Issue 3: Interview with Theresa Gunarso
“Do you choose to accept the quest?
If YES, proceed to #1.
If NO, you may leave and close these pages.”
~ Rescue the Villagers by Theresa Gunarso
Your short story "Rescue the Villagers" is a wonderfully escapist 'choose your own adventure' fantasy tale. Where did you get the inspiration?
The long lockdown in Victoria really did a number on me. Hahahaha. Joking aside, while I am fortunate enough to be an introvert who is fine with staying at home, during the lockdown, I sometimes yearned to go outside on my own adventure—which led me to writing a lot of escapist stories to cope.
The fantastical element of “Rescue the Villagers” is, of course, prompted by Aniko’s submission prompt. The word ‘fantasy’ immediately conjures up this image of a fantasy world in my head, like The Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings.
I added the ‘choose your own adventure’ component because I’m nostalgic for those old children’s gamebooks and I’ve been watching a lot of game playthroughs. I love the idea of creating an interactive story so people can further immerse themselves in it, which I think would add a layer of fun! I just want readers to have fun and be entertained.
You are also a screenwriter, filmmaker and podcaster! What do you enjoy or find challenging about these different mediums?
These mediums are very different. I’ve always been a visual person, so I am drawn naturally to filmmaking and screenwriting, however, it takes a long time, a lot of people, and a lot of effort to complete one project. The writing aspect is probably the easiest because you just need to write on your computer and workshop your ideas; but getting producers, filming the project, searching for distribution—that’s an entirely different beast. The rewarding thing is, because of the scale, when you complete the project there is a sense of relief and collective happiness. At the end you can’t help but go, “Oh, we birthed that, that’s awesome!”
Making podcasts is an easier process compared to making films. You don’t really need to location scout, film, or worry about the set, costumes, or makeup. All you need a good microphone and a good script. Of course, the hard part is conveying a story solely through dialogue and sound design. How do you ‘show, don’t tell’ without visuals?
What other creative projects are you currently working on?
I’ve been pitching and perfecting a sci-fi sitcom series about an estranged family living in a spacecraft together while mankind is on their way to a new planet (after we destroyed earth). It’s going to be a cross of Schitt’s Creek, The Martian, and Snowpiercer, which I know is a weird combination. Hahaha. Let me know if that sounds fun… and if anyone knows a producer interested in such series, tell me!!
I’m also in the middle of editing a middle-grade sci-fi adventure novel about a princess searching for a cure for her dying mother. It’s going to be fun, like Star Trek but with middle schoolers as the protagonists. Also, there’s a shapeshifting animal sidekick, does that sound cool? Hahahaha.
What books are at the top of your to-read list at the moment?
I’m a huge sci-fi fan, so I’ve been trying to read more of them. I’m currently obsessed with Cixin Liu’s work, which reminds me: I need to get started on the “Remembrance of Earth’s Past” Trilogy! As I mentioned before, I’m also a very visual person, so I love graphic novels. After a long time, I’ll be reading “Watchmen.” Finally!
Theresa Gunarso is a Chinese-Indonesian writer, filmmaker, and performer based in Australia. Writing is an outlet for her existential crises. Currently, she is working on a middle-grade science fiction novel (middle-grade specifically because—deep-down—she still has the mind of a 13-year-old).