An Interview With Nell J

Buried within the forest earth lies a piece of card. It is bent, grimy, and blanched from the many pressures that come with time, and it will likely never see the sun again. But if Nell J were to dig it up one misty sunrise in the future, she might just make out the line art and letters beneath. A winged, blonde angel bearing two cups of pouring water. A sun. Grass. Pond at her feet. The words: Temperance.

The release of the Serein Lark Review's first-ever pieces... is today? What happened to the time? Can we fit in one more writer? I say, the Lark always has room for more in its nest - do you not agree?

The UK writer and copy editor Nell J has blessed us with her sapphic historical fiction piece, 'The Light of Dawn', and it makes its grand release today on August 7th. Have you read it yet? This interview is spoiler-free, so do not fret - you can read it afterwards.

Without further ado, Nell J's interview is just a quick scroll down away!

Can you introduce yourself? Who are you, Nell?

Hiya! Right now, I'm a copy editor working in London. I have a degree in creative writing, but I haven't had the time or energy to write as much as I did at university, so I'm happy that this has pulled me out of my writing slump!

Some useless extra facts: my favourite colour is blue, I love gaming, and my favourite book (series) when I was younger was Percy Jackson.

Without telling us too much, how would you describe your short story 'The Light of Dawn'? What can you tell us about it?

‘The Light of Dawn’ is the opening of a longer piece about a young woman in the late 1800s, Adeline, who is asked to become a spy in the ranks of a ‘magical’ order known as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a not-so-secret society (if only because Adeline’s father knows of its existence and wants it to be destroyed). The whole situation will come with its own risks, of course, but Adeline’s real problem is Florence Farr, a clever and strong-willed Order member who becomes her only friend, and maybe something more.

There’s a bit of mystery, a bit of romance, and a lot of history, but ultimately it’s about a woman fighting against the constraints of society and tradition, and, more importantly, how she views herself.

Your piece is historical fiction! Talk us through what inspired it. What did you know of the Order of the Golden Dawn before you started writing? You also mention Ibsen's Rosmersholm - why that one in particular?

I first started writing this in a historical fiction module at uni. I was interested in the Victorian era, specifically in how closely religion and the occult were tied together. I didn't know much about this specific order at first, but stumbled across it in the midst of a Wikipedia deep dive.

I originally wanted to create a ‘found footage’ story (I was listening to a podcast called ‘The White Vault’ at the time, and really loved the way the story was being told), where documents, letters, and journal entries are discovered by a modern historian, all pertaining to the Order and its secrets. It was going to include supernatural elements (my favourite genres are fantasy and horror), almost going down a route akin to ‘The Magnus Archives’, but I decided to strip it back, because the story was becoming overly complicated (you never know, those supernatural elements might still show up – there’s still time!).

Ultimately, it doesn't matter if the occult is real in this particular story. The Order is just a means to an end, both for Adeline's (aka her father’s) goal, and her eventual growth. 

In terms of Ibsen’s ‘Rosmersholm’, I was looking for a play that would be around at the time, since Florence Farr, probably the most important secondary character, is an actress. When I read the description, I realised that it was a brilliant metaphor for Adeline, which has gone right over her head, of course. The story of Rosmerholm is very different when it comes to the plot, but the themes of guilt, especially around love, truth, faith, and tradition all fit together like pieces of a puzzle I was not expecting to put together. 

Here is an excerpt from Nell's story 'The Light of Dawn':

But as she tucked her startled expression behind a polite smile, the corners of Miss Farr’s lips curled upwards, and she pressed her fingers to them, extending her hand out in silent greeting, a kiss flying through the air. Adeline’s own hand swept up as though to catch that small recognition.

Was it a particularly difficult story to get down or did the words flow like a river?

A little bit of both! I'm a notorious procrastinator, so the words didn't flow until the last possible minute. It was more difficult, as it always has been for me, to get to the core of the story. When you have a word limit and big ideas, it's important to get to that core.

I'm very grateful for workshopping groups for helping me to see through the complicated web of ideas and shape the story into something worth reading (which I hope this is).

Do you have any habits for when you write, such as always having a cup of tea by your side or a special place you must write for the sake of the creative juices (or something more peculiar, such as Victor Hugo's alleged need to write in the nude)?

I think the two most important things for me are: (1) music, and (2) deadlines.

I'm not very good at writing in silence; it feels a little eerie. So, I always have something on: either a specifically curated playlist to match the mood, or an hour-long lofi/chill/classical music playlist on YouTube (shoutout Lofi Girl).

As I mentioned before, notorious procrastinator over here. As such, if I don't have a deadline, I'll just procrastinate forever. So, I definitely need something to work towards, and it can't be self-imposed – I'm far too lenient!

What do you enjoy reading? What are you reading right now?

Perhaps surprising for the people who know me in real life, but I've actually been on a non-fiction kick at the moment. Most recently, I've read 'Educated' by Tara Westover (a memoir that falls more under creative non-fiction), and it made me tear up once or twice. I'm currently reading 'Feeding the Monster: Why Horror Has a Hold on Us' by Anna Bogutskaya (very interesting delve into horror as a genre, specifically horror movies – would recommend it if you're interested in the theory behind horror).

Normally, however, I'm a fantasy girl (big fan of Dungeons & Dragons too, who would have guessed?). I would recommend the 'A Discovery of Witches' series by Deborah Harkness if you'd like a blend of supernatural, romance, and historical fiction.

Do you have any other publications you'd like to point our readers to? Or is there someplace readers can follow you for updates on future work?

I'll keep my air of mystery, even though there are enough clues in this interview for anyone who is a friend of a friend to tell who I am.

In terms of other work, this will be the first piece that I've put out there for others to read, so I'll just say: hope you enjoy!

Well done, Nell J, for rolling high enough on your dice and succeeding on your constitution saves in the battle of procrastination! You just made it in time for our grand first release! I now feel a strong need to fall into a research rabbit hole on the Order of the Golden Dawn...