Q&A with Cassandra Clare discussion
Q&A: Clockwork Angel/TMI: questions here!
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Nope.
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They say you torment most the characters you love the most. :) I could tell you Jace is at peace with himself and happy in the 2nd TMI trilogy but that would be a lie. He has happy *moments* — he's dating Clary and that's good for him in a variety of ways — but it is not the destiny of heroes to be happy all the time. In many ways it sucks to be a hero. No one ever leaves you alone and you're always stuck saving the world and whatnot. To quote Roberto Calasso about Jason (of the Argonauts):
""I would be happy enough, living in my home country. May the gods see fit to free me from my labors," said Jason. And his voice is at once that of the ever-hypocritical lover trying to soften the cruelty of his desertion, and that of the hero who looks, weary and detached, over the scene where he is obliged to kill, cheat, travel, desert, and, finally, to be killed."
Not that I am saying Jace is going to be killed. Just that while (hopefully) the reader years for him to be happy and at peace, you are yearning for the same thing he is yearning for. But if you (or he) got it in book 4, there would be nothing much else for him to do. It would just be a lot of pages of Jace going to the park and playing boules or whatever. You want happiness for him, but trust me, you don't want it before the end of the series. Jace would be bored playing boules, and you would be watching it.
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Is Meliorn all that popular? There is very little to do with faeries in Cycle Two so most likely not. Raphael is not old enough to show up in ID.
Oh yes, and Tessa is a new type of creature, so not a Downworlder you know of.
i didnt read CWA yet..so..this group is a no no for me. ; /
SPOILER FOR MORTAL INSTRUMENTSI saw here everybody calls you "Hey Cassandra" this's definitely not tipical for me, so I'm gonna say just Hey. My Q is maybe kinda different becouse I'm not crazy fan of the books, but I'm definitely interested from them!
Ok, here's the Q: Why exactly U chose that love story in the novels. I mean, is not something usual or rarely in the same time, but keeps U on the book. And if I have to be honest, it's little annoying. The love is supose has to be not that difficult in the novels, we all want and search for the easy and sweet happy end. But this.... is very different as I say and I'm just asking. Why?
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Usually the price for immortality is sterility in folklore. Vampires don't die but also can't breed. Faeries don't die but can only rarely have children which is why they steal human babies. Werewolves are mortal, and can reproduce. Warlocks are immortal and can't reproduce, but since they don't die, while there are not a huge amount of them in the world, there are plenty. If the mother wasn't human would she and a demon create warlock — if they were a kind of Downworlder who could breed, probably.
"Also,
Will we learn more about Church later in the series? Jem had a hunch about Church being special when he found him, but Will didn't seem that excited about him. Did the connection between Shadowhunters and cats begin with Church or long before that? "
Will is not that excited about the cat. He thinks its just a cat. Church will show his true colors eventually.
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I don't know.
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I can't answer your questions, but thank you. I will say that Clary and Jace are not ever going to get married in the books. As for their future, asssuming they both survive, it could happen.
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1) While rereading City of Glass, I found a little part at the end around the time with the celebration.
It was when Clary saw Magnus talking with a brown haired girl that looked strangely familiar. Could that possibly be Tess?
http://www.cassandraclare.com/cms/faq...
2)Will Valentine make a reappearence in any of the newer books? Really, at this point, it wouldn't surprise me.
Not a chance.
*** SPOILER***Hey Ms. Clare I love your books. I wanted to ask if Simon likes Maia and does Clary get jealous of Simon in any way? I am only on the second one C/A. I love them all. Though I am only on the second one. I know I will love the whole series.
^_^ GAURI
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I just had to say that in the beginning of the book when Tessa is joining everyone for dinner the first time and Henry comes into the room with his arm on fire I la..."
That's sweet! Thanks.
Hey iam a really big fan of the TMI books, i think they are fab!! i have 3 questions =D1) How did you get into being a writer? was it bye acciident or did you always want to be it and persue it?
