Kerri
asked
Mary Robinette Kowal:
I really enjoyed the Lady Astronaut of Mars. Her honesty in making the hardest decision of her life led me to question my own integrity. Out of curiosity, do you set out to shake people's emotional world when you begin a new story, or does that sort of deep impact develop as the characters evolve? Do you ever start off with an idea for a story and end up with something completely different?
Mary Robinette Kowal
First of all, thank you for an incredibly flattering comment about the Lady Astronaut of Mars.
Do I set out to shake people's emotional world? Sort of... in that, I'm trying to write stories that I like to read and I like an emotional punch. So, yes, in that I'm trying to emulate the effect of my favorite stories.
Do I start with an idea and then wind up with something completely different? Absolutely. Most of the time, it's pretty close to the core concept, but there have been times when a new idea presents itself and it's more interesting than the original. In fact, STAGECRAFT, which is the novel I have coming out in 2017 is totally different from it's original concept.
Do I set out to shake people's emotional world? Sort of... in that, I'm trying to write stories that I like to read and I like an emotional punch. So, yes, in that I'm trying to emulate the effect of my favorite stories.
Do I start with an idea and then wind up with something completely different? Absolutely. Most of the time, it's pretty close to the core concept, but there have been times when a new idea presents itself and it's more interesting than the original. In fact, STAGECRAFT, which is the novel I have coming out in 2017 is totally different from it's original concept.
More Answered Questions
Nicole
asked
Mary Robinette Kowal:
Thank you so much for writing “The Calculating Stars”, I absolutely enjoyed every single speck of this book. I cannot convey to you how absolutely perfect this book is to my science, space-y, fantasy genre, NASA loving, nerdy self , who as a kid wanted to be an astronaut. About 39 years later and I’m living vicariously through this one! IT’S SO F@#$&* GOOD!?
Jennifer Koudelka
asked
Mary Robinette Kowal:
You mentioned previously that you feel that Jane and Vincent's story is done, do you feel that fatigue for their story specifically or the Regency setting in general? That is, in upcoming novels from you, can we expect to see a return to a Regency setting or are you wanting to get away from that for a while and explore other settings?
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