Writing fantasy fiction was already a diversion of sorts for Central Coast-based author Kathryn Blanche—who began developing her Laila of Midgard series during a rough patch in college—long before the COVID-19 crisis.
“I find that writing is an escape, so diving into the various worlds in my novels is my primary way of keeping my mind off these troubling times,” Blanche told the Sun.
Due to pay cuts at her day job, Blanche recently filed for unemployment benefits—joining more than 20 million other Americans during the course of the last five weeks. But the pandemic hasn’t stopped her from writing, she said. On the contrary, the statewide shelter-at-home orders have only helped boost her creativity.
“I have been actually extremely productive in the last few weeks,” the Nipomo native said. “I’ve got so many projects that I’m preparing, so it’s nice to have extra time.”
With three novels in the Midgard series already under her belt (Caught by Demons, Summoned by Demons, and Infiltrated by Demons) and a fourth on the way (Hunted by Demons, slated to be released before the end of the year), Blanche is a prolific world builder. The series takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where humans coexist with supernatural entities—elves, vampires, ghosts, you name it. The novels’ protagonist, Laila Eyvindr, works for a special agency designed to keep the peace between the realms and investigate supernatural crimes.
Aside from the books themselves, Blanche has further explored the dystopian landscape of her fantasy series though The Supernatural Times—a fictional newspaper set in the world of her novels (think Harry Potter’s The Daily Prophet). Written from the point of view of journalists within the Midgard universe, Blanche posts articles from the paper monthly (every second weekend) on her Patreon page. Subscribers can look forward to headlines like “An enchantment gone wrong: Three teens rendered invisible,” or “How to handle your haunting.”
“I was inspired to write the Supernatural Times articles as a way to explore various topics that I don’t have time to mention in the books,” Blanche said. “A lot of them look at world-building details like ‘inter-realm’ portal travel, or magical medicine, but others report on incidents in the book series.”
For $1 a month, subscribers of Blanche’s Patreon have access to the articles as well as behind-the-scenes content on her writing process. Audiobooks (recorded readings of Blanche’s novels) are also available to patrons who pledge $5 a month. Those who pledge $10 a month receive the previous benefits as well as a thank-you letter and a personalized holiday card written by one of the novels’ characters. Tiers of $25 and $50 include even more goodies.
“The higher you pledge, the more perks you gain access to,” Blanche said. “[Patreon] is a great way for fans to help support me as an author, so I can spend more time focusing on writing and less time on a day job.”
But fans of the Midgard series can also take advantage of Blanche’s free content on her YouTube channel, where she posts video blogs, book previews, and advice for aspiring authors. While Blanche is currently completing her fourth novel in the franchise, she can’t help but notice the harsh reality of the coronavirus pandemic—and its eerie effects on society—creeping its way into her fictional world.
“I just finished the first draft of a novel where the climax centers around a catastrophic event. As I was writing, I found myself reflecting on how people have been reacting to COVID-19 and using that to inform my characters’ decisions, especially the various ways people act in a panic,” Blanche said. “Even though the characters in this story face a completely different threat, I found it very cathartic to write those scenes. It helped me process through my own emotions and frustrations.”
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood always loves hearing from local authors. Contact him at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 23-30, 2020.