2) Do you have any other characters in the TMI series -besides form simon who you said is like ur fiance/bff- that relates to you or any of the people you know?
3) Have you ever had any strange encounters with fans before? lol
i'm sure i have better questions but i cant think lol, lauren :)
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I read a newspaper article (and its been so long that the details have dimmed) about a married couple that wanted a baby so they went for genetic testing and discovered ... that they were brother and sister. One had been adopted but never known it. It struck me as a modern day Greek tragedy, one of those horrors that seems visited on us by vengeful gods and it sparked my imagination to write a fictionalized version (in which everything turned out okay, because I felt really, really sorry for those people). The idea existed before Clary and Jace did, really. There would be no Clary and Jace, probably, without that idea.
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Pride and Prejudice.
***SPOILER***People are saying that Magnus and Alec could possibly couples is that true? Should I listen to them or would it sort of ruin it all when I read on.
Gauri ^_^
DID CLARY AND JACE HAD SEX IN THE END OF CoG!? xD naaah, just kidding. I know they didn't... :P I actually wanted to ask you about how you feel about people from all over the world reads your books? Isn't it ... a bit weird to think about? :) and how do you feel when publishers change the name of your books?(An example: The Danish edition of CoB is called City of the Demons...)
"My real name is hard to spell and pronounce. Cassandra is after Jane Austen's sister. Clare is the county in Ireland my grandmother is from. "I`m curious what is your real name?
he casum
ok
i cant think of anything right now
so
whats your favorite food?
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Ok, here's the Q: Why exactly U chose that love story in the novels. I mean, is not something usual or rarely in the same time, but keeps U on the book. And if I have to be honest, it's little annoying. The love is supose has to be not that difficult in the novels, we all want and search for the easy and sweet happy end. But this.... is very different as I say and I'm just asking. Why?
I am going to assume you are talking about TMI though you didn't specify. First, I'll repeat where I got the idea:
"I read a newspaper article (and its been so long that the details have dimmed) about a married couple that wanted a baby so they went for genetic testing and discovered ... that they were brother and sister. One had been adopted but never known it. It struck me as a modern day Greek tragedy, one of those horrors that seems visited on us by vengeful gods and it sparked my imagination to write a fictionalized version (in which everything turned out okay, because I felt really, really sorry for those people). The idea existed before Clary and Jace did, really. There would be no Clary and Jace, probably, without that idea."
"And if I have to be honest, it's little annoying. The love is supose has to be not that difficult in the novels, we all want and search for the easy and sweet happy end."
No offense, but this is not even remotely true. Perhaps all you read is romance novels, which are required to have an HEA (Happily Ever After) and that's all you like — and that's fine — for you. But dictating what you think other people should read and enjoy is not fine or okay.
I do not "search for the easy and sweet happy ending"; I am usually absolutely bored to death by having no doubt that the hero and heroine will end up together with no obstacles. And there are many other readers like me — who like their happiness, but like it hard-won; who enjoy the tension that forbiddeness brings to a love story. It sounds to me like you don't enjoy suspense, and that's okay — there are a lot of books out there with very low-stakes narratives because lots of people don't enjoy suspense. But I do, and my audience does, so I am unclear on why "Why didn't you write a book specifically tailored to my own personal preferences?" is even a question at all?
Wow, you're really working hard this weekend to answer our questions! Thank you for your participation- I've never seen an author so committed to her fans. :) Hopefully we'll leave you alone after this!*L* What's been the biggest/hardest adjustment to your success? Have there been any surprises in people's responses your work?
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TMI: Simon
ID: Tessa
Hello Cassandra ^.^ (I'm a huge fan... you = one of my writing idols)
My question is kind of a silly one, I guess, though it's important.
Has the release date of City of Fallen Angels been locked into place? Basically, I just want to make sure it's coming out when it says on your site. I'm counting down the days!
