[Interview] J.S. Collyer on The Orbit series, The Waste, and Character Relationships

J. S. Collyer is Science Fiction writer from Lancaster, UK.

Her first novel, Book 1 in the Orbit Series, Zero, an action-packed, character-driven SciFi novel described as ‘Firefly meets James Bond’ was released by Dagda Publishing in 2014 and made it into Northern Soul Magazine’s Best Reads of 2014.

The sequel, Haven, was released October 2015 and the third and final instalment, Silence, was released July 2016.

She enjoys writing stories that are larger than life, but with down-to-earth, relatable themes and characters.

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Anthony Vicino: It’s been 3 years since Zero first splashed down. Tells us, how has the world of writing changed for you since that day?

J.S. Collyer: It’s been a bit of a mad three years, have to say. I’d say the biggest changes happened, luckily, before I sat down to draft Zero. It was my first full-length novel, and ran to the relatively whopping 140,000 words, so it was a complete game-changer for someone used to just starting novels or sticking to short stories. It changed the way I wrote for sure, allowing me to be freer, easier, not caring too much about getting it right, or even that good, in the early stages, having learned a hard lesson in the past trying to get a novel draft perfect as you go, and never getting anywhere. Words on the page is the most important thing. Polishing, improving, moulding the subsequent mess into your masterpiece comes later. I now refuse to get trapped in what I call the Editing Loop, something which blighted previous novel attempts. This has been the biggest and most influential change in my personal world of writing.

This has allowed me to write the two sequels, Haven and Silence, and start book 1 of a new series called Waste. The world of writing for me during this time has only become more fun and shed a lot of it’s restrictions. Proving to yourself you can write a book is incredibly freeing and makes it easier to write another. Then another. So the world is a lot more open, a lot more fun and a lot less restrictive then when I first started out and was daunted by pretty much every aspect of it.

AV: You recently completed The Orbit series. Were there any unique struggles or changes to your process while dealing with the sequel/finale?

J.S. Collyer: Ah, yes. I’ve waxed lyrical about it being free and easy to write more books after getting Zero under my belt. But you are quite right, concluding a series was a whole new ball of wax. You’ve spent three whole novels and 400k+ words building to *something*. What could that *something* possibly be to warrant that length of journey, both for the writer and the reader?

Planning Silence was a little daunting. I was worried about drawing everything together, delivering a conclusion satisfying enough for both reader, writer, story and characters. Coming up with a narrative a notch up from the previous two that shifted the arc and the characters’ development to another level was intimidating in principle, but when I got down to it, it just flowed. I just dialed everything up to 11. It was tremendous fun and I loved doing it. Picking a favourite novel is like picking a favourite child, but if I had to, I think Silence might be my favourite of the three.

Having said that, I honestly couldn’t tell you whether it’s a success. It is for me, but truly I think only a reader could decide that. I have had good feedback. I feel like I’ve delivered. I feel like my characters reached a place of redemption and that the story went somewhere. But you’d have to check with my readers for a definitive answer.

AV: What is it about these stories in particular that were just begging to be told?

J.S. Collyer: I think I’d have to say the relationships. Relationships between characters are the main hook for me for any story, be that in a book I’m reading, play I’m watching, TV show I’m into or a film I’ve paid to watch at the cinema. It’s all about the relationships and their development. I just happen to find these much more compelling when they’re set against an out-of-this-world backdrop. Hence my love of SciFi and Fantasy.

I can’t go into too much detail without spilling a massive spoiler, but there was one key event in the middle of the story of Zero that the entire series evolved from. I just thought ‘What if this happened to two people? How would they feel and how would it effect their relationships going forward?” The entire series, solar-system encompassing political drama and all, came from that one concept. I just couldn’t let it go, or slow down its momentum, once the idea had taken root.

AV: What comes next for Jex now that The Orbit series is complete? Can we look forward to another series?

J.S. Collyer: Most certainly. I’m currently drafting book 1 of a new series. The book is called Waste and I’ve planned another trilogy. It will be called The Waste Series and the books are called Waste, Fuel, and Fire. I’m not giving away too much at this stage, but I will say that it’s Mad Max meets Indiana Jones.

AV: You teamed up with a crew of talented indies (Bale, Hicks, Wells) a few years ago to put out the anthologies No Way Home and Crime & Punishment. What was that like and can we expect more from this gang in the future?

J.S. Collyer: I really enjoyed working with that wonderful group of people on those collections. They were competent, kind, communicative and just jolly decent folks. Them all being immensely talented was a bonus. I was honoured to be included alongside them. The collections have recently been taken on by Samuel Peralta of the Future Chronicles (www.future-chronicles.net) so they are likely to blast even further into space under Samuel’s guidance. Whether he plans to commission any more anthologies from our collective, I’m unsure at present. But it goes without saying I will be happy to be involved if he does.

