Ukrainian writer Olena Tereshchenko: The hardest part is saying goodbye to characters, which is why Mages Love Too already has a sequel in the works

Olena Tereshchenko, a Ukrainian writer and author of Mages Love Too, believes that rejection from publishers should not discourage new authors from pursuing their craft, nor does it mean that the manuscript is flawed. Despite a pause in writing due to russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she found the strength to complete her novel, which was published and will soon be followed by the second part of Mages Love Too. Olena shared her journey as a writer, her collaboration with Oleksandr Bilohura, and the continuation of her story with Drive Music Media.

Interviewer: When and how did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What was the beginning of your journey in this field?

Olena: I started writing back in school. At first, these were small fairy tales, stories, and poems. But at that time, I wasn’t seriously thinking about becoming a writer. I just had a knack for creating stories, and it was fun. Around the age of 15-16, I even attempted to write a historical novel about 17th-century France. At the time, I was immersed in The Vicomte of Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas and thoroughly studied that era. However, I didn’t have the stamina to complete such a massive work at that age.

During my first year at university, I read The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. That incredible book inspired me to start writing fantasy. Before that, I hardly ever read sci-fi or fantasy, preferring historical adventure novels and classic detective stories. But thanks to Tolkien, I realized I wanted to try creating my own worlds. I still consider The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien’s other works a sort of canon that any fantasy author should be familiar with. My first somewhat serious attempt in the fantasy genre was a novella called All the Power of the Earthly Elements about an alternate Ancient Rus’. I wrote it in my third year of university, and later it was published in the magazine Ukrainian Fantastic Review. That became a turning point for me, proving that my works could be interesting not just to friends and family but to a broader audience.

Interviewer: Tell us about your book Mages Love Too. How did the title and idea for your fantasy novel come about?

Olena: Mages Love Too is cozy fantasy about a young student, Roman, who unexpectedly finds himself in another world ruled by magic. There, he encounters the Academy of Mages, dragons delivering mail, magic being used for everyday needs, and a society reminiscent of our 19th century.

The idea for the book came about in a somewhat magical way. It all started with a poem. I wrote it in early December 2021 for a dear friend who was going through a tough time in their personal life. The weather didn’t help either – rain, drizzle, neither autumn nor winter, just a bleak “something”. So, I wrote a poem about snow that would heal all troubles. The next day, the first snow really did fall.

That’s when I decided to write a warm and cozy winter story about love. The friend I wrote the poem for became the prototype for Roman, the main character of Mages. That winter, I even wrote the first chapter, where Roman finds himself in the home of Martha, a master mage at the Academy. But I didn’t get further than that and set the manuscript aside to focus on another project.Then February 24, 2022, came, and cozy stories were the last thing on anyone’s mind. I thought I might never write again. My daughter and I spent February and March in Chernihiv, while my husband joined the volunteer defenders of our hometown in the first days of the war. When the russian troops were pushed away from Chernihiv in early April and life in the city began to stabilize, I slowly started writing again. However, I couldn’t stop wondering if anyone would care about my romantic fairy tales during such times. Writing about the war felt almost physically painful, so I couldn’t go down that path either. In the summer of 2022, I found out that my project had been selected for participation in a writer’s residency by the Krakow Institute of Literature. So, in September, my daughter and I went to Poland for three months. In Krakow, I finally understood what my new book would be about. It was meant to be an anti-stress balm for both me and my future readers. In this book, I collected my memories and impressions like treasures in a chest: cozy old streets, confectioneries filled with the aroma of spices and chocolate, flocks of pigeons on the Market Square, the first snow on the towers of Wawel Castle, and, of course, the vibrant whirl of the Christmas Market.

Most of the book was written in December 2022, after I returned to Chernihiv and brought that lighthearted spirit with me. Writing this story helped me stay sane in our challenging reality. I hoped it would help my readers too, and judging by their feedback, it seems that it did.

