I talked to Miladysa about her online phenomenon, Refuge of Delayed Souls. Spanning several lifetimes and many different places, Miladysa’s web serial blurs the lines between horror and mystery.
LT: Tell us about Refuge of Delayed Souls.
M: Refuge of Delayed Souls or - RoYds - as the story has become affectionately known - is a complex, paranormal mystery which encompasses multiple timelines and intertwining stories. There are delayed souls (or ghosts), fallen angels and a number of other supernatural characters who co-exist alongside the Living - although not everyone can see them for who or what they really are.
LT: How did you first come up with the story idea?
M: I’m not sure that I did! There was never any plan to write the story, it just sort of happened and the inspiration for it came from various sources. I have mentioned in other interviews that my family history played a part and that is true. However, in the grand scheme of things my environment played the major part. I am lucky to live in the North West of England which is an inspirational place to live as well as write.
LT: Tell us about your three main characters and what drives them.
M: Ah! Well you see what drives them is one of the keys to the story so I shall have to be a bit cagey there.
Elizabeth Whyte has the ability to see the world as it is experienced by both the Living and the Delayed. At the beginning of the story Elizabeth returns following a period of absence and is keen to reprise her role within a mysterious Agency known as RoYds.
Lady Mabel Theawicke died one night in the winter of 1691. It is rumoured by the Living that before her death, she made a bargain with a disciple of the devil. Whatever happened, one thing is for sure, Lady Mabel is still making her presence felt to this day and she is no one’s victim!
Amongst other things, Billy Lawrence is a thief and a liar with a short fuse and an uncanny knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Billy does have a few things going for him though, his wife loves him, and his mother-in-law isn’t the type to hold a grudge.
LT: What challenges do you face with the time shift aspects of the story?
M: I try to ensure that each scene is as authentic as I can possibly make it and a lot of research goes into making it so. For instance, the wording of the caution issued to Billy upon his arrest is taken from police statements of the time. The description of the trenches during the Great War is a blend of my paternal grandfather’s experiences and historical fact.
LT: When did you first start to post your story as an online serial, and what inspired you to do so?
M: I had to look this one up! It seems I started posting RoYds as an online serial in March 2008, prior to that the story had been a serious of posts on my blog Miladysa. I was first encouraged to try my hand at fiction, by my friend and fellow writer, Melissa Miller.
LT: What are your goals for the serial as a whole?
M: To continue writing online volumes (as long as there is a demand from readers) and I hope to release e-book and dead tree versions on the story sooner rather than later.
LT: Do you have other projects in the works?
M: I am currently speaking with Peopleprint Community Media, a local not-for-profit arts and media broadcast organisation, with regard to a mixed digital media project involving Refuge of Delayed Souls. It is very exciting prospect and I have my fingers crossed that it happens.
There is also another story, with an Edinburgh setting, on the back burner simmering away nicely.
LT: What is your dream project?
M: Being involved in a television or film production of Refuge of Delayed Souls – that would be awesome!
LT: What authors do you like to read?
M: That’s a hard question to answer. If a story strikes me as interesting, I will give it a go regardless of who the author is. These days I read the majority of my fiction online and usually discover it in the Web Fiction Guide or one of the other web fiction directories.
LT: If you had a chance to experiment with a different form of writing, which would you chose? (i.e. screenwriting, traditional novels, comics, etc.)
M: I would have to choose screenwriting. When I write, I actually envisage the story playing out before me like a film; I even hear the music soundtrack on occasion!
LT: If you could take anyone’s story and re-write it, which would you chose?
M: You ask some interesting questions! Let me think. Can I combine this one with question 10 above and say I would like to rewrite the screenplay for the film Braveheart? How I would love to spend ten minutes in a room with Mel Gibson and give him a piece of my mind! Braveheart was the name given to Robert the Bruce NOT William Wallace – there’s a whole generation that has grown up believing otherwise. I would enjoy rewriting that particular screen story.
LT: Would you like to add anything else?
M: Thank you for such an interesting interview and also a big thank you to all the Refuge of Delayed Souls readers and fans!
©2009 Lori Titus
To experience Miladysa’s Refuge of Delayed Souls, click here:
Tags: Refuge of Delayed Souls
December 20th, 2009 at 10:14 am
What fun this was to do!
It’s been hard keeping it a secret, now I’m off to tell the world about it
December 20th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Well thank you for being such a great interview. Feel free to put up a link on your site. I’ll place one for you here…
December 21st, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Thanks for another cool interview Lori. I keep discovering new stuff to read and it’s excellent to hear from the writers.