Diversion To Urasha, by Laura Hogwood
It’s Spotlight Sunday, and author Laura Hopgood has stopped by to tell us about her science fiction fantasy novel, Diversion To Urasha. Without further ado, please welcome Laura Hopgood!
Tell us a little about yourself!
I’m a 25-year-old writer from the UK. I’d definitely consider myself to be quite a geek! I’ve always been a shy person, often zoning out into my own daydreams, so one day I decided to put that to good use and write my debut novel! Writing is my biggest passion in life.
What inspired you to write Diversion To Urasha?
I’ve always been a really shy person throughout my life. Growing up,
I never really fitted in at school, so whilst other people were out
socializing with each other, I was always at home in my own little
bubble.
When I left sixth form (college), I was in between several temporary
jobs, and I ended up very depressed for a few years. I found my
release through writing. At first, I would write poetry, and share my
poems to my friends on Facebook. The feedback I received was great,
and I found it therapeutic to turn my negative emotions into something
positive and creative. Around this time, I also developed a very big
interest in the Universe. Realizing how vast and huge the Universe is
really helped me to put things into perspective.
I found further escapism through reading, and one day, an idea just
came to me.
At first, I envisioned my idea like a film, but then I thought to myself:
“You know what? I’m going to write this!” I developed the plot in my
head, adding my interest of the Universe into it. I also decided to
continue with the therapeutic aspect of my writing, venting out my
emotions through my characters.
I guess you could say that life and the Universe inspired me to write.
Both made me want to strive for better things in my life, and both
helped me to come up with the plot and the characters of my book.
What’s the novel about, and who would enjoy it?
Diversion To Urasha is a sci-fi/fantasy novel. However, although the
novel is primarily set on other planets, I feel it is more fantasy than
science fiction. It’s not as hardcore as a lot of other sci-fi novels. It’s
more character driven.
A human space warrior, James, sets off on a rescue mission to
Nebowska with his human allies, however, the ship is forced to crash
land on Urasha. James then sets off on a whole new adventure through
the dangerous Urashan wilderness with the Urashan Prince and
Princess. Not only is the story jam packed with fantasy and action, it
also has a lot of character building too!
I’ve had one professional freelance reader say that science fiction isn’t
usually her chosen genre, yet she couldn’t put the book down once she
started reading it because it had a perfect balance of everything, which
she felt that some other sci-fi books lacked. There was just as much
character building as there was action. The reader further suggested
that my book was suitable for film and television.
Another reader, who later reviewed my book, said that his daughter
likened my novel to books such as ‘The Hunger Games’ and
‘Twilight’. He also messaged me on Twitter to say that the book
reminded her of Star Trek too. These words were really flattering,
because I have read and watched those books/films and loved them!
It was my aim to write a story which had that Universal appeal to
everyone, and by the looks of it, I hopefully achieved it!
What does your hero, James, yearn for?
I think James yearns to follow in his late father’s footsteps, and to
make him and his mother proud. James is a very determined
individual, and he likes to see things through to the end. James’
goals probably change throughout the book. At first, he’s
determined to go to Nebowska, and to not let any harm come to
his best friend, Lottie. Then he’s determined to obtain the healing
stone once he’s on Urasha. Then, as he gets to know the Urashan
Princess, Crystaline, James is determined to befriend her and help
her.
How did you approach the science in James’s universe, such as space travel?
Luckily, I have a big interest in the Universe, so I watch a lot of TV
programs and documentaries on space!
In my story, humans can travel through space via wormholes. The
Nebowskans are a well-traveled species who basically show the
humans how to master space travel. The Nebowskans show the
humans how to build ships with gravity chambers in their decks.
They show the humans the locations of the wormholes.
From watching documentaries, I’ve drawn my own conclusion that
other planets which harbor life probably have a similar composition
to our very own planet Earth. The planets may look totally different to
Earth, but they’re all made up of similar stuff. And they’re of a similar
temperature and distance from their sun.
You’re working on book two! What’s your approach to working out the plot of the series?
Before I’d finished book one, I’d already mapped out most of book
two in my head, as well as certain aspects of book three and four. I
find that music is a great inspiration for me when it comes to dreaming
up a lot of my scenes, particularly the ones involving action!
What’s ahead for you?
I’m currently writing book two, whilst trying to promote book one.
Book two is a lot darker than book one, and I’m hoping to add an
element of horror into it as well as the sci-fi/fantasy element of book
Who knows where this journey will take me in the long term future.
For now, I just have this goal to keep on writing, and to share what I
write with the world.
Provide Purchase Links:
Follow on Laura on Twitter: @LauraHopgood
Laura Hopgood, Author of Diversion To Urasha
