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Announcement:
Meet Ellie Wallace
Every Friday, we meet a member of the BFS and peer deep into their soul (or, at least, a form they filled out). Want to be featured? Email us: content@britishfantasysociety.org
Name, including preferred pronouns:
Ellie Wallace (she/her), writes as E V Wallace
Which region are you based in?
Scotland
If you write, which genre:
Fantasy and horror
Are you drawn to any specific SFFH sub-genres?
I love folk horror and have always been drawn to historical and mythological fantasy
Your Influences
Tell us about the book/film/thing that got you into SFFH: What was it? How old were you? What impact did it have on you?
I grew up in the Wiltshire downlands, with Bronze Age barrows at the bottom of the road, Avebury Stone Circle within an hour’s walk, and West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill visible every day on my way to school. Wondering about the ancient landmarks strewn throughout my childhood began my interest in folklore, prehistory and magic, which made the leap into fantasy and folk horror a natural progression. Books such as The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper and TV shows such as Robin of Sherwood fed into this interest, which was supplemented when my interest in folklore widened to include the mythology of ancient civilisations such as Greece, Egypt and Mesopotamia. A taste for darker fantasy was also established by such ’80s classics as The Dark Crystal and The Neverending Story. As I hit my teens, epic story arcs like those of Babylon 5 and Battlestar Galactica informed my science fiction taste, whilst of course the Lord of the Rings movies fed into my previous love of those books.
How does that early influence show up for you (in life/writing/agenting/publishing/editing/reading) now?
I found integrating history into a fantastical narrative profoundly interesting. It’s something that was done a lot in the books and TV I absorbed as a child, in particular the Robin of Sherwood TV series, which often had episodes that drew on real historical events and characters to create an independent narrative for the show. This device is one that has informed my own writing a lot, with history and archaeology forming the starting point for projects that then incorporate magical elements derived from folklore.
Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?
Anything and everything is the simple answer to that. I’ve created fantasy races based off my pet lizard; dances based on the way my cat moves; novels prompted by random memes, history podcasts, random books, songs or chats with my friends. The whole world is a source of inspiration for me and it’s amazing what comes around if I just soak it up and allow it to percolate for long enough.
(Pictured: Ellie’s cat in portrait form)
Who do you look to as a genre hero? Why?
Terry Pratchett—a great author and decent man who saw the world clearly, retained compassion and outrage at injustice, and managed to inculcate it into a fantasy world so humorous and engaging that it made people laugh out loud whilst reading. It still holds up after 30+ years.
Your Work
You’re stuck in an elevator for 60 seconds with that hero, and they want you to describe your work. Give us the pitch.
I combine history, folklore, magic and myth, shake it all about, then write down the results of the inevitable explosion.
What are you working on right now?
I am doing the first pass edit of an epic fantasy novel based on the world of the eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age, and drafting a folk horror novel set in the Scottish Borders during the 1990s.
(Pictured: an idol from Troy, an inspiration for Ellie)
Thinking about all the stories/work you’ve done, what sticks out most in your mind? Why?
What sticks out most is how all my major characters seem to be outsiders who struggle to fit in with what their society expects them to be, even those characters who are, on the face of it, right in the centre of the political and religious elite of that society. A major part of their arcs revolve around either changing society directly or making peace with who they are within it.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about creativity?
Don’t force inspiration, but don’t wait around for it either. If you get stuck, read a book, watch a podcast or a movie/ TV series—anything so long as it is new to you and makes you engage. Once your creative brain is actually engaged, it’s amazing how quickly ideas start moving, and you go from a complete lack of inspiration to drowning in ideas.
What’s your writing soundtrack?
Folk music, folk metal, and metal in general. Sometimes movie soundtracks if I really need to concentrate. Basil and Zoe Paledouris’s soundtrack to the 1980s Conan the Barbarian film is a classic that I use a lot.
(Pictured: Ellie at work, at home)
The Quick Fire Round
Sci-fi, fantasy or horror?
Fantasy
Quiet or loud?
Loud
Dark or light?
Light
Strict lines or genre blend?
Genre blend
Awards or bestseller?
Awards
Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction
Poetry or prose?
Prose
Plotter or pantser?
Pantser
Reading or listening?
Reading
Notebook or computer?
Computer
Favourite SFFH book of all time?
Night’s Watch by Terry Pratchett
Last book you read?
Scratch Moss by David Barnett
Any SFFH author on auto-buy?
Adrian Tchaikovsky
Favourite podcast?
The Rest is History
The Home Stretch
What’s the best thing about being part of the SFFH community?
Every book or series you like or want to talk about has fans in the community who you can meet and instantly have something to talk about with. Every issue you’re having with your work, someone has had before and can help you through it, or at least commiserate with you and let you know you’re not alone.
Time to plug your stuff! Where can we find you and your work? What have you got coming up? Consider this your advertising space.
My debut novel, The Wilusiad, comes out on 18 November. It is an archaeological fantasy novel that reimagines the fate of Wilusa, the original city of Troy. It’s available on Amazon Kindle for pre-order now and should be available on most platforms on 18 November. Link and details about the book can be found on my website. This will be followed up by my second novel, The Ka of Ruby Chapman, an adventure story set in the 1920’s involving mummies, heists and an awful lot of hot jazz—think The Mummy meets Ocean’s Eleven.
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