As promised in my introduction to SFINCS here, I’m now kicking off a series of author interviews with the finalists with the contest! Starting, appropriately I think (as you must be curious), with Jillian Maria, author of Curiouser And…, a dark sapphic Alice-inspired novella that sounds right up my street.
Curiouser And… by Jillian Maria
For sixteen years, Ashlyn Jones has heeded her parents’ warnings and followed their rules. But after taking a tumble in the forest, she awakens in a strange land where there are no rules—where signs lack direction, the sky hovers on the edge of night, and all paths lead to the glittering red palace of a wicked queen. Although she’s told there’s no way home, Ashlyn is determined to find one, enlisting the help of a dreamy girl found sleeping in a tree.
But everyone is a little mad here, from the smiling cat to the whimsical man in the top hat. And the more she interacts with this strange land and its stranger inhabitants, the more Ashlyn questions the life she’s fighting so hard to get back to. Maybe she was just as trapped in her role as the dutiful daughter as she is here.
Unfortunately, she’ll be even more trapped if the queen gets ahold of her…
About the Author
Jillian Maria enjoys tea, pretty dresses, and ripping out pieces of herself to put in her novels. She writes the books she wants to read, prominently featuring women who are like her in some way or another.
And I was fortunate enough to sit her down for a few questions. Let’s go!
PW: Firstly, Curiouser And… sounds like a lot of fun and it’s high on my list (so close to getting through all these finalists!). What inspired you to write it?
JM: The urge to write this novella struck me quite out of the blue one day while I was struggling with some of my longer, more ambitious projects. The basic concept and plot came fully formed pretty early, and while I was a bit hesitant to write it at first (my first thought upon having the idea for a darker, moodier Alice In Wonderland retelling was, “oh my God, that’s so cliché”), the idea just wouldn’t leave me alone. When an idea for a scene concept made me tear up while driving down the highway, I figured I had no choice but to commit.
PW: And do you feel that idea changed somewhat, to veer away from those thoughts, or did you instead embrace what the heart wanted, as it were?
JM: I’d say it stayed pretty consistent with the concept I had at the start! Obviously there were some things that got fleshed out as I went, characters became a bit more complex, things like that. But this project was overall one of the more straightforward ones I’ve worked on! Which was a welcome and necessary break, honestly. At the time, my other main project was one that I had been struggling with for almost 5 years at that point — one of my longest non-shelved WIPs to date. There was a real freedom in jumping into something that I didn’t have to agonize over quite so much.
PW: Sounds you needed the change of gear! Was it always intentionally a novella?
JM: Well, I sent this discord message shortly after the highway incident, so…
PW: So it came with a full-fledged unwelcome plan instead of warping a plan you already had, that’s nice!
JM: That’s a great way to put it!
PW: How does this book fit into the rest of your work?
JM: … I feel that my discord nickname really answers this question for me.
In all seriousness, I’m drawn to sapphic protagonists who are trying to figure themselves out, and the messy, complicated emotions that come with that. Curiouser And… goes to darker places than my first few novels, I think, but I still try to come at it with a certain amount of earnestness and compassion. So I guess it’s unique in the themes that it tackles, but not in the spirit that it tackles them with, if that makes sense? I feel like all of my books are in conversation with each other to some degree, looking at life from different angles and trying to make sense of it.
PW: And what about age-wise; I gather this book is aimed at a younger adult audience, is that in keeping with your usual work?
JM: Yes — both of my published books before this one are Young Adult! I enjoy writing coming-of-age stories, and I think younger protagonists are able to make decisions that are a bit messier.
PW: Do you find this length of Curiouser And… presented any particular benefits compared to longer or shorter forms? With my own work I find my longer material has hints of horror, but the shorter stuff often gets much darker.
JM: It’s interesting that you mention that your shorter work is darker! Like I said above, I do feel like that’s true for me as well. I wonder why that is… I wonder if it has something to do with the way shorter works are structured vs longer works. I feel like in novels, there’s an expectation for character arcs to play out a certain way, while novellas and short stories can be a little more focused on theme in a way that allows for a bit more deviation from the standard hero’s journey.
PW: Yes I definitely feel there’s an aspect of that – short fiction itself well to shock factor and abrupt, darker endings, while I think when people commit to something longer they want resolution.
JM: Exactly!
PW: But on the other hand, does publishing novella-length work present any particular challenges?
Well, in a novella, you have a lot less time to develop your characters, and it can be difficult to make more complicated arcs land. You need to make every scene count when it comes to building relationships and communicating things. It’s also an exercise in learning what needs to be said outright, and what can be inferred… You have to trust your reader to fill in some of the blanks, because you just don’t have room for everything!
PW: How about in terms of world-building? It sounds like this story came somewhat ready-formed, so did the world come with it, and do you feel the novella gave you ample time to explore it?
JM: I will fully admit to world-building not being my favorite part of the writing process, haha. I had the basic concept of the world at the start, and it got fleshed out a bit more as I went, especially through Ashlyn’s conversations with The Queen. But since it’s an Alice in Wonderland retelling, I had a certain amount of freedom when it came to not explaining things. A lot of the things that happen in the book just happen because Wonderland is weird. It’s fun.
PW: Weird is wonderful! Next, do you have any notable experience to share for marketing novella-length fiction?
JM: I’m going to be completely transparent with you here: I regret how I handled publishing and marketing this book. I am very pleased with the novella itself, but I pushed it out at a time in my life when I was stressed, burnt-out, and unable to give its release my full attention. As a result, it didn’t reach as many readers as it could have. So, if I could give aspiring authors some advice… don’t do that, haha. Publish when you’ve actually got the time and energy to send out ARC copies, talk about it online, and be active in the bookish community.
PW: Yeah that’s a very important thought that rarely gets passed on. I can certainly sympathise, probably half of my books have followed the same path. But your marketing material still looks lovely!
JM: Thank you!
PW: So, what’s next for this book, and your work in general?
Well, I’ve got a horror novel that I’m hoping to publish in early 2026! After that, who knows. I have a few WIPs that I’m sincerely considering querying, as I feel like they’re a bit more suited to the traditional market than the self-published market. But I also love the self-publishing process and being able to share things on my own terms, so it is quite likely you haven’t heard the last of me in this space, either!
PW: Lastly, how has reaching the SFINCS finals impacted you?
JM: I’ve been very gratified see Curiouser And… touching people the way it has. It’s a book that feels like a return to form for me in a lot of ways (I had a bit of a reputation as an angst writer, in my fandom days), and the process of writing it was honestly more fun than the subject matter might imply! So seeing it perform well is very validating to me, in that way. I’d like to thank everyone who took a chance on it!
PW: Thank you for writing it! And thanks for joining me and sharing these thoughts, it’s been really interesting and I look forward to checking out your novella!
I’ll be back soon with the next of our finalist interviews, but remember you can keep up with the full competition here. And be sure to check out Curiouser And.. below!
