Q&A with Cassandra Clare discussion
Q&A: Clockwork Angel/TMI: questions here!
Cassandra wrote: "Emma (Pulvis et umbra sumus) wrote: "The runes that shadowhunters use; I've been wonderingm if they are, in fact, runes? Like the vikings wrote? Or if it's some other sort, going under the same nam..."Fair enough. Would you mind telling me which kind of runes you use then? Scandinavian perhaps?
((- Which would be awesome and would make me totally proud of my orgins!))
Mod
Well, think about it — what might he be trying to hide? What might he show to Tessa when he thinks she can't see it? Think about how Valentine spilled his guts to Jocelyn when he thought she couldn't hear him because she was unconscious. We often show our true faces when we think we are alone or that the person we're with can't hear us.
If you don't get it, you don't get it — you'll get it by the end of CP. :)
There is just also plenty of emphasis on Jem and Tessa. Yes! Yes! YES!
Mod
Jem has a pretty obvious thing for Tessa in book one.
So, ALL of the people in the Institute lost family members and came their for shelter (except for Will, he Choose to), right?
Yes.
TMI questions/ ***SPOILER***
Does Magnus ever mention Camille (former girlfriend thats mentioned in Clockwork Angel) to anyone in the TMI books?
Magnus doesn't, but others do.
2. Does Simon ever go against the people at the Institute in the upcoming books in TMI series? Since he's a vampire and all...
He's been a vampire a while and has showed no tendency to randomly hate on the Shadowhunters.
Mod
"
Yeees, which means it takes place 130 years before the birth of most of the characters in TMI. Other than Magnus, no, no one from TMI shows up in ID. I don't want to introduce time travel.
Hi Cassandra,I was so excited when I found out about Clockwork Angels.I really like books set in Victorian London.It's so,amazing to get to imagine yourself in another era.It's just so cool.I love Tessa's character.I wanted to know if we were going to learn anymore about her past.Like,who was her mother?Was she a Shadowhunter?And What is up with the necklace that she always wears?Will it become more significant as the story progresses?Just curious.And is Will the one on the cover of the book?If so,I really like it.Will and Jem are so cool too.I love the sarcasm that goes on occasionally.It reminds me of the Mortal Instruments series.Will reminds me a lot of Jace.And I think that Jem could be a good Simon.You know,bacause he's unique.He was brought up normal but then everything changed and he had to adjust.And he's trying to get the girl that he likes.At least I think that he likes Tessa.Anyway,that's all I have to say for now.Thanks for listening!Nkosazana
Mod
*Spoiler for Clockwork Angel*
I’m wondering about the attic scene, when Will asks, “What was that?” Is he referring to: 1. His lack of self-control around Tessa? 2. The fact that she was so into kissing him too? 3. A different feeling, maybe something powerful he felt while kissing her, that could be somehow related to his secret – or none of the above? :D
This has been asked six or seven times so this is my official moratorium on this question! No more answering from now on.
Will's reluctance to continue kissing her has to do with his secret."What was that" definitely does not refer to her being into kissing him too. It has more to do with his own lack of self control.
Also, I’m Team Will at this point, despite his lack of, um, people skills. When developing and writing about his character, did you recognize that while there would be lots of readers who would despise him, that there would also be others who were intrigued by him and wanting to believe he could be good? Or was that not a consideration (as in you just wrote him as he was and figured people would take him or leave him?) As a reader, would you be more likely to be put off by a character like Will, or are you the type who would wonder what’s behind the mask of cruelty? And does that match up with how you would perceive someone like Will in real life?
I wrote Will as I saw Will, and I didn't think enormously about whether people would like him or not. I suspected he would have as many fans as detractors because if you're reading closely you can tell 1) he has moments of great vulnerability, and those are what endear a character to readers and 2) in the roof scene, he clearly hates hurting Tessa — he's practically ripping the railing off while he's doing it. So I did assume the people who picked up on that stuff would be intrigued, wondering what was driving him. I did also know some people would just hate him — but I also knew some people would stop reading TMI after City of Bones because they had convinced themselves that it meant the end of Clary/Jace. It's again, not a good enough reason not to write something you feel strongly about. And that will pay off big for the readers who persevere — bigger than it would have if you'd been too scared to risk it.
i havnt read CA yet, but is it anything like mortal instruments?
