Scott Westerfeld Interview

Scott Westerfeld is the multi-series New York Times Bestselling author of The Midnighters, The Uglies, So Yesterday, and Leviathan series. He has won a Special Citation for the 2000 Philip K. Dick Award, a Victorian Premier's Award, an Aurealis Award, and had his books named Best Books for Young Adults 2006 by the American Library Association.

Westerfeld will be touring across the US for his most recent book release Behemoth. He was gracious enough to grant us an interview about his most recent series, his recommendations for new writers, and his writing style from book to book. Enjoy.

Whatchamacallit Reviews: How did you come up with the idea for the Leviathan trilogy?

Scott Westerfeld: I've always thought that an alternate history with Charles Darwin as a sort of hero-scientist would be quite fun. Then I noticed that the title of his famous book, Origins of Species, sounded a bit like a "how-to manual," and I said, "What if Darwin had discovered DNA?" Victorians loved biology, after all. They filled curio cabinets with seashells and pinned insects, so a world shaped by Victorian bio-engineering seemed like a wonderful place to visit.

Obviously, not every culture would go along with bio-engineering, just as many people resist the ideas of evolution. So I added the Clankers, who have embraced the machine even more than our own culture. They have walking tanks and lightning cannon, all sort of mad-scientist stuff.

As the World War I setting came into focus, I realized that a collision between metal and flesh would make a perfect analogy for that war. Those first tanks and other machines of war look almost comical to us now, but to the first soldiers to encounter them on the battlefield, they must have seemed like monsters. Steampunk was a way to reinvigorate that horror, while at the same time playing with ideas about how technologies change the way we see the world.

WR: What did you do to prepare and research for this series, did you travel to any of the locations?

SW: I went to the small city in Germany where they still make Zeppelins, and took a ride on an actual airship. Unlike an airplane, which travels miles high and more than half the speed of sound, we were about a thousand feet up and only going forty miles an hour. In other words, the same flight characteristics as an eagle. It was gorgeous, the closest thing to being a bird I could imagine, and the Alps being close by didn't hurt.

For Behemoth, I went to Istanbul and took lots of photos for my artist to use, and tried to get the feel for the city. The main result of my visit, however, was that there wound up being a lot more food in the book. Istanbul is a great culinary city, with everything from high-end restaurants to street vendors having great food.

WR: How was it working with Keith Thompson?

SW: I write the scenes first, and then Keith sketches the machines and creatures, always changing certain things. And because he's a better "engineer" than I am, his creations generally make more sense than mine did. After I see his sketches, I rewrite the text to match his work, and sometimes things bounce back and forth a few times. Of course, his images stick around to inspire me for the rest of the series, so the feedback loop gets richer and richer.

WR: Of all the miraculous creatures and machines in the series thus far which one would you want to have in real life?

SW: I've always wanted an airship, and that hasn't changed. When the Graf Zeppelin was flying around the world for the first time anyone had, it was a daring and at time dangerous adventure, but they still had caviar, champagne, and a piano aboard. Seriously, if you're going to risk your life, that's the way to do it.

WR: I heard from a conference I went to that while working on Extra you realized you were writing from the wrong perspective and started over in the book after having written 1600 words. Did you experience any such situations while writing Leviathan or Behemoth? And would you ever consider writing any short stories or other novels from any of the other characters perspective?

SW: It was actually 16,000 words, or about 60 pages, a month wasted. Nothing that big ever went wrong with the Leviathan series. I did start a short story set in the same world about a year earlier, which was intended for an airship anthology. I never finished it, but it gave my the groundwork for Leviathan.

WR: I’ve heard you mention in an interview that the first million words any writer writes are complete crap. What were some of the books you wrote before you were first published?

SW: One terrible book set on a starship, but it was really a giant role-playing game. Bad Twilight Zone mixed with D&D, I suppose.

WR: You were recently in an anthology Zombies vs. Unicorns can you tell us a little about your story in it?

