We chat with author Zoje Stage about Something of a Calling, which is an unsettling look at a woman—and a world—on the brink of change.
Hi, Zoje! Welcome back! What have you been up to since we last spoke for the release of Dear Hanna?
A lot! Most of it more personal than professional – such as my journey toward an autism diagnosis, which has been a gamechanger in my understanding of myself. But I do have two books coming out this month – SOMETHING OF A CALLING and #AUTHORLIFE – and another coming out next year.
Your latest novel, Something of a Calling, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Eco-horror meets the detective novel.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a passionately-written book that may inspire them to look at the world around them a bit differently. We aren’t the only sentient creatures on this earth, but human industry has a long legacy of forgetting that, and SOMETHING OF A CALLING is a very intentional reminder.
Where did the inspiration for Something of a Calling come from?
It came directly from a growing emotional attachment to the animals I see out my back window. And when my birdfeeder became more of a squirrel- and deer-feeder, I started putting out water and black oil sunflower seeds for everyone. Unlike my cats, who I can pamper and protect, I see these wild urban creatures and wish they had more than a tiny parcel of fragile land in the middle of a neighborhood that would be just as happy if none of them existed. I couldn’t help but try and imagine a world where they had more agency to stand their ground against the destruction we humans bring.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really enjoyed writing both of the women featured in the book – main character and detective Andy, and supporting character and nomad Fiona. Building their friendship as two women over a certain age was very satisfying, as they bring so much wisdom and empathy to their views on life.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Every book presents its own challenges, but really that’s part of the fun of writing. Crafting a novel is solving a myriad of small problems in order to create a complex puzzle where everything fits together.
With the spooky season drawing near, what films, books or shows do you turn to?
I love to be surprised by things I haven’t seen or read before. This year I am dying to see OTHER MOMMY, an adaptation of Josh Malerman’s INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE. I’m also curious about the new CARRIE series; the original adaptation of Stephen King’s novel was so good, but Mike Flanagan always puts an interesting spin on things.
What’s the best and worst writing advice you’ve received?
The best writing advice I ever gleaned (I forget where it came from) was to set a very small minimum daily word count during busy or trying times: 75 words is always doable, and you feel heroic when you write 300 or 600 words instead. As far as bad advice…there’s a lot of bad advice floating around out there – let’s start with “Show, Don’t Tell” because the reality is that every book is a combination of both; the trick is getting the proportions right.
What’s next for you?
I’ve been branching out and exploring different genres – eco-horror, detective mysteries, satire. Next year sees the arrival of my first “kink” novel, GOOD GIRL, which is about a homicide detective who explores her interests in BDSM.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
This year I read THE OUTSIDERS SEQUENCE – a series of three novellas – by Annie Neugebauer and I can’t stop talking about them. These were the perfect mix of cosmic horror meets “hiking in the woods” and I wish there were more of them! I also hope to soon read BIOLOGICAL WAR by Annie Jacobsen. (Apparently it’s the year of reading books by authors named Annie.)
