to fully understand the complexities of humanity.

Gender norms in Viking society were not as rigid as white supremacists and other hate groups want you to believe, and to claim otherwise is straight up wrong. There’s a Norse concept called hamr, a part of the self that determines how one is perceived by others physically, and Vikings believed that it was something that could be changed all the time. Gender expression falls into that category. Tons of Norse myths center on characters having such strong hamr, they can literally shape shift. Just look at Odin, Loki, even berserkers.

Norse mythology is incredibly queer, and if you look at the culture that created it, is it really so hard to say the same for Vikings?

What does Freya read?

What genres do you enjoy reading the most?

My heart always belongs to YA fantasy. I love anything with magic, but I also love mysteries and adult romances. If you can combine all three, I’m sold.

Who are some of your favorite authors, and how have they influenced your writing?

In no particular order: Rick Riordan, Tamora Pierce, Margaret Owen, Libba Bray, Maggie Stiefvater, Tracy Deonn, Patrick Ness, Margaret Rogerson, DJ MacHale, Suzanne Collins, even mangaka like Natsuki Takaya, Naoko Takeuchi, and Hiromu Arakawa. I’m probably missing a ton, but the books I read growing up have shaped me as much as they’ve shaped my writing style.

What's the last book you read that you couldn't put down?

Voyage of the Damned by Frances White–it’s a murder mystery on a fantasy cruise ship. A+ voicey narrator and excellent characters. The main character moved into my brain and won’t leave.

Finch’s Plans for the Future

Where can readers find your book and connect with you?

You can find pre-order links on my website freyafinchbooks.com, or you can visit books.disney.com for more. As for social media, I mostly post on Instagram @freyafinchauthor.

Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

If you aim with your heart, you can’t miss. <3

Unfortunately, the time has come for Freya Fench to continue her journey. But if you wish to find her outside of the Rambling Realm you can do so by visiting her website or following her on Instagram, Tumblr, and Goodreads.

You can get your copy of Rise by following this link.