Q&A with Noah Bodie – Author Interview

Noah Bodie has crafted a gripping and immersive tale with Suneater, a story filled with depth, intrigue, and unforgettable characters. In this exclusive Q&A, we dive into the creative mind behind the novel, exploring the inspirations, challenges, and the journey that brought Suneater to life. From world-building to character development, Noah shares fascinating insights into the writing process and what it takes to craft a compelling narrative.

In this interview, we uncover the themes that shape Suneater, the influences that guided its creation, and what readers can expect next. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Bodie’s work or just discovering his storytelling, this conversation offers a unique glimpse into the art of writing and the dedication it takes to bring a story from idea to reality.

About The Author

Tell us more about you

Hi! I’m Noah, a highly caffeinated author and illustrator. I’m a proud member of the LGBTQIA2+ community, a single parent to a teenager, two cats, and a dog. My favourite thing in the world is fantasy, so my art and books are filled to the brim with it- specifically a dark fantasy world I’ve been working on for 16 years. I illustrate with watercolours and graphite, both digitally and traditionally. When I’m not thinking about my characters, I’m probably playing a TTRPG, a video game, or spam-watching Godzilla movies.

What are the three items you’d take on a deserted island?

A satellite phone, a solar-powered battery, and an emergency flare. Yes, I would be the one dead set on NOT being on that island at all or for long, no matter how much I would love the solitude.

Who is your biggest role model?

Honestly, I used to say my grandmother, and while she still is a major player in who I am as a person, my 13-year-old. I’m beyond proud to say I’m raising a good human, and he blows my mind at how kind and wonderful he is on a daily basis. My goal is to be someone he can continue to confidently say ‘That’s my Dad!’ about.

What is your favourite book and who is your favourite author?

I will be one of those folks and say Tolkien, but strictly because I am head over heels for his prose. His writing has always captured me and influenced how I write. I can’t pick a favourite book, sadly, but The Lord of the Rings series will always be my comfort book, and it’s definitely because of Tom Bombadil. I’m also head over heels with the Witcher series as well because I’m a sucker for gritty dark fantasy with complex emotions.

Do you prefer e-books, physical books or audiobooks?

I prefer physical books! I get migraines quite a bit, so trying to read on a screen is a bit difficult sometimes, and I don’t have the attention span to absorb information from audiobooks. I’m the type to file them into the music category, and eventually, it becomes background noise that I hyper-focus with, but not on.

Is writing your full-time profession or a hobby?

Well, it was a part-time job with my art, but recently (this week), I no longer have a day job because of some less-than-savoury reasons that the current political administration definitely influenced. So, I’m focusing full-time on my art and books while I look for a replacement day job.

I’ve worked in food for almost 20 years, and my body is very tired and broken because of it and fibromyalgia. I love working in coffee, and I have been in a cafe/bakery setting for a long time, so we’ll see what the future holds for me.

What social media platform do you like and use the most?

As much as I hate to say it, Threads. I was never a Twitter user before it was muskratted, but I really like the writing-based social media aspect. Instagram is okay, but I’m just terrible at remembering to make video content and actually posting art I make for it to take off too much. The best places to find me are on my personal website.

My social channels are:

Your Writing Process

How do you go about starting a new novel?

Hehe. I’m a plotted pantser. Meaning I took 16 years to make a whole fantasy world with cosmic lore, a custom calendar, festivals, cities, maps, and races … and then when I finally sat down to write my books I had thought about the stories I wanted to tell for 8 million people in the world I made that I just kind of … started writing. I started off with a novella as a world introduction with ‘The Captain and the Guppy,’ which follows two pretty important pirates in my world and gives a taste of the pirate hierarchy that will tie into my other books. 

Then I set off with Andreas and Simon in my Desert Rose Saga, with the first book being ‘Suneater’, and I’m currently working on book 2 of that series. I paused writing book two to release the first book of my Hexed and Hunted series called ‘Monsters, Mayhem & Wild Magic’ whose story will actually parallel Simon and Andreas’.

See? Plotted pantser. I go all over, but there’s some sense to it, at least to me.

Where do you like to write?

At home, in my home office/art studio. It’s a small, perfectly square room in our house with one window that somehow always has the perfect light at all times of the day. 

What do you like most about writing?

Connection. I’m a covert introvert who is really good at pretending to be an extrovert. I have a hard time sorting through my anxiety brain to make coherent thoughts when speaking, so writing gives me the ability to sort of filter out the noise and genuinely connect with people. Plus, I’m really big on giving realistic and hopeful mental health rep as someone with high-functioning depression, anxiety, lingering struggles with CPTSD, and lingering struggles with an eating disorder.

I think it’s important to see and be hard to talk about things represented in media, especially in genuine ways that also give you a bit of comfort that you’re not alone. As I showcase with Andreas and Simon, it’s not about being ‘fixed’ … it’s about learning to love yourself and allow yourself to be loved by others despite being a hot mess. Sometimes you need someone’s shoulder to lean on, or a hand to hold, not to say it’ll be okay … but that they’ll be there even if it’s not.

What do you find stops you from writing more?

My brain. I go through spurts of creative blocks with my writing and art, which gets mixed in with imposter syndrome. Sometimes I just have to tell my brain to shut the fuck up, sit down, and let me work.

What genres do you like to write and why?

Dark Fantasy and Romance. I love emotionally evocative writing, and there’s something beautiful about love being showcased in a crumbling world filled with death and darkness. There’s something hopeful about it.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring writers?

Write. Keep writing. Do not stop, no matter what your brain tells you. Someone, somewhere, at some point, will need to read exactly what you have to say. I promise. The world needs you.

Showcase your books!

How many books have you written and if more than one, what’s your favourite?

I currently have a novella and two first-in-series books. Picking a favourite is very hard. My favourite book I’ve written so far is hands down ‘Monsters, Mayhem & Wild Magic‘, but my favourite series as a whole that I’m working on is The Desert Rose Saga, which follows Andreas and Simon. Anni and Simon are just … they’re my babies. They helped me out of a deep, dark place I didn’t think I could escape, so they and their story will always have a special place in my heart. Writing ‘Suneater’ healed something in me that I didn’t know needed to be healed, and I might be tearing up even writing just this little bit about it.

How long did Suneater take to write?

‘Suneater’ took me 16 years to plan to write, but when I sat down to write it, it was done in a blur of a manically depressed month of writing around 18 hours a day. Then, another blur of editing, revisions, etc. All in all, it took me around four months from start to finish between writing, editing, revising, and editing again, as well as making the cover.

Lastly, what is your favourite thing about being an author?

I get to look at my shelf and say, ‘I did that,’ and share my babies with people. Although I technically only have 1 human child and 3 furbabies, my characters are just as much my children as my real child and fur children. I want others to be able to love them as much as I do because I love them a hell of a lot. 

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