Author Interview w/Casie Aufenthie

Laken Honeycutt
Jun 20
7 min read

Author Casie Aufenthie on her Latest Novel,

The Convergence

On Character & Emotion

Tristan and Samara have been through so much by book three. How did you approach writing their emotional arc in The Convergence—especially as their bond is tested so deeply?

One thing I’ve always strived to do is keep their individual characters and relationship as realistic as I can within the chaos of their sci-fi future. At this point in the series, they’re a bit like a married couple. The honeymoon is over, and they have very hard trials to overcome, both individually and as a couple. While those trials are amplified for narrative purposes, they’re based on real problems and common philosophical questions. My goal for both of their arcs was to show how, no matter how bad things get, love and hope are always choices.

Tristan is facing physical and psychological decline in this book. What was it like writing a character grappling with illness while trying to stay strong for the people he loves?

It was challenging because I very much wanted to appropriately represent those facing chronic illness, either physical or mental. I was inspired by several people I’ve known who have dealt with extremely difficult health situations. I was in awe of their ability to maintain a level of inner strength I couldn’t fathom. Where I expect I might feel sorry for myself, they were always more concerned for others than themselves. Would their spouse be okay? Would their children be safe and happy? They summoned incredible willpower to keep working toward ensuring those questions would be answered with a ‘yes’ should the worst happen. That always resonated with me, so I used that as the basis for how Tristan coped with his condition. Though, I also wanted to show it wasn’t easy, and he did still have bad days and frustrations and fears.

Samara is dealing with a secret that affects her abilities. Without spoilers, how did you handle writing a character who is both powerful and vulnerable at the same time?

With Samara, I used my own experience to relay a lot of her feelings of frustration and fear as she dealt with this new and somewhat scary situation. I was unexpectedly blessed with my second daughter while I was drafting this book, and there were challenges that came up that threw my world for a loop and left me feeling helpless in ways I hadn’t known before. Drawing from that as inspiration yet showing how Samara is still the same fierce, never-say-die woman as always was actually cathartic. It helped remind me that having moments of vulnerability, even times where we fall apart, doesn’t diminish who we really are. Sometimes we need to fall apart so the pieces can get glued back together in a way that’s stronger and even more beautiful than before.

On Themes & Conflict

The Convergence explores themes of love, sacrifice, and trust amid chaos. Was there a particular theme you found yourself returning to as you drafted and revised?

Love as strength is a major thread between every book in this series. I play with the idea of all the different kinds of love because I think it’s such a unique and powerful concept that can truly change everything on every level. The older I get, the more I see this play out in the world. Where there is love present between people, unity and strength and beauty thrive. In times or places where love is absent, chaos and darkness take root in individuals and societies alike.

Fang plays a major role as the antagonist. What makes her such a compelling villain for you—and how did her presence evolve across the series?

Most of the time, my antagonists have a little bit of grey in them, some understandable reason for why they are the way they are. Fang is fun because she is my idea of pure black-as-night evil. She was, at first, a standard villain, someone power hungry and paranoid who was very good at playing the political game. As the series progresses, Fang’s true self begins to show. The time for political games of intrigue and false personas ends by book 3, and she becomes unabashedly vile. By this point, there are no lines she wouldn’t cross to win, which makes her even more dangerous an adversary for my heroes.

On Worldbuilding & Series Conclusion

The Drift world has expanded significantly since book one. How did you keep track of the evolving political, magical, and emotional landscapes while writing this final installment?

Honestly, I had to refer back to the first two books a lot while drafting this one. Tip for other authors: Don’t be like me. Write everything down (use a notebook or spreadsheet - SOMETHING) as you create your first books, so you don’t have to research your own work. I was very angry with past me a lot for not doing that.

How did you approach balancing high-stakes action with the intimate emotional beats between characters in The Convergence?

I tried to give each type of scene enough time and space to breathe. I never want readers to feel whiplashed between the two, but I also don’t want people to get bored by the pace dragging with too much down time. Given this was the big finale, there were a lot of epic battles, but at its heart, this is a book about relationships. My solution was for the action to always have some sort of consequence - physical or emotional - that gave the characters a chance to come together in some way to have those more intimate scenes. This allowed (I hope) a nice balance between action and emotion and let the characters continue to develop.

Was there anything about wrapping up the series that surprised you—plot-wise or emotionally—as you reached the final chapters?

After I finished it, my characters stopped talking to me for the first time. They lived rent free in my brain for a decade, chiming in randomly to give me plot ideas or dialogue or other such things, but it was silent. I knew then that I had truly completed their story, and it was both exciting and a little sad, like losing a few friends. I was 100% not expecting to feel that way.

Reflections & Craft

Now that The Drift Series is complete, how has writing this trilogy shaped you as an author? What did you learn from seeing it through to the end?

Practice makes progress, and I can tell my skills have progressed immensely after nearly half a million words. More importantly, though, I’ve grown as a person. There were times I wanted to give up, that it seemed too hard, but I never did. I found ways to make time to write and to fix those plot holes and to figure out that darn formatting glitch. I learned I was stronger and more determined than I knew, and it means everything that my girls, especially my oldest, got to see their mom work hard to make her dream of completing a series come true.

If you could go back to when you started book one, what would you tell yourself now that The Convergence is out in the world?

No matter what life throws at you, you’ve got this.

Process & Routine

Can you walk us through your typical writing day? Do you have any routines or rituals that help you get into the writing mindset?

I have two little girls and a full time job, so I’m just lucky if I get to write at all. My routine is to put them to bed and scramble to get in as many words as I can before it gets late enough that I regret it in the morning.

Are you more of a plotter, a pantser, or something in between? How has that influenced the way your stories unfold?

I’m a plantser. I know the major story beats ahead of time, but the characters dictate how I move from one to the next. I feel like it allows me to keep the narrative a bit more natural. If a character takes a left turn on me, there’s often a good reason, and I’ve found their way is usually better in the long run.

How do you approach revisions and editing? Do you have a particular strategy or process that helps you stay objective?

Right after I draft a chapter, I get feedback on it. This helps keep me motivated, but it also helps me catch potential problems before I’m too far into the book. Also, after each draft, I let it sit at least a week without looking at it or thinking about it. Then, when I go back to it, I can see it a bit more objectively.

For Other Writers

If you could give just one piece of advice to a writer struggling to finish their first draft, what would it be?

Sometimes, you’re struggling for a reason. Maybe the scene you’re stuck on isn’t meant to happen or not meant to happen the way you originally envisioned. Maybe a character is putting their foot down because that’s not who they are or what they’d do. Take a break from it for a while and come back with fresh eyes, and you’ll be surprised what comes to light. But whatever you do, don’t give up. There’s someone out there that needs the story only you can tell.

Casie grew up in a small, rural town in North Dakota where she passed the long winters devouring books of all genres and playing video games with her big brother. After a school project required creating her first story to share, she fell in love with how fiction is capable of touching the hearts and minds of others. Her passion for writing only grew stronger over the years, and she published her debut novel, The Drift, in March of 2021.

Casie still lives in North Dakota with her amazingly patient husband and two incredible daughters. When not reading or writing, chances are, she's either spending time with family, baking, or boxing.