We’ve been so lucky to have a chat with Australian author Will Kostakis about his new release, Rebel Gods, which is the final instalment in the Monuments duology! In this interview, Will talks about Rebel Gods, his inspirations, recommendations for coastal walks, and more!
Hi Will! Thanks for taking the time out to chat with us! Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hey there! Thanks so much for having me. I’m Will Kostakis, a young adult author based in Sydney, Australia. I scored my first book deal at 17, and in the years since, I’ve written contemporary and fantasy novels, informed in part by my experience as a queer Greek-Australian.
Can you describe for us your new release, Rebel Gods, in 15 words or less?
Teen god juggles family and potential end of the world.
What inspired you to write the Monuments duology?
Growing up, I was a huge fantasy fan (particularly Tolkien and Pratchett) and a daydreamer – combine the two and I spent way too much time staring out of windows imagining fantasy stories playing out across the rooftops of Sydney. After writing The Sidekicks, which was we reflecting on losing a close friend in high school through fiction, I needed to step away from writing contemporary. I felt myself being pulled towards writing genre, and before long, I was writing that story I imagined playing out across Sydney rooftops.
Out of our trio (Connor, Locky, Sally), do you have a favourite, and if so, why?
They all appeal to me for different reasons. I love Connor’s sense of humour and Locky’s infectious idealism, but if I had to pick a favourite, it’s Sally. She’s such an enigmatic figure when we first meet her in Monuments, and something about the hesitant way she forges bonds with the others is endlessly endearing to me.
Did you always know how Rebel Gods was going to end?
Monuments ended on one of those Heroes Look Pensively Towards The Future notes. It was purposefully unfinished, so the pressure was on to get the ending to Rebel Gods right. I knew what the trio would achieve and learn, but I had no idea how any of it would come about, so the pressure on escalated as I was writing, but then partway through the first draft, the final scene hit me and I was able to write with it in mind.
You started writing at a young age, which is something I envy! Can you give us a tip for young writers out there?
The best tip I can give any aspiring writer, young or old, is to let yourself write that rubbish first draft. So often, we negatively compare our work to the polished, edited, refined work of others. Give yourself the space to write the nowhere-near-perfect draft, that mess of story on the page that you can sculpt later.
When walking around Sydney, Australia (where Monuments and Rebel Gods is set), is there a particular place you’re always drawn to visiting?
I’m a big fan of the coastal walk between Bronte to Bondi beaches. It’s a place I return to time and time again, usually to think my way out of a plot problem I’m trapped in. It features in my novel, The Sidekicks.
When you are writing, do you prefer snacking, listening to music, or something else?
I have to choose between snacking and music? I can’t. A productive writing session needs something to nibble on (chocolate or pistachios) and orchestral scores from films.
Which authors inspire you the most, and if you could meet them, what is a question you would ask?
I’m fortunate enough to have met many of the authors that inspired me, like Terry Pratchett, Melina Marchetta, and Barry Jonsberg. The question I often ask is how they managed to write their books. Authors always give me a different answer, and it’s comforting to know there are many different paths to our goals, we’ve just got to find the one that suits us.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for us?
I just finished Ellie Marney’s None Shall Sleep – think a YA Silence of the Lambs. It’s bone-chilling, razor-sharp and a cracking read. Ellie is one of Australia’s finest YA crime writers, and this is her best.
