I think it’s a helpful read for anyone who is struggling with either a lack of purpose or a lack of self-knowledge. I wrote it at a point where I was feeling pretty lost, and it helped me rediscover myself, so I hope it does that for others too.
Ellie Martin-Mc-Kinsey – 8 July 2022
The Back Flap
From debut author Ellie Martin McKinsey comes a fascinating philosophical fiction book, Turtle A. For fans of contemporary novels like Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library and Cecelia Ahern’s novels, Turtle A is a mind-boggling must read!
Turtle A chews on Strawberry B, which causes a string to pull the platform up, releasing Coin C to…you know what? I don’t think I am going to tell you much more than that…
Here’s the thing though: one event leads to another until you have a chain of events completing a set goal; at least that’s how The Girl believes The Universe works. Following The Universe’s instructions to set in motion a series of events, The Girl believes that to be her purpose…until she finds Nico, who staunchly believes that The Universe’s grand cosmic plans are a load of horseshit.
Which one of them is right? The Girl, who has no identity or place in the world, or Nico, who has worked so hard on his sense of self that somewhere along the way he lost his purpose. How will these two come together to resolve the mysteries of The Universe?
About the book
What is the book about?
Turtle A tackles larger themes about fate, purpose, identity and control, through the lens of two characters who fall onto extreme ends of the spectrum. The Girl, as she’s referred to throughout most of the book, believes so fully in The Universe’s plan, that she actually tuned into it and sets off events for it. However, she’s so surrendered to her belief in The Universe that she never developed a sense of personal identity. Nico, on the other hand, has worked so hard to cultivate his identity for himself, that the concept of anyone or anything having control over his choices is downright nauseating. He’s so firmly aware of who he is, that he doesn’t have a sense of how big the world around him is, or his purpose within it. It’s only with these two characters’ repeated exposure to each other that they’re able to slowly start balancing themselves out.
When did you start writing the book?
I started shortly after Saga approached me about writing for them, back in June of 2021.
How long did it take you to write it?
The first draft took five months.
Where did you get the idea from?
I have a background in performing arts, and there’s an acting technique I love called Lucid Body, which uses the chakra centers to physically build a character. I had a vague idea of “what if someone with an exploded seventh chakra and blocked/imploded first chakra met someone with the opposite? How would those two characters converse?” The BBC show, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, based on the book by Douglas Adams, also was a very large source of inspiration, as was Luna Lovegood’s character from Harry Potter.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Yes. I do have some background in dance, but the dance scene was still hard to write. I had to pick the right song and choreograph for this hypothetical nine person dance troop, and figure out how to put that choreography into hopefully understandable language. I struggled a lot with that. I also had a hard time with The Girl’s journey of self discovery, mainly because what she was doing felt so mundane, and I didn’t want it to be boring, but also that was kind of the point.
What came easily?
The characters. Both of them were so clear in my head. Their voices, their mannerisms, their language patterns. Anything that was a conversation between them spilled out easily.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Nico draws minorly from some people I know, but it’s more that these two characters are highly pulled from me. I’ve been a less extreme version of both of them at some point in time.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
There are multiple ways to write other than just in book form. I’ve been shaped by screenplays, play scripts, stand-up comedy, as well as books. I think I’m most influenced by works that have comedic elements to them, because there’s something very true to reality and tone about comedy. In that vein, I’d say my biggest influences are Max Landis, Douglas Adams, John Mulany, Iliza Schlesinger, David Sedaris, and Allie Brosh.
Do you have a target reader?
Not really. There’s a lot of swearing, so I guess rating-wise, sixteen and up? I think it’s a helpful read for anyone who is struggling with either a lack of purpose or a lack of self-knowledge. I wrote it at a point where I was feeling pretty lost, and it helped me rediscover myself, so I hope it does that for others too.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I usually plant myself in the same spot, with some tea, and put either the TV or music on for background noise. If I’m stuck, I switch to a different writing project. I jump back and forth a lot, sometimes it’s like, one sentence on this story, one sentence on that one.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I outline the major plot points, and then try to make one plot point a chapter. It doesn’t always work that cleanly, but for the most part it keeps things on track.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I’ll do my own edits at the end of a chapter, but when I worked with the editors, we went through the whole thing once it was finished.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I do. That or TV. I don’t write well in total silence. What I listen to kind of depends on the day, my mood, and what I’m writing. As an exercise, I usually make a playlist for what I think my characters would listen to, as a way to understand them better. But I don’t necessarily write to that playlist, I’ll listen to it before I start writing to get in the right headspace. While writing, it’s usually lo-fi or instrumental music, or a show I’ve seen a million times.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Nope and I don’t think I’d even know where to start with that.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I didn’t set out to be a writer. I was just writing fan fiction when Saga Fiction (my publishers) reached out to me. They’d read some of my work and wanted to know if I wanted to write an original story for them. I didn’t know anything about the writing world and hadn’t thought to be a part of it until that moment, but in The Girl fashion, I figured that was a sign from The Universe that writing was what I was supposed to do next. So I just dove in with Saga.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
Saga had an in-house designer which we used for the cover. It went through many drafts before we got to this one. I really wanted to have the Rube Goldberg Machine there, since it’s such an important repeated metaphor in the book.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Personally, I’m winging it. But Saga has a plan so I’m trusting them and doing what they tell me haha.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
I think ideas come to people to be actualized. If you have a story, it came to you because it needs you to tell it. So do it. There really isn’t a reason to not try.
About You
Where did you grow up?
Massachusetts.
Where do you live now?
New York City.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a new book for Saga Fiction, which will be very funny, so please look forward to that!
End of Interview:
