An accomplished writer with a speculative blend combining fantasy and horror together with imagination that has no limits, author Jackie Sonnenberg has crafted a solid legacy with her distinctive work, creating a slew of works in a variety of styles. Now, with the release of her latest book, The Fathoms Below, being available from Crystal Lake Publishing, I talk with her about her early interest in writing, the book itself, and upcoming projects.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general? What films or books specifically got you into watching horror movies?
Jackie Sonnenberg: I started in the haunted house industry! I'm an actor who found a new stage, essentially, and from there I got to be creative. I got to design and make my own characters and costumes. Creating characters to fit a scene and coming up with their backstory came naturally, as it's a medium of storytelling. From here, of course, I was instantly into the horror community to explore this new genre.
Me: Who were some of your favorite writers growing up? Do you try to take influences from their style with your own voice in your work?
JS: R.L Stine and K.A Applegate with the Goosebumps and Animorphs series! These were the right amount of fun and imagination for a kid. With Goosebumps, they are done in an anthology style, where any of them could be picked up and read as standalones. With Animorphs they are a series with characters with individual storylines to follow alongside the main plots. I feel like I have two sets of series that follow these paths in the standalone nursery rhymes collection and Mock Cob Village.
Me: What was the starting point of becoming a writer? Were you always into writing growing up?
JS: Oh, yeah. I wanted to be a writer since I was literate, at a very young age. I did nothing but read books and then write my own. I thought that if grown-ups could write stories for children and young people, then I could too.
Me: What is your writing process? How do you stay focused on writing?
JS: I typically will take it one scene at a time, and many times there are multiple within a chapter. This does not mean I do them in order! Scenes are often out of order, and if there is a significant one in the story, I have to make sure it is written first so that I can write the corresponding scenes before and after.
Me: Is there any specific genre you prefer to write? Is there a style or format that you find easier to get into, even if you don't have a preference?
JS: Definitely fantasy, or anything with fantastical elements. I love worldbuilding and making up my own rules. Next comes horror, and this is where I genre blend because I like the dark side of fantastical elements. Sure, this is a fantasy world, but what monsters are there?
Mock Cob Village is the best example of this, but The Fathoms Below combines fantasy, horror, and science fiction. My monsters in this series will be both real and fictional.
Me: Speaking of, that brings us to your latest book, “The Fathoms Below.” Where did the inspiration for the book come from? Were there any unique stories about its conception?
JS: I always wanted to do something with mermaids. I did for a long time, but I wanted to have a different approach. I feel like many mermaid stories are all the same and lean more towards fantasy romance with the same plot. I wanted to bring in the science fiction approach, with the concept that all humans first started as merpeople and evolved to humans. I actually thought of this with the DNA tests people take to determine their heritage, and decided that there would be one in this universe where people could determine their "mer" heritage, and if they have enough Mer DNA to change.
This is a subject and plot line I was very excited to develop and am still doing so for the series. It gives me enough material and worldbuilding to work with, and the first book is just the tip of the iceberg.
Me: Was there any special significance to making the characters explore this undersea world? What went through creating this kind of universe to be immersive for the reader?
JS: The ocean is mostly a mystery. We don't know all of what is down there. What would happen if we tried to civilize it? What would potentially get in the way? I use the whole series to answer these questions!
Me: Once it was finally written, what was the process for having it published?
JS: Honestly, there is no cheat sheet method to publication, only persistence and research. Find where your work fits in best and submit. When that fails, keep going until you get your "yes." It's cliché, but you only fail when you stop.
Me: What do you do to keep your creative energy flowing?
JS: Consider other media influences! Movies, TV shows, and, believe it or not, video games! You're playing a character, very likely going on a quest, and this could very easily influence a writer to think about different adventures with different outcomes.
Me: Lastly, what else are you working on that you’d like to share with our readers? Thank you for your time!
JS: My costumes! It's an added bonus to my brand, and I currently have plans for costumes for The Fathoms Below and then some!
Jackie Sonnenberg, author
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