Bridget Jeffries
asked
Mark Lawrence:
We'll be discussing Red Sister for our book club tomorrow. What made you want to write a book about fantasy nuns of ass-kickery? Where did you get the idea? Did any real-life nuns (modern or historical) inspire your choice?
Mark Lawrence
Hmmm. I have enormous difficulty answering (honestly) questions about what made me decide to do something writing-related, and similarly where ideas come from.
I guess I started with the idea that I wanted to write a book with mainly female characters, and a convent seemed to supply a good reason why that might be the case. The ass-kicking seems to be a constant theme with me :) I'm not sure I could write a book about peaceful convent life. Not that fantasy readers would want to buy.
The marriage of monks and martial arts was put into my mind as a child watching the Kung Fu series staring David Carradine. So extending that to nuns seemed a very small step. And I guess I had also read about girls trained in martial arts in Peter V Brett's Demon Cycle books.
The only real life nuns I can name are Mother Theresa and Sister Wendy, who presents a TV show about art history. Neither of them was an inspiration for the nuns in Red Sister.
Thanks for choosing my book to discuss & I hope you enjoy it!
I guess I started with the idea that I wanted to write a book with mainly female characters, and a convent seemed to supply a good reason why that might be the case. The ass-kicking seems to be a constant theme with me :) I'm not sure I could write a book about peaceful convent life. Not that fantasy readers would want to buy.
The marriage of monks and martial arts was put into my mind as a child watching the Kung Fu series staring David Carradine. So extending that to nuns seemed a very small step. And I guess I had also read about girls trained in martial arts in Peter V Brett's Demon Cycle books.
The only real life nuns I can name are Mother Theresa and Sister Wendy, who presents a TV show about art history. Neither of them was an inspiration for the nuns in Red Sister.
Thanks for choosing my book to discuss & I hope you enjoy it!
More Answered Questions
Thomas
asked
Mark Lawrence:
Good evening, Mark. Big fan, love your work. I have been hooked since picking up Prince of Thorns. In your opinion how important is reading to an aspiring author? How often did you read before you were published and when you were writing your first novel? Also, did you stick to primarily reading fantasy or sci-fi books? Would you read books in the top seller lists like a really popular thriller or romance?
Caleb
asked
Mark Lawrence:
Are there still plans to collect all the brothers short-stories into 1 volume?
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