At Dagan Books, when we read a story we love, we’re always curious about what went into creating it. The author, the background, the inspirations … we want to know it all. Because we asked, we get to share those secrets with you.
We’re pleased to present the first in a series of interviews with the contributors who make up FISH, beginning with the author who wrote the first tale in the anthology, and creator of a story both Carrie and Katey fell in love with from the first time we read it: Polenth Blake.
Name: Polenth Blake
Author of: “Thwarting the Fiends”
Current Geographic Location: England
Twitter: @Polenth
Website: http://www.polenthblake.com/
Recent publications: Recent publications: “Dead Meat“ published in August 2012 by Nature, and “Through the Hoops“ published in November 2012 by The Tomorrow Project.
Which zodiac sign where you born under? I’m a fishmonkey.
If a magic fish granted you one wish, what would it be? I want my own airship, so I can travel the world (at a suitably leisurely pace, with plenty of time for tea).
What inspired your story? The story was inspired by my own feelings of having a lost cultural past. I can guess at some of it, but I’ll never really know. It’s been forgotten, and all that’s left is fragments. This is a story about a child trying to piece together his own fragments, mixed in with a bit of Alice in Wonderland and a few goldfish secrets.
Did you listen to music while writing it? If so, what, and why? No. I have hearing problems, so I like it quiet.
How many rewrites did you do before submitting? I did one major rewrite and a lot of little edits. The first line never changed.
What is your favorite bit?
Broccoli wanted to give it a hug, but he didn’t know if fish liked hugs. He didn’t know if explorers liked hugs either. They were probably too brave to need them.
Ready to read the rest of FISH? Get the ePub (for nook and other readers) here and mobi (perfect for your Kindle) here. Only $4.99 each, instant downloads.
You can also get FISH as an ebook through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Kobo.
