Chat with A.G. Howard

[Colleen]

Welcome to the group! A. G. Howard will be answering questions in Nov in this thread only. In the meantime if you have a question for the author or just want to introduce yourself feel free to do so in this thread.

[Ali Kiki]

I love the world building in Splintered but I'm curious why you chose to do a dark Wonderland?

[Melissa]

What is your favorite thing about writing?

[Ashley]

What is your favorite movie version of Alice in Wonderland?

[Milena]

What hobbies do you have and what genres do you like to read in your free time? What are some of your favorite books?

[Ali Kiki]

Was it intentional for all your covers to looks so similar? Will you try to weave the worlds into one?

[Colleen]

How did you get started writing?

[Colleen]

Do you have a favorite conference you like to attend?

[Colleen]

Any must haves as you write?

[Colleen]

Do you write at home or somewhere else?

[A.G.]

Ali Kiki wrote: "I love the world building in Splintered but I'm curious why you chose to do a dark Wonderland?"

Great question! Lewis Carroll won my heart as a child by weaving underlying threads of violence and eeriness into his nonsensical scenes and characters. So it was a priority for Splintered to pay respectful homage to those elements while coaxing the funkiness/creepiness from subtle nuance to center stage for the new generation of young adults who were already cutting their "reading" teeth on dystopian and apocalyptic tales. I was hoping the darker edge of my spinoff would entice these readers to seek out the Carroll originals if they weren't already fans.

[A.G.]

Trudy wrote: "Is Wonderland your favorite fictional place? If you could go to any fictional place, where would you choose?"

I have to say Wonderland, or Morpheus would never forgive me...ahem.

[A.G.]

Melissa wrote: "What is your favorite thing about writing?"

My favorite thing about writing is also my favorite thing about reading: the ability to follow characters on adventures that allow me to escape reality and all it's responsibilities--if just for a little while.

[A.G.]

Ashley wrote: "What is your favorite movie version of Alice in Wonderland?"

I don't have just one. But of all of them, I love Tim Burton's take for its cinematographic beauty...he really knows how to make the macabre vivid and appealing. And for its whimsical story value and musical offerings, I love the original cartoon version by Disney (makes me really nostalgic). So, it depends on what I'm in the mood for--eye candy or something to satisfy the child in me. ;)

[A.G.]

Louise wrote: "How did you come up on the Alice in Wonderland twist, with the final ending? Are you planning on writing any spin offs to this series?"

I do hope to write more novels in the Splintered-verse one day. And if you'd like a detailed analysis of the ending and how I came up with it, follow this link: http://authoraghoward.blogspot.com/20...

[A.G.]

Milena wrote: "What hobbies do you have and what genres do you like to read in your free time? What are some of your favorite books?"

For hobbies, check out this blog post: http://authoraghoward.blogspot.com/se...

And as for genres I love? Classical novels (like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights), literary novels (anything by Alice Hoffman), and all things fantasy (Neil Gaiman is a personal favorite).

[A.G.]

Ali Kiki wrote: "Was it intentional for all your covers to looks so similar? Will you try to weave the worlds into one?"

It was intentional by my publisher (a way of branding me as their author). I didn't really have a say in the cover styles, but I think they're all beautiful and I'm thrilled they chose to use the same artist for all of them. Nathalia Suellen is simply amazing! And no, I don't plan to ever blend the worlds together.

[A.G.]

Colleen wrote: "Welcome to the group! A. G. Howard will be answering questions in Nov in this thread only. In the meantime if you have a question for the author or just want to introduce yourself feel free to do s..."

Thanks for hosting me this month, Colleen! I'm excited to meet and chat with readers. :)

[Yara]

Hi! What can you tell us about your upcoming book?

[A.G.]

Yara wrote: "Hi! What can you tell us about your upcoming book?"

Hi! How about I share a few facts that were included in my author’s note for the special preview galleys?

I first had the seedling idea for Stain in 2005 during a creative writing class for aspiring authors. Each student was asked to write a short story paying homage to any well-known tale, but to alter the theme while maintaining the original atmosphere and narrative. Thus, my two-thousand-word short, A Princess by Any Other Name (so titled in honor of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet quote: “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”), was born. To alter the Princess and the Pea theme, I flipped the “girl must prove herself a princess worthy of marrying the prince by being delicate” on its head. In mine, a different kind of princess came to light, someone who wouldn’t need to prove herself “worthy” of the prince, but instead would prove herself his equal—able to step into his kingdom and withstand the same kind of challenges and dangers he faced each day.

To honor the fairy tale narrative, Stain is written in limited omniscient alongside close third person for the four main characters: Princess, Prince, Villain, and Magical Guide. I wanted the reader to wear each one’s skin while still getting a birds’ eye view that weaves the threads of the characters’ lives into the fairy tale tapestry.

Stain isn’t a typical retelling in that it doesn’t closely follow the original fairy tale's characterization or plot. Instead, Stain was inspired by only three points of The Princess and the Pea (and I twisted each one to fit my tale):

• A prince desperate to find a princess to wed.
• A princess finds herself on the prince’s castle doorstep, though she’s a mess from being caught in a storm.
• The prince’s queenly mother wants proof the princess is a “real” princess worthy of her son so she makes her sleep all night on a stack of mattresses piled atop a pea, because only a true princess is delicate enough to feel the pea through all the cushioning.

