The Writer Story | featuring Shaelynn Long

Meet Fantasy author, Shaelynn Long and her intriguing novel, Fury's Fate.

Hello and Welcome to the Writer Story!

Today we have a wonderful author interview with Shaelynn Long and I’m super excited about it as she talks about world-building and writing fantasy that’s accessible to readers.

Shaelynn’s fantasy novel, Fury’s Fate, is available now, steeped in Greek mythology with a strong core about standing against injustice.

Before we begin the interview, here’s Shaelynn’s official bio.

Shaelynn Long is a former dirt road kid from Michigan and current small-town English instructor. She has previously published Ache, Blur, Work In Progress, and Dirt Road Kid. Shaelynn can usually be found with a nose in a book and covered in Corgi fur. Her fantasy novel, Fury’s Fate, was published by Wild Ink Publishing in October 2023.

1. Welcome Shaelynn to the Writer Story, excited to have you here and discuss about your writing journey and your Fantasy novel, Fury’s fate. Could you please tell us a bit about your book?

Sure! The book is an urban fantasy novel that follows Olivia, an ancient Fury, as she grows increasingly exhausted of her duty and begins to question both her role in maintaining the supernatural community and her immortal existence. In many ways, she goes through a midlife crisis of sorts, except, of course, she lives forever! We get to see Olivia interact with her sisters, her Guardian, the Fates, and even a human or two--and those relationships have a real impact on her existential crisis and what she decides to do moving forward.

2. The concept of Furies is so steeped in the Greek Mythology. How did you build that into a modern world setting? What was your process for the world building?

I will admit that the writing of this was on the heels of a very deep, very neurodivergent obsession with Greek mythology, so I had done a lot of research, a lot of reading, a lot of diving into any bit of content I could get my hands on. Because of that, the world-building was very different than my typical process, because I knew that there were aspects of the myths that I really wanted to deeply embed into the story, while also putting my own spin on things. I also tried to put little easter eggs into the story for others who have a real obsession with the various myths!

Putting these characters into a modern world setting was a lot of fun. I put them into Detroit, Michigan, because that's the state I'm from, and I was living near Detroit at the time I was doing a bulk of the writing. For those who aren't familiar, Detroit has been rebuilding itself for some time, and a lot of work, a lot of dedication, and a lot of energy has gone into various projects around the city. I thought that was a great landscape and backdrop for a character who's also re-envisioning her life and putting in some effort to make changes. It also allowed me to settle into weather patterns, seasonal descriptions, and other bits of world-building that had a sense of familiarity so I could really, wholeheartedly put a lot of creative energy into the parts that needed creating from the ground up.

3. We have had so many books inspired from ancient myths and mythology. But still they are still immensely popular. What do you feel attracts readers to these books?

I can't speak for anyone other than myself, but I think it's the magical, unknowable things about mythology that remain attractive. When things have clearer answers, there's a sort of conclusion that you reach. But with mythology, there's so much that we can't know or that bleed into more questions that a person almost can't help getting invested.

4. Our readers always love to know about the writer journey, the origin story. Would you please share your writing and publishing journey? How you started and how's it going so far?

I've been writing since I was a teenager, like a lot of other writers. I ended up studying writing for my undergraduate and graduate work, which ultimately led me to having a lot of ideas and bits and pieces of stories that I wasn't totally sure what to do with. I'd published a few things in graduate school, but then, as I entered the workforce and started a family, writing completely fell to the wayside. I'd jot down on ideas on post-it notes, but I'd never do anything with them. As I went into a kind of existential crisis of my own, I went back to school, met a group of the best human beings and writers, and finally got inspired enough to finish Fury's Fate--a book I'd written the first chapter of 15 years prior. Now I'm actively writing, actively publishing, and working with a couple of fantastic publishing companies, Wild Ink and Conquest.

5. What is your writing and editing process? Has it changed since you started writing? Do you have any writing quirks you’d like to share?

I write much faster now! I can put together a draft in 4 months or so. I don't edit as I write anymore, which has really expedited the process, though it does mean a lot more work goes into the editing of a story, which I can admit I don't love. I work from an outline now, as well, which is something new, but ultimately, I'd get really frustrated if I couldn't sit down and hammer out a chapter or two because I had to try and figure out where the story was supposed to go. My outlines aren't very thorough, however. I've discovered I get bored if I know exactly what's happening. So I kind of loosely assemble a plan for the general storyline and how many chapters I think the story needs to tell the tale, and then I just start typing.

I can't really speak to the quirkiness of anything I do, but I try and "cast" the characters before I start writing so I know what they look like. I also make playlists because vibes are important. I do sometimes act out things as I write them, whether it's speaking dialogue so I feel like it flows more naturally, or moving so that my character's movements make sense for the moment.

6. What advice do you have for writers who are in the beginning stages of the publishing journey? Or any words of caution?

Write. Easier said than done, but ultimately, writing is what will get you to where you want to go. Without the writing, there's no need to concern yourself with any aspect of publishing. When you've written something and revised it until it's polished and you're the most proud of it, then you start figuring out what kind of publishing journey you want to go on. And this is where I have advice. 1. Research everyone you work with. Be cautious. Be smart. 2. Find people, places, or things that inspire you. Hold them close. 3. Do what is best for you and your storytelling. Just because someone tells you that traditional publishing is the way to go, it doesn't make it true. Indie publishing, as well, is not for everyone. Decide what your goals are and then figure out who and what can best help you reach those.

7. What is next for you? Are you working on something else? What can you tell us about it without any spoilers?

I have a new book, Court of the Unwanted, which is basically Hunger Games with fae, and that's coming out December of this year. I have some new poetry coming out in early 2026, and I'm hoping to write something this summer. I have promised to write a sequel to Fury's Fate, so that's also on the horizon.

8. And finally, where can we find you online?

I'm @shaelynnlong on instagram, threads, and bluesky. I do have a Facebook page, as well, but I am not on X/Twitter or TikTok. I also have a website, shaelynnlong.com, where I actively share news and updates.

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That’s all for today.

Thanks for reading The Writer Story. You can find me on social media - Twitter/X - @authoranima or Instagram - @authoranima or Bluesky - @authoranima.bsky.social

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Until next time,

~Toodle-oo~