Interviewer: What was the process of creating the main characters like? What was the easiest part, and what was the hardest? 

Olena: A unique feature of Mages Love Too is that almost all the key characters both positive and negative – are based on real-life prototypes. Some were directly drawn from real people, while others borrowed only their most vivid traits. Usually, I don’t do this in my books, but in this case, I wanted to “play around” a little. The hardest part, I think, is saying goodbye to the characters. That’s why Mages already has a sequel in the works, which is currently being prepared for publication, and a third installment is also planned.

Interviewer: Your book Mages Love Too was included in the list of works for the "KruteZNO" competition. Tell us about that.

Olena: “KruteZNO” is a literary podcast competition (litcast) that has been held annually for three years now. This year, the organizers are focusing not on school literature curriculum but on the works of contemporary popular Ukrainian authors. A total of 121 books were selected across six categories for different age groups. My Mages is featured in the “Fantasy” category for the young adult age group. I’ve been closely following this project, as well as other initiatives aimed at promoting reading among teenagers and young adults. In addition to being a writer, I’m also a librarian, working at the Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi Central City Library in Chernihiv. My colleagues and I also create literary podcasts.

The deadline for submitting competition litcasts is January 15, 2025. Winners in each category will receive cash prizes and gifts. I’m hopeful that a podcast based on Mages will be among the winners.

Interviewer: Was the journey to publishing your book difficult? What challenges did you face along the way? What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Olena: Mages is my third book published by “Akademia” Publishing. Before this, I released the young adult fantasy Thunder Amulet and a collection of teen detective stories Mysteries at the Edge of Worlds. I’ve been very happy with my collaboration with this publisher, as they value the author’s input at every stage of the book’s production, including cover design. Our collaboration started with a simple Facebook post in a literary group. Someone was complaining that Ukrainian publishers didn’t respect authors who sent in manuscripts and wouldn’t even respond to emails. Galyna Senkovych, an editor at “Akademia”, commented on the post, saying, “We always respond to everyone; feel free to send us your work”. I messaged her directly, submitted my manuscript, and it was well-received. That’s how our fruitful partnership began. As for the novel Terimen, my co-author and I sent it to about a dozen or more publishers. We received rejections from some, and silence from others. Only one publisher agreed to take it, and that’s how the book came to life.

To aspiring authors, I would say: believe in yourself and your story, and don’t give up. A publisher’s rejection doesn’t necessarily mean your manuscript is bad; it might just not fit their publishing vision at that time. Keep trying. This year, many debut authors have been published by major publishers, which shows they’re actively seeking new voices, not just established ones. Additionally, new publishing houses are emerging and looking for fresh talent. Participating in contests is also worthwhile. Some publishers periodically hold competitions to select manuscripts for their publishing portfolio. The Coronation of the Word competition, for instance, has launched the careers of many now-prominent authors. I’ve won it several times myself without any connections, and I can assure you that it’s a fair contest.

Interviewer: Tell us about your participation in the project “Season of Fantastic Novelties”. How did you get the invitation? What was the event like?

Olena: I had already collaborated with Fantastic Talk(s) previously. For instance, after the release of the novel Terimen, a book trailer for it was featured on the project’s YouTube channel. Daria Piskozub, Iryna Hrabovska, and Nataliia Dovhopol had also presented their books at our Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi Library in Chernihiv.

When Mages Love Too was published, I reached out to Nataliia Dovhopol about possible collaboration. She told me about their new format for promoting authors this year, “Season of Fantastic Novelties”.

As part of the project, we held a joint live stream with Lviv-based urban fantasy author Uliana Dadak. We discussed urban and cozy fantasy in Ukrainian literature. The event was moderated by Nataliia Matolinets, one of the co-founders of Fantastic Talk(s).

