Bekah Berge

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Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview, Bekah! To kick things off, tell me a little bit more about yourself.

Thank you so much for having me! So my name is Bekah Berge and I write YA and NA fantasy. I’ve published four books and I have another three on the way. When not writing, I really enjoy reading (big shocker), gardening, and cooking. I have a lot of food sensitives and allergies, so I’ve had to become quite creative with my meals and learning how to bake gluten-free breads/cookies/etc.

What led you to write books, especially in the fantasy genre?

Growing up, I devoured fantasy books and really enjoyed becoming immersed in different universes that were full of magic. By the time I hit my early twenties, I knew I wanted to write books and create my own worlds.

What is your favorite sub-genre of fantasy to read and write?

My favorite is sword & sorcery, but honestly, I’ll read any sub-genre of fantasy. If it has a solid plot and well-crafted characters, I’m sold. 

You’re speakin’ my language!

Do you write with a particular message or worldview in mind?

Usually the characters kind of tell me what the message of the story is, but I don’t have one specific message I always write about. But as someone who has a chronic illness and deals with chronic pain every day, I think it is important to write characters with disabilities. It’s a topic that I don’t see very often in fantasy books. So I do try and be mindful of that when creating my characters.

I love that you do that. What is your preferred writing style? Is your writing style preference the same as your reading preference?

I’ve done a little first-person and a little third-person narrative with my writing. I also read quite a bit of poetry and always enjoy when I read someone’s writing that is lyrical and poetic.

Do you prefer a sympathetic villain or someone a reader loves to hate? Or is there another kind of villain you prefer to write?

Villains are some of my favorite characters to flesh out. I like writing sympathetic villains and villains that the reader loves to hate. I think the more in-depth and complex you make a villain, the more options there are to really surprise the reader. I love a good twist. I love secrets. So for me, twists and secrets have to be involved with both the villain and the hero.

100% agreed! Tell us all about one of your published books.

One of my latest published books is called, Sedendum. I had a TON of fun writing this story, because it involves a game of life-and-death. The winner gets to make one wish for anything or anyone, dead or alive…and because this wish is being granted by the god of death, it opens up the story to a whole slew of chaos. Really, really fun to write!

That sounds sooo good! Gotta add Sendendum to my TBR. What are you working on right now?

Currently, I am working on two short stories that will be going in two different anthologies. One of them is about a cooking competition set in a fantasy setting, and the other is my version of a fairytale. Both will be available sometime next summer.

Best of luck with both of those! They sound terrific.

Are you traditionally published or do you publish independently? Why did you choose that path to send your books into the world?

I am independently published. I chose this path simply because I wanted to keep full creative control of the work. Will I ever try becoming a hybrid author with a mix of indie and trad published books? Maybe. But I’m still definitely undecided for now.

Who are your favorite authors?

Ah! Too many. I’ll stick to my top two and I love them both for different reasons. Neil Gaiman’s work has taught me to think beyond what I know or have experienced. I find his stories to be truly unique and that inspires me a lot. My other favorite writer is Mercedes Lackey. Her books got me through high school and broadened my view of what fantasy fiction could be. Burning Brightly by Mercedes Lackey is still to this day my favorite book.

Both such excellent writers. What are your writing habits?

I am a creature of habit. I write in bed, at night, with tea and music. 

Do you prefer to plot your books out in advance, or do you dive in and see where the story takes you?

I plot and then plot some more…and then plot even more. I usually spend a few months plotting out a story before I ever begin writing it. 

Do you enjoy writing plot-driven or character-driven stories more?

I tend to write more character-driven stories. I really enjoy creating characters and building their stories, but also figuring out the narrative and why it’s important or needs to be told. The plot is equally important but unfolds a little later for me. 

I definitely relate to that.
What types of fantasy mediums do you enjoy?

Books is absolutely the medium I enjoy the most, but the next would have to be movies/tv shows. The Last Kingdom is one of my favorite tv shows out there

What destination in the world would you most like to visit?

I have been dreaming of visiting Japan for years. It’s number one on my bucket list and I hope to be able to visit in the next few years. I love Japanese cuisine, the tv shows/movies, and all the beautiful gardens and architecture. 

I’m right there with you. Let’s go! Haha.

In closing, what advice do you have for aspiring writers?

The advice I would give is to figure out the “why” of a story. I think a lot of my earlier work was unfocused and I think once I figured out the “why” of a story, I began to understand why I was even writing it. Why do the characters do what they do? Why should readers be excited about this story? Why are you, as the author, excited about this story? Pinpointing the “why”—at least for me—helps to keep me focused as I flesh out the characters and allow the plot to unfold. Hopefully that makes sense!