About | Olive Blake / AFF

ABOUT ME

BIO

Novelist and screenwriter,

Purveyor of internet romance,

Village witch.

Alexene Farol Follmuth, also known under the pen name Olivie Blake, is a lover and writer of stories, many of which involve the fantastic, the paranormal, or the supernatural, but not always. More often, her works revolve around the collective experience, what it means to be human (or not), and the endlessly interesting complexities of life and love.

Alexene tripped and fell into writing after abandoning her long-premeditated track for Optimum Life Achievement while attending law school, and now focuses primarily on the craft and occasional headache of creating fiction. As Olivie, she has been published as the featured fiction contributor for Witch Way Magazine, as well as the writer for the self-published graphic series Alpha and a variety of other books. As Alexene, her debut YA novel, My Mechanical Romance, is coming summer 2022 from Holiday House.

Alexene lives and works in Los Angeles, where she is generally tolerated by her rescue pit bull. She can be loosely defined as the sort of person who picked up sparring as a means to improve writing fight scenes.

CURRENTLY WRITING

TWELFTH KNIGHT, a YA homage to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Another dual POV rom-com, this one features the gender politics of fandom, RPGs, and gaming.

PERSUASION ADAPTATION, a for-funsies project that I don't currently know what I'm doing with, but I only recently read PERSUASION and decided it was very important for me to experience Wentworth's POV. As it turns out, I may need to write it myself.

THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, my current story in installments for Witch Way Magazine! "The art of moral clarity forms the primary vocation for Elaine Estrada, who considers her employer’s contracts to be nothing more than a straightforward deal—until she meets someone whose impractical search for lost souls puts her no-nonsense approach to the test."

THE ATLAS PARADOX, Book II of The Atlas Series. The sequel to The Atlas Six is underway! As the new Society initiates prepare for their final year in residence, outside forces conspire; alliances shift; somebody lost gets found.

UNPUBLISHED WORKS

MY MECHANICAL ROMANCE, previously UNTITLED S.T.E.M. YA, in which I strive to convince young women everywhere that nerds are hot and being true to your own nerdy self is even hotter. Competitive robotics, AP Physics, enemies-to-lovers, and a lot of me consulting Mr Blake's science curriculum. Currently under revision for a summer 2022 release.

BOYS WILL BE BOYS, a short film written for Phineas Productions about two hyper-competitive college friends who are dared into a kiss. A playful exploration of what it means to love and be loved. Currently awaiting production.

AWE OF THE NIGHT APPROACHING, a high fantasy about women in a War of the Roses-type conflict. THE WHITE QUEEN or GAME OF THRONES, but MOANA-ed.

STARGAZING IS NECROPHILIA, a nonlinear exploration of love, sex, and the female experience. You can check out some excerpts here.

CURRENTLY READING

TOO MUCH: How Victorian Constraints Still Bind Women Today by Rachel Vorona Cote. This month's S.P.E.L.L. read! In honor of Women's History Month, this blend of Victorian literature, pop culture, and memoir is an empathetic exploration of the female experience and a chance to revisit some of the most beloved female-authored stories.

LUSTER by Raven Leilani. I was not aware of this book's alleged hype, but any attention was not misplaced. For purposes of comparison, this is a bit SWEETBITTER meets SUCH A FUN AGE (maybe even bits of Otessa Moshfegh's female MCs) complete with youthful, messy protagonist making terrible decisions against a backdrop of race/gender-driven conflict. The MC's vulnerability is battering, but it's probably one of the most quotable books I've ever read. Every line resonates.

THE PAYING GUESTS by Sarah Waters. This is an impeccably written sapphic historical that winds up being something of a thriller. Set in 1922, the story subtly highlights uncommonly explored class and gender tensions following Britain's involvement in WWI. The second half of the book, which covers a murder trial, is deeply stressful, but incredibly interesting.

THE OFFICE OF HISTORICAL CORRECTIONS by Danielle Evans. My new favorite literary anthology. Gutting in places, but riveting all the way through. Evans has a way of writing experiences that feel deep and complex within the limited space of a single glimpse.

CURRENTLY LISTENING

Cheap Sodas and Ice Cream Kisses by Blanks. I'm going to categorize this one as upbeat indie pop, coastally influenced, a bit like an updated Beach Boys ("Wave" a bit on the nose for this, but anything to prove my point). Designed to be listened to in the sun, which makes sense for where I am, considering the last week has been a balmy 80 degrees.

Goin' Back by WILD. This band makes the kind of sunny alt-pop that borders on folk, much like Of Monsters and Men and other bands featured on the Reign soundtrack. "Lean Into It" and "This is Our Time" are very put the top down and drive songs.

0202 by The Rubens. This is a band I consistently enjoy despite not being entirely sure what to make of them. They say they're rock; I say they're exactly the brand of alternative I usually gravitate to. The song "Live in Life," my new favorite on the album, reminds me very strongly of "Homemade Dynamite" by Lorde, and I thank them profoundly for this comparison.

Poster Girl by Zara Larsson. I do really enjoy Nordic pop (Dagny is one of my favorites), and if the previous bands are dance in the backyard or in the car, this is dance in your bedroom music. The album itself actually releases March 5, but every single so far is a bop. My personal favorite is "Ruin My Life," which thematically is like the banger precursor to Tay's "Willow."