For this month's Author Spotlight, AngusEcrivain had the pleasure of interviewing Alice_IceFlower. There was no tea and biscuits involved but I'm sure you'll agree, this is an enjoyable interview, nonetheless!

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what words wouldn't you use?

What I wouldn't use? Extrovert, party animal, stupid... I think.

What was your nickname at school?

Well, there was "pyramid hair" in primary school. I had a rather triangular hairdo, which I had absolutely no say about. And very rarely "kabouter" in secondary school, which is a gnome-like creature, because I'm very small.

When you were a young padowan, what did you want to be when you grew up?

My main goal was to have longer hair, really. And to never grow up. I realised very early on I would not like studying and working.

What is your favourite quote?

I'm so bad with quotes. I can never remember enough to have a favourite one. So let's go for the first one that pops into my mind: "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

Other than writing, what hobbies do you have?

Drawing (basically anything art-related), reading, sewing, skiing, researching obscure historical facts. I'd love to make my own medieval dress once. And I'm working on a longbow at the moment.

Tell us something random that we don't know about you.

I am slightly addicted to peppermints.

What was the first piece of writing you were ever truly proud to have written?

Not counting the 4-page story I wrote when I was 8, I think it would have to be parts of a huge fantasy story I invented when I was 11 to 14 years old. Sadly, not much writing got done on that one, since I had no wish to share it with anyone, and most of the story existed in the form of drawings. But I was proud of that. It's still the largest world I've ever created.

Who is your all-time favourite Sci-Fi author? How much - if at all - have they influenced your writing style?

That's hard to say. I didn't discover Science Fiction until... well, until I joined Wattpad, 4 years ago. I haven't had much time to read a lot of Sci-Fi since then. I've always been more of a Fantasy reader. So I'll give you my favourite Fantasy author instead: Brandon Sanderson. He has some Sci-Fi novellas too, though.

Do you have a muse?

Does drawing count? I draw my characters over and over. It helps me understand them, gives me inspiration, helps me when I get stuck. Other than that: history. I adore history and it's an endless source of stories and ideas. And it keeps surprising me.

Walk us through your writing process. How do you begin and how do you decide when a story is done? What do you use to write, and whereabouts do you use it?

Though one, this, since I haven't actually finished a full novel yet. But I have a good amount of short stories. I'm a plotter, definitely. I start with an idea, usually very small, and then I build up a story around it. Before I start to write, I need to know how the story will go. I draw a lot during this stage, I write my plot down, and talk it over with friends a dozen times. When I'm more or less happy with that, I start writing, and about half of the plot changes while I try to wrestle it into something that makes sense. I'm not the kind of writer who can let the story tell itself, because I inevitable end up at a dead end. I use Google a lot, because I research everything that comes to mind. A thesaurus can be useful too, especially for a non-native speaker. And peppermints.

The beginning is harder than the end, for me. Crafting a hook is an art in itself. For the ending, I just stop where it feels right.

Of everything you have written, what is your favourite?

Heart of Stone. Though I hope I'll be able to share my historical novel some day. Even though it's not written yet, it's already my favourite.

...and what is your fans' favourite?

The Great Fairy Book, a collection of children's fairy tales.

We know some of the big authors, Orson Scott Card and Tolkien, for example, incorporate their religious beliefs into their work. Are you religious? If so, do you incorporate those beliefs into your work?

I'm not religious, but many religious beliefs are morals which are shared by nearly everyone, like helping others, not stealing. I don't actively incorporate those in my work, but I'm sure they're there, because they're a part of who I am. In my historical work, this might be more prominent, because the characters themselves are religious.

Was there one idea that you had that didn't turn out quite the way you envisioned it?

Many. Usually this happens with drawings, but with some stories as well-most of them smackdown stories, because of the two week writing deadline and not enough time or freedom to work out the plot.

Do you use real life experiences to influence your Sci-Fi writing?

Yes. I like to keep my stories as human as possible. The Sci-Fi is the background and the tool for exploring human interactions. It also never hurts to have medical schooling to make your Sci-Fi seem more realistic.

If all SF writers weren't from Earth but were from another planet, what would that world be called?

Logically, they would call it "earth" too, or that would be our translation of the world. People have a habit of giving the world they live on the same name as the dirt under their feet. In most languages, the word for "Earth" also means soil and dirt.

If you were to gain control of some form of time travel device, where - or when - would you go, and why?

Time travel, are you kidding me? I couldn't choose! I would want to go everywhere. The past, obviously, but also the future. I'd love to see the Mongolian Empire (and meet the kick-ass queens), or go visit the future, but if I had to choose one thing, I'd probably go to England in 1174, where my historical novel is set, because that would be the best research ever.

Which fictional Sci-Fi Universe is your favourite, and why?

I like a lot of them. I love the ones that make you think, like the 1984, the Matrix, Minority Report, but I think I'm going to go with a more Star Trek or Firefly-like universe. I love outer space. Oh wait, I've got it. Doctor Who. It's got everything, even time travel.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Either freezing time (I'm always short on time, plus, cheating on exams would be so easy), or time travel (because unlimited access to history sounds like heaven).

Some of our readers might not know much about you, Alice, but those that do will know of your love of all things historical. Have you ever incorporated elements of Sci-Fi into your HiFi?

I think they've gathered that by now. And, yes, I have. I've written a Steampunk short for TK once, in the issue full of short stories. It was a nice mix of mid-Victorian London, with steam engines and flying ships. I'm planning to do a follow-up on that one, with a floating steampunk world (a bit like that Treasure Planet Disney movie). Of course, Steampunk is the standard mix between HF and Sci-Fi, but it's still a lot of fun to write. In my experience, Fantasy and HF are easier to mix, because there are many elements of superstition and magic in history, but adding "magic" with a scientific explanation is definitely possible.

Of all historical eras, which is your favourite? Which sub-genre of Sci-Fi would you like to see incorporated into that era?

The Mongolian Empire, I think. I love the English High Middle Ages too, but they're a bit standard. Time-travel or Alternate History seem like the obvious sub-genres, but I would love to see Mongolian MythPunk, or even a Space Opera. If they're already conquering the world, you might as well let them have a go at space.

Any words of wisdom for new and aspiring writers?

Keep writing and keep reading. Be patient. Never stop learning. Write because you love it, and don't forget to enjoy it.