An Interview with Ivan Oorton
At only sixteen years old, Ivan Oorton aspires to become a nuclear engineer, but that only helps in enhancing his writing journey. Specialising in writing science fiction and fantasy, he also adds a more empirical flair to his works to add an extra layer of depth, shown in his debut novel, The Shards and the Stars. Ivan does not only enjoy writing, however; drawing, composing music, gardening, and more, are a few of his interests.
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
Originally, my novel The Shards and the Stars was going to be a parody of the superhero genre, and so the title of the novel would have been the name of the titular group of protagonists. But as my writing style changed, as well as the overall concept of the novel. Eventually, the original title of the novel became obsolete. When that happened, it took a very long time to come up with a new title. I was inspired by books like Harry Potter, which had the formula of Harry Potter and… whatever the book was about. I wanted to do something similar for my own novel. I knew for a while that it was going to be The Shards and… but I couldn’t figure out the last part for so long. I decided on the Stars because it showcases the scope of the novel, as well as the fact that it adds alliteration AND (kind of) rhymes with Shards!
How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?
When I first held the book in my hands, it was quite unreal, and I really wanted to tell everyone that I knew about it and that I had physical proof that I had written a book! I’d enjoy reading the novel on paper much more than on my computer, and seeing other people read my book and getting into the story was even more enchanting! I tried to hide my excitement as much as I could so that I still appeared as a functioning person, but I’m not sure that worked…
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
The main reason why I write is very personal, but I do have quite a few secondary reasons. For one, I didn’t have much to do for long periods of time and decided to do something productive and improve my language skills, so I started to write. This worked, and people around me (especially my mum) noticed I had an increased vocabulary and was able to communicate better. Another reason I wanted to write was so that I could share the world I’d created in my mind with anyone willing to take the time to read what my views on the world were. I don’t expect it to really make an impact on anyone (let’s be honest, it’s not particularly deep, what I write), but at least it’s out there. Another big reason is I want to entertain people and make their days a little bit better. My novel isn’t particularly happy and sometimes miserable at parts, but maybe the readers would appreciate the small jokes I put in, or just the characters themselves.
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
I am only seventeen, so I have not truly worked in any profession. Unless you count high school! But I do know what I want to do. Even though I’ve written a novel and I really like creating things, like drawing, music, and stories, I really like mathematics and science (there’s your fun fact!). Right now, I am pursuing an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at university, and hopefully I’ll be able to get a certificate in nuclear engineering so that I can work on optimizing nuclear power and making it a safe and cheap option for people to use worldwide. At least, those are my dreams. Who knows if I’ll ever achieve them?
What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?
The most rewarding part of publishing my book is that people can indulge in the universe I created. It’s far from the best out there, but I tried to make it unique and novel (get it?) so that readers can see a different angle on what science fiction and fantasy can be.
Also, I especially wanted to hear what people thought about what I wrote and know how it could be improved in later instalments. This novel is only part of a journey. I’d like each subsequent novel I write to be billions of times better than the previous entry. In a strange sort of way, it was meaningful to compare the final product that’s published to the first-ever draft I had written of the novel. It was absolutely terrible to read, and I could barely get past ten pages, but it was so meaningful to look back on what I had started with and think about the journey to what I have now.
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
My book does have a soundtrack that I composed myself! Composing music for the novel helped me immerse myself in my own universe, and somehow it made me understand the characters and worlds much better. It’s made up of twenty-two songs, and while I don’t think that the songs are particularly great, it did help me get immersed in my novel, so it might help my readers get immersed in it as well. It’s not out yet, but it should be soon!
What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?
Like I said before, my book isn’t particularly deep. At times, it pretends to be philosophical, but it’s not really the words of a wise person on the page. Instead of a certain message or underlying theme that has been exploited many times (and much more expertly) in other novels, I hope that readers finish reading the book and feel happier, maybe a little bit energized. Inspired, even, to write their own stories and share their opinions on the world. I don’t like to envision my perfect readers, because I would not like my readers to fit a specific mould in my head ー then when I meet them, I won’t be disappointed. Although it would be nice if my readers had maturity and did not take certain parts of the book as a joke, because I did sneak a few messages in there, despite my novel not being as deep as the Mariana Trench.
What creative projects are you currently working on?
I am working on a sequel to The Shards and the Stars. The plot is fully planned out, and I am currently on the fourth chapter of the novel, but progress is slow, unfortunately. I have also been working on a few short stories tied into this universe that people can read for free if they want a sneak peek into the universe that I’ve created.
How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?
It was great to work with Atmosphere Press! All of the team was very friendly, and all the work they did was phenomenal! I could go on listing everything good they did, but that would take forever. For any writer who would like to publish, it’s really not that hard. I don’t want to sound obnoxious and like a broken record, but I am seventeen. No matter your age, you can do it! All you have to do is dip your toes into the water and try it out. Also, don’t be afraid of failure and afraid of rewrites because all it does is help you improve and become even better at the craft!
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