Mod
Considering that it's a prequel set in the same world with overlapping characters, it would be weird if it was nothing like it.
Cassandra wrote: "Dianadee wrote: "in CA gabriel lightwood says no one expects will to live past 19 and jem's disability is killing him so he has about 3-4yrs to live. would that be the reason that Will seems to car..."Yea sorry I should havespecified. To me I would make sense because i guess he can relate to him more than anyone else if that is the case
Will we find out what Will asked Magnus at the end of clockwork angel?
Cassandra wrote: "Hi! You are awesome for doing this.*Spoiler for Clockwork Angel*
I’m wondering about the attic scene, when Will asks, “What was that?” Is he referring to: 1. His lack of self-control around Tessa..."
Ooh, sorry about that! I've been trying to follow the questions, but must have skimmed over those. I know that's annoying :) Thanks for answering!
**Spoiler for Clockwork Angel**
Hey Cassandra,
I haven’t seen this question yet, but I was wondering about ‘the cure’ Will takes after he bites de Quincey. Sophie told Tessa that he needed to drink the holy water, but he only took a few sips before pouring the rest over his head. Wouldn’t he have needed more than that? Of course, I’m assuming he didn’t drink much of what Sophie brought him since she said he threw the bucket at her head.
Hey Cassandra,
I haven’t seen this question yet, but I was wondering about ‘the cure’ Will takes after he bites de Quincey. Sophie told Tessa that he needed to drink the holy water, but he only took a few sips before pouring the rest over his head. Wouldn’t he have needed more than that? Of course, I’m assuming he didn’t drink much of what Sophie brought him since she said he threw the bucket at her head.
Here's another question: Do you relate songs to your books? If so which one would match TMI? ID?
***SPOILER***I was addicted to C/A that I had to stay up really late to do my homework because I was too busy reading...TEEHEE - - - I LOVE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES ^_^
My Question Ms. Clare was - Does Jace and Clary still rememeber there kiss in C/B. Or does it just not come up as a discussion anymore in any of the books?
- GAURI ^_^
Mod
I haven’t seen this question yet, but I was wondering about ‘the cure’ Will takes after he bites de Quincey. Sophie told Tessa that he needed to drink the holy water, but he only took a few sips before pouring the rest over his head. Wouldn’t he have needed more than that? Of course, I’m assuming he didn’t drink much of what Sophie brought him since she said he threw the bucket at her head."
Sophie's been bringing him buckets of holy water the whole time Tessa was in the room with Nate. He threw one bucket at her. One assumes he consumed the rest of it, or a sufficient amount.
Mod
My Question Ms. Clare was - Does Jace and Clary still rememeber there kiss in C/B. Or does it just not come up as a discussion anymore in any of the books? "
*scratches head* While I'm sure they do remember their first kiss, I'm not sure why it would come up?
Mod
http://www.cassandraclare.com/cms/faq...
***** SPOILER FOR MORTAL INSTRUMENTS*****I am hearing that Clary and Jace start to date in the other books. I am only on City of Ashes ( I LOVE IT ) Is this true/ or will it ruin it all for me?
AGAIN 0___0 - - - GAURI >_<
Last week, I read City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass and Clockwork Angel. I just couldn't put them down! I loved them! My only problem is now I have to wait until April for your next book!***possibly spoilish****
My question is about the Pandemonium Club that Clary and Simon frequent in City of Bones. Is it in any way related to the Pandemonium Club in Clockwork Angel? Or is it just named after the infamous club, a la homage to it?
1. This is sort of random but, what kind of upbringing do warlocks usually have? Magnus was obviously not raised by his biological parents, but what about other warlocks? Do they find another warlock to raise/train them? 2. This is also random but me and my friend were debating this. Who is a better kisser, Magnus or Jace?
3. And finally, do Did Alec see Magnus when Clary did her love rune and vice versa?
Mod
I am hearing that Clary and Jace start to date in the other books. I am only on City of Ashes ( I LOVE IT ) Is this true/ or will it ruin it all for me?
AGAIN 0___0 - - - GAURI >_<
You should not be in this session at all! You will get spoiled!
