Elizabeth asked Caragh M. O'Brien:

What inspired you to write the Birthmarked Trilogy and The Vault if Dreamers Trilogy?

Caragh M. O'Brien Thanks for asking, Elizabeth!
I'll try to be concise, but the answer is involved.
The very first ideas for Birthmarked came to me when I was driving across the U.S. back in 2008 and went through a drought in the South. The waterless lakes made me feel, for the first time, that climate change was already here, and I started to consider how worsening conditions would affect regular people, like me. I wondered what it would take to survive, and Gaia’s story began to form. I started writing the first chapter a couple weeks later, and then I wrote the rest of the novel to see what would happen. Then, when the first book sold, my editor offered me a three-book deal, so I discovered I was writing a trilogy.
The ideas for The Vault of Dreamers emerged from a combination of things rather than a particular experience. I’ve always been interested in dreams and wished we could tap them as a creative resource, so I was kicking that concept around. I also really enjoy reality TV shows (like Survivor and American Idol, which were airing at the time) and I was teaching at a high school when its security cameras were first installed, so I was intrigued by issues of stardom and privacy. I imagined Forge, an arts school that doubles as a reality show, and I started writing Rosie’s story without realizing how far my ideas would take me. I felt like I was reaching for a book that was beyond my capabilities, the same way students in the novel are challenged to explore the far edges of their art. I still feel like I’m being stretched now, as I’m working on the third book in the series, which I take as a good sign.
All best,
Caragh

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