Author Interview with Cameron A. Malin

Laken Honeycutt
7 days ago
12 min read

In this week's Author's Nook interview, I sit down with fantasy author Cameron A. Malin to discuss his upcoming novel Ellamir, a unique blend of Regency-inspired romance and high fantasy. Our conversation explores the craft of building immersive worlds, developing authentic characters, and weaving themes of identity, belonging, and personal freedom into storytelling. Cameron also shares his thoughts on queer representation in historical-inspired fantasy, the concept of "found feminism," and the challenges and joys of bringing a richly layered story to life. Whether you're a reader of fantasy, a lover of character-driven narratives, or a writer interested in craft, this thoughtful discussion offers plenty of insight and inspiration.

Writing Origins & Creative Journey

Cameron A. Malin, author of Ellamir — Cameron A. Malin, author of *Ellamir*

What first drew you to storytelling, and when did you realize writing was something you wanted to pursue seriously?

I have been drawn to creative writing in many forms since an early age, and always enjoyed opportunities to play at it, but I only seriously felt I had the inspiration and solid ideas to write a whole book about a year ago. I guess I had always been daunted by the traditional publishing process, but suddenly realised I had a lot of skills I could bring to bear on a self-publishing effort, and that realisation was pretty thrilling.

As a writer blending romance, fantasy, and historical influence, what authors or stories have most shaped your creative voice?

Jane Austen, of course, is right up there - my main WIP Ellamir is a deliberate pastiche of her work, it is modelled on my favourite of her novels, Emma, and brazenly borrows her characters, her techniques (I’m attempting to imitate her use of Free Indirect Discourse), and her vocabulary. But also, Patrick O’Brian has been a major influence in writing Regency prose for a modern reader, and when the fantasy elements are at their most fantastical, I’m trying to directly pay tribute to Tolkien: I feel duty bound to adhere to his rules, especially where Elves are concerned.

About Ellamir

Mock book cover for Ellamir — Mock book cover for *Ellamir*

Your current work-in-progress, Ellamir, is described as a Regency romance × high fantasy crossover. What sparked the idea for this unique genre blend?

I honestly can’t remember the exact initial inspiration, but I think it was during a re-read of Emma (I used to do this every couple of years, but at the moment I do it every couple of months to keep in tune). I think I was considering how insular and tedious their little community is, and how Emma has never known any other society but that, and how she and her neighbours might respond if some really significant upheaval came upon it. I think I was probably subconsciously transposing the themes of the opening chapter of The Hobbit into Regency period and style, which I’d dabbled in before (writing Jane Austen fanfic in my 20s, which I blush to recall) and decided to write a conversational exchange at a genteel social gathering. I was so pleased with the result, and thought maybe I had something quite original that might appeal to a certain cohort of reader.

What drew you to combining the elegance and social nuance of Regency storytelling with the expansive possibilities of fantasy worldbuilding?

Writing in Regency vocabulary and style is tremendous fun, and the fact that I can pull it off to my own satisfaction - and I don't please myself easily - is what initially kept me at it. But I quickly realised that I could also explore social paradigms that Jane Austen did not, would not, or could not: how would an uppity Georgian village react to having an industrialist move in next door? Or respond to a person who looked like a demon? What about an openly gay person? Or a woman who chose to challenge the legal and societal conventions that made her less equal than her male relatives? I think it’s arguable whether Austen was what we would now call a feminist, but her most memorable heroines certainly stick up for themselves. I really wanted to push the boundaries of what was possible in an apparently genteel Regency story, and the fantasy elements seemed like an opportunity for especially outrageous characters to come in and take things close to the ridiculous.

For readers meeting Ellamir for the first time, what can you share about the world and what makes it distinct?