***SPOILER FOR CITY OF GLASS****Hi Cassandra!
I was reading the part when Sebastian kissed Clary, and she thought it felt really wrong.
I read on your blog that the reason it felt wrong was because he was part demon... but wouldn't it feel wrong because he was actually her brother?
I was also wondering what sort of books influence your own writing and how many drafts of City of Bones you went through before you got a publisher to sign on.
Annnnddd I was wondering why in CA Magnus Bane wasn't gay.
Thanks so much!
*******Spoiler for Clockwork Angel*****************I loved the goblin scene in Clockwork Angel (and Jess' parasol of DEATH). Will we be seeing any more goblins? I won't be straying from the path anytime soon.
Hi Cassandra! I know this is the million and tenth time you've heard this, but your books are awesome! I wish every book has someone like Jace!!!!*******CLOCKWORK ANGEL SPOILER*********
I was wondering (sorry if you've answered this)when Tessa defeats the Magister by turning into Emma, how is it possible he didn't notice, even if she turned around? Emma is so much smaller than Tessa!
Also-- "Magnus stood in the shadow of a tree, talking to a girl in a white dress with a cloud of pale brown hair. She turned as Magnus looked toward them, and Clary locked eyes with her for a moment across the distance that separated them. There was something familar about her, though Clary couldn’t have said it what it was." Does this mean Clary has seen Tessa before?
Okay, I'm sure I could think of other but I won't. Jem is awesome! Thank you!!
Hey Cassandra, Just noticed you're talking about a new villain in
the COFA. Will it be a mystery character(like someone from the Circle who hasn't been discussed much etc) or a character that has already played a minor role in the previous books(someone from CA etc)?
Cassandra! I loved all of your books and am SUPER excited for CoFA. I had a question about Clockwork Angel which kinda has spoilers....I LOVED Jem - he was without a doubt my favorite character of the book. But I am super curious about his relationship with Tessa! Is he in love with her? When will she realize that Jem is so much better than Will?!
Like any famous series such as Harry Potter and Twilight, there are inevitably going to be people who write up a bad review on The Mortal Instruments. Do you ever read bad reviews on the books? Have you ever read an offensive review?
hey! :) I absolutly love ur books!! i am thinking about being a writer when im older and you are great insperation!1) Will Tessa appear in future TMI books?
2) If Will makes up stories to make him look bad, then why would he care about being with a downworlder?
3) Is the new villain in the TMI series a member of valentines old circle?
In City of Glass, Clary loses her Stele in the Lake. Will she ever get it back, or will someone else ever find it?
hey first of all i have to say the MI is my all time favorite series (loving the ID series as well) and of all books!!!!!!!! Jace is my all time favorite character i love Will as well thats why i added the addition to my name Questions
SPOILERS FOR GLASS
1.)I read that you wont have a family tree till the end of the ID but i was wondering if you could tell us how many generations there are between Will and Jace since we know they are already related (even if there not directly related as in maybe he has a sister or something i dont want to assume.
sooo in genrations wise there would be
Will
how many people between
Marcus
Stephen
Jace
2.)also i was wondering in MI Cycle2 will be like the other books in that those will also be split up into 3 parts as well?
i remember reading somewhere that the 3 first books had a sort of theme that at least the parts followed
with CoB the descent into Hell
CoA in hell
CoG the Ascent
so will the others have a theme as well?
3.)if we found mistakes in the books can we tell you or would you rather not hear them since those books are already out and u cant do anything about it anymore?
like and i have to mention this since its bugged me endlessly when simon dies and Raphael takes him to the institute he sais "EL no ES muerto"
asuming he fluent as i am its wrong it would be like someone in English saying "he not dead" or "he's not death"
the correct way would be "El no esta muerto" or just "No esta mureto"
sorry i just really had to mention that!
EVELYN (I BELIEVE IN DEMON POX! ) wrote: "hey first of all i have to say the MI is my all time favorite series (loving the ID series as well) and of all books!!!!!!!! Jace is my all time favorite character i love Will as well thats why i a..."It's actually extremely rude to correct one's writing, unless they specifically asked you to do it. If Ms. Clare becomes insulted by you doing so, I do not blame her since I am a writer myself and even I was offended by you correcting it, and it's not even my book. -.-"""
Sorry, just thought I'd mention.
hey cassandra, i love your books so much, and i think you're fantastic for taking the time to answer fans' questions like this :)anyways, how much money do shadowhunters make?
and is jessamine the character that will be engaged by the time clockwork prince is over?