[button link=”https://www.anthonyvicino.com/interview-samuel-peralta-becoming-usa-today-bestseller-dominion-rising-future-chronicles/” type=”big”] Check out the interview I did with anthology master, Samuel Peralta HERE![/button]

AV: Which do you enjoy more, the short story or novel? Do you approach these projects in similar ways or does your method change completely?

J.S. Collyer: I’ve touched on this briefly in the first question, but upon consideration of which I prefer, I think now, at this stage, I prefer writing novels. Short stories are great for the quick hit, if you want to put something together in a matter of weeks, days or even hours, have a quick blast at a concept or theme, then take a step back, edit and have something whole and wonderful you’re proud of and ready to share in a relative snap of the fingers.

A novel is a journey. For me it’s more work, more time, more commitment, but the pleasure I get when completing it is like a supernova compared to a short story’s brief solar flare. Short stories are a snack when you’re running late for a meeting and haven’t had time for breakfast. Novels are a ten-course banquet served languorously with a selection of fine wines. And pudding.

My approaches to both are necessarily different. I will rarely plan a short story. I might have a few mental bullet points of where I want to get from and to and in what way. It often changes dramatically and with the shorter word count and time frame there’s much more capacity to experiment and play.

With a novel my planning stage can take weeks. The novel may well veer away form any or all my plans. Often does. But in order to keep a hold on plot lines, character arcs, and themes, a point-by-point plot plan is vital for guidance. It’s a lot more formal and rigid. The process of drafting is fluid, fun and flexible. But there’s a solid skeleton of plan behind it that, for me, it cannot progress without.

AV: Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?

J.S. Collyer: My current plan is to get Waste, Book 1 in the Waste Series, drafted and polished and then to start approaching agents. The Orbit Series went through an independent, small-press publisher. In 5 years’ time, ideally, I would like to have made a step in the direction of an agent and a traditional publishing contract.

AV: What do you know now about the industry and writing that you wish you’d known back when you first wrote Zero?

J.S. Collyer: I’m not entirely sure I know any more now that I didn’t already know when I started off drafting Zero. The most important discovery I made was one I touched about before, about the Editing Loop and how it can completely destroy your project before it even starts. Learning that first drafts are always ropey and full of errors and plot holes (at least for me) was incredibly liberating and allowed me to get words on the page. Which is vital, obviously, if you ever want a finished book. Not worrying constantly whether it’s any good as you go along was the best lesson for me to learn. When you have that first draft, whatever state it’s in, you have the start. THEN comes the polishing, the editing, the continuity checking. That, in my opinion, is where your talent comes in. I honestly believe anyone can draft a novel. Getting it from that rough beginning to a professionally presented and edited book is where the talent lies. It’s why traditionally published books have a whole team of professionals involved in the process of getting it the best if possibly can be.

I had the Editing Loop beaten before I started on Zero. It was a lesson I learned trying to write my first novel, an ill-fated fantasy book that never came to anything. I had a 4-month deadline for Zero. I didn’t have time to worry. I just wrote. And I got a book done. So then it would be silly not to write another, right? And so on.

Having studied a Masters Degree in creative writing with many talented tutors, I already had a pretty good handle on the way the industry worked. I knew what to expect. True, I haven’t made any proper ventures into that world just yet, but I feel I know what it’s going to be like.

One thing I do have a better understanding of now is the world of indie publishing and self promotion. And how much work it is and the amount of commitment in terms of time and money it takes. If I had known all that starting out, however, I still would have done it. I still intend to push the Orbit Series under my own steam and attend conventions and events to plug it and meet new readers. I love it. But I am looking forward to having a stab at the world at traditional publishing.

AV: Any juicy tips and tricks you’d like to share with aspiring authors out there?

J.S. Collyer: My biggest and most valuable advice is just to *write*. I know it seems obvious, but I can’t count the number of would-be novelists, screenwriters, graphic novelists etc that come up to me at events with their wonderful ideas for stories and asking what they should do. When I ask, ‘Have you written it yet?’ they always say ‘Well, no.’ WRITE THE STORY. People get hung up about how they’re going to get READ after they’ve written their opus, but have hardly ever even started drafting.

Trust me, how the book gets read, distributed or published will come together in its own time. The most important thing for you to do is write. It’s how you learn, it’s how you develop, it’s how you buildd up a catalogue that you are then so committed to you can’t help but work tirelessly on to release. But honestly, you should want to write more than you want to be published. Writing is the best bit, and the most fun bit of the whole process. And no publisher or blog or distributor in the world is going to take on work that doesn’t exist.

AV: Thanks for your time, Jex. Which darkened corner of the internet can readers find you? Got any stories or projects you’d like to promote here?

J.S. Collyer: Thanks so much, Anthony. I’ve really enjoyed this. Truly. You can connect with me/find out more about my books at any of the following locations. My WordPress has links to the Orbit Series on Amazon and plenty of juicy extracts, as well as many free flash fiction pieces and short stories. Have at them, they are there for all.

facebook.com/jscollyer

@jexshinigami

wordpress.jcollyer.com