I think Ellamir’s most distinctive trait is how it brings together several dissimilar cultures and highlights their differences through dialogue style. The Regency characters all speak in a manner recognisable as accurate for their time period, the fantasy characters have a much more modern mode of speech, as you’d find in recent Dungeons & Dragons-based media like the game Baldur’s Gate 3 or the D&D movie Honor Among Thieves, while the elves speak with pronounced archaism to underline their immortal antiquity. I think some of the most entertaining passages are when these peoples interact and their dialogue styles overlap and interlace. This is a technique modified from Tolkien, by the way - he did it to great effect in “The Council of Elrond” chapter in The Fellowship of the Ring.

I’ve also tried to overtly salute my influences - there are easter eggs everywhere for fans of Tolkien and Austen (and even O’Brian, but those are harder to spot) which I hope will prove to be a cheeky but enjoyable technique that adds another facet to the book’s character, and maybe absolve me of having the audacity to directly steal from three of history’s greatest writers!

Themes & Representation

One of the themes you’re exploring is what you call “found feminism.” What does that concept mean to you, and how does it shape the story?

“Found feminism” is a phrase that came out of trying to brainstorm a list of those tropes you see in book marketing - you know, where there’s the cover of the book and the little arrows, saying things like “Enemies to Lovers”... I thought it was pithy and nicely alliterative for that purpose, but actually I really like how succinctly it explains what several female characters experience through exposure to significant events that make them question their tolerance for the accepted sexism of their society. Ella Oakhall has always been a feminist at heart for herself, for example, but she’s rich and clever and confident, and has enough privilege to offset much of the disadvantage and oppression that other women experience. But suddenly she’s a party to events that make her realise she has a duty to look beyond her own circumstance and pull her weight for those less well-off.

You’ve spoken about exploring forms of female independence that might both honor and challenge Austen-era expectations. How do you navigate that balance?

I think, when it is balanced, it’s through Ella’s sense of both self and duty, achieved through her particular natural grace. She finds ways to conduct herself and get what she wants without anyone really being able to confront or condemn her, but again, a lot of that is about her circumstance and privilege. Her sense of self changes profoundly throughout the story, but her sense of duty remains the same, and her realisation that both can still co-exist and she can step beyond accepted boundaries for a woman is revolutionary for her. But it’s not always balanced - for Hannah, challenging the patriarchal norms is brutal and traumatic and takes every ounce of a courage she didn’t even know she had.

Ellamir also seeks to challenge the heteronormative conventions often found in period fiction. Why was queer visibility and understanding such an important element to weave into this story?

LGBTQ+ visibility was a hugely different concept in Georgian times, and it was obvious from the outset how beautifully a queer relationship could create conflict, outrage, sympathy and confusion in my book where anachronism and othering are key features of the story. But it was also about resonance and comedy - I’m very fortunate to have a lot of queer women and non-binary friends, and I was confident from being immersed in that culture that a strong queer character like Maqine would resonate strongly; I was also very mischievously motivated to include lots of knowing in-jokes about justified stereotypes that would be a funny recurring wink to the reader. Plus there was the challenge of writing how a character would explain who they are to their friends in an overwhelmingly heteronormative society, which as a straight CIS man was pretty terrifying, but the results have been so well received. Portraying both the serious issues LGBTQ+ people face, and capturing the irreverence and humour of queer culture, was irresistible.

How do your characters confront and grow through the assumptions of the world they inhabit?

Most of them are forced into it, really. Ella has always had a forceful personality, and - to borrow from Jane Austen - her “courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate her”. She has to accept a fundamental fact about herself that is at first mortifying and terrifying, but once she does, it empowers her enormously. Hannah finds strength in her admiration for no-nonsense Maqine and learns from her, but only after an event that is near-cataclysmic for a woman of her standing and which practically makes her an exile; Commander Merely is a classic Austenesque hero who does extraordinary things because of his love for an extraordinary woman; even Mr Oakall, who like Emma Woodhouse’s father is a “nervous man, easily depressed” finds new bravery in a surprising turn. They all rise to the challenges in their own way, but it’s highly likely none of them would have except at need. Maybe Commander Merely would - he’s a military hero, after all.

