INTERVIEW
Author C R Helix knows well the distance between an idea and a finished novel. ‘It took me twelve years to get Sanguine from an idea into a publishable form,’ they tell Global Despatch, reflecting on a writing journey shaped as much by persistence as imagination. Before stepping into the world of sprawling fantasy epics, they mostly wrote flash fiction, stories compressed into only a few thousand words. Expanding from brevity into the architecture of a full-length novel required an entirely new discipline.
‘You do not realise just how much organisation is necessary to keep a story angling straight over the course of a hundred thousand words,’ they remark. The solution came in the form of notebooks. ‘A lot of notebooks.’
From Flash Fiction to Fantasy Worlds
Their debut long-form work, Sanguine: The City of Spires, released only a few years ago after, as they put it, ‘sitting on the shelf a bit too long.’ Set in the dangerous city of Vesper, the novel follows Zahra, a young woman forced to survive after the murder of her brother throws her into the brutality of the streets.
Though the novel embraces classic fantasy elements such as magic, monsters, and sword fights, C R Helix deliberately shifts focus away from the genre’s usual obsession with royalty and prophecy. ‘I try to keep the story focused on more average folks instead of the usual focus on kings and princes, chosen ones, and heirs to the throne,’ they explain.
The book forms the opening chapter of The Longshadow of Jera series, a larger world populated not by legendary heroes but by ordinary people attempting to survive amid political intrigue and chaos.
Writing Between Structure and Discovery
When asked whether they begin with fully formed plots or discover the story while writing, the answer is somewhere in between. Some stories arrive almost complete before the first word is written, while others emerge unexpectedly and demand attention before explanations can catch up.
Their work, The Phoenix King, began exactly that way. ‘I knew basically nothing about it before it demanded to be written,’ they say. The first scene came through a dream, becoming the spark for an entirely new narrative.
This spontaneity makes writing feel ‘more lively and spontaneous,’ though it also creates complications. ‘You tend to write yourself into corners,’ they admit. To balance freedom with coherence, they rely on what they call ‘waypoints’, loose narrative landmarks that guide the story without suffocating it.
Inspired by Vast Worlds and Strange Horrors
Among the writers who have influenced them most is Peter F Hamilton, whose science fiction novels they admire for their immense scale, worldbuilding, and terrifying alien concepts.
More recently, they have developed a fascination with horror short fiction, especially works connected to the SCP Foundation universe. One particular favourite is There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm. ‘It is mind-bending stuff,’ they say. ‘Conceptually amazing.’
Their admiration lies not only in the ideas themselves but in the intricate way such stories are constructed. ‘I wish I could weave my writing together like that.’
On Unfinished Drafts and NaNoWriMo
There was once a time when writing happened every single day. Though that routine has slipped somewhat in recent years, publishing Sanguine represents an attempt to return fully to the craft. ‘I have too many unfinished drafts just sitting there, waiting to be pummelled into something readable,’ they joke.
For years they participated in National Novel Writing Month, commonly known as NaNoWriMo, where writers attempt to draft an entire novel during November. Much of their unfinished work originated there. Beyond productivity, the event provided something equally important: community. ‘It is a really supportive community,’ they say.
Life in Scotland, Law, and… Chickens
Currently based somewhere among the old mining towns of Scotland, C R Helix describes village life with a mixture of humour and affection. Winters may be bleak, but they also provide space for observation and storytelling. ‘You hear a lot of stories from people that can end up being the basis of something.’
Though they describe themselves as having ‘not much schooling,’ they are currently pursuing a law degree part-time. Having already obtained a diploma, they are now working toward a bachelor’s degree. ‘The closer I get to the end of it, the further away it seems,’ they remark.
Beyond writing, animals occupy a major place in their life, especially chickens. Fancy breeds with feathers atop their heads are a particular favourite. At one point, they owned twenty-three of them. ‘You can teach them some pretty neat tricks,’ they say enthusiastically before describing the peculiar joy of ordering fertilised eggs through the post and hatching them at home.
There is also a cat, occasional oil painting and a love for travelling through natural landscapes and historical ruins. ‘Nothing better than wandering the winding streets of an ancient city or leaving your footprints on a desolate beach.’
Building Worlds Beyond Sanguine
At present, they are editing the second volume of The Longshadow of Jera, continuing Zahra’s story beyond The City of Spires. Alongside it sits The Phoenix King, a radically different project involving tyrannical angels, stubborn turtle people, and a post-apocalyptic desert world.
Though becoming a full-time author remains uncertain, they continue pushing their stories outward in the hope that readers will discover them. ‘I can only imagine!’ they say when asked about becoming a full-fledged author.
Success, they believe, should not be measured solely by recognition or sales. ‘As long as you have someone reading your books, you are successful,’ they insist. Writing for fame alone, they feel, is a mistake.
Average Village Life, Extraordinary Imagination
Asked about their daily routine, they laugh at how ordinary it sounds. ‘Writing, not the fun kind either. Then I will be reading tomes of law where I can barely pronounce the words.’ Somewhere in between, there is usually the matter of tripping over the cat and trying to make progress on their own fiction.
If there is one thing they would change about the world, however, the answer turns serious. Humanity’s continued dependence on fossil fuels and the destruction of habitats deeply troubles them. ‘Honestly you have got to wonder whether it is not too late for us already,’ they reflect, before linking the issue to wider economic inequality.
They speak English, though when asked about other languages, they reply with dry humour: ‘Do you count Scots?’
Before signing off, C R Helix mentions having a partial map of the world of Sanguine, a detail that feels fitting for a writer so invested in journeys and the architecture of imagined worlds.
As long as you have someone reading your books, you are successful.
~ C.R. HELIX
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