Carlys. wrote: "EVELYN (I BELIEVE IN DEMON POX! ) wrote: "hey first of all i have to say the MI is my all time favorite series (loving the ID series as well) and of all books!!!!!!!! Jace is my all time favorite c..."I didnt mean to be rude i just metioned it cause its bugged me for the longest time and i write as well
and if it offends her im sorry
i understand that mistakes happen and i dont expect it to be absolutly perfect
there are ALWAYS mistakes in books ive never seen one with out them
and im not correcting something else just the language because it is wrong
and who knows maybe she ment for it to be wrong on purpose because thats the character
im really sorry Cassandra if you are offended by that i really didnt mean for it to be offensive in any wayim really really sorry
Mod
I was reading the part when Sebastian kissed Clary, and she thought it felt really wrong.
I read on your blog that the reason it felt wrong was because he was part demon... but wouldn't it feel wrong because he was actually her brother?
I often tell the story of how I got the idea for Jace and Clary's relationship: it was a newspaper article about two people who'd met, fallen in love, gotten married I believe, and only when they decided to have kids and went for genetic testing did they find out they were brother and sister. One of them had been adopted and had never known it. They never had any "magical" sense that the other one was a relative; if you want to read the Clary/Sebastian scene that way, you can, but there's no scientific or historical evidence that would back up the idea that she'd feel that way. I mean, there's magic in the books so perhaps she magically senses he's her brother, but magically sensing that he's a demon makes just as much sense if not more.
I was also wondering what sort of books influence your own writing and how many drafts of City of Bones you went through before you got a publisher to sign on.
All sorts of books influence my writing. I usually list the ones out of my genre because that's more unexpected than the usual list of urban fantasy. So I'll say noir detective novels for their evocation of urban spaces: Chandler, Parker, Hammett, etc.
Annnnddd I was wondering why in CA Magnus Bane wasn't gay.
*takes long, deep zen breath.*
Okay. I'm not mad at you, I really am not, but I am beyond baffled that I keep getting this question. How is it that when presented with a character who is obviously interested sexually in both men and women, the question is "Why is he not gay?" Isn't it obvious that he is, in fact, bisexual? I mean it isn't as if he's trying to like women and failing: he's clearly into Camille. And he is also clearly into men in CA as well. He hints strongly at it in the party scene with his comments about de Quincey wanting to be more than friends and his comment that "Will was beautiful; Magnus had been in love many times throughout the years, and normally beauty of any sort moved him, but Will’s never had" which would indicate that, in fact, if Will wasn't so cold, Magnus would probably be into him.
Magnus is bisexual. He has always been. He always will be. Bisexual is not the same as gay. That's why they get their own letter in the LGBT acronym.
Cassandra wrote: "Kai wrote: "***SPOILER FOR CITY OF GLASS****I was reading the part when Sebastian kissed Clary, and she thought it felt really wrong.
I read on your blog that the reason it felt wrong was because..."
Okay, I get it now. Bisexual, that's cool, and also makes a lot more sense. For some reason I must have missed that. Magnus Bane is one of my favorite characters and I was just... wondering. Too bad they didn't have glitter back then.
Thanks so much, Cassandra. I love you did this and
best of luck to you! I hear you have a wedding coming up!
Mod
In CoFA, will we ever know the reason how Simon can walk on daylight?"
That question was answered in City of Glass. (Come on, I bet someone else can answer this for me — you know what the answer is!)
Mod
There are reviews, and there are reviews. I read my professional reviews (Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal, Voya, etc. because those are the reviews that matter to my publisher and are widely seen by booksellers, etc. Might as well know what they say.) I do not seek out other reviews, or ever read other reviews unless, say, a blogger has reviewed my book and tweeted or emailed me a link. Then I send the link to someone I trust and ask "Should I read this?" Meaning: if it contains criticism, is it the useful kind. A review doesn't have to be unmitigatedly positive to be interesting or useful — I read once of CA recently where the reviewer absolutely hated both Will and Jem, especially Jem, but she had other, interesting things to say about the book. However, if my my review-approvers say that the review contains ad hominem attacking, is inaccurate, or honestly, is just plain stupid or crazy - basically, if they say don't read it — I don't. It's my filtration system.
