Thanks to author M.T. Maliha for inviting me to join her podcast and talk about the narrative choices authors face. The Dusty Wood Podcast showcases interviews with guests who talk about writing and life, sometimes together.
M.T. Maliha is a lovely author and an even lovelier person. Her Waverly Estate trilogy includes Ghost Dance and The Murmur — both available now — and Betwixted, coming this spring. (I love that last title, probably because I loved the TV show “Bewitched” and I love Twix bars haha!)
As one reviewer says about Waverly Estate, “There is nothing one dimensional about this series and M.T. is far more than just another writer who regurgitates themes. She is master of understated terror that creeps up and leaves you chilled.” (Read more reviews here.)
Couldn’t have said it better myself. But since I’m a writer, I’ll try: I’m not a huge horror fan. But I loved Waverly Estate: Ghost Dance. It is a human story which just happens to have supernatural elements that enhance rather than dominate the plot. The supernatural isn’t the focus of the story; it’s an essential element woven into a larger plot about human nature, society, and good and evil.
Back to my podcast interview: So I talk about the early narrative choices made when starting to write a novel. These include choosing a narrator and selecting the right point-of-view. (Remember first person, second person and third person from English class?) It also digs into why I went with a dual narrative, employing two narrators, for my most recent novel, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.
