Author Interview with Kyoko M.

Name or pen name: Kyoko M. Author of: The Black Parade*Interviewer comments are in bold.   1. What Inspired you to write your first book?It actually came from several different sources. I began writing The Black Parade in 2009 while I was still in college taking a class on Greek mythology. I had always loved epic poems and stories of gods and immortal beings, and I also was a huge fan of Christian mythology as well, particularly Paradise Lost by John Milton. I wanted to create a modern day story with these types of characters in it, but with my own slant to the story. For one, supernatural/paranormal fiction doesn’t tend to have enough main characters who are women of color, so I decided that it could be a new avenue to explore.
I can relate to this. I got the idea for the world in my book Soul Seed while I was sitting in a history of modern design class. I would not have had that idea without taking that class.
My second inspiration came from the 2005 film ‘Constantine’ directed by Francis Lawrence. This sounds odd considering the adaptation, which is based on the Hellblazer comics, bears little resemblance to its original source, but the story is what drew me in and so I took the idea and melded it with what I already had in mind based on Paradise Lost. Somehow, it gave birth to The Black Parade.
On a more personal level, I have been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I tried to write novels before I got to this one and they didn’t have the juice to make it, but this one finally had all the right elements. I learned enough about the craft and the creative process to finally get everything down on paper and edited to the point where it was a coherent story that I hoped people would enjoy. I wrote it because it was something I would like to see out in the world—a black protagonist in a crazy, supernatural setting, and one who doesn’t fall into too many stereotypes.
2. How did you come up with the title? The title comes from the My Chemical Romance song entitled “Welcome to the Black Parade.” In the song, the black parade is a metaphor for death, as in one joins the black parade when they die. Jordan is a Seer, or someone who has the ability to see, hear, and assist souls with unfinished business. Therefore, she is almost like the drum major in the black parade, leading people towards their final resting place.  3. What genre do you consider your book(s)?Officially, I believe the novel counts as urban fantasy, but it has also been categorized in the paranormal and supernatural genres. 4. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?Oddly enough, most of the experiences in the novel aren’t drawn from my life or someone I know. My characters sort of sprung forth fully formed and their inner thoughts and motivations came with them. One of the real experiences that occur in The Black Parade is related to Jordan’s withdrawn nature and hesitance to let other people in. I was a bit of a loner as a kid and it was always difficult for me to make friends, and that was something that I wanted to show on a personal level in the novel. Loneliness can hit anyone, even girls who see dead people and regularly chat with archangels.
Another thing that is based on experiences of mine is Jordan and Michael’s relationship. I’ve always had that sort of banter with guys that I’ve liked in the past: the underhanded flirting, the teasing, the playful insults, etc. I enjoy reading about and watching couples with antagonistic chemistry, and so it’s something I write naturally as well.
5. What books have most influenced your life most? ‘Paradise Lost’ by John Milton, the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, and the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Milton’s work painted this vivid, beautiful picture of a fantasy world that I found myself dying to explore. The Redwall series taught me about creating nuanced details to ignite the imagination and how to write a spread of personalities. The Dresden Files taught me how to create a balanced, three dimensional character with a fully formed supporting cast. 
I love the Redwall series!
I’d also like to pay homage to Judy Blume’s ‘Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing,’ which comforted me a lot as an awkward kid with few friends and made me love reading and writing. I read that book so many times that my copy of it has fallen apart. It was such a fantastic little beacon of hope for kids out there who are still looking for their place in the world.
6. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? I actually have a mentor. His name is Andy Rattinger. I call him my writing sensei. He’s a brilliant screenwriter and independent filmmaker who I stumbled across on Twitter several years ago. I don’t know why he was kind enough to take me under his wing, but I am eternally grateful that he did. His advice has always pushed me out of my comfort zone, and we often end up in long Twitter debates about writing techniques, but he’s sharp as a tack and he’s got a good heart. I’ve learned so much from him and I hope to someday be that kind of mentor for a young author because I know I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am without him.
