I'd like to share an interview with Simone Schreiber, author of Behind the Waterfall, a short story that will be published in the Winter Enchantment anthology.
Can you tell us what inspired your story, Behind the Waterfall?
I moved to Iceland several years ago and spent a lot of time driving, hiking, and riding through the countryside. The landscape is not like any other. Sometimes it even feels like I’m not on Earth anymore. It’s easy to visualize all the sagas and myths about trolls, elves, and other creatures that took place on this remote island when walking over lava fields, up glaciers, or behind one of the many waterfalls. This particular story was inspired by a hike to the waterfall Gjáin in a remote valley in South Iceland, which also serves as the location of the story.
What's your writing space like?
My writing space is also the space for my day job as a translator, but it’s generally occupied with figurines from video games and comics I like, sticky notes for current writing projects, and at least one of my cats.
Iceland
Are there any particular places that inspire your writing?
As mentioned before, Iceland itself is a great place to spark imagination. I often have the best ideas for stories on horseback, riding through the countryside—many times my horses are the first who have to listen to the rough drafts in my head.
Gjáin Waterfall
What do you like to read? Do you have any favourite books or authors?
I read a lot of different genres, but fantasy will always be my first and greatest love. My favorite books are Lewis Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, and Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching series. The late Sir Terry Pratchett is also one of my favorite authors, and I regret I never had the chance to meet him in person.
Where can we read more of your work? You’ll find a selection of my published stories on my author page (https://sjcschreiber.com/). I am also active on Twitter under the handle @fruitbatwoman.
Gjáin Waterfall from above
You can read S.J.C's story Behind the Waterfall in Winter Enchantment, coming out November 2022.
To help make this happen, support the fundraising campaign here! https://www.indiegogo.com/project/coming_soon/preview/43afbbc8