I was lucky to get an interview with Michelle Piper, the author of Price of Innocence, one of this year’s #SPFBO9 entries.

Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
I was born and raised in Colorado, but since I turned 18 I’ve lived all over the United States. For a while I pretended to be an engineering student, but after a few rough years I went out to sea as a merchant mariner. Since then, I’ve been adventuring all over the world as a real-life bilge rat. The past five years I’ve been taking on motherhood and reconnecting to my roots as a writer, and it has been the greatest adventure of all.

Why should I buy your SPFBO9 entry?
Price of Innocence is the cumulation of years of wanting to understand who the bad guys were in fantasy, and a desire to see characters who are viscerally real. It’s really a tale of morally gray people, doing the best with what they’re given, and learning how to be the best versions of themselves. All the darkness is offset by deep friendships and lots, and lots, of tea drinking.

What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
Like just about every author, I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I was that kid with a giant notebook I hauled around, and got in trouble in class for writing/reading. But, I didn’t believe I could do it until I was 25, and I’m so glad I waited.

Have you participated in the SPFBO before and where did you hear about the competition?
I’ve never! First timer. I actually discovered it by watching the Youtuber Library of a Viking. Shout out to him. I love your channel!

Why did you choose to write fantasy?
I have always been a child of fantasy. I tended towards the dark, because I love the human element. For the longest time, though, I moved away from the genre because I was so burnt out on the hero always winning, or ‘dark’ for the sake of being dark. I want to see real people in these fantastical worlds. That venturing took me to many other genres, which coupled well with my own personal growth. So now, I write ‘dark’ fantasy like I always wanted, but with a lot of empathy I lacked beforehand.

Which other author has had the biggest influence on your writing?
David Clement-Davis was probably the first author I’d buy his books on the spot, then Garth Nix. The Inheritance Saga changed it for me, and really, that’s where the idea for Price of Innocence was born (just minus dragons and other races.) To circle back, reading Eragon, I wanted to understand Galbitorix. But the books I always returned to were the Ender Saga in its entirety, and Bean’s Saga. Speaker for the Dead? C’mon… the concept of tracing somebody’s life from the beginning to understand why they did what they did, even if they were horrible in life, really stuck with me.

If you were to win the SPFBO, what impact do you think this would have on your writing career?
Well, win or lose, I don’t foresee anything changing. Don’t get me wrong, it would mean the world. Winning would mean readers I otherwise would struggle to find being able to see this world that feels special. I’m terrible at self-promotion. But, I’ve got three other projects outside of the trilogy I’m excited to explore, and I’ll ultimately keep on keeping on.

What challenges did you face during the writing or publishing process, and how did you overcome them?
Mostly learning to actually do it. It felt scary any time I didn’t work because I was worried I’d lose all my habits. Working on ships, and constantly moving around, there was a major learning curve. The self-disciple is pretty impressive. Top that off with finding professionals to work with (I lost a lot of money on my first ‘editor’), it’s a major battle of sitting down and focusing on what needs to be done today.

But, there are incredible people who crop up along the way (two of which are entered this year with me!), and there’s always a resource available to help, even if it’s a lent ear for lamenting.

Do you have any tips or an author app, tool, or resource that you can really recommend we try?
The first piece of wisdom: the first book is the hardest. Second, don’t scoff at outlines. They can help you develop a plot like you wouldn’t believe—especially if you have a really large cast or very complex elements. Third: Scrivener is the superior program. Use Scrivener if you don’t want to lose valuable work. Not sponsored.

And now it's time to yank out your Palantir! Let’s talk about the future. What new projects are you working on?
I have one more book in Sonder’s Song to write (book two is in the editing phase!). Within that universe, there’s a standalone/duology prequel I’d love to explore. No spoilers, but there’s one character who absolutely deserves his own story. Along the way of enjoying writing, an idea cropped up for a standalone/duology scifi x fantasy novel with dragons and gods. The universe is too cool not to write about. Lastly, I’ve been kicking a shipboard horror story around. Low hanging fruit, you understand. Long into the future, I’d love to write a more biographical story. So, ya know, busy bee here. I have said from the beginning—I’m here for a long time. Here’s to hoping the next book always sells my last.

Apps that are based on artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGTP and Midjourney, along with apps aimed specifically at authors, have caused quite a stir. Do you expect these new technologies will make your life as a self-published author easier or harder, and do you expect that they’ll mean you’ll earn more or less?
It's a concern for sure. I mean, some of the editing resources that are out there use AI learning, which is frustrating. I personally am horrible at using anything with a prompt. I’m the type of person who will be standing next to a power tool but use my hands. The illustrations I make in Procreate, I literally am trying to make a powerful tool behave like graphite and paper. I’m a caveman. Tools exist for a reason, and there’s always initial pushback. However, with that, there’s knowledge that will die with it. Us cavemen know this. It’s unfortunate that there’s a formula that works best for quick turnover and aids the money grab. What’s more important than anything, is that the discussions continue, with thoughtful intent, so that informed decisions can be made. Will that happen? Who knows. But I’m a proponent of discussion always.

Do you have any dreams you’d like to share?
Call me lame, but I’m living the dream. I’m a 50-year-old in a 30-year-old’s body. I’ve said for years I live for 15-year-old me, and I’ve done just about everything that lass wanted to do. It stemmed from being brave enough and confident enough to do the things. Maybe next thing would be to become a farmer’s wife and just enjoy manual labor and writing? If I can get to a point my writing can sustain itself, I’m satisfied. I like to focus on the next big goal always, so it’s never about an ending, but the journey along the way and finding solutions. It’s a lot of fun to one-up myself.

Anything else you would like to say before we close?
Just thank you. Thank you to all the people who answered the call for my first readers. My writing then was described as hunting for a spaghetti noodle in a mountain of parmesan cheese. Thank you to the people who have downloaded my book, Thank you to the communities who build up around writing and support our fellows. Thanks to Mark for being the saint that he is sustaining the SPFBO community. Already it’s a benefit, and I’m too chaotic and stretched thin to organize the little bits that crop up around it like the interviews. It takes a village, and this journey has brought me to the best village. 

That was some interesting answers. I wish you the very best in the SPFBO. I hope a lot of readers discover your writing. Thanks for doing the interview.