Elizabeth Caldwell sees emotions. Like, their corporeal form. But she can’t feel them. And Fear, her friend of sorts, is often around trying to make her feel something, but she never does.
I absolutely adore “Some Quiet Place” given its mix of genres and its totally unique premise, not just because the main character can see emotions. There’s a whole mystery with this tragic scene she keeps dreaming about, a random woman telling Elizabeth to remember, and a creepy supernatural man out for blood.
The best part, though, is definitely the majorly major plot twist at the end. Like, major. I screamed and threw my book across the room and then devoured the rest of the it in a few minutes.
And now, an interview with Kelsey Sutton, the lovely author of our lovely novel “Some Quiet Place.”
What are 3 fun facts about you?
Let’s see… I have one tattoo, I am Mexican, and I can’t cook to save my life!
“Some Quiet Place[’s]” premise was so unique and I loved seeing emotions as people. What was your inspiration for physical representations of emotions?
Thank you so much, I love hearing that! I got the idea for Fear first, actually, and the rest came after. So I would say he was my inspiration. I was sitting at my computer, trying to think of a new idea. So I typed down a random sentence, something like, “Fear rooted me in place.” It didn’t feel right to me, but I kept staring at that word. Fear. And someone, someway, I erased the other four words and typed, “Fear is coming.” The rest is history.
If you were an emotion which one do you think you would be, or want to be?
If I had to choose an emotion I personify best I would have to say… Longing. I’m always working towards some goal. Losing weight, getting a book published, getting a degree. It’s never ending!
What made you choose the emotion Fear as a possible love interest over the other emotions?
Actually, I’m not sure I ever made a conscious choice to have Fear as the love interest. He appeared even before Elizabeth, and after I’d written their first scene together and felt their bizarre chemistry, it seemed so natural.
How did you know you wanted to be a writer? Any advice for teens who want to write?
I wish I had a cool answer for this, but the truth is, it’s always been there! As a child I would come home from school, pull out my plastic bin full of markers and paper, and arrange everything around me in a circle. I would then fold some paper in half, staple the side three times, and proceed to fill the white spaces with words and pictures. It only got worse as I grew older.
As for advice, well, it might sound corny, but I’d advise any and all writers to follow their hearts. It’s so tempting to follow trends, and be in a hurry to get published. If we’re writing to get published, instead of our love for it, it’s going to be a difficult journey. So let’s all take a breath and enjoy the process of those stories unfolding.
