We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashleigh Argyle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ashleigh, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
While I am an artist who specializes in portrait work and graphic design, my heart and soul lie in writing. For me, writing is the closest thing to magic that we will ever experience and I do not take that role lightly. Authors can create realms previously unseen, craft characters that readers will carry with them through their entire lives, and reflect even the most subconscious beliefs, fears, and dreams that reside in all of us no matter where we come from.
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on reflects the struggles that many of us have faced—familial legacies that entrap us in seemingly neverending cycles, abuse at the hands of those we love but also nefarious governments that work against the common man, and the battles within ourselves to become more than everyone else thought we ever could. This story is an epic fantasy series titled, The Fate of Aerilia.
I had known I always wanted to write but lacked the motivation and direction necessary to ever make anything more than a short story. Now, fanfiction gets a bad rep but it helped me learn the craft. So, in 2016, I started my writing career on Wattpad as a fanfiction creator. And through some serious perseverance, I was able to move on to creating my own story.
And, I knew I wanted something that reflected the struggles I’ve experienced. I had to decide what kind of message I wanted to express to, not only the world but to the other victims who would find solace in my work. That is the hope anyway, even today, several years later.
Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life—that’s what I had thought I was getting into being a writer, even one that wrote about dark topics, and yet, every time I get on my computer to work on TFOA, I have realized it is not something that can be summarized in that statement. I do not love writing about abuse, betrayals, war, and grief, but it is necessary because every time I have gone through something terrible, I am alone. And through that, I recognize that everyone else must feel this way too.
When I look at how I cope with these experiences, it has always been about returning to the comfort of media, whether it’s books, shows and movies, or even songs. And while these things discuss the pains of humanity, suffering for the greater good, fighting against all odds, we still seek relief within their pages, their scenes, their lyrics. We realize that these characters and artists overcome everything pushed onto them. And it’s usually not because of some miracle but through their own perseverance that they find the hope to continue.
The Fate of Aerilia is a novel about several young heirs as they ascend the decaying thrones of their fathers who have damned their countries with a century-long war. These families have been ravaged by addiction, death, and deceit. Not one child has been spared or coddled. They’ve witnessed the darkest and deepest depths of humanity, and with that, they are forced to make a decision—follow in their parent’s footsteps, or forge a new path.
In many abusive households, mine included, we can recognize that not all children of abuse become abusers and yet, there are still those who feel that because they survived, they don’t have to confront their traumas and they certainly don’t have to change their ways. I think it is impactful to showcase these two realities, as well as a mix, to my audience. Duality is a core trait of my character work which is why I chose to make this series, and a few others, multi-POV. Each character, whether that’s challenging the beliefs they’ve been raised on—like how magic is abhorrent and will change the very essence of a person—or simply conforming to these beliefs and upholding unethical habits, are explored. We bear witness to the colonization of communities dating back millennia through genocidal wars, resulting in the devastating loss of history and familial lines. Food scarcity and desperate people willing to do anything to help themselves hold on a little longer. Misogyny and racism are used to deny others their absolute birth rights. Women being forced into marriage, due to either their family or their circumstances. Men have to fight in wars they care nothing about. Children injured, orphaned, and manipulated. Devastating realities and yet, honest.
And that’s what makes this story so impactful. Yes, there are supernatural elements at play, but at the core of each struggle is something that most of us can relate to. Right now, colonization is claiming millions of lives and has since, well, as long as people have chosen settlement over nomadic lifestyles. This story is something I have been working on for a long time but it wasn’t until the war in Palestine took a turn this last autumn that I truly felt I understood war and what it is like for the common man, woman, and child. Watching Tiktoks of the assaults, the starving faces of victims pleading with strangers on the Internet to not let them die in vain, and then learning of the other genocides across the world has left me with a story that has pushed past even the initial beliefs I had about it previously. The stories of my characters are built on the experiences of these victims as much as it is about outgrowing legacies placed on us from birth. None of it is pretty or aesthetic, but it is raw and honest. That’s the most meaningful part of a lot of my work, but especially in The Fate of Aerilia.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Howdy! My name is Ashleigh Argyle, but I am also known as svgarwitch to my online community. With my heavy Gemini placements, I am a jack of all trades and enjoy trying everything at least once, but consistently, I am a visual artist and writer located in the United States. I’m a mom, a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a survivor. I truly believe that writing is the closest thing to magic we will experience and I’m determined to help others find hope in whatever circumstances they find themselves in through my efforts in the writing community.
