Colleen Houck Book Club discussion
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Ghostly Echoes
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May 31, 2016 02:58PM
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Hi! I really enjoyed the Jackaby series, and I'm excited for the fourth book, even though it's sad that the story is coming to an end.What was the first thing you knew about Jackaby? Was it a scene? The characters? Setting? Or something else?
I really enjoyed how Jackaby/Abigail's relationship feels like a Holmes/Watson one, but Abigail is the one with the analytical skills. Did this structure exist from the early stages of writing or is it something that was added in later?
How do you plot out the mystery? Do you start from the back and work your way forward?Is there another genre you would like to write in after Jackaby ends?
Where is your favorite place to write and how long do you write a day?
What book of yours would recommend if they haven't read any of your books yet?
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Did any mystery authors inspire your characters, i.e., Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, etc?
Is there a favorite outfit, building or room you got to describe in the books?
What is one of the best things that has happened to you?
Shara wrote: "How do you research your characters, locations, and tidbits of history and things like that?"Hello!
I research a couple of ways. First, I frontload a lot of information so that I have it bouncing around in my head. I read period stories and look up informational texts on related topic—just go nerd-wild on it on the off-chance that I will glean some handy details to sprinkle naturally into the narrative.
The other way I do research is by writing the story and THEN checking my work to see if I screwed it up. The answer is almost always yes, I screwed it up. At that point I edit out the anachronisms and add in the more realistic details, all the while cursing history for not bending the the whims of my writing.
Shara wrote: "Where do you like to write the best? Can you write on vacations or places other than you favorite place?"Hi!
Where I'd LIKE to write and where I DO write are rarely the same place. I have a nice desk that I occasionally clear off in a nice office that I periodically close to work in solemn peace and quiet.
Realistically, I often write sprawled out on a sofa or jot a thought into a cell-phone notepad or on a scratch paper. Writing happens most easily when you give yourself time and space to do it—but if you postpone writing until conditions are ideal, nothing gets written.
Tonnie wrote: "Who is your favorite character? Is it one of yours?"Hmmm—super tough. There are too many amazing characters to pick. I might go with Sam Vimes from Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. He's a gruff cop character who is profoundly flawed, but also profoundly decent. He ends up turning himself into a huge advocate for diversity and inclusivity, a loving husband, and a ferociously devoted father. Could do a lot worse.
Yun-a wrote: "Hi! I really enjoyed the Jackaby series, and I'm excited for the fourth book, even though it's sad that the story is coming to an end.What was the first thing you knew about Jackaby? Was it a sce..."
It was the way he got his power. My wife, Kat, is to credit for that. She had a concept of a seer as an inherited role. She had played with the idea in medieval times and in modern settings, but I became intrigued by what a seer would be like in between, around the turn of the century, when magic & science are both growing so quickly. The whole thing began as a story to amuse and impress her by playing with an idea I knew she would find interesting.
I highly recommend writing to impress the smartest people you know. It keeps you pushing yourself to be better.
Yun-a wrote: "I really enjoyed how Jackaby/Abigail's relationship feels like a Holmes/Watson one, but Abigail is the one with the analytical skills. Did this structure exist from the early stages of writing or i..."That evolved, but became very intentional in the end. In the first draft, Rook was far less dynamic—she was a HE in very early drafts, and he was basically a boring nobody. As the character gained depth, that dynamic evolved naturally. Jackaby, unlike Holmes, has never had to work for his answers. He is a nerdy guy, but one with a cheat—his visions. Rook, on the other hand, has had to push for every inch she has ever gained, so—like so many women—she has had to not only meet but exceed expectations. She's clever and tenacious, which is much worthier than being "gifted" in the end.
Yun-a wrote: "How do you plot out the mystery? Do you start from the back and work your way forward?Is there another genre you would like to write in after Jackaby ends?"
I do try to sort out where I'm going early on. I often write a few scenes out of order, knowing that I just want to make a place for them eventually, but then I make a thorough outline. Once I have an outline, I feel free to ignore it, but I am more confident knowing I have trail markers to reference on my way up the mountain.
My next project is in the same vein, but with a new cast focusing on different themes. Family and identity elements along with a lot of fairy tale fun.
Ashley wrote: "Where is your favorite place to write and how long do you write a day?"Wildly different depending on the day. I like quiet and solitude, mostly. When I can, I like to put 4-hours in a stretch before I take a break, so on a busy deadline-driven day that might be 12+ Hours, but there are also days when I write nothing, and that's okay.