SW: It's set a few years after the zombie apocalypse, and is about the generational conflicts between adults and teenagers. The adults are traumatized by fighting to survive the early days, while the teens were quite young during the outbreak, and are much less psychologically damaged. In fact, they're getting a bit bored of hiding behind fences, and want to go out into the world.

WR: What other advice would you give to young writers?

SW: Write at the same time every day, and in the same place if possible. The more a habit and ritual writing becomes, the more your brain will accept that NOW is the time to write, and will stop fighting you.

WR: What’s been the hardest book for you to write of your different series? Why?

SW: The Leviathan series is definitely harder than anything else. With a historical, you think you know everything about a period, and then a character is getting dressed, and you realize you don't know if zippers were around in 1914. And if they were, did anyone in the Ottoman Empire use them?

WR: Where and when can Austin fans come meet you and hear more about your series?

SW:

October 16th

2:30 – 3:15PM

Behemoth presentation

The Sanctuary at First United Methodist Church

1201 Lavaca Street

Austin, TX 78701

http://www.texasbookfestival.org/Calendar.php?selected_day=2

Cinda Williams Chima Interview

CINDA WILLIAMS CHIMA INTERVIEW

Cinda Williams Chima is the sensational author of the Heir and Seven Realms Series. Her books have been nominated and won numerous awards, including earning places on the New York Times Children's Series Bestseller, USA Today, and Indie Bestseller lists. She most recently published the second book in her Seven Realms Series, The Exiled Queen, and will be touring across the US for the Exiled Queen book tour.

She recently graced us with her presence and answered some of our questions about her bestselling series. Here's the interview.

Whatchamacallit Reviews: What made you want to be a writer?

Cinda Williams Chima: When I was in school, my writing was one of the first things I received positive feedback about. Also, books changed my life.

WR: Most author have a number of books they write before they get published, what was the premise of your first book you wrote before you got published?

CWC: Actually, The Warrior Heir was the first book I finished as an adult. And it eventually got published, after four years of revision. I did write romance novels in junior high school in which I ended up with the cute guy.

WR: How did you develop the idea for The Seven Realms series?

CWM: I had written the first two books of a high fantasy trilogy for adults that I never finished. It was called the Star-Marked Warder, and was set in the Seven Realms. So after I finished The Dragon Heir, I knew I wanted to write more books for teens. I had this entire world created, the culture, the conflict, the characters, a map. And so I took two of the characters back to when they were teens--Han Alister and Raisa ana'Marianna.

WR: What’s your writing process usually like, do you usually outline?

Are you part of a writers group?

CWC: I do not outline. I've tried it, and it doesn't work for me in fiction. Of course, when you write like I do, it requires lots of revision. I do belong to several critique groups. It's really important to get feedback on your work from thoughtful people before it goes to an editor or agent. Also, writing is a lonely business, so it's nice to hang out with friends who understand it.

WR: The first book in the Heir series, The Warrior Heir, reads as if it was a standalone novel, was it originally meant as a standalone novel or did you always know it was going to be part of a series?

CMC: I wrote The Warrior Heir and The Wizard Heir before either was published. I stopped, then, knowing I could have the world's longest unpublished series. I knew that publishers are reluctant to take on a series from an unknown author. Hyperion bought The Warrior Heir as a stand-alone. They bought Wizard when The Warrior Heir did very well. And then I wrote The Dragon Heir. I like doing sequential stand-alones that can be read in any order. However, the story arc of The Seven Realms series goes over the four volumes, so they are not stand- alones.

WR: What’s been one of the weirdest experiences you’ve had since becoming published? Have you gotten any odd gifts from fans?

CWC: No odd gifts. But I do hear from fans who have read my books so many times, they are the ones who find the errors in them. Or ask questions I can't answer.

WR: How did you decide to write from Han and Raisa’s point of view in The Seven Realms series?

CWC: I wanted to feature a strong male and a strong female character. It's also cool to alternate POV because then the reader has more information than either of the protagonists--and that can set up tension.

WR: Of your books who’s your favorite character to write?