My journey with writing began as a hobby—writing fanfiction that involved my favorite “ships”, or relationships between two characters from established franchises. I had tried to write several stories when I was in school but being a teen, I lacked the motivation and direction to actually manifest anything worthwhile. A few years later, I found myself reading fanfiction on Wattpad and realized it inspired me to want to create better content for the community there. So, I began writing, learning how to craft a story, how to expand on characters people already loved, and even how to create book covers that drew people in.
After I felt I had some footing in the writing world, I decided I wanted to put my effort into something I could call my own because while fanfiction helped me evolve and grow, it wasn’t something I could tout as mine. Despite the amount of readers waiting for my weekly updates, my work wasn’t taken seriously by the majority of anyone who asked about my writing. So, I began working on my debut novel in 2016 and shelved it shortly after getting the basics written down, like the plot, the characters, and their arcs. I knew I wasn’t quite prepared for this endeavor quite yet but the idea, the world, and the characters never left my mind because they were inherent in, not only myself, but in everyone I knew or would come to meet.
At the core of my writing, I want to make sure that my readers feel they’re seen and that they can hold onto the hope that they can overcome anything they’re put through while also being honest and raw about what it means to survive. Not every ending will see comfort and not every character will know what it means to be content, but those who survive will know that because they endured, they fought, they spoke up, they were able to see the other side. That’s a huge reason why I also write true crime articles. I want to share the very real side of survival, of triumph.
My debut novel, while unpublished right now, will eventually allow my readers to see a side of themselves that they’ve left unexplored. To provoke a deep sense of belonging even when we feel alone. To know that there are others in this world that have felt, or even currently feel, the way that they do. This, by itself, does not set me apart from the crowd, but it does offer me the opportunity to build a lifelong sense of comradery with my community and supporters. And that means so very much to me. It brings me such pride to go through my reader’s comments, to hear their reflections at the end of a story or article, knowing that I helped them in some way. That my words made them think about a situation differently or even just reassured them that they could keep moving forward.
Many of us feel that we are walking through this world alone. It’s important to offer escape, relief, and comfort to those who seek it. To let others know that even in tales of darkness and depravity, there is hope, that there is reform, that there is a new reality waiting on the other side of all the pain and heartache.
My true crime articles, which are available on Medium under the name A.D. Argyle, evoke the same sense of responsibility to uphold the legacies of the victims, to bring awareness to the insidious nature of abuse at the hands of loved ones, and the honor to share their stories. And my art is available on Redbubble and Spring, both of which are under the name, svgarwitchshop. The dominant feel of my artistry is fun in femininity. Being a woman who loves pink and pastels, I love using my art to express to the world that I am not afraid to highlight my feminine nature. Using art to be silly, fun, and free allows me to uplift others and connect with people all around the world who feel similar to how I do.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
From the very beginning of my writing career, I have been a pantser, a term used to describe someone who goes straight into writing without much direction. It’s the most fun, fast-paced way to write, and doing so makes me feel like I’m a fly on the wall in every scene. It’s all sudden. Every word, raw and unfiltered. I mean, I don’t have to think about consequences, plot holes, or the ending. I just have to make sure my character’s interactions are realistic, that there’s some sort of conflict bothering them, and that I’m moving toward a conclusion that’s usually rather vague. For my articles, I thought just creating a timeline was good enough to tell the story of a victim, and yet, something was missing.
Eventually, I realized that I could evoke something in people, the way that I have been when reading my favorite book or listening to a podcast. I learned that to properly tell a story, fictional or not, it required prior knowledge that would later color the rest of my work. Knowing a victim’s story means learning about who they were before their passing—their interests, their family life, their aspirations. As well as learning about the usually preventable events that led to their demise. Using this knowledge allows me to relate to the victim, and in turn, allows my readers to also see themselves in the victims.