Characters & Relationships

You highlighted several major characters, including Ellamir Oakhall, Hannah Wright, Commander Merely, Mr. Oakhall, and Maqine. Which character surprised you most during the writing process?

Perhaps it’s Maqine - she kept providing me with moments of great comedy or high drama beyond what I could have hoped for. But Ella herself also surprised me often - I found that she kept wanting to explore a path of mild decadence, drinking and smoking and provoking the outrage of her stuffy neighbours, though perhaps it shouldn’t surprise me, as I have a known penchant for somewhat rakish women. If you had asked me who will surprise the reader most, though, I would unquestionably say it’s Hannah.

What makes Ellamir Oakhall such a compelling character to write?

Oh! if only I could tell you the half of it. A lot of what makes Ella so fascinating I can’t reveal on account of their being the biggest spoilers in the whole book! But even from the outset, it’s clear she is prepared to push boundaries, and has a keen sense of who is an enemy and who is an ally. She is looking to explore and expand the power of her personality, subconsciously at first, and to take control of her destiny which, through the lens of the society she inhabits, is tolerably precarious unless she marries (and she has no intention of doing that, least of all out of practical necessity). I’m a little bit in love with her (as I am with her literary progenitor, Emma Woodhouse) and to witness someone you love achieving their full potential - even if you’re writing it - is deeply compelling.

How do relationships—romantic, familial, or otherwise—drive the emotional core of the story?

It’s all about relationships, really - for a woman in a quiet, genteel, male-dominated society like Ella’s village of Upthorpe Thoroughbourne, almost everything fundamental to existence is achieved through relationships. But “the emotional core of the story” is driven by the emotional responses to unexpected relationships, or relationships that are not what they appear to be, and whether my characters choose to accept or reject them. All sorts of extreme change come very suddenly upon many of the characters, individually and as a society, and that naturally has a significant emotional impact. Individuals’ relationships with religion is also a huge plot point.

Writing Craft

You listed plotting and outlining among your favorite craft topics. What does your outlining process typically look like when building a project as layered as Ellamir?

Pretty tortuous to be honest! I’ve had to find a way to balance two major impulses within my own character: a strong obsessive-compulsive streak and a need to explore and express good ideas as soon as I have them. I’m unhealthily obsessed with symmetry, and am compelled to ensure my chapters are all approximately similar in word count, but also I can’t write chronologically because I have to write what I’m in the mood for. So my technique to balance these two things is to have a spreadsheet I use to plan scenes and chapters and calculate some word count statistics automatically, and to write what I call “sketches” - standalone scenes which are then adapted into chapters using the target word count as a guide. It’s been highly effective for some chapters, and an absolute nightmare for others!

How do you balance structure and planning with allowing room for discovery as the story unfolds?

With difficulty! I already know pretty much where volumes one and two are going, so it’s mostly a case of fiddling with my spreadsheet - I now have a general idea of how many words it will take me to explore a new story element or write a bunch of dialogue - and then trying to stick to my targets. The sketch technique is useful here, but with it comes the difficulty of bridging together those story islands into cohesive narrative as an extra step in the creative process.

Character development is clearly central to your work—how do you approach creating characters who feel both authentic to their world and relatable to modern readers?

Mostly through dialogue, I think - the main characters are all rather progressive in their attitudes and have beliefs that align closely to those of modern liberal people, but expressing those attitudes using Austenesque dialogue keeps them unmistakably authentic to their period and genre… I hope!

Dialogue can make or break period-inspired fiction. How do you craft dialogue that feels immersive without becoming inaccessible?

I’ve always loved the vocabulary of the Regency, especially as Jane Austen uses it, and pepper my own speech with words like “tolerable” and “insufferable” all the time, so I already have quite a good grasp of authentic Georgian phrasing. I try to maintain immersion by making the dialogue entertaining and by using engaging phraseology, but I also try to harness inaccessibility as a device - anyone reading Austen is familiar with having to go back and read a paragraph of narrative or line of dialogue at least once more to fully grasp the context; I do this deliberately, to try and evoke that same sense of reading something from another time, and some of my sentences are intentionally obtuse.

