Rambles, writing and amusing musings

Brrrrr it’s chilly out here. I tug my sleeves over my fingers and keep moving. I know I have stumbled over a fair few roots and fallen branches on my walk out to where I am meeting my lovely interviewee today. The trodden, rocky path would be better suited for a BMX bike than my hiking boots. In the distance, I hear a dirt bike. Yup, far more sensible. The bike skids to a stop and a dust covered figure approaches.

I am really excited to be able to share a wonderful new Author Interview with you all. Introducing the Marvellous Pauline Yates! Author of her debut science fiction novel Memories Don’t Lie

Welcome Pauline.

First up, tell me a little bit about yourself. When did you start writing and why? 

Like everyone, I wear many hats, but it’s the writer hat I love wearing the most. I’ve carried it in my back pocket all my life, but it wasn’t until I hit my forties that I put it firmly on my head. Writing became an obsession and I dumped all the other creative things I used to do. Being an author has always been my calling, and while I sometimes wish I’d started earlier, I also think my life experiences have helped to shape the type of author I want to be. When I figure out what that is exactly, I’ll let you know. Why do I write? It’s like breathing – I need to. I’m just not happy if I’m not tinkering with a new idea. I thrive on creativity, love telling a story, and writing allows me to do both.

What is your writing process? 

80% of the time I’m a discovery writer. I define that by starting with an idea, sometimes the whole story, but in the process of writing it, I uncover hidden gems that can turn my original idea on its head. It means a lot of rewriting, but I’ve become an expert in that department; it’s all part of my process. I’ve learned, and accepted, that sometimes I need to write what I don’t want, to discover what I do want. The other 20%, and I love this percentage, the complete story comes out in one writing session with no changes needed. I’ve also come to accept that if I’m struggling with a story, it’s because the story won’t work no matter what I do to it, so I’m best off ditching it and starting something new. Sometimes I listen to my advice. Other times I need that rejection email to tell me what I already know.

What does a regular writing session look like for you? 

Because of my many hats, finding time to write varies from as little as ten minutes to as long as a day. My favourite time to write is after 10pm, a habit developed while raising a family. My muse is also the most active around midnight, thus my socials tag midnightmuser1. Regardless of when I write, whether it be ten minutes or hour after glorious hour, I always set myself a goal: finish a paragraph, complete a scene, draft a new story, edit a current one. One thing I never do is worry about word count. I could easily write 1000 words and then delete the lot the next day, so using a word count to track my progress is counterproductive. Achieving the writing goal I set is a better way for me to track progress. I also write every day. I think this is crucial. When you write every day, you train your brain to expect a writing session, and that makes it easier to slip into writer mode, especially if time is short. Taking a day off gives you permission to take another day off. Before you know it, a week has passed, and you’ve done nothing which is a sure-fire way to let writer doubt sneak in. Even if it’s only a sentence, I will write something.

Oh Pauline, how I hear that… I often have times where one day of procrastination leads to another. You have described this really well. Permission! Ouch.

Now, let’s get stuck into your amazing novel Memories Don’t Lie. Cover designed by Dawn Burdett.

About Memories Don’t Lie:

Sarah Wilson, orphaned niece of Lieutenant John Wilson, is determined to escape his restrictive upbringing and find her place in the world.

Her journey takes a deadly turn when she uncovers secrets about her past, hidden deep in her mother’s memories, that threaten everything Sarah wants.

They could cost her everything she holds dear–and her life.

Memories Don’t Lie has a fascinating premise… how did you come up with that? 

The idea of memory enhancement evolved through the many rounds of edits. I always knew Sarah would have a voice in her head, but I needed to present it in a way the reader could understand. I also wanted to keep everything as real as possible, and there was plenty of science to back up my theories. Using memories fitted with the cellular memory and déjà vu concepts I present, and each supports the other. The vector and all it comprises also developed during the rewrites. It’s science-based, but I tweaked it to suit my story. What I offer is suggestive, but highly possible given the scope in genetic research these days.

Tell me how you went about plotting Memories Don’t Lie? 

The major plot line stayed true throughout every version. Sarah was always going to be on the run and being helped by the team she hoped to join. The sub-plots and character arcs changed in various ways as I zoned in on my world, but every characters role in the story remained the same. The final product isn’t that far off the first draft I wrote many years ago. My biggest hurdle was figuring out where to start the story – I have many opening scenes that didn’t make the cut. While writing, I kept this advice in mind: nothing raises the stakes better than bringing in a character with a gun. I think I applied this concept to every chapter, thus the fast pace. I did allow breathers; my characters need to eat and sleep and so does the reader. But I don’t let you rest for long.

So true, I read it at a rocketing pace! What research did you do for Memories Don’t Lie? 

I researched everything from genetic engineering, DNA transduction, memory systems in the brain, SWAT teams (what they wear, how they train), military training facilities, to what Americans call things (eg: we say Ute, they say truck). I’m also fairly certain my research on computer hacking and explosives has me on a watch list. Because the story is set in California and in my effort to keep things real, I’ve tripped all over that area via Google maps and Google earth satellite imagery, looked up fauna and flora, checked driving time and distances, and researched the towns I used in scenes. I’ve tweaked all that information to suit my near future timeline, but I’m confident everything is relatable. I also chatted to experts in their field, in fitness and training, law enforcement, and genetics. That was my favourite part of research, talking to real people, because I gained insight into the emotional impact in my areas of interest.

How did you get your publisher? 

