Of Dreams and Shadows: Jeffrey Collyer

An interview with the talented Jeffrey Collyer, author of Dreams and Shadows, Book One in the fantastic Aylosian Chronicles series.

In his own words, Jeffrey Collyer is a 40-something Australian who has lived in the US and Chile. He now resides in the green hills of northern England with his wife, his four children, and two cats “who lie on my laptop while I’m working, try to steal my food, or attempt to trip me down the stairs – um, that’s the cats, not my wife or children.”

Can you tell us why you decided to become a writer?

I’m a strong introvert, and so I’ve always enjoyed writing as something of an escape valve. But writing fiction, and publishing it, is something that kind of crept up on me. I started a blog a few years ago, and after a while I posted a couple of very short allegories. That was the first time I’d ever put something fictional I’d written into the public arena.

Then one night, an idea of a lonely young man, in a dilapidated flat came to mind, and I started asking myself where he’d come from and what his future might be. Eventually I had too much of the story in my head and had to write it down. After sharing it with a few close friends and getting great feedback, I decided to go ahead and see if I could actually write a full novel and publish it. Thus the Aylosian Chronicles was born.

What do you love most about writing?

For me, there is a sense of real satisfaction I get from completing a scene that was really difficult to write, and thinking, “Yeah, I’m happy with that.”

I also just love the feeling I get when some new inspiration comes. My writing style is to have a broad outline of where the story is going. I’ll know in advance the major plot points, but not always how I’m going to get from A to B.

Sometimes that leaves me thinking, “How on earth am I going to get there?”, and I end up cogitating on it for a couple of weeks or more. Then, all of a sudden, the solution will arrive out of nowhere: the perfect answer to the conundrum. I find that really exciting.

Where do you get you inspiration from?

I read a lot. Fantasy is my favourite genre, of course. But within that, I like the books that make me stop and think about myself and the world around me, and I guess my own writing is similar (for me as the writer, at least).

As I said before, the Aylosian Chronicles began life with me just wondering about a lonely young man. My story is really about him discovering who he is and finding happiness: in that sense fantasy is just the medium I use to tell the real story.

So I guess my inspiration ultimately comes from the world around us, and the emotions that we feel as human beings.

How would you describe Dreams and Shadows?

It ticks the boxes for Epic fantasy, as well as Young Adult, but in many ways I don’t think it really sits in either sub-genre completely. In some ways, I like to think it’s a bit of a new take on some well-trodden paths.

This first book in the series focuses exclusively on the journey of Michael, the main character (although subsequent books will explore some other characters a little more), and so there is a definite journey he takes, with some action, new creatures and strange beings thrown in.

Why should people read Dreams and Shadows?

The reviews I’ve received so far have universally been very complimentary. They say the plot takes unexpected twists, the story is hard to put down, the wisdom literature in there is thought-provoking, and they can’t wait for book 2.

In addition, there are a number of themes or metaphors scattered throughout the story, but the reader can choose to ignore them if they want to. So I think Dreams and Shadows works whether you like a page-turner; something to make you stop and think; or something of a mystery in your fantasy.

Where did the idea for the name of Dreams and Shadows come from?

“Dreams” and “Shadows” are both very important in the story, and it was very clear to me early on that this needed to be the title of book 1 in the series. The first chapter is a dream of high symbolism and foreshadowing. And the words of wisdom that head the first two chapters are about Dreams and Shadows, respectively.

The idea of shadows will become clearer in book 2, but it’s there in book 1, too. I plan on writing a short book, “Behind Aylosia” which will go into some detail about this, and which I’ll be sending out to my email subscribers.

What do you expect to accomplish with Dreams and Shadows?

I really just want to be able to tell the story that’s in my head in a way I can feel proud of, and have readers enjoy it.

Which were the easiest and the hardest parts for you to write (no spoilers!)?

Michael gets into something of a relationship with a young woman nearly half-way through the book, and there is a particular scene which I found really challenging. I knew exactly what needed to happen, but turning that into words that conveyed the atmosphere – while keeping it as something I’m happy for my young teenagers to read – was difficult. I was happy with the result, though.

The easiest part was actually the climax to the book. It flowed so naturally, and I had to make very few changes during my edits.

Do you have a favorite character, scene or situation in Dreams and Shadows, and can you tell us why he, she or it is your favorite?

I have a lot of favourite scenes, so picking one is difficult! But, I think it would probably be one about three-quarters of the way through. Saying too much about it would give away spoilers, but it’s really the emotional turning point for Michael, and I think is such a great life lesson—at least for me!

What can we expect to see in the next books in the Aylosian Chronicles?

Well, Dreams and Shadows doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger (at least most people who’ve read it don’t think it’s a cliff-hanger), but it’s obvious that there is more to come. Some revelations have come quite late in the book, and clearly need to be explored in a lot more depth.

There also remain unanswered questions, and the next books will provide the answers to those.

Some stories are what some have taken to calling Message Fiction, due to the fact that there are (conscious or unconscious) messages to be found in those stories. Did you insert any conscious messages in your story, and if so, what do they try to convey?

I’ve mentioned already the story of the lonely young man who needs to discover who he is, and find happiness. That’s quite a familiar fantasy trope, although I think I’ve explored this in a new way.

But there are several other themes and messages for those who like those sorts of things. Rebirth is a recurring theme, as is the question of what constitutes beauty. There are questions over masculinity/male and femininity/female also raised.

Depression features, too. I could list more, but it may be more fun for the interested reader to look for them if they want to. These are all supplementary to the main theme, but they’re very deliberately there.

If your story is mature in nature (containing graphic sexual scenes, violence, swearing, etc.), what led you to decide that this was the right way to go, despite the fact that it might limit your potential readership?

I haven’t included anything I wouldn’t be happy for my children to read. If anything, from what I’ve seen I think most authors do include “mature” content nowadays. It certainly seems like many feel it is necessary to be taken seriously as an author adults (or young adults) would like to read.

So perhaps I’ve limited my audience by not doing so! That’s okay, though: I wouldn’t be happy writing something that I’d want to keep away from my children.

And finally, is there anything else that you’d like to add?

Just to thank you for interviewing me.

No, thank you for your great answers, Jeff!

Dreams and Shadows is the first book in the Aylosian Chronicles. It is Epic / YA Fantasy released in early June this year in both paperback and ebook. Get your copy at Amazon now!

Learn more about Jeffrey Collyer and his writing, or get in touch with Jeff at www.jeffreycollyer.com