Ask the Author: Julie Mathison
Answered Questions (9)
Julie Mathison
The second-worst thing was knowing I could have saved the world, but only after it was too late to do anything about it. I was the agent of destruction, and had I ended my own life, the world would have been spared, but I wouldn't have done it, even if I'd known -- that was the worst thing.
Julie Mathison
I suppose it would have to be Middle Earth. I've never gotten over the magic of leaving the Shire on my broken down pony and embarking on an adventure with that quality of deep mystery, not knowing what wonders, and horrors, lie in store. What would I do in Middle Earth? I guess just what Bilbo did, and Frodo after him. I wouldn't stay in the Shire, or at least that's what I'd like to believe!
Julie Mathison
I just re-read Jane Eyre. I read it every ten years or so. It's one of my favorite books, partly for its atmosphere, partly for the quality of inquiry it imparts, and partly because I'm a sucker for a really good Gothic romance.
Julie Mathison
I think the best way to deal with writer's block is not to have it at all. And the best way to do that is to write down whatever arises in your head. Don't judge it. Don't worry about it. Allow yourself to get swept up and engaged. You can always go back and revise. Just be where you are, and don't worry about where you're getting to, or where you think you ought to be.
Julie Mathison
The best thing about being a writer is writing! For me, writing is like reading, only in slow motion. I get to find out what happens, to live the book, as it's arising in my imagination. It's not something I "do" so much as something I participate in. And I never get tired of the wonder I experience by participating in something I don't fully understand. I get to write anywhere and any time -- between diaper changes when my kids were little, or now, in some other country when I'm traveling, or just sitting in front of the fire. All I have to do is open my computer and disappear.
Julie Mathison
Discover your own voice. I pursued traditional publishing for many years and experienced a lot of interest and success with agents and editors who loved my writing. But when it came down to the sale, I was invariably told that my book didn't fit squarely enough within the genre or the market. And traditional publishing is a business, first and foremost. I would set out to write what I thought would be a "marketable book," but invariably I would end up writing what interested me. I realized, eventually, that this was a good thing, even though I had to let go of my preconceptions about "success." Here is my advice: embrace writing as your calling, do it whether you get paid or not, follow your voice and your heart -- and then, find your audience. There are plenty of people out there who will love what you love. So, perfect your craft, but trust your art.
Julie Mathison
I'm currently revising VASILISA, an upper-middle grade novel that opens in 1919 in post WWI Pennsylvania and eventually ends up in Old Rus, a fairy tale land replete with witches and ogres and other fantastical creatures. It's a coming of age tale. I've been told the feel of the book reminds people of PAN'S LABYRINTH, although it's not nearly as dark. But it has a story book feel, very atmospheric, kind of like literary melodrama.
Julie Mathison
I never want for inspiration. I have six completed novels in my computer, most of which I will eventually get into publishable form. They range from books based on Russian folklore to YA fantasies that draw on the tarot, to whimsical portal fantasies to historical mysteries. The genesis for most of my books is just an interest or a feeling, which leads to research, so I can get grounded in the world I'm writing in. But I write intuitively, and the voice that I discover on the first page in some sense "writes" the book. In addition to the above books that are already written, I always jot down a note if I have a fleeting inspiration -- for instance, I'd like to do something that explores artificial intelligence, but combined with an old film noir aesthetic. Those two ideas came to me together, and exploring how they fit is one of the joys of creation.
Julie Mathison
BELIEVE is a bit of a mash-up of my own childhood, growing up in the late 1970's in Rochester, Michigan and later in Eugene, Oregon. The house on Rosemary Street is a lot like my house in Rochester, Buckminster Elementary is similar to Corridor School, which I attended in Eugene from 4th through 6th grade. And Melanie is a little like me -- but not like me too. My parents separated when I was young and eventually reunited, but I understood Melanie's yearning and felt I could expand on that. There are lots of things in the book that don't come from my life -- I never had a grandma like Gloria! This is the first novel I've written that draws on my own history, and the only one I've written in the first person. The initial draft was written in 20 days -- it just kind of poured out. Then, I went back and layered in new material, sometimes with the guidance of my agent at the time, and sometimes because I'd had some new insight. It was a relatively easy book to write. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
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