In December 2019, Deadset Press published fifteen short stories in their Journeys anthology. Thomas Roland wrote “A Mountain Pass”—a story brimming with conflict and suspense. Thomas was kind enough to answer questions about his story and his writing life.
Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from/where are you based?
Well, I’m a fiction writer that tends to lean into fantasy and sci-fi genres, but I always enjoy some experimentation! Currently, I base myself in Melbourne, but originally have my roots in Bendigo (after a long line of moves).
What drew you to writing speculative fiction?
I find speculative fiction to be such a diverse area, there’s always new ways you can look at things. There’s not really a limit on what you can write up, but instead an open playing field for so many “what if” situations, and I love that.
What other stories have you published? What projects are you working on?
“A Mountain Pass” in Journeys is actually my first published piece! I’m very fresh to the game, but eager to get invested into things, so am currently chipping away at a few other short stories that may end up in anthologies around the place. In terms of larger projects, I have two that I like to keep on the go. One is a fantasy anthology steeped in deceit, magic, and a land on the brink of collapse, while the other is a bit more of an experimental sci-fi series I run on my blog that portrays several stories through odd files and logs from characters. All in all, everything is a bit of fun to mess with!
What genres/topics do you like to write about, and why?
Definitely fantasy and science fiction! Really, I’m just a massive nerd who loves world building, and I find you get this in swathes with those genres. One thing I do love about them is getting stuck into research for them and the amount of content you can find to spiral stories out of. I also find great joy in taking something outlandish or wild, and making it the norm in a world—never gets old.
Are you a plotter, pantser, or something in between?
I’d say I’m more of a plotter, but truth be told I’m a little of a hybrid. I tend to plot out everything I can about a world before I begin, and map out where I want the plot to go, but more often than not I’ll see a new shiny thing as I’m writing and go off in a completely different direction!
What authors or stories would you say have influenced or inspired your writing?
Brandon Sanderson will always stand as one of my large influences in the fantasy genre, with the way he works characters into larger than life beings—I always find myself addicted. One other writer I’d have to say has influenced me would be Ellie Scott, whose hilarious short stories are what really got me back writing my own.
Tell me about your writing space. Do you have a routine to your writing sessions?
My writing space is really a bit of a mess! I have notebooks scattered everywhere, always need a pen (specifically black pen, can’t stand using blue!) and scrap pieces of paper nearby, as well as a hot drink to keep me going. In terms of routine, there isn’t much of one at the moment! It typically comes down to when I have a spare few moments where I can stick the head down and write like crazy and hope I can come back to make sense of them later.
What are your likes and dislikes regarding writing?
One of my biggest likes would have to be getting to first flesh out the world. Getting to dream up the big overarching ideas and sprinkle in the tiny details is addictive to me. Dislikes though, I would have to think I’m quite the stereotypical writer and just don’t look forward to the editing stage. Rewrite after rewrite after rewrite, there’s only so much red pen I can take!
What moved you to write for the Journeys anthology?
I bumped into the Aussie Speculative Fiction group one time at my first Supernova convention. It was just when I was starting to get stuck back into my passion for writing, and they happened to mention they had an anthology currently taking entries. The idea of writing a story to do with the theme of a journey had my mind instantly reeling, so I knew I couldn’t pass up the chance.
How did you think up your story for Journeys?
The idea of “A Mountain Pass” took some time to come about. I wrestled with what I could do with a journey for some time, but struggled to come up with much concrete. In the end, I decided I wanted to do something about a journey that the protagonist absolutely didn’t choose, but instead had most things forced upon them.
What is/are your favourite story or stories in the anthology?
Now that’s a tough one! There’s so much brilliant writing throughout all the stories, but if I had to name one, I’d say “Fields of Green” really caught my eye. The blend of the bushy landscape, sci-fi, all bundled with tension, I couldn’t put it down.
Where can readers find you and follow you?
You can find my work on my blog (https://thomasroland.blog), and keep up with any antics or updates I have through Facebook and Instagram.
“A Mountain Pass”, by Thomas Roland, can be read along with fourteen other great stories in Journeys: Aussie Speculative Fiction: Volume 2, edited by Alanah Andrews, Austin P. Sheehan, and Jocelyn Spark, published by Deadset Press.
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