Questions About Wintersong (Wintersong, #1)

by S. Jae-Jones (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (52)

So it sounds like if I've seen Labrynth I've pretty much read this book. What are the differences between the two?

Tigress I'll admit, I was skeptical about it at first, since it's a romance with a teenage girl and the Goblin King, and his realm is called the Underground (…moreI'll admit, I was skeptical about it at first, since it's a romance with a teenage girl and the Goblin King, and his realm is called the Underground (which automatically makes me start humming the song by David Bowie). Labyrinth is one of my favorite movies, and I didn't want to see it get ripped off. I haven't finished the book yet, but it's definitely different from Labyrinth. The setting is completely different, but it's not just Labyrinth in a different setting. For one thing, the heroine is a musician, and music plays a big part in the story. For another, it's partially based on the poem Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti (and includes quotes from a lot of her poetry), and the Goblin King is sometimes referred to as Der Erlkönig, or the Erlking, a figure from Germanic mythology. It's also incorporated some other creatures from mythology, like kobolds, Hödekin, lorelei (mermaids), etc. It's also a bit of Beauty & the Beast, and Hades & Persephone. Also, Labyrinth itself was based on existing mythology, and the book Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak. Wintersong still has a bit of a Labyrinth-esque feel to it, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'd say if you like Labyrinth, Wintersong is worth reading. (And I didn't mean for this to be so long, sorry!)(less)

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What would the recommended age group be? I'm incredibly excited to read this! Thank you!

S. I wrote WINTERSONG for my 16-year-old self, so if you are an uncertain, passionate, slightly awkward teen girl who loves fairy stories and finds beaut…moreI wrote WINTERSONG for my 16-year-old self, so if you are an uncertain, passionate, slightly awkward teen girl who loves fairy stories and finds beauty in darkness, this book is for you.

That said, while WINTERSONG is now designated as YA, it does contain mature content and would probably be more appropriate for older teens and adults. :)(less)

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What really inspired you to write this story?

S. A desperate need to find escape while working a phone customer service job, honestly.

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I'm musically inept, and I realize the book sections were broken up into musical parts. But was the story supposed to specifically mimic the structure of a sonata as Elisabeth described it? "I knew the rules, how a sonata should be structured. Three movements: fast, slow, fast. A declaration of theme, a deconstruction, a resolution."

S. To some extent, I was intentional about how I broke up the book into parts, and yes, I was absolutely inspired by how sonatas are structured. But I wa…moreTo some extent, I was intentional about how I broke up the book into parts, and yes, I was absolutely inspired by how sonatas are structured. But I was also inspired by a more East Asian story structure, which has four turning points. In Sino-Korean, this story structure is called 起承轉結 (기승전결), with the turning points being an introduction, a raising of the stakes, a reversal, and a resolution.

But mostly I wrote the book with the structure that made the most sense for Liesl's character development, then imposed a sense of structure later during edits. 😅(less)

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Why does she call her brother Josef “Sepperl”? I understand it's a nickname but I don't know why or if it means something.

Nemi In German speaking countries, such as Austria, Sepp or Sepperl is the short version of Josef. It doesn't have any specific meaning. English examples w…moreIn German speaking countries, such as Austria, Sepp or Sepperl is the short version of Josef. It doesn't have any specific meaning. English examples would be Bill for William or Jim for James.(less)

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