I write where I can, which is sometimes in my office, sometimes in my bed, sometimes on a cell phone screen in a parking lot because I didn't want to lose an idea.
It's not glamorous, but it's writing.
Melissa wrote: "What book of yours would recommend if they haven't read any of your books yet?"Definitely JACKABY. It is the first in what is currently my only series.
Colleen wrote: "So you know I have to ask, which Doctor is your favorite?"I'm a David Tennant guy, although I appreciate them all in different ways. :)
Colleen wrote: "How did you get started writing?"I wrote.
It's glib, but true. I wrote for me, for friends, for fun, for as long as I can remember. I wrote scores of things I never got paid for, and those were all instrumental in developing as a writer. Enjoy writing. Never lament an unpublished or unpaid bit of writing as "a waste," because in the end, if you were doing it for money, you'd be doing something easier with a larger profit margin.
Debi wrote: "Did any mystery authors inspire your characters, i.e., Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, etc?"Yes. I had been brushing up on classic detective fiction—including Doyle and Poe—and a lot of the language & structure were born from that tradition. Other authors, like Neil Gaiman, Patricia Wrede, and Mike Mignola influenced the way I play with the tropes and figures from folktales and mythology, and authors like Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams inspired the more irreverent approach I opted to adopt in my tone.
Debi wrote: "Is there a favorite outfit, building or room you got to describe in the books?"I loved writing about the house at 926 Augur Lane. I will sorely miss describing the curious artifacts throughout the halls, the mad laboratory with its burns and smells, the grand library with its dark secrets, and the serene, third floor duck pond.
Ashley wrote: "What is one of the best things that has happened to you?"My wife, followed closely by my sons. I would not be me without them. I'm not sure who I would be—probably someone dreadful.
Hi!
How do you choose the names for your characters? Did any of them go through multiple name changes before becoming the characters we all know and love?
How do you choose the names for your characters? Did any of them go through multiple name changes before becoming the characters we all know and love?
Ashli wrote: "Hi! How do you choose the names for your characters? Did any of them go through multiple name changes before becoming the characters we all know and love?"
Hi! Jackaby has been Jackaby since the first line, while Abigail took many months & revisions to find her name. For central roles, I try to find a name that feels like the right personality.
Many of the background names in the first book are nods to the detective genre, referencing either authors or characters (Phillip) Marlowe, (Sam) Spade, (Dashiel) Hammett, (Sue) Grafton, Agatha (Christie), Arthur (Conan Doyle), etc).
Subsequent books reference figures from Science and history through similar name nods. The final book includes an extra nerdy naming convention for a batch of characters based on typography terms (Tilde, Ampersand, Serif, etc). Even when I'm using fun little tricks like that, I try to pick a name within the pattern that feels right for that character.
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I loved this series so much!! So sad it will be over!! I feel like it's a series that could go on for a long time so I was wondering why you decided to end it. Thanks!
Colleen wrote: "So is the series done after book four or is there more? Maybe a spin off?"JACKABY is done! The series concludes pretty definitively with book 4. I may someday revisit these characters, but for the foreseeable future I am letting them go.
Colleen wrote: "What are you working on now?"I have my first Middle-Grade novel underway, which I'm very excited about. It's set in the same universe, so could be considered a "companion series," but it's in a new town with a new cast. It's still fantasy with lots of folklore and mythology—but the themes center more around family and kinship.
Here's the announcement in PW's Right's Report: pwne.ws/2ynzSFE
Shauna wrote: "I loved this series so much!! So sad it will be over!! I feel like it's a series that could go on for a long time so I was wondering why you decided to end it. Thanks!"Thanks so much! I do love these characters, too, and I will so miss writing about them.
Too often a series becomes either formulaic and predictable over time, or else jumps every available shark in an effort to stay fresh and, as a result, loses sight of what made it good in the first place. I wanted to do right by my characters and give them a good story arc with a satisfying conclusion.
There are certainly adventures yet to be had for them, and I may someday return to them from a different angle, but I'd rather leave readers wanting a little more than leave them begging me to stop.
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Hi again! Out of curiosity, when is Jackaby's birthday? Or any of the main characters for that matter? We get to read about Abigail's in The Map, but I don't believe it ever specifically mentions the date.
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