An interview with Canadian sci-fi/fantasy author A.A. Jankiewicz.
Hi!
Welcome to Zigzag Timeline. Can you tell us about your background as an author?
Absolutely, I am A.A. Jankiewicz though
I also go by Agnes since referring to someone as the acronym for alcoholics
anonymous can get a bit awkward in person. I am a Canadian science fiction and
fantasy author and in my day job I am also a graphic and web designer for a
group of construction companies.
What got you into writing?
I’ve always had a burning need to tell
stories from as far back as I can remember being able to comprehend what
storytelling was. Even before I could write my parents have videos of me
drawing on the kitchen table and when asked what I was doing I answered with
making a movie (In my head this was the equivalent of telling a story at the
time, I believe I was about 3 or 4 at the time).
What was the first
idea you had for your book, and how did the story grow from there?
The novel I just released, Q-16 and the
Lord of the Unfinished Tower, already had some premade basis from its
predecessor Q-16 and the Eye to All Worlds. I knew the story had to continue
after the first book and would do so for some novels after. The idea for part
of the plot though first came to me after digging through some books in the
basement I came across a storybook of a Polish legend called The Two Brothers
and Two Towers which was about the building of St. Mary’s Church in Krakow. For
some reason, it just clicked and the ideas started pouring out like no
tomorrow.
Among
your characters, who's your favorite? Could you please describe him/her?
If I had to pick just one it would be
Puc Thanestorm, though the truth is I love all of my characters, good and bad,
for varying reasons. Puc is a Water Elf mage from the city of Aldamoor who is
charged with teaching Annetta and Jason about their abilities, always with a
large helping of sarcasm on the side. I enjoy writing him because due to his
long life, there are many emotions and memories I can pull on from him, things
that with a younger character like my protagonists are not as prominent yet.
This is not to say my younger characters are in any ways less three dimensional
but that they are just teenagers.
What's your favorite scene from your
novel? Could you please describe it?
I would have to say the final battle in
the book and I will try to describe it as best as I can spoiler free. There’s a
lot going on both internally and externally for the characters which was very
fun to write. The scene cuts from character to character as they fight what
they realize mid-way is a losing battle but continue to do so. Elsewhere, a
second set of characters needs to decide where they are going to help the first
group or to continue to engage in political games.
What's your favorite part of writing? Plotting? Describing
scenes? Dialogue?
I would say the plotting, watching an
idea grow in my head, evolve and take shape into the story it is to be.
Dialogue is another, due to my background in film.
How
long does it take you to write a book? Do you have a writing process, or do you
wing it?
The first draft took me about a year
followed by a year of edits and additional drafts. I generally start with point
form notes and go from there. Since I also do my own cover design I also take
care of that which on average takes me about two weeks.
What is it about the genre you chose that appeals to you?
I think what appeals to me most about
science fiction and fantasy is the world creation process. My imagination has
always gone to the beat of its own drum, so when I’ve tried to write something
without paranormal elements to it, it would want to leak in and defy the logic
of the real world. This is not to say that my science and magic does not adhere
to their own sets of laws, even if at times to reader it might not seem as such
depending on through whose eyes the story is being told.
Are there any books or writers that have had particular
influence on you?
There’s a few authors that come to
mind; Brian Jacques, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, R.A. Salvatore and J.K.
Rowling. Their mastery of character and world building inspire me to write in
the manner I do.
One book in particular had a large
impact on me when I was younger and that was Martin the Warrior by Brian
Jacques because it was the book that got me into wanting to read of my own free
will. Reading prior to this for me was a chore, something I couldn’t see myself
ever enjoying (especially as someone who had unidentified dyslexia at the time
so everything just moved on the page). I found the book on a fieldtrip from my
school to a bookstore and was intrigued by the cover art. I really wanted to
know more about what was inside so I bought it only to realize it was above my
current reading level. I wasn’t about to give up so easily however and I spent
countless hours reading a thesaurus and dictionary I had in order to understand
the meaning of all the words inside (word meaning disassociation is one of the
less well known symptoms of dyslexia). Needless to say, I succeeded in
finishing the book and from there, my love of reading was born.
Did you ever surprise
yourself when you were writing your book? Characters who took on lives of their
own? Plot elements that took unexpected turns?
I’ve had multiple characters over the
years take on personas of their own, or rather, take over a scene where if they
deemed it not playing out how they would react to it. Generally, these
decisions are for the better I find so I’ve learned to trust their instincts
and just channel what they tell me to write. Usually, they come back to where I
would want them to go anyways.
Thanks for stopping by!
ABOUT THE BOOKS
Q-16 and the Eye to All Worlds (Q-16, #1)
Headstrong, tomboyish Annetta Severio and her cynical, sharp-tongued friend Jason Kinsman are two teenagers from Toronto, making the most of their mundane existence.
Their world is forever changed when they discover that their fathers were once the protectors of a castle called The Eye to All Worlds located where the fabric of the universe is weakest, creating gateways to other worlds, hidden within the bowels of an underwater base known only as Q-16.
Learning of the threat of a warlord bent on conquering the multiverse, Annetta, Jason and their companions, Puc Thanestorm a cold, sarcastic Water Elf mage, Brakkus, a monstrous but kind hearted creature called a Hurtz, Puc’s apprentice Darius Silver, and a shape-changing young warrior named Lincerious Heallaws race to reassemble Annetta’s grandfather’s army, known as The Four Forces before it is too late.
Q-16 and the Lord of the Unfinished Tower (Q-16, #2)
"The lord of the tower has risen, and he is angry”
A year has passed since the events of the battle against Mislantus. Now, Annetta, Jason and their companions prepare for the end of their final year in high school. Dreaming of the future, they do the best they can to balance their time as the young commanders of the Four Forces and as teenagers.
Things are thrown off course, however, with the arrival of Annetta’s great-uncle and his proclamations which leave the members of Q-16 questioning their lives. Elsewhere, on Terralim, the home of the Water Elves, an evil amasses on the horizon, threatening to burn all in its path, forcing Puc Thanestorm away.
On their own and without the aid of their mentor, Annetta and Jason must navigate through a sea of decisions as they strive to come to terms with who they are meant to be.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A.A. Jankiewicz (known to most as Agnes) hails from the city of Pickering, Ontario. Her debut novel
‘Q-16 and the Eye to All Worlds’ was published as part of her thesis project at Durham College as part of the Contemporary Media Production Program. Prior to that, she graduated from York University with a BFA in Film Theory, Historiography and Criticism. When she’s not busy plotting the next great adventure, writing, doodling, tinkering in the Adobe suite programs or mellowing out with her friends, she enjoys walks with her four-legged companion Meesha. She is currently working on the next instalment in the Q-16 series.
