By Chauntel Jacobs
I sat down with Miranda Nunnally (‘22), the published author of “Kill Switch” and an English major at Southern Virginia University!
Before we dive into the interview, let’s take a closer look at “Kill Switch.”
“Kill Switch” is a novella about an AI robot trying to grasp an understanding of human interactions.
Here’s a little more from the book’s blurb description:
Far in the future, A pair of advanced AIs descend into an abandoned mining colony on Pluto to determine its sustainability for human life. Though life support should have failed long ago, the colony is somehow still receiving oxygen, and much has happened since the miners left.
In our interview, Nunnally and I discussed about what it takes to become an author. Nunnally provided valuable insight on the storytelling process, plot growth, and different publishing platforms.
Chauntel Jacobs:
“Kill Switch” is a futuristic story about two AI robots who explore the abandoned human mining shafts on Pluto. Where did the idea for your book come from?
Miranda Nunnally:
It started with the idea of consumerism in space. I’m a big Trekkie, so I always figured future space exploration would be done by the brave, diplomatic Starfleet, or some similar entity. But with what we’ve seen recently in the news (NASA being defunded, Elon Musk building his own shuttle), I started to wonder more about the concept of privatized space. Instead of Starfleet, I imagined what it would be like if giant corporations were the ones leading the way. Specifically mining corporations, since they’d naturally be seeking out raw materials on other planets. The more I followed that vein of thinking, the more I disliked it. Can you imagine Mars or Neptune being bought out by a giant corporation? It may sound far- fetched, but by that time I was thinking in terms of fiction of course. That was the story I originally wanted to write, but for a long time, I just couldn’t make it work, so it eventually evolved into life on Pluto.”
CJ:
Did you publish under a pen name?
MN:
I did! Kill Switch is published under the pseudonym ‘Blake Abbeyfield’. I chose this name because I had heard that books authored by women tend to get overlooked compared to male authors. However, I plan to publish my future publications under my real name. After researching some marketing statistics, I actually noticed that the sci-fi female fan base has grown quite a bit. Science Fiction is typically stereotyped as a male interest, but the most recent statistics I found actually showed that the percentage of male to female fans are now even.
CJ:
Who is your favorite character in Kill Switch?
MN:
Saul, who is the AI robot in the book. He’s my favorite because he has a very naive understanding of human behavior. He even somewhat looks up to the idea of being human. I think the scene that depicts this best is when he receives orders that contradict the values he thought all humans held. So he starts trying to revise his knowledge of human behavior. That’s as much as I can say without spoiling it, I think.
CJ:
Tell me about your writing process.
MN:
A lot of what I’ve learned is what Professor Orson Scott Card taught me. I’ve learned that your story will naturally evolve and that the ending of your story isn’t solid. With this in mind, I tend to write out a timeline of the story listed by bullet points. When I’m working through a chapter, I’ll usually make a list of bullet points of main points to keep me focused. However, if the story happens to evolve during this process, it’s not something to sweat over. If I have a new idea how to end the story, then I’ll choose the ending that is the most exciting to write. That’s the key. Go with what excites you!
CJ:
What do you consider to be the key to character development?
MN:
This is a question that I’ve been trying to understand myself. The last thing you’d want for your character is to become a Mary Sue, or a character who flawlessly wins at every conflict. I advise you to know [the character’s] personality really well and how they’d respond to different situations. If you think about it, real life people are multifaceted. They’re clumsy and make bad decisions. Do that with the characters as well. Keep them clumsy and confused. Allow them to make mistakes and share their thinking process along the way.
CJ:
How do you personally combat writer’s block?
MN.
Just like everyone else; much moaning and groaning! Just know that [writer’s block] is normal. Personally, I’ve found that lots of physical exercise gives me a lot of energy to creatively think my way out of the writer’s block. I actually try to do yoga exercises every morning just to get the creative juices flowing.
CJ:
What are your thoughts on self publishing versus traditional publishing with an agent?
MN:
There are pros and cons to both. Self publishing is an informal way to get your book out there. You can publish it on Amazon, and when a customer buys your book, then they’ll send you royalties for the sale. Self publishing is a way to build a “resume” of your works. However, you’re on your own when it comes to marketing. I am starting out with self publishing on Amazon, but I would like to move into the traditional publishing market eventually. This way I could focus on just the writing while they take care of everything else.
CJ:
Let’s end on a fun question. Most people assume authors are great spellers. Confession time: Are there any words that you tend to misspell?
MN:
Definitely! I always mix up the words “rendezvous” and “miscellaneous”!
Thanks so much for interviewing with us, Miranda! You can find Nunnally’s book Kill Switch by Blake Abbeyfield on Amazon here!
Worldbuilding life on Pluto: interview with Sci-Fi SVU student author Miranda Nunnally was originally published in The Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.