Bad Guys, Bloodshed, and Sarcasm

Christ & Creativity No. 3 - An Interview with Khaiah Thomson, Author of the Blackwood Series

Hey friend,

I cannot express how excited I am to share this interview with you. West Australian Author Khaiah Thomson pens the Blackwood series. I read the first book in the series, Welcome to Blackwood, when Sally Brown gave me a copy. I could not put it down and immediately ordered the second book—Leaving Blackwood! This series reminded me why I love the YA/paranormal/sci-fi genre, after a LOOOOOONG string of disappointments. The third and final instalment of Blackwood will be released in July.

The first book Welcome to Blackwood won the Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize in 2020 and was later shortlisted for Adaptable: Turning the Page to Screen in 2021. Khaiah has a keen interest in writing Young Adult Fiction and supporting young people to follow their creative passions. When she isn't working or in her home office writing, Khaiah can usually be found nose-deep in a book, procrastigaming, or at the nearest cafe, hovering close to the coffee machine. Khaiah lives in Perth with her husband and two sons. 

How long have you been writing fiction and what made you start?

My first attempt at writing anything other than the occasional poem was in 2020. My oldest son, who at the time was my only child, was almost one and we were in a really good routine at home. I found myself with two to three hours during the day of me time and really wanted to do something that would use some brain power. 

I'd done A LOT of reading in those first months after having a baby and during those days spent at home. I discovered the Libby library app and devoured dozens and dozens of e-books until I reached a point where I just couldn’t find quite the right novel I was looking for with all of my favourite tropes. So when I found myself with a couple of free hours each day, I decided to give writing a go. The Blackwood Series was my first dive into writing fiction and I haven't looked back. 

How did the idea for the Blackwood books develop and how did you get started with writing it?

When I first sat down to write, I’d had an idea for a high fantasy novel that had been floating around in my head for years, but I just couldn’t get the words down. Being new to story writing, my brain just seemed to get overwhelmed with the task of world building on top of everything else that comes with writing a novel. 

I decided to put my idea aside and come up with something completely new to me. I thought of some of my all-time favourite books/movies that I read and watched as a teen (primarily being Twilight and X-Men) and explored why I enjoyed them so much and was drawn to them again and again. I took my favourite aspects of those stories and characters, blended them with my own ideas, and The Blackwood Series was born. The story and characters then took on a life of their own and have developed throughout the series. 

Blackwood itself is inspired the Margaret River/Augusta region in WA and the Blackwood River that runs through it. I found that writing a present-day novel, with beautiful places that are familiar to me was easier for me to write. Because I know those places so well (the landscape, weather, sounds and smells) it allowed me to give depth to the world-building within my novels, while abiding by the age-old rule of "showing and not telling."

What are the greatest barriers/hurdles to your creative work (i.e., imposter syndrome, comparison, perfectionism?) and what helps you get around them? 

Imposter syndrome is a huge barrier for me and something that I constantly struggle with. Most of my friends and family didn’t know I’d written a novel until I won the Hawkeye Manuscript Development Prize and was offered a contract for the series. I find it very easy to downplay my achievements with thoughts along the lines of “Well if I can do it, then it must not be that big of a deal.” Thanks to encouraging family, friends, readers, and a lot of prayer, I’ve come to accept that I’m actually pretty good at it (lol) and I do believe that it’s a gift God has given me. I look forward to seeing on what path it takes me. 

I’m generally a pretty disorganised person, but when it comes to writing I am also a total perfectionist—I consider this both a good and bad thing. I find it’s less of a hurdle and more of a personal challenge…it does create a lot of headaches for my poor editor though.

 How does your faith impact your creativity?

From the very beginning, I've been been very conscious of the fact that I am writing for teenagers, an age group of impressionable and mouldable people who are discovering who they are, what they value, and what morals will guide them. Although I write fiction, I truly believe that if you see a theme often enough, even in fiction, you will be influenced by it, especially children and teenagers. 

So, as a Christian, I wanted to write clean books that had themes of positive/healthy relationships, forgiveness, redemption, love and friendship while also reflecting the ongoing struggle with good vs evil. Don’t get me wrong, the books are by no means a cozy read. There are some pretty evil bad guys, a lot of sarcasm and attitude, and plenty of bloodshed, but I like to think that I’ve found a reasonable balance and that the messages within my novels still shine through. 

I chose to write books for the general population, not just a Christian audience, with a hope that some of the hidden (and not so hidden) messages will be seen by those who need them. 

Who is another Christian creative in Perth who is making work you love? 

I am very biased and would have to say Sally Brown from @adornedbysally.

Sally is a dear friend and almost all of the jewellery I wear is of her creation. Sally knows me well and knows what I like, so all of the pieces I own are perfect and precious to me, AND she is amazingly talented. If you give her a rough description of a jewellery piece that you want, she will create something beautiful for you to treasure.

Khaiah’s book launch party will be held at Hidden Cafe in Kelmscott in July. Details to come on her Instagram.

THE SUNDAY MORNING SNUGGLE is for you, the tired and overwhelmed woman in Perth. I want you to feel seen and encouraged, and it is too hard to trawl endlessly online for beauty. All my favourite publications, Coffee + Crumbs, Ashlee Gadd, Katie Blackburn, Risen Motherhood, women writing about faith and motherhood, or fun women’s lifestyle websites like Cup of Jo, are American. This is for us. One fortnight you’ll get a deep-dive essay essay musing about motherhood, faith, creativity, attention, or whatever God is teaching me (probably patience, again). On the alternate fortnight, you’ll get a collection of poetry. Find out more here.