An Interview with Alix E. Harrow: Navigating Success, Outlining Novels, and Deconstructing Knighthood

New York Times bestselling author Alix E. Harrow discussed her Hugo Award-winning novel, The Everlasting in a candid conversation with Jamie. Harrow broke down her complex outlining process, the psychological realities of drafting, and how her definitions of success have evolved since publishing her acclaimed debut, The Ten Thousand Doors of January.

5 Key Takeaways for Writers:

• Anxiety can be an editorial tool: Having a harsh internal ear ensures your narrative stays true to its core thesis during the drafting phase.

• Outlines aren't rigid: Even heavy planners should continuously re-outline their novels as characters and structural needs naturally evolve during drafting.

• Short fiction is the ultimate test drive: Writing short stories allows authors to experiment with new mechanics—like time loops or secondary worlds—before committing to a 100,000-word manuscript.

• Critical acclaim does not equal commercial success: Major industry nominations (like the Hugo, Nebula, or World Fantasy Awards) are prestigious but do not automatically translate to massive book sales.

• Success moves the goalposts: Achieving a book deal with the Big Five shifts an author's ambition from simply seeing their book on a shelf to sustaining a long-term, full-time career.

  
  

What is Alix E. Harrow's New Book, The Everlasting, About?

The Everlasting is a fantasy romance that critiques the romanticised tropes of medieval knighthood by following a female knight trapped in a time loop. Harrow leans into the "lady knight" tropes popularised by authors like Tamora Pierce and Robin McKinley, whilst simultaneously deconstructing the harsher, sociological realities of medievalism and warfare. The novel explores why Western cultures continually romanticise the lone knight and what purpose the Arthurian cycle has historically served, blending childlike wonder with the often brutal coming-of-age experience.

How Does Alix E. Harrow Plan and Draft Her Novels?

Harrow relies on detailed outlines and drafts chronologically, but frequently pauses to re-outline and rework major sections if the story strays from its core intended ending. Rather than writing by the seat of her pants, she builds a "security blanket" of increasingly detailed outlines before starting a first draft. Despite this heavy preparation, she typically executes major structural reworks at the one-third and two-thirds marks. Harrow writes chronologically towards a specific climax, treating the final scenes as the "thesis" of the novel. If the draft fails to build towards that specific payoff, she knows she has to go back and fix the foundations.

How Does Writing Short Stories Help Plan Full Novels?

Writing short stories allows authors to test-drive new genres, mechanical concepts, and character voices on a smaller scale before integrating them into a full-length novel. When Harrow wanted to experiment with secondary worlds, medieval tones, and time loops for The Everlasting, she first wrote a short story called The Success of the Saint. This allowed her to road-test unfamiliar narrative devices. In short fiction, a single choice or exchange can encapsulate the entire theme of a story, allowing writers to scale their ideas appropriately rather than stretching a novella-sized concept into a sprawling novel.

How Does Commercial Success Change an Author's Ambitions?

Initial publishing success shifts an author's goals from the simple dream of being on a library shelf to the practical reality of sustaining a full-time career. When Harrow began writing, she was unaware of industry metrics, the Big Five publishers, or what constituted good sales figures. After The Ten Thousand Doors of January allowed her to quit her day job, her ambition became maintaining that career longevity. She also learned a sharp industry lesson regarding critical versus commercial success: while her debut received Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award nominations, her literary agent frankly advised her that those prestigious accolades do not necessarily sell books.

Which Book Would Alix E. Harrow Read While Snowed In?

If snowed in at a woodland cabin, Harrow would choose a massive, immersive historical fantasy novel like Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Because being snowed in requires a high page count, she gravitates towards sprawling epics that justify their immense length by fully removing the reader from the real world. She also cited Nicola Griffith’s Hild and Menewood as rare examples of massive books that successfully justify their lengthy page counts and reward undivided attention.