As for my fictional work, I knew I had to plot out my efforts. Carefully devise a plan to get from point A to point Z. So, I learned about different plotting techniques, how to weave in little hints at the eventual plot twist, and how my character’s backgrounds could influence why they choose certain routes in development throughout the story.
Through my pantsing, I had accumulated nearly 500 plot ideas. Some had substantial weight behind them while others were a single sentence that probably didn’t mean much to anyone else. When I moved to plotting my work, I was able to bring together a lot of these loose ideas and create some of my most beloved work. And to really dig into plotting versus pantsing, I found that my time was more effective. I was able to bust out several articles that were longer than anything I’d ever written. Long enough that I even recorded a few podcast episodes to reach a larger audience. My fictional works were finally taking shape and I didn’t have to rewrite every time I found a new plot hole.
But I ran into another issue—too much plotting leads to a stalemate when it comes to actually writing. I was avoiding writing anything for fear that I had not actually fixed every plot hole. Somewhere along the way, I must’ve forgotten something several books down the line that hadn’t even been written yet. That instilled an unshakeable fear within me that pantsing hadn’t. I spent months avoiding my work. I didn’t have a single rough draft at one point because I couldn’t bear to look at them without thinking about the what ifs—what if I didn’t think about this character’s journey, what if I am not being creative enough, what if I’m unable to connect the conflict with the resolution? I was frozen and I needed change.
From there, I learned about writing all over again. I watched countless videos and read dozens of articles about writing novels and articles and short stories. I had even gone to school through this and worked toward an English degree that I never finished. But one phrase helped me more than any of that—a first draft doesn’t have to be a good draft.
Doesn’t quite seem so revolutionary but this phrase gave me back the strength and confidence to just write. That’s all I have to do—write. Every time I feel like I’m lost in the sea of plots and character arcs, I remind myself of this saying and I just keep writing, knowing that nothing has to be perfect. I just have to get the words out there to start.
As writers, we often compare our work to stuff that’s been nitpicked a half dozen times by professional editors and beta readers. This process can take years, too. Even I did this with the fanfiction that I wrote at the beginning of my career. I pantsed those stories and went back multiple times to rewrite and edit. So, it’s easy to look at work that makes you envious and tell yourself that you can’t ever reach that potential but even those writers started with a rough draft. The important thing to remember is that those writers never gave up. They pushed through the fear and that’s because they have a message or mission they want to claim to the world.
I am no longer a plotter or pantser, just mix of the two, and my work is made better by this.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Resilience is a funny thing, honestly. For those looking in on an unfortunate situation, they use this term as an endearment. As if surviving is something we just chose but it feels like the opposite for the person going through it. We have no other choice, really.
Throughout my life, I have faced abuse in every facet of the word. From being born into a family suffering and devastatingly broken by generational abuses to enduring abuse into adulthood, I found myself searching for more.
And that’s why writing is so essential to me. I’m sure many others in similar situations feel the same as I do. I turned to reading first. This simple escape didn’t bring me further abuse. It was as solitary a hobby as anyone could ask for. It required no Internet, no outside commentary, and I could forget about my life for however long I was allowed to read.
But eventually, even the most enthralling hobby can grow stale. I needed more. I would read these stories and become inspired by the idea of “what if this happened instead” or “that character wouldn’t have done that”. I needed to create something that I wanted to read and that led me to writing my first story as an adult. Everything before then had been half-chewed ideas slapped on a page masquerading as a story.
I found comfort in creating characters that were going through experiences I was or had been through. I allowed these characters to carry on with my dreams. They did everything I wanted to do but felt I couldn’t. They stood up to their oppressors, they escaped to magical realms only on the desire to have more, and to live without the paralytic fear of the repercussions. And it sounds cliche but I found my strength in them. They were going through the same stuff I was, not only because I made it that way, but because those situations were very much real for so many others. I wasn’t telling stories that were new or unlived, just honest, with a twist of magic to give the story a little pizzazz.
So, I found resilience through writing because even in my darkest times, when I didn’t want to be alive or when I thought I wouldn’t live to see the next day, I knew I had a story to continue. That is what I could look forward to if nothing else.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Other: earthtomars.redbubble.com , https://www.wattpad.com/user/ohaiyoashchan , Medium— https://medium.com/@adargyle