What has worldbuilding taught you about creating believable social systems, cultural expectations, and tension within fantasy settings?

Probably that true originality is surprisingly rare. Because Ellamir is essentially a pastiche of Austen and Tolkien, I feel I’m allowed to draw from these eminent influences very heavily and then apply my own style and add my own quirks. I’m always really impressed when I read something by a new author that’s highly original or unique; it’s not a talent I have.

Challenges & Process

What has been the most challenging aspect of writing Ellamir so far?

Finding time to write! I have a demanding day job, and a propensity to struggle to create unless my environment is right, as well as quite a few extra-curricular activities, all of which combine to prevent me from getting on as quickly as I would like. Also, there were (and are) one or two sequences that I really struggled with - important scenes where my perfectionism becomes a real barrier because if it’s not good enough, I can’t just move on and take care of it in a later draft as a more disciplined writer would: it’s not in my nature.

How do you navigate creative blocks or moments when a story isn’t cooperating?

Open a bottle of wine! Seriously, that is often my approach - establish my ideal environment with candles, incense, soft instrumental music, and then get a little bit drunk - but I can’t say it’s always or even usually effective. The only thing that really works for me is to leave it alone and wait for inspiration - another reason for my elongated schedule!

Since Ellamir is still a ways from release, what has this slower, long-form development process taught you as a writer?

That it’s okay for me to work at my own pace, especially when self-publishing, if that’s what produces the best results. But as a self-publisher, I’ve learned that I should be stricter with the schedule of other things. I’ve created a website and a marketing and engagement strategy waaaay sooner than I should have, simply because I was excited to flex those muscles and often as an outlet when writing wasn’t going so well, and that’s caused some kinks in the whole endeavour for me.

Looking Ahead

With Ellamir projected for release in late 2026 or beyond, what are you most excited for readers to eventually experience?

Actually, it’s the illustrations! I can’t wait for some of my characters to materialise physically in the form of original artwork. But I’m also really into the nuts and bolts of e-book publishing and I am super excited to experiment with the format to create the most immersive and enjoyable experience for the digital reader. Technically, though, it’s a minefield so let’s see what happens.

What do you hope readers take away from this story when they finally step into its world?

That individuality and originality of character are things to be celebrated, principally. I hope older readers and those with less familiar with queer culture will better appreciate that LGBTQ+ people have always existed and could have been more universally out and proud in bygone eras if it wasn’t for over-reliance on prescriptive and unreliable religious teachings. But most of all, I hope people are moved - by compassion, by beauty, by injustice and hypocrisy, by acceptance, by fear, by delight. And I really hope they appreciate all the in-jokes about lesbians!

Cameron A Malin (he/him) was born in 1978 in London. Taking to reading early in life, he demonstrated a love of creative writing at primary school, and continued to enjoy writing short stories throughout secondary education, where fiction assignments were the only homework he ever handed in on time.

While pursuing a career in professional audio and broadcasting, Cameron would still delight in putting together concepts for original works of fiction, including pitches for radio, television, theatre and audiobooks, without the intention (or the budget) to produce them. He has also maintained a passionate interest in immersive text-based computer games.

Alongside these creative endeavours were several abortive attempts to turn ideas for novels into actual written manuscripts. Now in his 40s, Cameron is working on his debut novel, Ellamir, a thematic crossover of the Regency romances of Jane Austen, the historical fiction of Patrick O’Brian, and the epic High Fantasy worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien and Dungeons & Dragons.

He is also a practising lounge pianist and semi-professional bartender, and enjoys proper pubs, St Emilion and Chianti, long-distance drives, and going to sea in traditional working and pleasure boats.