Author Interview: Rachel Schneider

Get the inside scoop on ‘Metal Slinger’!

Rachel Schneider is the author of our September Romantasy ‘Moulded by Iron’ featured book: Metal Slinger. Read on to get the inside scoop from inspiration to favourite scenes and more!

How did you come up with the inspiration for Metal Slinger? It’s such a unique idea, what sparked the original thought? 

I wish there was a moment I could pinpoint, but I think it was just an accumulation of outside inspiration. I remember my daughter was obsessed with Avatar for a hot minute, and I was listening to Sunkissing by Hailee Steinfeld. That song really spoke to me.

You originally wrote romance books – you’re a bit of a romance queen! How was writing your first fantasy book?

Fun! It was really, really fun. Letting your imagination run wild without any parameters or a reason to say “I can’t do that” made it really interesting.

Would you say you prefer writing fantasy?

I definitely do! It gives such a world of possibilities that I didn’t find in what I was writing before.

What would you say was your biggest challenge when writing Metal Slinger, and what helped you to overcome this?

My own doubt and my own brain because I wasn’t sure if my writing style lent well to fantasy. Telling my brain to shut up and to just write what I wanted, that was probably the hardest hurdle for me to overcome.

We loved the idea of Alaha! What was your inspiration for having a community living away from land and be on the water?

It had just been in my brain for so long, I wish there was a particular moment I could pinpoint but I just can’t.

If you had to cross the sea to Kenta, which characters would you like to take with you on your journey?

Messer and Acker!

Can you share some insight into how you created your magic system?

I was trying to stray away from doing a lot of research, so if I could create my own magic system that seemed the easiest. And I loved the idea of the land providing magic for people, especially for the people who live on the sea that don’t have access to it.

If you could pick one power from Metal Slinger, what would you like to have?

I think I like the idea of having light power, being a Light Wielder. I think that’s really fun.

Do you have a favourite major or side character that you loved writing the journey for in particular?

I love our main girl, Brynn. I feel like she is strong yet vulnerable and figuring things out. She’s very complex and I loved writing her. Outside of that, Messer was so, so fun. He runs on intrusive thoughts and that made him really easy to write.

Do you have a favourite moment or chapter in the book?

I loved the boat scenes! They were really enjoyable to write. And the sparring scene with Messer and Brynn, that was fun.

When it comes to writing, do you have any rituals? 

I like to write outside a lot, and I usually have a diet cherry limeade or water. Gotta stay hydrated!

As an author, what inspired you to start writing?

I have always been a pretty intense daydreamer. I have a pretty wild imagination, so I just needed an outlet for that. I have always been a reader, and when I was younger I used to write scenes before a bigger idea for a book came to fruition. I translated that into writing, which feels like a gift to me.

Do you have any advice for inspiring authors or current authors planning their fantasy debut? 

I read a quote sometime that said “Become a writer and experience a lifetime of doubt and insecurity.” I think training yourself to tell that voice to shut up and just write what makes you happy and what you would want to read, and then it stays fun and stays your escapism.

You took a break between writing romance and writing Metal Slinger. What got you back into writing?

I think that metal Slinger was a story that just had to be written. It would not leave me alone! I had started a lot of contemporary and dark romances – they’re unfinished in my files. But throughout all of that, Metal Slinger was just saying this is what you need to write, so i decided to listen to that voice.

Book 2 is on the horizon! Can you describe Light Wielder in a few words?

Action-packed, angsty, delicious, and fast-paced!