SPFBO 9 Author Interview - Shelly Campbell

What inspired you to write your SPFBO entry? Is there a particular story, personal experience, or idea that sparked this book?

Under the Lesser Moon has been kicking around in my head since I was a teenager. Long, long ago. I wanted to tackle a story involving a tribal society that didn’t revere their eldest sons but abhorred them instead. How would a culture with a built-in scapegoat operate, especially if they were pushed to the edge of collapse? I also wanted to explore a symbiotic relationship between dragons and humans—although we only get an inkling of that in book one. It’s explored further in book two, the completed finale of the duology.

 Under the Lesser Moon is a grimdark fantasy with little magic and no swords. If you mashed together the coming-of-age journey of Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice, the stone-age culture of Jean M. Auel’s The Clan of the Cave Bear, and some of the grimness of George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones, you’d have the flavor of Under the Lesser Moon.

How would you describe your writing process? How did it evolve during the creation of this book?

Like most debuts, my writing process was messy compared to how I write now. I was a pure discovery writer, and this manuscript was scrapped and rewritten multiple times. Currently, I like to operate with a loose outline, so I don’t end up writing myself down too many dead-end roads. It still gives me the flexibility to change the story as I get to know my characters better.

What challenges did you face during the writing or publishing process, and how did you overcome them?

I think most debut novels come with a healthy dose of existential dread. What if no-one publishes it? What if no-one reads it? What if people do read it and despise it? Under the Lesser Moon has had its fair share of bumps in the road, as most books do. It’s been through one withdrawn contract, publishing with a small press who folded after a short time, and a reincarnation as a self-published novel. It was, of course, depressing to see the book of my heart stumble out of the starting blocks. I debuted right as Covid started. It was hard to see it pulled off the market when it had barely got its legs under it, but I had the help of a gracious publisher who returned my rights--and granted me rights to cover art as well. It’s heartening to know that I’m in control of its success now, and incredibly gratifying to see it find readers who enjoy the story and characters within.

Who are your biggest literary influences and how have they impacted your writing style?

This is going to sound cheesy, but I have been incredibly lucky to have fallen head first into a fantastic group of critique partners, and they are my biggest literary influence. They are my ideal reader, who I think about when I’m crafting words. Sunyi Dean, Essa Hansen, Darby Harn, Al Hess and Jennifer Lane are all fantastic writers whose work I can’t get enough of. They are the kindest, most generous supporters and just all-round fantastic humans. I’m lucky to know them.

How do you approach world-building in your fantasy novel? What elements do you think are essential for a compelling fantasy setting?

I think it’s essential to give your reader credit. They only need you to set up the framework of a world for them, and they’ll fill in the rest. I struggle to find that balance between dropping enough bread-crumbs of worldbuilding to keep a reader engaged without lobbing whole loaves of info-dumps at them. Like most writers, there are rabbit-holes of historical research I’ve happily tunneled down for hours or days that only ended up as a single line in the book. My readers came to be entertained, not read an encyclopedia about the inner workings of my world—although I’ll happily supply one if there’s a demand for it! 😊

If you could give a piece of advice to the main character in your book at the start of their journey, what would it be?

Oh God, Akrist. Run. Run away.

As a self-published author, how do you navigate marketing and promoting your work?

Hopefully, with balance. It is a huge world out there. It’s saturated with books, more than ever before. I just won’t ever have the reach that a big 5 traditionally published book will. And I’m okay with that. I’m trying my best to focus on marketing and promoting in ways that I enjoy, and having authentic conversations with readers who have reached out to let me know they like my work. I am writing because I love it. If I compare myself to others or focus on all the work I could or should be doing to market my books more, I’d be miserable. This is a marathon, not a sprint. My books will find their people, one page at a time. Books don’t expire 😉 Good thing too, because my to-be-read pile is ever-growing.

What made you decide to participate in the SPFBO competition? How do you think this experience will benefit you as an author?

I saw a lot of the finalists for SPFBO on Twitter last year. Some were books I really enjoyed. It looked like a fantastic opportunity to network with some fellow fantasy writers and readers. I’m thrilled to have made it into the running this year.

If you were to win SPFBO, what impact do you think this would have on your writing career?

After I buy a tropical island and my own fighter jet? Kidding. I think it would give my books the kind of visibility I couldn’t give them on my own. More importantly, I think it would give me the opportunity to meet with more like-minded folk. Writing can be a lonely profession with struggles that only other writers understand. We need to build each other up, inspire each other. Storytelling is an integral part of humanity. It’s how we connect and learn. I’m looking forward to connecting more.

What's next for you after SPFBO? Are there any upcoming projects you can share with us?

 I’ve got lots on my plate. I genre hop a bit. Right now, I am working on the sequel to my quiet horror Gulf a kind of Stranger Things slash Lost Boys slash Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere story. I’m also working through edits on the sequel to a book I co-wrote with Megan King called Knowledge Itself. It’s a solar flare post apocalypse YA novel with a neurodivergent main character. Both of those should be out sometime in 2024. Fingers crossed.

 Thanks so much for giving me the chance to natter on about books. It was a pleasure!