It turned out to be a fantastic live stream, and I’m very grateful to the organizers and the audience who are interested in Ukrainian fantasy. I’m thrilled there are so many fans of the genre. That day happened to be my birthday, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate! The project itself, Season of Fantastic Novelties, is incredibly important for broadening the reach of Ukrainian fantasy authors. It’s clear that Ukrainian fantasy is becoming increasingly diverse, and that’s wonderful.

Interviewer: You debuted with the book Terimen in collaboration with Oleksandr Bilohura. Tell us about this book: who are its main characters? How is co-writing a book different from writing solo? How do you merge different ideas into one story?

Olena: Terimen is my debut novel, but not my first book. Before it, I had written two collections of short fantasy stories and a popular science book about the mystical legends of Chernihiv region. We co-wrote this novel with Oleksandr Bilohura, a young writer from Chernihiv. Like me, he has an interest in Japanese culture and mythology. Since there aren’t many Ukrainian fantasy works set in Japanese-inspired settings, we decided to explore this theme, blending Japanese and Ukrainian folklore.

The book is set in an alternate version of Japan and Ukraine in a post-apocalyptic world. After a great flood, the world has been reduced to a collection of islands, and humanity struggles to survive in these new conditions. The global catastrophe unleashed otherworldly beings previously thought to be mere myths. People must either learn to coexist with these creatures or eliminate them. Terimen was my first experience writing in collaboration, and from the start, it felt like a bold experiment. Although we both work in fantasy, our styles are very different. Oleksandr leans toward noir, while I focus on romantic and historical fantasy. He proposed a format for the book where the story unfolds through letters and diary entries. This approach allowed each co-author to work with relative freedom, giving the characters distinct personalities.

The title Terimen itself refers to a type of Japanese patchwork quilting, reflecting the novel’s structure. The story comes together as a cohesive whole from individual fragments written by each co-author. Initially, we planned to tell the story from the perspectives of two main characters: Ayame Shimizu, a veterinarian, and Roman Makovii, a young scientist. However, as the plot developed, new characters emerged, and their diary entries were incorporated into the book. These included Ayame’s lover Andrii, Rostyslav, a soldier hunting otherworldly creatures, and Ada, Roman’s blind sister, among others. For me, co-writing was an exciting process, almost like a game. It felt like ping-pong, with the “ball” moving back and forth between us. I would write my part, leave a lead for the next section, and send it to my co-author, who would pick it up and carry the story forward.

We finished the novel at the end of 2021, but due to the war, it wasn’t published until early 2023. Given current events, some elements of the book have taken on entirely new meanings. For instance, the main character lives on Zmiinyi Island in an alternate Ukraine. When we wrote this, we couldn’t have imagined the symbolic significance the island would later hold in modern Ukrainian history.

Interviewer: What projects are you currently working on?

Olena: Right now, I am working on the editing of the sequel to Mages, the second part of the Cup of Wonders series, which is getting ready for print. The first chapters of the third part have also already been written. It will be the final book in this cycle, but not in this fantasy universe. I also have the novel Mage Outlaw, which takes place 300 years earlier, and several spin-off stories. The manuscript for Mage Outlaw was a finalist in this year's Coronation of Words contest, but unfortunately, it hasn't been published yet. However, I believe in this story and I know that the best time for turning it into a book is yet to come.

Interviewer: What mission do you see for yourself as a writer?

Olena: The word "mission" might be too grand, but the most important thing for me in writing is when readers find in my books something that allows them to escape a bit from the everyday, especially in these difficult times. When they tell me that my books are cozy, atmospheric, and that they want to reread them – it’s always pleasant to bring a bit of light into the gloomy reality.

Interviewer: What word do you associate with your fantasy world? Why that word?

Olena: I would probably associate it with the word "romance". A friend of mine once jokingly said that it would be wonderful if the noble men I describe in my works existed in real life, because she, unfortunately, hasn’t met any like them. But I have met them. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, or maybe it’s all about how you look at the world.

Pictures were provided by Olena Kunnova and Oleksandr Bilogura