7. What books are you reading now? The Unconsciousness of an Ethiopian Princess by Talisha Harrison, The Geek’s Guide to Dating by Eric Smith, Hellboy: On Earth as It is in Hell by Mike Mignola and Brian Hodge, and Dante’s Inferno. I’ve also got my eye on Frozen Heat by Richard Castle, Shadowland by Meg Cabot, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman, and Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. It’s going to be a busy Christmas on Amazon for this author.
8. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and why? I mentioned Talisha Harrison’s book of poetry earlier. She’s a hardworking lady with a beautiful grasp of language. She’s also working on a post-apocalyptic novella about zombies that I’m excited for and will check out when it’s published. She’s a huge advocate for diversity in fantasy and sci-fi genres, like me, so I’m happy to support her and other new authors like her to reach for the stars.
9. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?I’d probably work on the third act and take my time developing the climax. It took me around two years to finish The Black Parade, and most of the time was spent trying to write myself out of a corner. Jordan, Michael, and Gabriel come up against a great evil that they never could have predicted, one that was so powerful that it took me a while to figure out how to defeat him. While I’m satisfied with the novel as a whole, I would have taken more time to resolve the climactic battle scene towards the end. 10. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Certainly! The first is always plotting out the novel. For instance, I’ve already written the second book in the Black Parade series and I’m currently writing the third. I started the third novel in May of this year, and I actually got to 50,000 words rather quickly. Then I stopped and read it through one time and realized the plot was hard to understand and the pacing was abysmal. I had a long, detailed chat with my writing sensei and then went back and rewrote a large chunk of it. The novel’s events have always been a challenge because Jordan and Michael and the good guys go through so much in the first two books that it was hard to stay original and creative with the third one.
Another issue is presenting difficult solutions for the characters and showing them struggle in a way that makes them human. Jordan and Michael make some tough choices in the upcoming novels, and several are of the unsavory sort. To me, it’s important that the readers still care about the characters even if they don’t agree with their actions.
For instance, the novel Changes by Jim Butcher is the book in the Dresden Files series that upends damn near every single thing in Harry Dresden’s life. I was so crushed by the ending in that book that I (a) actually physically slapped the book and (b) couldn’t read the next novel in the series for a whole month because I was so emotionally torn up. Granted, I hope my readers get attached to the characters, but I also don’t want to alienate them if the characters make bad decisions. It’s always a tricky line to walk as an author.
11. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? Right now, it’s Jim Butcher, full stop. I’m 100% head over heels in love with Harry Dresden. Butcher’s talent is just insane. He writes beautifully, and yet he still has time to make me laugh hard enough to bust a gut, and then can switch the mood to the point where I’m tearing up as I read. He makes the most perfect nerdy references and yet they never seem overbearing or pretentious. Everything in his work flows smoothly. He is one of the few authors who gives me the full spectrum of emotions while I’m reading his work. It’s disgusting how in love with his writing I am right now.
 12. What was the hardest part of writing your book? Finishing. For me, it’s so easy to start a novel. It’s usually very easy up until I hit the 40,000 word count, and then things tend to wind down. Endings have always been very hard for me because it’s where the story hits its peak. The pacing and the character’s motivations are at their most important, and expectations are always going to be high. I fret over it constantly because I want to live up to my own expectations as well as the readers. Honestly, at my core, I just want to write someone’s favorite novel. It’s not enough that your beginning and your middle are good: one has to follow through to the end in order to truly write a great novel. 
Finishing is always tough, I tend to drag it when I get near the end because I don't want to be done writing the draft, but at some point I just get over it and finish. I think I wrote the last three chapters of Soul Seed in two days.
13. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? I learned how to discipline myself, first and foremost. The easiest thing in the world to do is not write. You can come up with a thousand excuses and you’ll never get the novel done if you let them control your life. Sometimes it feels impossible to squeeze a paragraph out, and other times I write for an hour straight without even flinching. Still, the one thing that I’ve learned is to keep pushing through, even after I’ve hit a wall or I want to give up because no one gives a flying monkey frick about my work. I write because I love it. If I’m lucky, other people will love it too, but until then, the most important thing is to do the work. Even if I can’t write every single day, I make sure to edit or rewrite things I’ve already written so that I’m constantly moving forward. Writing is about momentum, no matter how basic.
