The Still Waters Run Deep Book Launch

I was thrilled to see so many happy and familiar faces at the launch, and I am touched by the enthusiasm shown for this book that means so much to me. I was able to film the book launch presentation, so if you would like to watch the video, visit this link.

Watch the Still Waters Run Deep Book Launch presentation

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Otherwise, keep reading to learn about the journey to publish Still Waters Run Deep.

This has been a project six years in the making. To be honest it feels surreal that it is out into the world, and the story of elemental magik and breaking down barriers is being read and enjoyed by people.

Humble beginnings Picture of me at around aged 2. I was always mad about drawing, since 1997!

In order to paint a greater picture of the development of my book, let’s take a trip down memory lane together. When I was a child, I was obsessed with drawing and creating stories. The drawing part was a physical expression, but the story creation was mostly in my head. My parents will agree that I was fixated on drawing cartoon characters from a young age, and some of my favourite sources of inspiration were: Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Harry Potter and Star Wars. All grand stories with rich arrays of characters and visuals, which inspired my drawings.

As I got a bit older, I started creating my own stories in my head - which were often great epics following strong female protagonists with magical powers. But I never felt I had the ability to capture my exact ideas with words, so, I preferred to express these tales through drawings. It was such a cathartic experience for me, and throughout my teenage years I turned to drawing and art as a great source of inspiration, escapism and comfort.

Still, the need for me to put my story ideas onto paper could not be fully realised through drawing, no matter how hard I tried.

Growing up

When I approached the end of my high school years, I considered what I wanted to do for my tertiary education. I couldn’t shake the desire to create stories, but I didn’t think that a creative writing degree was for me.

Also, for context, I am a very slow reader. So, I felt inadequate to be able to participate in literary discussions if I felt like a book like ‘War and Peace’ would take me two entire lifetimes to read.

I knew I wanted to work in an area where I could be creative. And, I wondered whether the compulsion to create stories would fade away when I entered my twenties and started Uni; that I would “grow out of this phase”.

Spoiler alert: I did not.

My university days, doing a Bacherlor of Arts/Visual Arts. It was a wonderful course, but I knew I wanted to delve more into storytelling through writing.

I threw myself into a Bachelor of Arts and Visual Arts, which was a rewarding degree, but wasn’t sure where my future headed. I enjoyed making art, and I enjoyed learning sociology, but also did not know what career options were available out there. I eventually found myself doing a diploma of Graphic Design to satisfy an urge to continue nurturing my desire to express myself visually, and turn that desire into a stable career.

And as I worked as a graphic designer, I thought I would be so busy in this career that I would have absolutely no time to think about writing stories. I would be satisfied with that career choice. And that is true, I was/and am very pleased with that choice to do graphic design as my full time job.

But the urge to create remained, and I wanted to explore more of it alongside designing.

Turning point circa 2020

For all of us, the year 2020 was historic. It threw our routine and comfort in a spin, and most of us sought new forms of entertainment and habits. Work had changed, socialising had changed, and seclusion became easier to attain.

That seclusion was the catalyst for me to spend more time with my mind, and to talk to the voice begging me to write the stories I had in my head.

To backtrack a little, I had begun toying the idea of what would become Still Waters Run Deep in October of 2019. My mind had wandered to a scene I kept replaying, of a girl swimming in boiling water. It was inspired by a trip I took to Iceland in 2017, which inspired me in so many ways. All the glaciers and geysers we visited painted a new world in my head, more landscapes for my characters to traverse. And I continued to replay a story of a girl with blood red hair controlling water magik. It came from Iceland.

So, I gave writing a go. I started with a chapter, and it lived alone as a short story about a girl swimming in boiling water, but the water would not burn her.

Alas, my lack of confidence in story writing got the better of me, and I abandoned the story. Instead, I tried my hand at a graphic novel. But, I soon realised how hard it was to create this.

These are some pictures of my attempt at this. Bonus points if you know which chapter in Still Waters Run Deep these panels relate to!

The concept for the short story was there - a very icy world, based on Icelandic terrain. But it wasn’t fulfilling how I wanted the story to take shape. Deep down I knew writing was the best way to formulate this idea, but I felt so inadequate to attempt it.

I wasn’t a “reader” like some of my friends were. As I said before, my reading pace is laughable. But as the world started to slow down in March of 2020, I felt the time was right to spend some time on this project, and write.

And writing is what I did. Every morning before I started work, I spent 30 minutes or so working on whatever came into my head. It started as stand alone short stories of characters that would eventually intersect, which then formed into chapters of my book.