There are also a few “hat tips” to other fairy tales: Cinderella’s wicked stepmother and stepsisters; The Little Mermaid’s musical voice; and Sleeping Beauty’s “true love’s kiss”. I found ways to turn each of these on their heads, too. :)

Since the original Princess and the Pea fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson is only a few paragraphs long, it allowed a lot of room for growing new character roles, magical elements, kingdoms/settings, and creatures when stretching to novel-size.

For fans of my Splintered Series, Stain has many similarities: magic, adventure, and mystical beings in an alternate land. However, it’s different from Splintered in that it’s a standalone and grimmer, with less whimsy and less focus on the romantic aspects.

Stain also puts to use a few high fantasy archetypes: overcoming the monster, embarking on the quest, and from rags to riches. But the theme that carries the book—girl has to prove she’s the legitimate princess, (or anti-princess in my case)—consistently loops the story back to The Princess and the Pea. This in mind, Stain is more a gothic fairy tale / fantasy hybrid than anything I've ever written.

[A.G.]

Colleen wrote: "How did you get started writing?"

The writing bug didn't bite me as a child, really. I might've dabbled in a few silly "stories" , writing them in map colors and stashing them under my bed, but I never took the ability too seriously. Not until years later, after I'd married, had two children, and lost my grandfather to brain cancer. The night he died, I sat down and wrote a two page tribute to him and his life that was later used for his eulogy. In all honesty, I hold him up as my inspiration, as the end of his journey was to be the beginning of mine.

[A.G.]

Colleen wrote: "Do you write at home or somewhere else?"

My most productive place to write is in my office at home. I have a bulletin/dry erase board facing the desk where I post character head shots and a few inspirational quotes to keep me going when it gets tough.

One of my favorites is: In writing, the journey is the destination.

[A.G.]

Colleen wrote: "Any must haves as you write?"

The one thing I must have is a computer or laptop. I’m not one of those authors who pens their manuscript on paper first. There’s something about the movement of my fingers across the keyboard that sets me into a rhythm and starts the words flowing.

I really don't have any quirks for getting myself into the writing mood. I'm more inclined to nurture my muse while living my everyday routine, to irrigate it until it has no choice but to write or burst.

Here’s what I have in my writer’s watering can:

Mug shots: I post pictures of my main characters on a bulletin board in my office so I can see them each time I'm in the room. Sometimes that's enough to either inspire an entire conversation between them, or a scene that I have to sit down and write immediately.

Books and movies: Every Friday night my husband and I watch a DVD together. I prefer movies about my current WIP’s subject (I’m a bit of a fanatic about it). For example, while working on an adult geisha vampire fantasy in the early years, we saw tons of vampire flicks (with the occasional side of Phantom of the Opera and Memoirs of a Geisha). Bless my spouse and his tolerant heart. This also goes for books. I saturate myself in the subject I'm writing. This not only keeps my head in the theme, but helps me avoid things that have already been done in similarly themed books and movies.

Music: When I first start on a project, I'll compose a playlist of songs to evoke the moods of my characters / scenes, and to heighten the atmosphere of the setting wherein I've placed my story. The songs vary from instrumental to vocal pieces. I'm not picky. It all depends upon the book. Sometimes I'll even listen to this music while doing something other than writing. Just like the pictures on my bulletin board, it sometimes inspires a scene or an exchange when I'm not even at the computer. You can find my playlists on my website: http://anita-authoraghoward.blogspot....

[A.G.]

Colleen wrote: "Do you have a favorite conference you like to attend?"

I go where my publisher sends me, and that varies every year. However, I've attended SIBA more than once, and always enjoy it. The first time I attended was in New Orleans, and it was a lot of fun. Also, I attended HumBook in Prague, and I'll never forget that experience! I shared some pictures from that trip here on my pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/authoraghow...

[Colleen]

A.G. wrote: "Melissa wrote: "What is your favorite thing about writing?"

My favorite thing about writing is also my favorite thing about reading: the ability to follow characters on adventures that allow me to..."

Ah that's mine too! =)

[Yara]

If you could go back in time, what writing advice would you give yourself?

[A.G.]

Yara wrote: "If you could go back in time, what writing advice would you give yourself?"

Celebrate every little victory, because there will be a lot of ups and downs. ;)

[A.G.]

Maria wrote: "What book-boyfriend from YA do you wish you could have created? And would you change anything about him?"

Abel from The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis. He's the most beautiful, broken soul. I would change only his ending...

[Colleen]

What an awesome chat! I love the advice to celebrate each little victory. I think it's so very important that we all do that. There's too much sadness and focus on the negative. We need to celebrate not only our own happy things but the good things that happen to our friends and neighbors and family too! Speaking of which, congrats to Yara! She's our winner for the November chat! Don't forget to join me next month when I'll be hanging out here with another awesome author talking books!