{"id":34256,"date":"2021-10-06T09:29:37","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T09:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/about.zealous.co\/?p=34256"},"modified":"2025-07-16T17:57:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T17:57:45","slug":"yvette-naden-burial-rites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zealous.co\/about\/spotlights\/yvette-naden-burial-rites\/","title":{"rendered":"Burial Rites"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Written between lectures and assignments at university, as well as a busy social life, her winning short story\u00a0Burial Rites<\/em>\u00a0tackles themes of grief, loss and infidelity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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‘Burial Rites’ by Yvette Naden<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Congratulations on winning Zealous Stories: Short Story! Burial Rites<\/em> is a story about a married couple\u2019s relationship, about grief and how suspected infidelity can alter and plague behaviour \u2014 but it\u2019s also a story about the necessity of writing. Tell me, when and how did you have the idea to write this story?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea for this story came about a few months ago after clearing out my wardrobe where I found an old jewellery box. It was only written recently because I was unsure about how to approach it. I like my work to have a certain universality \u2013 so everyone can connect with it on one level or another \u2013 which is why I wanted to tackle broad themes like infidelity and grief. The story has really helped me work through my own grief and has reminded me, much like Magpie is reminded, of why we write in the first place: we write because we need to, because it can help us come to terms with difficult truths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main character of Burial Rites<\/em> is called Magpie. Throughout the story, you reference her bird like behaviours, the \u2018tap-tapping\u2019 of the husband\u2019s typewriter, and Magpie\u2019s collection of iridescent metals, the jewellery inside her box, and indeed her own thoughts, seem reminiscent of the magpie\u2019s reputation for hoarding shining objects. Do you often look to nature as the source of your stories?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think nature inspires me without me knowing it. I spent my childhood on a farm in France, so I think nature has always been part of my work, only I don\u2019t realise that until I\u2019m at the editing stage. Rather than looking for nature, nature seems to find me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of Burial Rites<\/em>, Magpie and her husband bury her thoughts beneath the garden soil \u2014  you write \u2018\u2026her mind was clear. Her body was free\u2019 \u2014 would you describe the process of writing as a similar type of release?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a way, yes. But I think it depends on the story. Sometimes, you might write something that you get too caught up in and it drags you down \u2013 I\u2019ve found that when tackling my semi-autobiographical novel. But in the case of\u00a0Burial Rites<\/em>, writing that has helped me come to terms with loss and helped me realised what I need to do to start letting go of that pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever experimented with story-telling in a medium other than writing? If so, what? If not, would you one day like to?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve tried my hand at art, but I am nowhere near patient enough to use it as a storytelling medium! Music, however, has been an effective way for me to tell stories without saying a word. I like to compose in my spare time, and I enjoy finding those chord progressions which help the listener construct a narrative. In the future, I\u2019d like to rekindle my tenuous friendship with art and this time, not expect to be Picasso after three minutes of staring at a canvas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You write poetry as well as prose. What comes first? Do you see these as inter-related writing processes or do you treat them separately?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to writing, I don\u2019t have a \u2018one true love\u2019. Often, I might be writing a novel and wonder how one of the chapters would look as a poem, so there are constant cross-overs. I\u2019ve always wanted to be a published author, ever since I was four, so I treat poetry and prose with equal importance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u2018Burial Rites’ by Yvette Naden<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Is there anything essential to your writing process? Do you have a routine?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Routine? What routine? In all seriousness, my writing process is constantly shifting. I\u2019ll have days where I wake up at dawn and get my best writing done. And then there are days when I have many other commitments (for example, I\u2019m just starting my second year of university) so I\u2019ll create a writing schedule to fit around my studies. Other days, I am the embodiment of chaos. If you ask my friends and family, they\u2019ll say I\u2019m the most irritating person to hang out with as I\u2019m always writing: I write in restaurants, in the car, at birthdays, christenings and weddings. Essentially, all I need is a notebook, a pen, and a good cup of tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there any writers who have influenced you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It would be impossible to list them all. If I had to name a few, I\u2019d say Tiffany McDaniel; her work is so visceral, and her recent novel,\u00a0Betty,\u00a0<\/em>has haunted me for several months now. Elizabeth Gaskell has greatly inspired me as a writer as well. Her work has encouraged me to not see my background as an obstacle \u2013 not only am I proud of it, I enjoy writing about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What would you say has been your most valuable lesson as a writer so far? What one piece of advice would you offer to someone starting their writing career?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t lose the fun. One thing I\u2019ve noticed, and I\u2019m still trying not to do it, is that I\u2019m pigeonholing my writing to suit certain people which means I end up forcing myself to write novels or stories that I\u2019m not passionate about. Simply, don\u2019t do that. The best writing you produce is what you write for yourself and what you are proud to create. It\u2019s what you produce for fun and because you want to produce it \u2013 not just because you want to see something published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are you currently working on? Do you have any plans for a new short story?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, I have too many fingers in too many pies. I\u2019m always writing. At the moment, I\u2019m working on a poetry collection, two novels (a literary novel and a Young Adult fantasy) and a story about a pair of antlers, a derelict house, and a grandmother who lives in a shed and I\u2019ll leave it at that.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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