Let’s meet author Adam Collings

Adam Collings

“The thing that attracts me most to science fiction and fantasy is the sense of wonder… Science fiction and fantasy also allow us a unique way to explore meaningful moral and philosophical themes using allegory and metaphor.”

Q: How long have you been writing, and how did you get started?

I’ve been writing as far back as I can remember. As a child, when we’d go out for a meal at a restaurant, I’d take an empty exercise book and write a story while waiting for the food to come. While other kids were playing sport, I’d be walking circles around the backyard making up movies in my head.

I enjoyed writing Star Trek fan fiction while at university. This migrated to the desire to create stories in my original worlds, which I posted online. Around this time, I decided to seriously pursue publication. I kept writing and created a couple of novels that will never see the light of day.

I paid very close attention to the self-publishing revolution as it was happening. At some point along the way, I realised that this would be a good fit for me. My first short story was published in an anthology in 2015. I published my first original book in 2017.

Q: What sort of books do you write, and why?

I primarily write science fiction. Space opera, to be precise. But with a little fantasy and superhero on the side. The thing that attracts me most to science fiction and fantasy is the sense of wonder. I love exploring strange exotic worlds. I love to encounter bizarre creatures; be they aliens or dragons. God has placed us inside an incredibly vast and awesome universe. I believe he has placed in us a desire to seek out and understand the intricacies of this universe. It can be fun to speculate on what might be out there beyond our current reach. In a way, I think this desire is a reflection of our hunger for the coming wonders of heaven.

Science fiction and fantasy also allow us a unique way to explore meaningful moral and philosophical themes using allegory and metaphor. An issue can be taken out of its contemporary context and presented in a fresh way that can stimulate thought.

Q: What authors do you love and who do you re-read all the time?

My favourite author is Brandon Sanderson. He writes epic fantasy set on various worlds in a shared universe. His settings are amazing, and his characters go through some very meaningful arcs. I’m also a fan of Kerry Nietz, Ted Dekker, Stephen R. Lawhead and Kevin Tumlinson.

I almost never re-read book as I have a to-read list that I’ll likely not get through in my lifetime, but notable books I have re-read are Twice Upon a Time by Dennis Van Wey and The Paradise War by Stephen R. Lawhead.

Q: Can you tell us about your writing and research process?

I’m what you’d call a methodological plotter. This means that I plan out my stories before I start writing them, and I love to use frameworks such as 3-act story structure, scene structure and character arcs.

I plan my long-term plots across multiple books. Then I create a detailed outline for the individual book and draft it. I have a lot of un-edited manuscripts which I’m slowly making my way through, as I love the initial writing. Editing and revision are a real slog for me to get through, but an essential part of creating a published book.

My research tends to be ad-hoc as needed. As a science fiction writer, there is often something I need to look up about astronomy or some other science, but my books are not heavily science-driven. I write space opera, rather than hard science fiction, which means I get away with a lot of “magical” technologies, such as warp drive and teleportation.

Q: Do you have a favourite Australian author or writer?

My favourite Australian author would be Jeanette O’Hagan. Her fantasy and science fiction are all set on her world called Nardva. She creates worlds that inspire wonder, effective courtly intrigue and subtly infuses her stories with her Christian worldview in a similar way to me.

Q: What does it mean for you to be a ‘Christian writer’ or a ‘Christian who is a writer’?

For me, it’s about a partnership, a meeting of my creativity with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God has given me a gift, which I’ve really enjoyed developing and nurturing, but I can always create something better with God than by myself. Too often I forget this and need to be reminded.

I also see it as a responsibility to represent Christ and his church in a positive way to the world, and I believe that can be done in all sorts of writing. In my science fiction, which is targeted to a general audience, I still inject my worldview and faith into the work, because it’s such an integral part of who I am. While I’m not usually preaching a message, I can present characters of faith, when they do show up, as grace-filled, loving people, rather than the negative stereotypes that are often seen in my genres.

Q: Where are you based and does that affect what you write about?

I’m based in Launceston, Northern Tasmania. Arguably one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It’s a fantastic city. My location doesn’t directly influence what I write, since most of my stories are set in space, although I have set the odd short story in Tassie. But inspiration is all around me. I can hop in my car and in less than an hour, be at the beach, or a lush forest, or snow-topped mountains. It feels like the world is at my fingertips. The fantastic sense of place that I get from living in Tasmania certainly helps me as I invent diverse and strange new planets for my characters to visit.

Living in Tassie can also feel a little isolating sometimes, as big events rarely happen down here because of our smaller population and landmass. But I’ve found community in a thriving Omega Writers chapter and have recently discovered a Tasmanian Indie Author community.

Q: What do you want readers to know about Australian Christian writers?

I guess I’d mainly like them to know that we exist. In my youth, the only Australian Christian author I knew of was Kel Richards, whose mysteries I had enjoyed. When my parents introduced me to the legendary Mary Hawkins at their church, I discovered a whole new world of Aussie Christian authors, which included the Omega Writers community. Most of us are not big names, and we’re certainly not rich. We’re just everyday people who love telling stories and putting those stories out into the world to hopefully entertain and inspire.

Adam Colling’s Website www.adamdavidcollings.com

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