Emma Olofsson on Collaboration, Inspiration, and Helping Out

Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview, Emma! Please tell our readers a bit about yourself.

Of course! I’m a writer from northern Sweden currently working as an editor and studying game writing. I’ve previously studied both creative writing and screenwriting, and have published an interactive book for children. I also love roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons, and have run a campaign for the past five years. Getting to tell a story together with others is extremely fun and I’ve learned a great deal from it!

What was your inspiration/process for writing “A Spy for the People” like?

A large part of our inspiration was old noir-style detective comics, but with a more comedic tone and twist. I worked together with Ninke to come up with a base concept and summary for our comic, which I then expanded on and wrote out into the full story.

As I’m not a comic artist myself, working closely together to figure out the base was very important. I don’t always know just how many pages a certain scene will take, and as such have had a lot of back-and-forth with Ninke to make sure the story fits within the pages without feeling rushed or lacking in detail. It’s been a lot of fun!

“A Spy for the People” is about someone who didn’t set out to be a hero, but ended up becoming one anyway. If you were to become a hero without meaning to, what do you think you would do to earn the title?

I grew up in the forest of northern Sweden, close to the Arctic Circle. So if anything, I got a handle on pulling cars free from snow piles and ditches along long roads with no phone service. People just helping each other out are the biggest heroes in my eyes!

Tell us about a sidequest that you’ve been on, especially if it relates to writing.

I have a very fun little exercise I do with some writer friends of mine! We each create a world-build, with a core theme, a unique setting, and some characters. Then we trade and write a story set in someone else’s world. It’s both a very good exercise to learn how others think and build their stories, and what they find important, and then getting a unique story in a world I’ve created in return. It’s a really exciting sidequest we have put on ourselves to do during our free time!

Who are your writing heroes, or other people who inspire you?

There are a lot of people [who] have inspired me with their writing. I have a lot of close friends with wonderful stories and ideas that I love to hear about and discuss. Seeing other people’s passions through their work is always exciting!

I believe that each person I get to work with helps me see things from a new angle, and inspires me to develop my own writing even more.

Did the work of any other writers inspire you specifically for “A Spy for the People”?

I often look to my favorite author, Fredrik Backman, for inspiration as well. I feel that he captures very well the spirit of being human, both good and bad, in a real and honest way. I believe that helping each other is a core of being human, and I wanted that to reflect in this comic as well.

What fictional character do you identify with most, and why?

I have watched a lot of different Star Trek shows and somehow always find myself drawn to the doctor of the show, whether it be McCoy, Bashir, or Phlox. They are all different in their own right, but what they have in common is that they all will do what needs to be done to help and save those who need it. At their core they simply want everyone around them to be safe, happy and healthy—which is the most important thing to me as well.

What are you reading now?

I’m currently reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I recently finished the TV series and really wanted to pick up the book as well. Highly recommend both!

Are you working on any other projects right now?

I have quite a few projects of my own I’m working on when I find the time. I have one zombie-themed book I’m hoping to finish writing by Christmas and then hopefully get published by next year. I’m also working on a movie script along with a group of other writers, which we hope to put into production next year!

Where can our readers find you online?

I currently don’t have much of an online presence, but am planning to build a website sometime soon!