She gives herself as much time as she needs to ponder her plot and its structure.

Alison can spend months honing her concepts into structured narratives before she sits down to write. Though, it takes the Australian quite a while to turn her ideas into novels. Alison relies on the experiences she encounters as she lives her life to spark ideas for stories. For the author, ordinary life is an inspiration. The writer gets just as much inspiration from the books she reads, the movies and TV shows she watches, her interactions with her friends, the festivals she attends, and so much more. She ignited in Alison a desire to explore Asian cultures and that paved the way for the ‘Eon’ books.

The idea for ‘Eon’, for instance, was sparked by the author’s late aunt who was Japanese. Her inspirations for the stories she tells vary widely. She delivers characters with a clear objective or quest that brings the sort of meaning to their lives that most people yearn for. Alison is able to tap into that desire that most people have to be special and to have a life driven by a grand destiny. People are drawn to worlds like the one she created in her ‘Eon’ novels because they love the adventure. Alison believes that most fantasy stories have the same appeal regardless of the gender of the protagonist. She also believes that her stories work specifically because her protagonists are female. However, Alison never felt like she was taking a risk by using a female lead in her ‘Eon’ novels.Īt no point did her publishers suggest that her female lead might become a hindrance. This is because the fantasy genre is primarily populated by male protagonists. Some writers struggle with the notion of using female protagonists to drive their fantasy stories.

Though, the author is primarily renowned for the ‘EON’ novels. Published in 1998, it was a surprise hit that received awards recognition along with securing opportunities for publication in foreign markets. Her first novel was ‘Singing the Dogstar Blues’.

She is just as confident when writing fantasy fiction set in Regency England as she is when producing adult crime thrillers. However, she isn’t convinced that aspiring authors can be taught how to create new and inspiring worlds that reveal new truths about the human condition. She also believes that those without natural talent can learn the art of writing. They understand the English language and they can manipulate it to tell incredible stories. She believes that some people are naturally talented.

Eon alison goodman