CWC: I don't think I can choose. Sometimes a minor character can really take over, though--like Leesha Middleton in the Heir series. She was supposed to be a walk-on in The Warrior Heir and ended up returning for each book. And Cat Tyburn in the Seven Realms series--she's so deliciously tough.

WR: The Exiled Queen ends with a large number of unsolved issues, what can you tell us about the next book in the series and when can we expect the next book in the series to come out?

CWC: The Sword of Hanalea should release in fall of 2011. I'm finishing the line edits on it now. I guess I'd describe it as one crisis after another--a real roller-coaster. The fourth book is called The Gray Wolf Throne, and I'm almost done with a first draft on that.

WR: After reading The Exiled Queen I felt like Hayden Fire Dancer’s character was so intricate and his story so interesting, and yet we don’t get to read nearly enough about him, would you ever consider writing a book from Dancer’s point of view?

CWC: Of course. I love Dancer. I wish I had more time to spend on each character, but the books are long enough, lol

WR: What’s next on the horizon for you? Besides the Heir and Seven Realms series do you have any plans for any other new series you’re working on?

CWC: I'll be writing two more Heir books after the Seven Realms series. And I have an idea for a new series after that, but it's still--um--under development.

WR: Where and when can fans come see you in Austin?

CWC: I'll be at the Texas Bookfest. On Saturday, October 16 I'm participating in a Zombies vs Unicorns Smackdown from 6-7:30 p.m. at the AAMP Building. Sunday October 17 from 11 a.m. to noon I'm on a panel, Portals to Imagined Worlds at the Capitol Extension. Afterwards I'll be signing books at the Authors' Tent. Hope to see some of you there.

WR: And where can other fans hear more about your books?

CWC: Well, The Demon King is now available in paperback, and The Exiled Queen released September 28.

Excerpts from each of my books are available on my website, www.cindachima.com. Help for writers can be found under Tips for Writers, including a document called, “Getting Started in Writing for Teens.”

I blog at http://cindachima.blogspot.com/, where you’ll find rants, posts on the craft of writing, and news about me and my books.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Interview

SCOTT PILGRIM vs. THE WOLRD INTERVIEW

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is the major motion picture based on the cult-favorite graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (also known for Live Free or Die Hard), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, Chuck, Zack and Miri Make a Porno) and Anna Kendrick(Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Up in the Air) sit down with the Whatchamacallit Reviews to joke about being superheros (or villians), playing music, and Comicon. If you haven’t seen Scott Pilgrim yet, consider going as soon as you can.

Whatchamacallit Reviews: What first attracted each of you to the project?

Brandon Routh: Well nobody was able to read the script until they were cast, essentially, so it was the possibility of working with Edgar Wright that attracted me to the project. Once we were cast, we were able to read the source material and that was just kind of icing on the cake because it was such a cool concept.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead: Yeah, I was attracted to it because Edgar Wright was directing and he gave me books to read and eventually, the script came along. The script was amazing, the rest of the cast was amazing, there was nothing that could deter me from the project.

Anna Kendrick: I was a big fan of Edgar’s work and I was just like “Yes please!”

WR: How much of the fighting scenes were done by you?

MW: We had to do a lot of it. Michael and I trained every day for two months like eight hours a day, all the exes would sort of rotate coming to town and train for a bit. We did boot camp training, kung fu training, fight choreography…the stunt team really wanted us to do as much as possible. They tailored the choreography to be stuff that we could achieve, but the stunt guys were always there to step in at a moments notice and take over and they definitely did some amazing stunts in the movie. The majority of it is us though.

WR: Any fight mishaps?

MW: I had one; it was as much my fault as it was Ellen’s. In my fight with Ellen, at the end of the movie, I took one of Knives’ knives to the eye and got slashed in the eye, had a black eye for the day. She was so into it and coming at me, and as I was turning I kind of took it to the eye. At that point, for some reason, we weren’t using Styrofoam knives, we were using metal and wood, crafted into a point, but from that point on, we used Styrofoam knives.

BR: I was reaching for fliers at the “Clash of Demonhead” concert and I was looking for one in mint condition and as I picked one up, I hit my head. Had to sit down for a while, everybody laughed. I didn’t pass out, but I probably hit it hard enough that I could have given myself a concussion.

WR: Did your dance training help with the fight choreography?

MW: It did a lot, it was counted out like “5,6,7,8” and a lot of it, we knew they would be musically focused, that the beats would match up but at the same time, I had to focus on not making them look like dance moves.

WR: Did your past work in other super hero movies help in this film?

BR: Well, I kind of felt like the old man on campus, talking to people about being in a harness, because I knew what that was like. So with the stunt crew, I kind of knew what was going on and didn’t feel as awkward about that whole situation. I knew all the tricks it just saved some time. I was used to the pain it induces, so it wasn’t as bad.

MW: For me, it helped having already done something that was as stylized, where performances were over the top. It didn’t seem that much of a stretch because I had done something similar in tone.

WR: If you were a superhero, what would be your super power and your super hero name?

BR: My name would be “Justice Man” and I would use my power to seek truth.

AK: My name would be “Pixie Fuller” because that’s my porn name, and my power would be invisibility and I would not use it for good.

MW: I could be like Rosie the Riveter.

BR: Retro Girl! You could point at things and it would take it back in a time warp. I play this game all the time.

WR: What was the most memorable experience of comic con?

MW: The most memorable was definitely the screening. The screening was amazing. The fans loved it and it was really special to experience that with that.

WR: What do you want viewers to take away from the movie?

MW: For me, it’s just such a true story of people in their twenties in relationships. You’re getting out of your teenage years, but you’re still not quite mature enough to handle a break up properly and you put someone else before yourself. It’s kind of good to put a mirror on all of us that way and say “Yeah, we have all treated someone really thoughtlessly, especially in a breakup.” It’s really horrible, but we need to realize we’ve all done it. We need to realize that we have evolved and matured beyond that. So many people in this film are going through similar arcs.

BR: There is a line in the movie where Gideon says “Don’t let the past ruin your future” and that’s what it is really about to me. It’s echoed in many ways in the movie, past relationships, past period, you have to get over your past to truly move forward in love or in anything else. It’s pretty powerful. There are some who think this movie is just about comic books and flashy stuff, but there are so many undertones that give it heart.

WR: What is your favorite scene in the movie?

AK: I like the scene in the alley with Mae [Whitman] the first time she [Roxy] attacks him.

MW: I love the little things in the movie you pick up that you don’t notice the first time around.

BR: Right now I’m liking that scene where Scott is stalking Ramona at the party because I love that Frank Black song.

Ari Marmell Interview

ARI MARMELL INTERVIEW

Writing is portrayed in movies and television shows as an exhilarating a highly coveted career in America. Yet, in reality, it requires hard work, constant scrutinizing by editors, and most importantly an amazing idea. Local Austinite, Ari Marmell, had that idea, put in the hard work, and after ten hard years of rewriting, published his first wholly original book, "The Conqueror’s Shadow". Whatchamacallit Reviews sat down with Marmell and got a glimpse of what it took to write "The Conqueror’s Shadow", how he got started, and what’s next for the up and coming Austin writer.

BL31: How did you first decide to become a writer?

Ari Marmell: I made the decision in my second year in college. I’d been writing things informally, mostly characters from “Dungeons and Dragons”, and that sort of thing. But I decided it was something I liked doing, and more to the point there was nothing else I didn’t hate the idea of doing more. So as a sophomore in college I changed my major to creative writing, which thrilled my parents to no end.

BL31: I’m sure they loved that.

AM: Don’t get me wrong they were incredibly supportive of what I do, they were just a little scared I wouldn’t be able to make a go out of it. Since most people can’t. But that was a pretty long time ago now.

BL31: Now what inspired you to write “The Conqueror’s Shadow”?

AM: It was one of those things, you know writers always talk about things hitting them out of the blue, and this was one of them.

In retrospect I know part of included a lot of my interests at the time, the more informal writing style, a sarcastic tone, and dark or conflicted characters.