14. Do you have any advice for other writers? Don’t give up. You’re going to be tempted every single day to throw down your pencil, your pen, or your laptop and just quit for whatever reason. You’re too busy to write. You have bills to pay. You have a day job. No one cares about your work. No one will ever care about your work. You’re stressed out. Your writing is terrible. All of those things are going to crop up at some point and you’re going to consider letting your insecurities conquer you. Don’t do it. Successful authors aren’t the ones who are flawless wordsmiths—they’re the ones who don’t quit when everything in life tells them that they should. Writers are stubborn people. What we do matters, if only to us. Our stories need to be told. So tell them, and don’t apologize for it.
15. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? You are not alone. Even on the worst night, there’s a voice out there for you to connect with and all you have to do is crack open a book and find it. It doesn’t matter where you find it as long as you do. If it’s in my novel, I’m grateful for your time and your interest. You’re a treasure beyond measure. Keep reading and keep imagining.
16. What books/authors have influenced your writing? I grew up reading various things, but one that I’d like to mention because it’s a bit obscure now is the Symphony of Ages series by Elizabeth Haydon. My brother and I used to read the first three novels all the time when I was younger because they were these huge, sprawling fantasy stories that were dense and intricate. It was the first high fantasy novel series I ever read, and it’s still one of my favorites even if it is a bit dated by today’s standards.
One of the things that influenced me was Rhapsody as the main protagonist. Up until that point, I hadn’t read many fantasy series with female leads. Rhapsody has a lot of Mary Sue traits, but she’s still an interesting lady and her world is incredibly interesting. Haydon’s world building skills were masterful. I still find myself remembering the level of details she breathed into her series, and that is something I aspire to with an upcoming novel I’m working on that has to do with elementals and war.
17. Do you ever experience writer's block? Constantly. After all, I’m only human. Or so I let you all believe…18. What do you do to overcome writer’s block?
First, a nice dose of Chuck Wendig’s writing advice always helps calm me down when I’m in a tizzy about being stuck in a rut. Chuck Wendig’s blog is overflowing with excellent advice regarding anything related to writing. Anytime I find myself stuck, I thumb through his books and his blog for help.
Second, I crank up the inspirational music. No, I’m not talking Chariots of Fire: Oasis, Fun., The Stranglers, Beirut, Blink 182, Eels, Vampire Weekend—all the musicians whose work make my soul light on fire when I hear their lyrics. I drown myself in music for a good half hour or so until I feel all my creative juices flowing again.
Third, I backtrack over the nearest chapter in order to see if I can detect what started the blockage. Most often, it’s just a scene that I don’t feel like writing either because it’s difficult, or it’s not what I’m in the mood to write. If I’m uninterested in a scene, I pick it apart and try to discover what makes it feel boring to me. Then I try to spice it back up.
19. Do you write an outline before every book you write? Nope. I usually have a general idea of my plots before I begin and I write about a good third to half of the novel, and then I outline in order to keep my timeline straight and to get a better perspective of my pacing. I advocate outlining to the fullest extent, though. I simply use it in an odd fashion. It’s incredibly helpful for straightening out storylines and details that I may have lost later on. 20. Have you ever hated something you wrote? Is the Pope Catholic? The Black Parade is only my first successful novel. I attempted a novel three times before it came along, and sadly, all three attempts were steaming piles of monkey poo. The one that I hate most of all is a romantic comedy novella I wrote about two best friends in college: a gay guy and a straight girl who were roommates (Gee, sound familiar?). The guy, named Nick, gets a call from his sister who announces that she’s getting married and wants him to come home for the wedding, but since he hasn’t come out to his parents, he doesn’t want to go. His best friend, Cassidy, convinces him to go, but when they get there, Nick panics and tells the family he and Cassidy are lovers to avoid coming out to them. Meanwhile, Nick’s gorgeous cousin, Jason, gets suspicious of their relationship and sets his sights on Cassidy, who is attracted to him as well but doesn’t want to blow her cover.
