First Saturday Sci-Fi - June
Today we have another talented Sci-Fi writer... Shanta Pablo!
Shanta is a Trinidadian-born short story author and novelist currently living in Alberta, Canada. Her works include Black Virus: Outbreak, Guardians of Myth and As The Bell Tolls. When she is not typing away furiously at her computer, you can find her reading, baking or generally pestering her husband and sister... not necessarily in that order !
1.Tell us about your favorite work… what makes it special?
Are you really going to make me choose?
If I really had to pick, I’d say the Black Virus series. I’m currently working on three different projects and that would be my favourite since it’s my most in-depth and well-developed world. I’m sort of obsessed with the characters I’ve created for that series; their lives, their history and their stories. Black Virus is the series that gets me out of my writer’s block funk when it hits!
2.What do you think makes for good Sci-Fi?
Believability, well drafted characters and a plot that has a direction. If I can’t believe that the situation could happen I tend to have trouble immersing myself in the story. I also love characters that have depth and history, someone I can relate to, and if I can’t relate to them at least I can sympathize with them. Finally, nothing is worse that getting into a great story that has a great message and a lackluster climax! Those would be the 3 most important details to me!
3.Do you think your books can help shape the future and if so how?
I think every author hopes that his/her books can help shape the future, and I’m no different. As I wrote the first installment of Black Virus I was very careful to have as much diversity as possible, and if (when) I make an impact, I’m hoping that’s the reason why. That’s why SciFi chose me, there’s no better medium to show a vast array of ethnically diverse people with different orientations. I hope that this kind of representation becomes more the norm and if I can help pave the way for that, I’d be a happy woman.
4.Do you have inside jokes or true events hidden in your writing?
The entire first novel is pretty much one big inside joke. I wrote it based off a nightmare I’d had one night. I told my little sister about it and she told me I should write it down if it was bothering me so much and here we are, at Book One.
5.Which do you prefer… model your characters after people you know or just make them up?
Oh gosh, there isn’t a single major character in my novels who isn’t based on someone I know. I actively warned my friends not to get on my bad side or they’ll face the consequences in my next book!
It’s just easier to model a character after a trait I admire in friends. It helps me to shape them better. I often think “But, how would _____ react in a situation like that?” to get the right expressions or emotions.
6. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to take away?
There’s always the general ‘good triumphs over evil’ in each one of my books but I don’t feel as if there’s a specific message in the Black Virus series. I’d rather my readers take away the idea that diversity exists. I’d like my readers to be able to see themselves as the hero, no matter their race, orientation or gender. That’s what I hope to accomplish, not only with Black Virus, but with my other projects as well.
7. What is your favorite review?
I’ve had a couple of great ones, but the one that always makes me chuckle was one where a fellow author referred to my series as “The better Resident Evil”. I mean, how much of a compliment is that?!
What comes next?
I’m currently working on Book Two, Black Virus: Survival, and two other projects. One is a collection of short horror stories based on Canadian ghost stories, and the other is called Guardians of Myth. That one is based on Trinidadian folklore, something you don’t see a lot of new media about. I’m working with a local Trinidadian artist for the illustrations for that one and I’m very excited since it’s so close to my heart!
Where can we learn more?
Well you can always follow me on Twitter @ShantaPablo that’s where all my most recent updates happen. My blog is currently under constriction but if you follow my Twitter you’ll know when it’s up again! (See how that works? 😉)
You can find her at https://shantapablo.godaddysites.com/
Buy Black Virus: Outbreak on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Black-Virus-Outbreak-ebook/dp/B01NAJU9SH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493961509&sr=8-1&keywords=Black+Virus+Outbreak
Buy Black Virus: Outbreak on Indigo.ca: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/black-virus-outbreak/9780995264113-item.html?ikwid=Black+Virus+Outbreak&ikwsec=Books&ikwidx=1
