Tia
asked
Sherwood Smith:
I've just discovered and devoured Inda and Fox. It is amazingly rare to encounter books where characters are so diverse, yet each developed with care and sensitivity, resulting in a consistently compelling cast. Could you tell me more about how you get into each person's head, with their nuanced attitudes towards gender, sexuality, and identity? Did you take a conscious stance on race being a non-issue?
Sherwood Smith
Thank you! I am so glad you are enjoying the book. I've been writing stories in this world since I was eight. I'm primarily a visual writer, but around the time I was a teen I began trying to figure out "why" the people lived in castles rather than stucco houses, etc. I began reading history voraciously, the better to understand how governments and customs evolve. To keep this short, I guess you could say that I always wanted a diverse world, and slowly began to figure out why it was that way. That in turn helps shape the stories.
More Answered Questions
Dakota
asked
Sherwood Smith:
I am writing a paper about bisexual characters in YAL, and Stranger was on a list of books with bi characters, but I can't find anything else saying whether any of the characters are bi. While I will definitely read this book at some point(and I already purchased a copy)Would you tell me whether it will be useful for my paper? Thanks so much for your devotion to boosting representation in YAL.
BG Callahan
asked
Sherwood Smith:
Arwen is looking for a story she read at your home. About a girl whose mother disappears periodically. Sge tracks her to a strange home and is sucked into a fantasy world across a bridge...a race of small faery people. Ring any bells? Your lit-input and Ruth's really helped her esthetic sensibility to blossom! Many thanks and blessings.
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