An Interview with S.E. Palmer

I’m a British author based in the North West, UK. I published my first book, Drifting in a Dream, in 2021, with the sequel, Falling in Flames, escaping in 2024. Despite reading far and wide, young adult and fantasy remain two of my favourite genres to write. I love the flexibility of fantasy, and I particularly enjoy incorporating it into our mundane everyday world.

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

I’ve always enjoyed storytelling and when I was younger i would have fun creating comic books based on the adventures of my stuffed toys. At that age, drawing was my favourite way to tell stories but as I’ve got older I’ve turned more toward writing. Let’s face it, writiing can seem pretty boring when you’re a kid, but now I think of writing as painting an image in the readers mind. Everyone will see places and characters a little differently no matter how well you describe it, so there’s less drive to perfectionism that in art! My biggest influence in writing has been Anthony Horowitz. I loved the Alex Rider books when I was younger and appreciate how clever they are. You can pick them up now and still enjoy them because the plots are so intricate. That really inspired me to write books that people won’t necessarily outgrow!

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

I’m only 30, which I hope is still considered young. So far, I’ve worked in two retail jobs, worked as a casual sports coach and I’m currently a Legal Secretary in a Private Client department. As you can tell, it’s a bit all over the place, but I don’t know how people can choose a single career at 18 and stick with it until death. Something readers wouldn’t know about me is that I trained in Tarkwondo for nearly twenty years and I’m a 4th Dan. Unfortunately, the club shut down in Covid and I just couldn’t get back into it. Maybe one day I will.

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

It took a while. My working title was ‘The night the sky exploded,’ but it’s not night when the incident happens and the sky doesn’t technically explode! I reworked the title and came up with ‘drifting’ because that’s essentially what Kaiya is doing at the start of her adventure. She’s drifting along, a passenger in life, without any real direction. The ‘dream’ part comes from the fantasy elements of the book. I love fantasy that takes place in the modern, everyday world and to Kaiya it certainly feels like a weird dream as events unfold around her.

What part of publishing your book made it feel real for the first time?

When I saw my book listed on Amazon for the first time with my name! It’s still weird to think I have books out there in the wilderness. The paperback version was wild too. I didn’t tell anybody in my life I was writing a book or self-publishing so when the physical copies arrived at my house, I had some explaining to do.

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

I actually have a writing playlist and there are some pretty random songs on it. “Wonderland” by Chvrches would definitely be on there. “Fire on Fire” by Sam Smith is another great one, though it suits one particular character’s story more than others…

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

I hope they realise that it’s okay if you don’t know where you’re going in life the moment you turn 18. Even if everyone else seems to have it figured out, there’s nothing wrong with you if you don’t. I still carry hope that I’ll one day figure it out too.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

The most meaningful part is knowing it’s out there and other people can read it, and hopefully enjoy it. You can never have enough books in the world and I hope my books connect with people who enjoy them.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

I’m in the planning stages of book three in the Power Wielders Series, and I’m also working on a book series aimed at a younger audience. Hopefully, one or both projects will be available by the end of the year.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.