Interview with Alex Woodroe about Whisperwood

Alex Woodroe wears many hats. Not only is she a writer, but she’s also Editor of Tenebrous Press, and you’re also following her on social media to learn about Romanian folklife and how to make your own herbal tea. And pickle things. It’s useful knowledge for the end of the world, and if we can hitch a ride to Alex’s house, she’ll help us all survive. The art of survival is key to her first novel, Whisperwood, an entrancing dark fantasy story about a woman who finds herself in a very dangerous village. It’s a fast-paced adventure story and a moving reflection on grief and the value of community.

What are some of the ways that Romanian folklore inspired this novel?

There’s a lot more folklore, folk stories, old wives’ tales, and mythology in it than it even seems. Of course the creatures we meet are all inspired by our traditional Romanian pantheon, but a lot of the local customs are ones I grew up with—like spitting in your bosom for good luck. Then there’s references to stories my grandmother told me when I was growing up, notably one about our trickster hero dropping a door on a bunch of thieves. The layout of the village, the food. There’s even a lot of us in the way the local people see the world, the way they embrace the strange and accept the inevitable and roll up their sleeves to do what they can.

Anna, the main character, has dealt with serious trauma. How do you think this trauma impacts her relationships with the people she meets? 

It’s funny that people picked up on how unnaturally quickly she leaps to trusting and caring about these relative strangers she meets, and I know it annoyed some readers. But really, that’s probably one of the most defining characteristics that comes from her painful past; she’s always open to finding the love and family that she never really had. Maybe unhealthily so. Because it isn’t just about the ex-boyfriend who tried to kill her; it’s about the family who turned their backs on her and believed his lies about her. It’s not a case of one bad incident ripping her away from a loving family, this woman has never had any such thing. And I know, sometimes, being raised by wolves can make you prefer your own company and trust only yourself—and in many ways, she is independent and doesn’t trust people to help her with her problems. But it can also make you eternally look for that thing you know is out there but you never had, and it makes you want to give to others what you never got. Love, support, encouragement, help. She’s a helper at heart and always will be, no matter how frustrating some people (readers and characters both) find it, because we don’t just get to turn off the parts of us that are difficult to understand.

You've written in different styles and genres. What are some of your favorite books in a similar genre to Whisperwood? 

It’s hard to even pinpoint what genre it is, because different people make connections in different ways. I used to compare it to the Witcher until someone felt cheated because there’s no sex and for the most part no combat. Which is absolutely true, those weren’t the parts I had in mind when I made that connection! I like to think it’s got that same darkness of old Brothers Grimm stories, and the same sort of feeling of falling into a different chaotic world like Alice in Wonderland or The Chronicles of Narnia. It might feel close to Uprooted, or The Bear and the Nightingale in tone, and because of the historical fantasy-adjacent setting. 

What characters in the book were the most fun to write?

I was really surprised that it ended up being the ones I hadn’t expected, Rareș and Cheșa. They were never supposed to be major characters, but if I were to write a sequel they’d definitely be a focal point. What I love about them both is that in any other story, they’d be framed as villains, but we don’t have those in Whisperwood. They’re just people with very different needs and very different views of the world, people willing to do terrible things, but still just as governed by an awe of their strange universe as anyone else. 

How's life in the Romanian countryside? 

Hard! And beautiful. I’m not gonna lie, it can be really rough. I never realized how many things I didn’t know how to do before I moved to a place remote enough that I have to beg people to come take my money for repairs or maintenance. The bane of my existence right now are those youtube shorts where people renovate their own homes (allegedly) or renew old farmsteads (again, allegedly) by themselves, and there’s always a perky lass going “So I decided to rip out all the tiles in my bathroom, and—”. God, not a single thing is ever that easy? You need specialized tools and in-depth practical knowledge for every single task, duct tape and fine grit will get you absolutely nowhere. The money lost just buying the wrong tools in order to figure out which the right ones are! 

But then I get to take a walk through the sunflower fields, pick rosehips, start a bonfire in the garden, tie a hammock between two trees, drink water from my own well. The postwoman gives me eggs from her hens, and the neighbor’s dog crawls under the gate and comes on our walk with us. I get to learn about the graveyard’s history and sit under an ancient protected walnut tree and I think yeah, maybe this was the right move after all. Maybe the fact that it’s really hard is part of what makes it really beautiful. 

I think it’s hard for many of us to silence our inner editors so we can write freely without self-criticism. Is it easy for you to switch from editing mode to writing mode? Or do you find that your editor’s mindset helps you with your writing? 

I’m actually completely unable to turn the editor brain *on* for my own writing. It’s incredible, it’s like Editor Alex has these sharp eagle eyes and always sees the problem and always knows what to do and her one blind spot is Writer Alex. If you asked me what my own pacing was like I’d only be able to shrug and smile. When I criticize myself while writing, it’s for irrational writer hangups. I yell at myself for not writing enough, for not being interesting enough, for boring the reader, for being trite, for not being brave enough, for not being unique enough. But that’s all writer paranoia and has as little to do with an editorial relationship as yelling at yourself in the mirror has to do with therapy. 

Which isn’t to say they the two sides don’t lift each other up in subtler ways, But no, I can’t properly edit myself, not the way I can other people. Everyone needs someone.

What are your hopes and dreams for the writing community? 

That someday we stop giving 99% of the praise, attention, money, and achievements to self-centered sharks with no scruples, disposable incomes, and connections. That we learn to be open to the new, to respect art we don’t like, and to reject stardom. 

And that we feel empowered to be our bravest, most honest selves, in life and in our writing. 

Anything else to add?

Hopefully, many things! And hopefully they’ll be in book form.

I can’t spill the secrets quite yet, but one weird botanical apocalyptic haunted house horror novella is already written, sold, and to be announced soon; and another novel—this one more of a high concept, limited setting, claustrophobic sci-horror—is sold and in the process of being written. I plan to be around for a very long time, and I’ve got so much I want to accomplish.

Thank you, Alex! Looking forward to it!