An Interview with Gionata Sala

New author, old head. I grew up in a world where stories were what gave the world colour. Not trying to reinvent the wheel. I hope where we are going, we won’t need them.

Storyteller.

Student of history.

Responsible conspiracy theorist.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

One big inspiration while writing was an interview I watched with a quite famous historian in which they discussed how difficult it is to keep history intact when you only have various written records to sift through. This got me thinking that we, as people, are very strange when it comes to history and we only accept things as fact if they are written down. Yet most of our history wasn’t or couldn’t be written down and oral traditions were how information was passed from generation to generation.

This made me wonder if there were things we had missed throughout history or things we had disbelieved due to lack of written evidence.

We have few specific windows into time in our history books. A battle happened on this day at this time at this place, but they are just lines in a history record. What about the hundreds if not thousands connected to that day whose story will never be told? I view my stories as history that’s happening in the moment. However, what if the thing that’s happening wasn’t written down? Could something incredible have happened and never have been documented? It’s as if, if it wasn’t written down, it never happened in history.

This story is a companion to a much larger series I hope to write and is about the hero’s need to find allies to help her as the shadowy forces of evil in the series become apparent to her.

The theme of the book, and probably the series as a whole, is about people’s need to rely on others, and even the most introverted of us sometimes need or crave the help of others, and how there are always people in the world who will give their all to see you succeed.

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The title for this particular book was one of the easier decisions in this whole process.

The story is about a tight group of young women who lean on each other and a bond is forged that makes them more sisters than friends.

Having to rely on others and put your faith in them is a core theme for the book. We always stubbornly struggle to get the things done we need to do and often alone, so I wanted to convey the importance of having people around you who have your back and wish you to succeed whatever the cost.

Describe your dream book cover.

My dream book cover has changed in my mind many times as I have pushed further into the story. My first idea was to have a symbol that represented the theme of the entire series, but the more I thought about it, what I wanted people to see even before opening the book was that these stories are little snapshots in time that tell an overarching story. This particular story takes place in a distant land many years ago, so the culture is very different. The architecture looks different. The people dress differently. So, I wanted the cover to show some of that, which is why I settled on a rendition of one of the major locations for the story. So you can see the world you are about to enter.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

That is a very tough question, as although I do hear songs playing when I read back and picture the story, I haven’t really thought about it having a soundtrack. This will send me on a journey to find music for the whole series now, I believe.

I would like to have some instrumentals and maybe a song or two. So, I’ve gone for:

Arrival of the Birds

Saturn—Sleeping at Last

Experience—Ludovico Einaudi

Everything in Its Right Place—Radiohead

This will probably change over time as I agonise over every song choice now.

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

I’m currently reading or rereading the Camulod Chronicles by Jack Whyte. I like to get lost in stories, even ones I’ve read before.

For research, I look at a wide range of things, but for this book in particular, I have been reading a lot about the Roman Empire in the third century and what life was like at that time.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I have worked in a few different professions. I always enjoyed art and architecture growing up and felt I would work in a field like that. But life often overtakes our aspirations and it seems I have ended up working more around people than around dusty old paintings and buildings.

I have run bars and restaurants in the UK for many years and also worked in sales in many different environments.

These jobs, I realised as I got older, allowed me to study and interact with a wide range of people seeing how different each of us are and how different decisions can have a profound impact on where your road takes you.

I have met famous people and I have met regular people just trying to survive the world they are stuck in. Everyone is different but strangely the same, and I’m fortunate to have been witness to some of the good and bad and ugly that we strange little apes seem to get up to.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I think I have always had the idea of writing a book in my head. The first book I remember vividly was a book by the late Brian Jacques called Mossflower. It was about a warrior mouse who had to fight off an evil rat to save his friends. I remember getting so immersed in that world for a day, and then for a week. Then I found a whole series at the library by this very author and I was hooked from then on.

I have a love of art and architecture, but no artists or art has been a major influence on this journey.

The main person who has had the biggest influence and impact is a dear friend of mine who I have an awful amount of love and respect for. I won’t mention them by name, but this person is the person I based the main character on and their continued support has been instrumental in making sure this story has a chance to make it into the universe. They have picked me up when I have doubted myself and been my biggest supporter. I don’t believe this story would exist without them.

Where is your favorite place to write?

I’m a big fan of nature. I think the world is a beautiful place to exist in, so my favourite place to write is currently a room in my house with a big double window where I can see the trees and the wildlife running around.

I enjoy writing outside for the same reason and am looking forward to writing in some new locations to see if that has an effect on how I see the world and therefore how I translate that into the world I’m writing about.

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

The advice I would give myself if I could go back to the start of this journey is believe.

There will be days of doubt and days you look at what you have written and want to screw it up and throw it away.

The story wants to be told, that’s why your brain can’t stop it from growing and getting more absolute in your mind.

Trust that what you want to write is worth reading, and gather people you trust to read what you write and give you honest opinions. Good or bad.

And finally, enjoy yourself. It’s exciting watching something you create grow and expand and become something living.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

The thing I hope sticks most in readers’ memories is that they felt immersed in the world I’m writing. I want people to get to know the characters and believe in them and what they are doing.

I want the reader to almost take a second to question what they have been taught or what they think they learned.

I want the reader to think that whilst they know the time and the place and the historical events happening, they can almost leave that stuff in the background and focus on the characters I’m creating. Some I have made up and some they may have already heard of. I almost want the sense of sitting on the edge of a rabbit hole just before you fall in.

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