“Inspiration can be taken from everything”: Natalya Timoshenko on the features of mystical literature and writing

Sometimes we hear that writing a mystical detective novel is easier than a regular novel. When your criminal is not a person, but, for example, a ghost or a witch, it is easier to confuse the reader. Or any piano in the bushes can be explained by the extrasensory abilities of the hero, the search for evidence can be placed in a prophetic dream or a vision of the character. And yet, I don’t agree that it’s easier to write such a world.

It doesn’t matter whether there are witches and ghosts or pixies and goblins in the mystical world, it doesn’t matter whether it is our world interspersed with another world or completely fictional, the world must have a logic . It’s the law. A writer, creating such a universe, must understand what laws he obeys, what is happening in him and why. The reader will not accept the “because” explanation.

In my books, I usually combine our real world with the world of the supernatural. This means that I have to combine the standards of our world and those of fiction, to write heroes who already know the afterlife and who encounter it for the first time. Give a reaction that both reflects the character’s character and that the reader believes in. Which is not always easy and not always possible, I must emphasize, because each reader draws on their own experience. I had the opportunity to receive two reviews of a book in one day. In one, the reader wrote that the heroine resisted new acquaintances for too long, in the other, that she did it too quickly.

Additionally, it is important to pay attention to the ambiance. Like any other genre, mysticism can also be different. If it’s closer to horror, horror, you need to create a dark and scary atmosphere. There is no need to do this with gallons of blood and a detailed description of the physical violence inflicted on the heroes. It could be knocks in the night, shadows outside the window. Psychological stress can be even worse than physical injuries. And mysticism can be cozy. Yes, it is also scary, because the characters on the pages of the book encounter something unfamiliar for the first time, but at the same time it does not freeze your insides and makes you finish reading the book out of interest and not out of fear.

In any case, I am always for the principle “don’t tell, but show”. For example, you can simply write “The forest was dark” or “Large trees intertwined their crowns at the top, covering the already meager November sun from the traveler.” The image immediately becomes larger, richer and evokes more feelings in the reader.

Back to the heroes. To hook the reader, it is not enough to offer a complex world and a complex plot. You also have to put characters in the book who will be interesting to watch. The reader can relate to the character or just look at him from the sidelines, but he must sympathize with him and worry about him. If the hero is a piece of cardboard who does not need anything in life, who simply mechanically performs the functions of a book character, he can spoil the most interesting story.

And a logical question arises: how to imagine all this? Where to get ideas, where to get inspiration? This is also one of the most frequently asked questions during an interview. And here you cannot answer in two words. I think we can be inspired by everything. First of all, it’s our world. Yes, the most ordinary and seemingly material. But aren’t thick fogs, bottomless caves and impenetrable swamps inspiring? Sometimes you just need to walk in the forest and get off the beaten track to acquire the necessary emotions. And if you visit an abandoned village, that’s it. And even in our material world there are many mysteries and inexplicable phenomena. Yes, it is difficult to meet them yourself, but you can read and watch.

Second, mythology and folklore. It’s another inexhaustible source of inspiration and ideas. You just need to start studying and ideas will appear one after another, you just need to have time to sort them out.

Third, books, films, paintings and even music. I’m not saying you should follow other people’s ideas, but sometimes a book you read can lead to your own plot.

And another source of inspiration for a crime writer is personal fears and emotions. Just think about what makes you anxious? Deep darkness? Endless corridors? Narrow cave openings? And when your own fears disappear, you can feed off your readers’ fears. Of course, for this you have to find readers, and here’s another important point: it’s not enough to write a good story, you also have to make sure that it is read.

Many aspiring writers face the question: how can they publish their mystical story? We live in a wonderful time where it is no longer necessary to wait years for a response from the publishing house and abandon what we love if the publishing house does not accept the manuscript.

There are now many sites where a writer can take their book, find readers and even make money from it. Of course, it is important not to make a mistake in your choice. You need to understand what is in your book other than mysticism. Detective? Love line? Severe men and their equally harsh adventures? What audience is the book intended for? And go from that.

At one point, I started with a handy platform for digital authors, Liters Samizdat. I love that Liters has a huge multi-genre audience. Additionally, a young writer does not have to meet any conditions to bid on a book. And also a large number of different competitions where you can find your first readers. After all, any world, including mystical, is interesting to write about when you know it will be read. That the book will not collect dust in a desk drawer, but will find its fans.