Growing up, C.S.E. Cooney never envisioned herself as a writer as her heart was set on a career in acting, with dreams of gracing Broadway stages like her idol, Bernadette Peters.
Yet, even as she pursued her theatrical ambitions, writing remained a constant presence in her life. Raised in a musical household with her musician father, Cooney found herself crafting musicals around her father’s compositions and filling notebooks with poetry and juvenile novels to share with her friends.
Her creative journey, however, took an unexpected turn just before her eighteenth birthday when she crossed paths with Gene Wolfe, a renowned science fiction writer and someone who was to become both mentor and friend.
Under Wolfe’s guidance, Cooney shifted her focus to short stories before venturing into novel writing. His wisdom and encouragement propelled her forward, shaping her writing journey.
Cooney’s award-winning works, such as her collection “Bone Swans” and novel “Saint Death’s Daughter,” are imbued with diverse influences and unique storytelling.
From dreams and childhood memories of children’s classic novels and poems to a crazy shooting expedition in her Arizona hometown with a friend (who thought she should learn about guns in case her next heroine needed to shoot), her stories are a testament to her eclectic imagination and wild sense of humour.
“I shot that gun, but it was so loud! My palms started sweating, and my hands started shaking. I felt like I was allergic to the noise. I told my friend I could be an excellent assassin if she had a silencer.”
That made Cooney think, wouldn’t it be funny if there was a girl who grew up in a family of assassins, except she was allergic to violence? And wouldn’t it be great if this allergy to violence was an early indication that she’d grow up to be a necromancer—that she was so allergic to death and violence that she could raise the dead?
It took Cooney twelve more years to finish the book from that idea.
“I love fairy tales, and since my late twenties, I have a particular weird obsession with ‘The Juniper Tree.’
“I’ve always loved the Pied Piper as well. The underlying war metaphor of a piper who calls people to their deaths—which I think I got directly from L. M. Montgomery’s Rilla of Ingleside,” said Cooney.
Themes of death, the afterlife, and finding humour in darkness permeate Cooney’s narratives but also reflect on her love for Gilbert and Sullivan and a penchant for the absurd.
Winning accolades has brought a sense of validation to her career, though she remains grateful for the countless individuals who have supported her. According to Cooney, winning awards doesn’t make writing the next book any more accessible, but it does make her trust her process more.
Cooney embraces a flexible writing process as she continues to craft her narratives, allowing her stories to evolve organically. Her advice to aspiring authors is simple: “Writing is for you, first. Your joy. Your voice. Trust it.”
Currently, Cooney is writing the sequel to “Saint Death’s Daughter,” titled “Saint Death’s Herald.”
This new instalment promises to expand the world of her protagonist while weaving a thrilling tale filled with multiple viewpoints and ghostly investigations, all with Cooney’s trademark blend of wit and imagination.
