When Chloe Elisabeth Wilson sits down to write, she’s drawn to the strange, spiralling places obsession and belief can take us. That impulse sparked Rytual, her debut novel that asks: What if your favourite cult beauty brand… was actually a cult?

Inspired by her time working in the social media inbox of a real Australian skincare brand, Rytual satirises the theatre of wellness and self-optimisation. “While I love beauty and wellness cultures unironically,” Wilson says, “the lengths we’ll go to in an attempt to outrun death, or make it look like we’ve outrun death, are fascinating to me.”

Trained in screenwriting at the Victorian College of the Arts, Wilson brings a sharp instinct for structure to her fiction, despite once dreaming of writing a bottle episode about “a kooky woman the main character met at a laundromat.” That blend of discipline and chaos gives Rytual its energy, as Marnie, the protagonist, becomes increasingly entangled with Luna Peters, a morally murky founder. “We’re opposites,” Wilson says of Luna. “But in my twenties, I might’ve followed someone like her anywhere.”

When Wilson isn’t working on the TV adaptation of Rytual, she’s often found between Los Angeles and Melbourne, perhaps even mid-flight, immersed in one of the three books stacked on her bedside table. When she's not reading, Wilson is an avid fan of Severance, a show she dreams of writing something akin to one day.

Below, we speak with Chloe Elisabeth Wilson about Rytual, her writing process, literary obsessions, and the stories she’s still chasing.

You started writing Rytual in 2021 based on your experience at an Australian beauty brand. How much of Marnie’s voice comes from your younger self, and how much evolved independently?

In the early drafts, Marnie’s voice was much closer to mine. Given I’d never written a novel before, infusing myself in the narrative wasn’t so much of a choice as it was the only thing I knew how to do. As the story evolved, Marnie took shape as a character that was separate to my own. My process for writing is generally ‘get all of the clay on the table first, then you can make the shapes’. I feel like the characters emerge in full definition as I’m making the shapes.

Have you seen any surprising reactions from readers on Rytual?

I wasn’t prepared for how strongly people would feel about the ending! Aside from a brief dance with the idea of an epilogue, the ending stayed the same through almost every draft. It feels like the story’s natural conclusion to me, but I can admit it’s a bit of a cliffhanger. People at events have come up to me to ask what happens after the final page, but I’ll never kiss and tell!

You have a background in screenwriting from university, did that shape the pacing and structure of Rytual?

I’m somewhat of a reluctant screenwriter, in that when I first started writing scripts I hated adhering to structure – screenwriting is all about structure, much more so than a novel. When I was studying at the VCA all I ever wanted to write was a bottle episode about a kooky woman the main character met at a laundromat. I found it really challenging to think of a story like a maths equation (I still do). That being said, having to practice writing to a structure really helped me hone my instinct for it. I’m much better at it now, and actually? I can’t stop writing myself into stories where lots of things happen! The lady in the laundromat will have to wait.

You’ve mentioned Luna Peters was your favourite character to write. What made her so compelling for you?

The fact that we’re polar opposites. Luna’s character was inspired in-part by things I’d read about founders who came of age during the ‘girlboss’ movement, but also by women I’d met in my real life. I found myself asking what it was about specific women that could (hypothetically) cause me to abandon my morals. In my twenties I often felt like all I needed was someone to tell me a) who I was and b) what I should be doing with my life. A character like Luna, who is so sure of her own brilliance, would have been irresistible to that version of myself.

What was it about beauty culture and wellness to you that makes that industry such ripe territory for satire?

I mean, a lot of it is pretty ridiculous. The theatricality of it had always piqued my interest – particularly while I was working for the Australian cosmetics brand. I spent a couple of years manning the social media inbox and live chat function on the brand’s website, and the seriousness with which people treated the brand, and by extension my advice, often seemed kind of absurd. While I love beauty and wellness cultures unironically, the lengths we’ll go to in an attempt to either outrun death, or make it look like we’ve outrun death, is fascinating to me.

Congratulations on Rytual getting adapted to become a TV series. How is that coming along?

TV development takes a really long time. There are so many hurdles to clear, and a lot of them involve finding the people who will champion your story at every stage. I’d love to see it go into production, but I guess time will tell!

Who would be your dream casting for Marnie and Luna?

I’ve always had a bit of a blind spot when it comes to Marnie – perhaps because some of her character came from my younger self. I have a few ideas for Luna, the zaniest of which is probably the musician Caroline Polachek. I went to her show at The Forum in 2023, and she told this long, convoluted story about a dream she’d had (I think it was about falling out of a plane?) The story went on for about five minutes, and the crowd hung off her every word. The room was completely silent! It was spooky. She has big witch energy. Luna needs that.

What are you currently reading?

Sweet Nothings by Madison Griffiths, The Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann and Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor. A random cross-section of my interests!

What is your favourite book of all time?

Probably Big Swiss by Jen Beagin. It’s a recent one, but I just adored it. I re-read it whenever I’m in a reading slump.

Is there a literary character that you most identify with?

Jenny Slate’s inner-monologue in her memoir Little Weirds.

What is a book that changed your life?

I read The Pisces by Melissa Broder just before I started writing Rytual, and I remember thinking ‘Oh, a novel can be this?’ It inspired me to try to write one myself, and that in-turn changed my life for sure!

Growing up, the best book on my bookshelf was …

Anything ‘grown up’ that I could steal from my mum’s bookshelf.

Who do you admire the most as a writer?

So many people. At the moment, Dan Erickson (creator of Severance) is top of mind. I’d love to write on a show like that one day – something with a juicy, elevated concept that explores everyday human feelings/failings. Praise Kier! I’m also a giant Sharon Horgan fan, and I would love to one day convince her to be my mentor.

My favourite reading spot is…

Bed! Or a plane. I looooove cracking open a new book on a long-haul flight.

Image: 1