After I wrote it and re-read it, there were a billion issues with it. The main one was lack of conflict, and that’s why it didn’t even make it to 50,000 words. My dad read it and loved it and wanted me to write it as a screenplay and sell it, but I truly hate the way I wrote Nick’s predicament. Now that it’s been years since I wrote it, I may someday revisit the manuscript and rewrite it, but as of now, it’s my most loathed story. 21. What was your favorite book or series as a child?Like most writers, I was an enormous Harry Potter fan. I’m older now and I have fondness for it, but I sort of drifted apart from the series after the fifth novel. However, I will always be grateful to J.K. Rowling for creating such a vibrant, beautiful world, and for teaching an entire generation to love reading. Harry Potter’s legacy will continue for decades to come and I am so happy to have grown up with an author guiding me with a kind, mature, loving hand. Rowling knew how to tell a story, tell it well, and tell it without insulting our intelligence. The series continues to stand the test of time because it can be enjoyed by adults and children alike. It’s just plain amazing. 
I totally (sorry I'm cringing at the word totally, sounds to childish. It's such a shame that some words get to overused and abused that people end up trying to avoid them whenever possible.) agree with you. I love J.K. Rowling. I once forced my parents to drive me an hour and a half (the nearest bookstore at the time) so I could buy Order of the Phoenix on the day it was released.  I haven't had the time to read her latest book, I really want to. 22. What is your favorite television series?Oh, why did you ask me that? Now I have to gush about a little show called Castle. It basically changed my life. If you’re not in the know, Castle is an ABC cop procedural dramedy starring geek god Nathan Fillion and the eternally funny and beautiful Stana Katic. Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) is a world-famous crime novelist who grows bored with his golden goose main character, Derrick Storm, and kills him off. Thus, he’s looking for something new to write about. He meets Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) when she comes to him after a murderer stages his victims the way Castle wrote them in one of his novels. Intrigued by her fierce intelligence and heart-stopping hotness, Castle asks to consult on the case and they solve the murder together. He then weasels his way into shadowing her because he’s friends with the Mayor of New York, and the show takes off from there.
Castle is currently in its sixth season and I’m just as in love with it now as I was when I watched the pilot, if not more. The chemistry between Castle and Beckett is unreal. Plus, the show’s writers are sharp as tacks. They have created one of the best on-screen couples in recent history. They know how to make me laugh, cry, and root for my wonderful cast of characters every single week.
More than that, though, Castle is actually my dream. I hope to someday become a bestseller so that I can move out to LA and meet other authors and live the life I’ve always wanted. I’ve had humble beginnings and I want to see the world and explore it before my time on this old dust ball is over. Castle reminds me of where I want to be someday, and I work towards it every time I write.

OH MY GOODNESS! Now I have to gush too. I am habitual in watching Castle. I have always been a huge fan of Nathan Fillion, I mean Firefly and Serenity whats not to love? Put Nathan in anything and it has to be amazing. The did a great job in casting for this show.
23. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?Nothing really unique. I love to draw, but not in a professional sense. I have a Deviant art account and every so often when I’m stressed out, I take a couple hours to myself and draw. Typically, it’s just characters from my novels. I find it very relaxing to draw and color, regardless of my skill level.
I find drawing out characters to be a huge help in picturing them as I write. I find often I know their personalities better than their physical features, so while I could write pages and pages describing their personalities and how they interact, I forget that sometimes I need to draw in the description of their physical appearances.
24. How can we contact you or find out more about your books?Easy. I’m always available on Twitter with the handle @misskyokom, my email address is theblackparadeseries@gmail.com, and my website is http://www.shewhowritesmonsters.com. I also have a Facebook page of the same name. I’m always excited to meet readers and fellow authors so please feel free to drop in and say hi. I love new faces. You can purchase The Black Parade at http://www.amazon.com/The-Black-Parade-ebook/dp/B00E3HLHIK
25. What can we expect from you in the future?The Black Parade is the first in a trilogy. If you purchase the novel, either as an eBook or a paperback, you’ll be able to read an excerpt from the second novel in the series, She Who Fights Monsters. It will be coming to bookshelves in summer 2014, and the third novel will debut some time in 2015.