1). How did your writing journey begin?
Cartoons and comic books! As a kid, I loved reading comic books and I felt inspired to come up with my own stories. My siblings were my co-conspirators and my muses. I would come up with the story. Once I picked up the pen it was a wrap.
2). Who are your writing inspirations?
Octavia Butler and Neil Gaiman are my favorites. Prolific, original, and unstoppable. I think I have experienced every emotion when reading their books!
3). Are you an outliner or a panster?
Can I say I’m a “plantser”? I lean more towards the outliner end of the spectrum. However, my characters tend to take over when they interact. I don’t ignore them.
4). What are your favorite books?
How much time to you have? As a kid, I loved books like Pippi Longstocking, Fear Street, and as I got older and read comic books, I loved Uncanny X-Men and Sandman. As an adult, I fell in love with the Xenogenesis, the Broken Earth, and A Land Fit for Heroes trilogies.
5). Describe your writing process.
Music is a plus, but not always necessary when “the urge” strikes. If I do decide to play music, it has to be conducive to the type of chapter I’m writing. Also…coffee. Coffee is a MUST. Also plenty of room to walk around so I can brainstorm!
6). What inspired you to write Her?
Creatively speaking, I wanted to write about a person with extraordinary powers who was, indeed, black. So I took “black girl magic” and ran with it!
7). Tell us a bit about your story.
Her is about rebirth, determination, and the everlasting endurance of the human spirit. The story focuses on an immortal African woman who is reborn time and time again. A new face, a new skill set, and amazing powers for each of these lives. However, when she is reborn into her current life, she no longer has her memories. This is unfortunate because her power is linked to identity. She has to find out who she is real fast because there is an ancient evil tracking her to finish her off once and for all!
8). What do you hope to accomplish with this story/your writing?
I want people to see this astonishing powerful woman of color. I would like to show a more diverse representation of heroes for this generations and the ones to follow. We don’t look like Superman or Batman. I want the readers to see themselves in Her. I want them to know that we are magical beings with fertile imaginations.
9). Will there be more stories about this character/world?
Oh, absolutely! I am already working on the sequel and I am excited to get it published. There is so much I want to say.
10). How do we keep up with all things Malachi?
Of course. I can be reached on my Facebook page and my Twitter handle is @Mal_,the_Writer. I have a website that is currently in the works. I will keep you posted.
11). What advice would you give to new writers?
Don’t give up. KEEP WRITING. And for those who are afraid to publish or are in a rut, just trust in the process. You got this. And if you feel that don’t, you have others to tell lift you up. Your story deserves to be told and you are the only one to tell it.
You can purchase Her by Malachi Bailey here:
