Q and A Day

Okay before I give you the answer to today’s question, you have to go read the interview I did over at Body Count, Inc, the blog of the funny and ferocious Jacqui Jacoby. We met at RWA Nationals, where she was a Golden Heart finalist and was teaching a workshop on Plotting lessons learned from Firefly. Awesome.

Are you back?

Okay, so the question was from the comments in that interview, in regard to The Splendor Falls. (Which comes out in seven days. FYI.)

Q: Was it hard stepping out of Maggie’s world (to write the new book)?

A: As far as the world is concerned, not really. Maggie world is much like Buffy and Supernatural, more overtly magical (for all that it’s hidden). The magic is softer in The Splendor Falls. The theme is on hidden, secret things. It fits strongly into the gothic tradition that way. I loved writing that part of it.

The challenge was in changing the voice. Maggie is a very natural character to slip into. Her voice is really conversational, and she’s so open–if she thinks it she ‘says’ it. She’s in touch with her feelings, and doesn’t leave the reader guessing about them. Those of you who follow this blog MAY have read me whining about how Sylvie is… not any of those things. Her humor is darker, and she’s more complex and complicated, and I love that about her. But boy, she did not way to open up about her feelings–she didn’t even acknowledge them to herself!

It was a challege to get at what was inside her tough shell, but (eventually) it was all the more satisfying because of that. I hope readers will love her as much as I do.