But the idea actually first came to me while I was having lunch with my wife back in 99’ or 00’. It started out as the idea of a retired warlord coming back into the public eye to deal with someone who was even worse than he was. And everything else just sprang from that one idea. So there wasn’t one specific thing that caused it.

BL31: Wow, so how long did the whole process take to write the book?

AM: The first draft of the book took about two and half to three months, but there’s been so much rewriting done on it, that I think I spent a total of six or seven months writing on it over the course of years. In fact the very first draft of the book was written over 10 years ago. But it’s really changed so much since then, through everything from my writing improving, to my ideas changing, to the editorial feedback.

BL31: What was one of the hardest parts in the editorial process for you?

AM: Letting go of certain scenes or certain details. You know there’s an old cliché to authors “be ready to kill your babies”. I don’t’ mind editorial feedback, but every so often they’d point out a particular scene or detail that I really liked doesn’t actually serve the narrative, and forcing myself to cut those parts was always really difficult.

BL31: Can you tell me a little about the sequel to “The Conqueror’s Shadow”?

AM: It’s called “The Warlords Legacy”, but it used to be entitled “The Warlords Lament”, but we changed that. It's coming out in January and it takes place roughly six years after “The Conqueror’s Shadow”, and I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone who hasn’t read either book, but it’s fairly obvious that what Corvis thought he was achieving at the end of “The Conqueror’s Shadow” actually has not worked out at all the way he thought it would.

BL31: Really?

AM: Yeah, he’s actually in a worse place personally, emotionally, relationship wise at the start of “Warlords Legacy” than he was at the end of “The Conqueror’s Shadow”.

BL31: Will we get to see any of the other supporting characters in “The Warlords Legacy”?

AM: Absolutely! Some more than others, Davro the ogre makes only a brief appearance for instance, but some of the characters that were only minor supporting characters in the first book are actually quite important in the second. If you remember Corvis's brother-in-law, Baron Jassion, he actually has a much larger part, and while he’s still pretty much pure anger and frustration he has quite a bit of character growth.

BL31: Did you have a favorite character while writing “The Conqueror’s Shadow”?

AM: Yeah, I have to say at least being the most fun to write, I have to go with Khanda. It will come as a surprise to no one that I’m a fairly sarcastic person in real life, but I’m usually fairly polite about it. Just being able to cut loose and be able to be vicious and nasty while still being sarcastic and funny just made Kanda a blast to write. There are characters with similar traits, hopefully not to similar, in “The Warlords Legacy”, that hopefully readers will enjoy.

BL31: Going back a little, how did you originally get an agent?

AM: Well getting an agent is kind of one of those weird stories that’s different for everyone. I tried for quite some time to get one through the traditional routs and applied to a number of agencies, and was rejected. Probably rightfully so as my writing wasn’t what it needed to be at the time. But I actually got my agent in a backwards sort of way. What happened was Wizards of the Coast was going to do a line of non-gaming related fiction, and I’d originally done “The Conqueror’s Shadow” for them. An agent who was handling both novels and studio rights saw it in one of their catalogs and came to me to see if I had management. And it was while I was talking to him that Wizards of the Coast ended up canceling that line, so “The Conqueror’s Shadow” reverted back to me. From there he turned around and sold it to Random House and the rest is history.

BL31: You live in Austin correct? Has Austin impacted your writing?

AM: I don’t know if there’s been a huge amount of impact, as when I’m writing I tend to be some what of a hermit. But that being said I certainly like the city and have some great friends here that I bounce ideas off of.

BL31: What can we expect from you in the future?

AM: I just finished what is supposed to be the final draft of “The Conqueror’s Legacy”. I have two books with the editor at Pyre books that are expected to be out in the next year or so, and I expect to be doing editing for those soon. As well as a new urban fantasy book that I’m working on. And then after that some of the books have sequel potential but really it depends on what each publisher likes.

BL31: So where can we find you online?

AM: You can find me at http://mouseferatu.com/, but you can also find me by typing in Ari Marmell on Google.

BL31: Well thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us.

AM: No thank you! Thanks for the time and thanks for reading the book.