J.M. Frey

I write thinky fantasy, timeslip science fiction, and romance. I love tales filled with unexpected narrators, meta fiction, and stories about stories. My characters always have rich internal lives, are usually social or politically active, and firm opinions they're not afraid to share. I am also an absolute nerd for worldbuilding and historical detailing. Maybe I go overboard with the research, but then that's what a lot of readers say they like best about my prose.

I grew up in a small tourist town in rural Ontario. It absolutely influenced me, because we have the very good fortune of being the place where a lot of professional artists choose to retire. Our children's programs for music, drama, writing, and sports were helmed by names in their industries. I didn't realize until much later how lucky I was!

As soon as I was able to read on my own, I became a voracious, vacuum-like reader. I would consume books like a snake unhinging it's jaw. I was reading whole fantasy and horror-romance series in the course of a few weeks once I hit high school. I don't know how I did it, honestly, around homework, and writing essays in uni, and all the plays I was in! Though I suppose a lot of the reading happened in between scenes back stage.

I've turned into a bit of a reluctant and slow reader since I published my first book. I wouldn't say that it's because as an author I'm now judging everything I read harder, but it is difficult to turn off the editor brain sometimes. I'm not JUDGING books, but I'm comparing what the author wrote to how I would have phrased it, or plotted it, and it's hard for me to get sucked into the world of the characters as easily as I used to.

On top of that, every time I make time to read a book, I am plagued with the nagging thought that if I'm going to spend time on a novel, it should be one of my own. That I should be writing, and not reading. I'm working on trying to let myself enjoy someone else's story without the guilt-trip.

The exception to this is fanfic--I love, love, love diving head-first into a really great multi-chapter story with a fantastic voice, and interesting take on the characters or worlds. I am ALWAYS reading fanfic on the bus or train. The way fanficcers write is so refreshing because there really are no rules. And because the stories aren't book-shaped, I think my editor-brain turns off more easily. I can trick myself into just enjoying the story and the writing for what it is.

I love Anne Carson's deft hand with prose and wordcrafting, Ursula K. LeGuin's worldbuilding, and the way that Naomi Novik weaves magic and incredibly well-rounded characters together. I have definitely learned from all of them.

But in the end, I'm very pleased with how I write, how I craft my sentences and build my worlds, and reveal my characters. I really like the voice I've developed.

In the immortal words of the great Jamie Tartt, I say: "Coach, I'm me. Why would I want to be anyone else?"

Naomi Novik, Diana Wynne Jones, Anne Carson, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Anne Rice

Every time someone I know has a baby, I gift the family a beautifully illustrated copy of "Peter Pan and Wendy" by J.M. Barrie. I do this because every child should grow up dreaming of Never Neverland, but also because of my mother's youngest sister.

As she was 10 years the junior of her next sibling, most of kids were grown and in school by the time she came along. They lived on a farm, there were always chores to do, and homework that needed attention, or socializing in town, and somehow no one ever took the time to introduce my aunt to Peter Pan. So, when her now-husband took her on a date to the cinema to see "Hook", she came out of the film utterly confused about why this Peter Pan character was central to the story.

It broke my heart to hear that she didn't know who Peter was! So when she announced her first pregnancy, I made sure to get her daughter a copy of the book. Now it's what I give every child, so each of their first laughs can become faeries.

Samantha Franklin from "Time and Tide"; if an author can have a Mary Sue, she's absolutely mine, though she is mouthier and more reckless than I have ever been. I'd say Forsyth Turn from "The Untold Tale" is a good runner-up, because his insecurities about his body, and his little mental health problems all reflect how I felt as a young adult. Readers sometimes complain that he's 'whiney', but folks with the same sort of internal monologue as he and I share have mentioned how much they appreciate seeing themselves on the page.

As an author, you're not supposed to have a favorite child, but if I DID, it would be a short story I penned called "The Maddening Science." It's in the collection "Hero is a Four Letter Word". I have always wanted to turn it into a full length novel, I just haven't found the right way to access the story yet.

I have a desk in the spare room in my apartment, with a whiteboard to one side where I can make notes on character preferences and appearances, and things I need to keep in mind while drafting a new book. I try to keep it clutter-free, open, and airy--all the furniture is white and the wallpaper is vibrant greens, teals, and blues. I've striven for an ergonomic set up, and I even have little aesthetic pinboards and candles to help me quickly access the mood of whatever story I'm working on.

But inevitably the post-it notes and the reminders pile up, and by the time the book is ready for me to give it the first revision the desktop is littered with a snowdrift of tiny papers, scrawled-on napkins, receipts with notes, and anything else I had to hand when I thought of something. I am not a neat drafter, especially since I'm more of a discovery writer than a meticulous planner.

The nice thing about the desk being in the spare room is that I have folks stay over often enough that I'm forced to tidy up every few weeks. I can't be a TOTAL gremlin. (And yes, I keep all those bits of paper--each book I write gets a folder in my filing cabinet when the book is over.)

I have my ideal reading nook!

I have a lovely balcony that looks over a lush green valley and the city skyline. I've covered one end with a trellis and fake plants and fairy lights, and I've got a comfy sofa tucked into the corner under the window. In the window I have a big hanging light, which serves as the reading light when I'm seated on the sofa outside, or on my reading chair inside. And I have little outdoor speaker hidden among the fake plants so I can play music just loud enough to drown out the sirens and city traffic noises. This year I added a wall-mounted wine-glass holder and now it is PERFECT.

Spring to fall, I pile that sofa with cushions, blankets, and whatever else I need to be super cozy with a book, or a printed manuscript and a red pen. In winter I stare at it longingly and try to convince myself that I have to wait until the snow has completely melted before I uncover the furniture and put the cushions back out.