I did the whole query trenches thing, and hated every second of it. It is without a doubt the most soul-destroying part of being a writer. I spent hours crafting my query package, researching agents, tweaking details to suit the many different requirements. The best I got was ‘we love the story but it’s not quite what we’re looking for at this time’, the worst – no reply, not even a form rejection. After a couple of months of this, I lost confidence and seriously considered printing the book for myself and tucking it beneath my pillow. Mentally, I was stuck in the trenches and couldn’t move forward with any new writing. But I gave it one more shot. I sent it to Black Hare Press, a publisher I’d sold many short stories to. I love their work ethic, and how they treat their authors. It was a gamble, because they don’t usually publish full length novels, but they loved it and offered a contract. I couldn’t be happier. They have produced a book beyond my expectations, for which I’ll be forever grateful.

That’s absolutely marvellous.

Now, let’s focus on main character Sarah for a moment… Sarah goes through a lot. What made her your “go to” for the main character? Why was Sarah the one to tell this story? 

This has always been Sarah’s story. She’s been with me for a long time. I just didn’t know who she was until the final draft. It took writing this story multiple times to learn who she is. Ironically, it’s how the final version plays out, too. She’s typical of a character trying to find her place in a world where she has no place. Sure she goes through a lot, but what she faced helped her to understand who she was, and that was crucial to the story.

What were you hoping we, as readers, would learn from her? 

I hope readers will take away the importance of knowing who you are, and that strength can be found in that. I’m not talking about physical strength, Sarah has plenty of that. I mean the mental strength needed to overcome obstacles, whether it be self doubt, helplessness, or hopelessness. Because Sarah found that mental strength, she was able to rise above her physical and emotional battles and achieve her goals where she would have otherwise failed.

What about her team? What should we take away from her interactions with them? 

I love exploring team dynamics. All my characters are strong as individuals, but as a team, they are invincible. I refer to the saying ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ and that’s certainly true with this team. But they have flaws, too. It was fun to dig into my characters past and learn why they behaved as they did. Because Sarah took the time to understand her team’s individual insecurities, she established a level of trust and forged solid friendships that helped her when she needed it most. As I said in the story, healthy relationships are based on trust, and that was important to Sarah on many levels. I’d like to think there’s something in that for readers to take away.

What was it about the idea of super-soldiers that drew you to the concept? 

I love super soldier theories. The idea that that humans can be made stronger and faster through genetic enhancement is not new, but I took it a step further, because it’s not only muscle than can be made stronger. Creating a super soldier as a character is also not new, but I wanted to explore what it really means to be enhanced, on both physical and emotional levels.

Do you find futuristic ideas about technology – in particular – gene manipulation, a scary proposition? 

I don’t think humans are ready for the ramifications of gene manipulation at this point in time, not while greed, war, and superiority exist in our psyche. Consider this: In our quest for perfection, we create monsters. What is perfect? Whose eyes would we be forced to look through? What does our future look like if things go wrong? Dabbling in any genetic modification, whether it be in plants, animals, or humans, should be considered with caution because the results are irreversible and the potential damage for future generations catastrophic.

Where do you think we as a society are headed with studying DNA? 

I cannot answer that. I am not a scientist (although I feel like one after all my years of research on the topic). I can only theorise on where it’s heading, and being a primarily a horror writer, the end result is not a pretty picture.

The concept of memory being passed along in DNA or in this case, gene manipulation… Where did that come from? I was hooked. It’s such a fascinating idea. 

Throughout my life, I’ve experienced many episodes of déjà vu, and that lead to a fascination with the cellular memory theory. I believe that déjà vu is the result of recalled inherent memories, those memories that have been passed down through the genes. For example, a family member was a pastry cook, and a relation in our not too distant ancestry was also a baker. You’ll find similar examples in any family tree. If the memory of being able to do something is passed down through inherent genes (which is why people have a natural affinity for a particular skill set), why couldn’t the same apply to transferred DNA? You read stories all the time about how organ recipients adopt traits from their donor. They could only adopt those traits if a memory of the trait was stored in the organ’s cells. The recipient’s brain must have tapped into it. The same would apply to transferred DNA, and again to actual memories. Why couldn’t they be stored and/or passed down like inherent traits? The possibilities in this area are endless.

Where to for you now? Is there a book two in your future or perhaps another novel down the line? What are your plans? 

I’m currently working on the sequel to Memories Don’t Lie. I wrote it immediately after finishing MDL, but it needs tweaking to match details. I also have a pile of short stories that are in various stages of chaos, and I’ll work on those when I need to give my brain a break from novel writing. I’m growing more interested in writing short novellas so I may direct more energy to that area; I have one coming out at the end of the year. Whatever I do, the sequel comes first. I’ll worry about everything else when that’s finished.

I wave goodbye to the figure and watch her head towards the dirt bike in the distance. I turn and stumble my way back up the beaten path and hope I don’t get lost. Light speckles through the overhead branches over the uneven ground beneath my boots. The chill is back in my fingers. For a moment I startle, blinking at the serious case of déjà vu that hits me. Have I been here before? It’s all so strangely familiar…

Thank you so much Pauline for taking part in my Author Interview series.

About Pauline Yates:

Pauline Yates is the Australian author of Memories Don’t Lie; a fast-paced science fiction novel inspired by her love for dark and dangerous action and adventure. An Australian Shadows Awards finalist, her short-form horror and dark fiction appear in numerous publications in Australia and abroad. Pauline loves writing at midnight when her muse is the most volatile, and enjoys taking pictures of the sunrise—if she wakes up in time.

Where you can find Pauline online:

Website: https://paulineyates.com/

Reader Links: https://books2read.com/PYates-MemoriesDontLie?fbclid=IwAR2XRbR4fzYGBUvUHkFeyQPYSlMKdbDfA88dgGyN0ZvQLlIydrhzgKJ6Hpw

Reviews: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122763665-memories-don-t-lie

Book Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/139360642

(I highly recommend the socks, they are so comfy).

You can read my review of Memories Don’t Lie here

Credit for image: Chryselle Webb.