While I was proud of the work I was doing internally, I felt so shy to reveal this new passion project of mine. I was not known as a “reader”, so how could I enter a world I felt as being so impenetrable and prestigious; in my mind, the only books worth reading were crafted by wordsmith experts. But, every person has to start somewhere. And I was determined to get through my fear of not being good enough to write, by slowly introducing my project to some select friends, and of course my mum.

Mum was the first person who read my first draft of SWRD. She did not judge, and in fact, engaged with the story critically and offered amazing feedback. She always prefaced her feedback as something not to take to heart, but I always did - in the best way possible. I always joke to her and others that I have done a Visual Arts degree, so if that doesn’t prepare you to receive gut wrenching critique on your heartfelt artwork, nothing else would!

Still, she helped me formulate the first draft of SWRD, and by end of 2021, I was ready to start querying traditional publishers.

The publishing journey

From the advice I gleaned from countless hours spent online, it seemed that people advocated that as a debut author, I should try my hardest to get published traditionally. For those who might not be aware, there is a difference between being traditionally published versus self-published. Traditional publishing involves a publishing house handling editing, design, distribution, and marketing - but often with more gatekeeping and longer timelines. Self-publishing gives authors full control and higher royalties but requires them to manage all aspects of publishing themselves.

So, I studied query letters, ensured my query emails to publishers. I endured this process for about two years, with lots of unanswered emails. When I received a rejection email, it was treated as a bit of a success - as at least I had been considered in some way shape or form!

Finally, my hopes and dreams were answered when a publisher finally accepted my query offer in September 2023. Or so I thought this was my answer to success.

Unfortunately, after much internal investigation and moral questioning, I had to make the difficult decision to part ways with this particular publisher. Their business model did not align with my values.

This was one of the hardest parts in my journey to publishing SWRD. It was a decision I did not make lightly, but eventually I pivoted to self publishing SWRD. I knew what I wanted the book to look like, and although I was new to the publishing world, little did I know the door would open to a world of like minded writers and creatives, all on a special community online - the Bookstagram!

The bookstagram community

As the title suggests, bookstagram is a combination of two works - books and Instagram. Say what you will about social media, but if you find the right people, you can find your online community. I was introduced to many other Aussie and international indie authors that were on the same self publishing journey together, and I am thankful enough to call some of them close friends.

As I started to form connections with others online, I started to ask more questions about how other people published their books. Amazon and Ingram Spark were two companies that were frequently suggested to me. When I investigated these platforms myself, I realised how accessible it was for me, and others, to create publications. Though these platforms would take commissions, and arguably too much out of the price in my opinion, it was still a fantastically accessible way to get my work out there.

Before formally publishing my full length novel SWRD, I started my self publishing journey with a short story, titled Elara and the Passing. This 44 page book is part of the same universe as SWRD, but also served as a test into the self publishing world of sorts. And it was an incredible test. I learned so much, and was blown away with the support it received. I have a lot of people in this room to thank for that.

So when it came to SWRD, I was ready to “fire on all cylinders” to get this book out there. I knew the cover design was going to be one of the most important elements for getting eyes on my book. With my professional graphic design experience, and getting the help of an Aussie printer based in Sydney, the silver foiled cover of SWRD was created. It really did emulate the magik within the story.

I also had to honour my passion for drawing. So along with the book, I created portraits of the main characters in the book as well, with some illustrations turning into merch as well.

Finally, what is my book about:

Well, let me quote some of the blurb for you

“In a world where elemental magik is forbidden, Asta has a secret.”

Living in the peaceful village of Laugar, she keeps her water affinity hidden from everyone. Including the people closest to her. Asta’s life changes forever when she is forced to leave her home and is kidnapped by a hidden group of elemental affinities, known as Velum.

In Velum, Asta encounters other young people like herself. Rather than hiding their elemental powers, they embrace them. For better or worse.

Asta soon learns that things at Velum aren’t as they seem. She has to endure the domineering ways of Gatira, Velum’s creator. Gatira is a curious, undead scholar, who seeks not only to enhance the elemental powers of the affinities she looks after, but to serve her own controlling self interests. And she is a force Asta must choose to serve under, or to reckon with.

Final thoughts

The main thing I have learned from this journey, With the risk of sounding clique, is that it is now more accessible than ever to bring the book of your dreams to life. You are no longer at the mercy of the traditional publishers. Publishing has never been a money making idea for me. I have always only wanted to tell this magikal story that has been lying dormant in my brain for many years.

And to quote artist Yayoi Kusama “if there's a chance than in 100 years time there will be just one person who will look at my work and be touched by it, then I must continue to create art (or in my case writing) for that one person.”

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