I firmly believe everyone has the right to state their honest opinions about my work as they see fit. I also believe I have the right not to read them.
The only kind of reviews that I find offensive are the kind where the person criticizes the book for containing gay relationships. Gay teenagers exist, and are deserving of compassion and representation. I find discrimination against anyone for sexual identity to be absolutely reprehensible, and when I get those kind of comments, I find it difficult not to respond with disgust.
Cassandra wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Hello Cassandra!MY question is about the next three books of TMI.
1) I would like to know if there is going to be a love triangle between Simon, Izzy and Maia.
2) Does Maias ex-boyf..."
I guess I was just wondering if he'd come back, because after she breaks up with Jordan he attacks her and says "You're mine now. You'll always be mine". I thought that the spirit and purpose of him turning her would be: 1) To torment her by turning her into a monster and 2) attaching her to him in that way. I don't know. It was just a thought. ^^
Ronna wrote: Really!? Oh, wow. I need to re-read CoG, 'cause I seriously cant remember right now.If someone knows, I'd appreciate it if you tell me the answer!
But I'll keep thinking!
"
****SPOILER****
It's because Jace saved Simon's life by letting him drink his blood. Because Jace was - basically - genetically altered by Valentine feeding Jace's mother powdered angel blood when she was pregnant, he's kind of a super-nephillim. That's why he can run faster, jump higher and do things no other shadowhunter can do. Apparently it also means his blood has strange properties, one of which is to give vampires who drink it the ability to walk in sunlight (this is also the reason that Clary can create runes instead of just copying them, like everyone else).
Hi there Cassandra, firstly I have to say that you are my favourite writer and even though I was a Twihard, I love your books more than Twilight, and I think a lot of die hard Twilight fans would agree with me. You write in such an imaginative way and the world you have created is so captivating. I have one question; Why do we have to wait so long for the other books?
We love them so much, but sometimes writers will wait too long to bring the following books out and by the time the new books come, you forget some of the story and your not as captivated. I am a die hard fan of yours and wish we did not have to wait so long for all the books :)
You said that the City of Lost Souls would be a very dark book. I have always wondered...since an author "lives" with a book for several months, is it hard to not be sucked into the darkness and not be depressed all of the time? How do you cope with that? Does it get tiring living in that dark world for such a long length of time?
Cinlawa wrote: "Hi there Cassandra, firstly I have to say that you are my favourite writer and even though I was a Twihard, I love your books more than Twilight, and I think a lot of die hard Twilight fans would a..."http://www.cassandraclare.com/cms/faq...
Hi Cassandra,First queston: Is there any relation between Jem being on the cover of 2nd ID book and its title?
2nd: Now that you are married (Congratulations!!!♥), is there still no chance for your characters in TMI or ID to have such a happy day ,too?(I know there are many other kinds of relationships and happiness, but that day was awesome, wasn't it:)?)
Thanks so much for doing this awesome Q&A!
I think it's amazing how much time and effort you spend interacting with your readers.I don't really have any questions exactly, but i'm voting for Robert Lightwood to be the new villain xD yay. I'm insane.
Hi Cassandra,My question is which one of your characters are you most like?
One complaint about Clockwork Angel... I HATED when it was finished. My husband tried to console me by telling me to read slower to make it last, but I couldn't :-( LOVED this, thank you!
Since Clockwork Angel is a prequel should I read this first followed by the Mortal Instrument series? I am just starting to read your books!
Q&A with Cassandra Clare
Books mentioned in this topic
Clockwork Angel (other topics)City of Heavenly Fire (other topics)
City of Lost Souls (other topics)
"
It's normal for not a lot of Shadowhunters to live in an Institute. The reason teens live in the Institute in TMI is that they are the children of the people who run it. That's normal, for the heads of the Institute to have a family. In ID, the kids who live there are orphans. That's reflective of the times — there used to be a lot more ophanages and unwanted children in the 19th century than there are now (when we basically don't have orphanages.)