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I knew when I set out to write a character who was Jace's ancestor that he would be endlessly, endlessly compared to Jace, and that I would wind up being told repeatedly that he was either too much like Jace or not enough like Jace. So I decided that since there was no winning that one, to put all that aside and write him as a commentary on Jace.
First: Sure, there are deliberate similarities. After all, they are blood relatives, and I like to think all the Herondales have a similar snarky humor. However, there are also a lot of differences. Jace is close with his adoptive family. He's quite able to love the Lightwoods, accept love from them, and show affection. Will pushes literally everyone away but Jem. He is not able to form family ties and treats everyone with the same coldness. He is in fact cruel, which Jace is not. Will lies constantly about what he's doing and is clearly hiding something huge. Jace "never lies" according to Izzy, and is not hiding anything. Jace yearns for his dead father, Will flatly refuses to see his very much alive parents. When Jace falls in love with Clary he is perfectly willing to pursue it until outside forces intervene. Whatever Will feels for Tessa, he is obviously not willing to even start to pursue it and in fact burns it to the ground. Will's whole life is self-sabotage; Jace's isn't. Will may in fact actually be crazy; I don't recall anyone theorizing that about Jace.
Will has built his entire life around the fact that he has a secret. Jace's entire life is built around something completely different. When the absolute core defining fact about a character is different, stuff like "They are both hot! And sarcastic!" is sort of surfacey. The main thing is: We (readers) don't really *know* Will. We know Will as he presents himself in public; we know that that's a facade, but we don't really know what's under that facade. We do know that the character Will has created - False!Will — to show as his public face is Jace-like, and that's what I mean by a commentary on Jace. I'll be able to say more about it when CP comes out. :)
I knew when I set out to write a character who was Jace's ancestor that he would be endlessly, endlessly compared to Jace, and that I would wind up being told repeatedly that he was either too much like Jace or not enough like Jace. So I decided that since there was no winning that one, to put all that aside and write him as a commentary on Jace."I have to read Clockwork Angel again! Right now!
Oh, sorry - that's not a question. Er...I think I would like to ask about Jem. In CA, Will definitely felt like the main male romantic lead, with Jem occupying more of a Simon-like, supporting role. Given than you've said the ID books will show us a true love triangle, will Jem get more screen time and more of a main character role in CP? I really hope so; he's my favourite!
Hey Cassandra!! I am a huge fun of the MI and ID series! I just finished reading CA and I am absolutely in love with it. :]. I was wondering, whose the person on the cover? I don't mean the character in the book, I mean the actor or person that portrays Will.
Stacey wrote: "Hey Cassandra!! I am a huge fun of the MI and ID series! I just finished reading CA and I am absolutely in love with it. :]. I was wondering, whose the person on the cover? I don't mean the charact..."Cassandra already answered this, Stacey - she doesn't know, because the photographer keeps those details private.
First off I'd like to start by saying how much I love your books. Now on to the question part. I've noticed a trend in your books. In The Mortal Instruments there were two boys the heroine had to choose between. In The Clockwork Angel the heroine is once again drawn to two boys. I was wondering why that is. I still love your books regardless but upon noticing the trend I couldn't help but wonder.
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Hey Chloe:
Because this question has already been asked and answered a few times, I'm going to point you toward the answer on my website:
http://www.cassandraclare.com/cms/faq...
As for the characters — characters tend not to spring fully formed into one's head. They begin with a set of sketchy characteristics, and they grow as the story grows, taking on life, having their backstory filled in, developing quirks and habits. (This does mean you eventually have to go back and rewrite to make them consistent, but you have to go back and rewrite anyway, so why not.)
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I write every day, I write to a word count, I generally write in my office or on my couch, and I listen to music and post playlists on my website.
Let me reiterate that you're so awesome for doing this. I adore TMI and CA, and none of my questions really regard the books themselves simply because I've read them so many times that I've answered most of my questions, lol.Do you ever write out of order, since you outline so extensively? If a certain scene in the middle of a book isn't working right or there's some kind of writer's block there, do you ever skip ahead to another scene later in the novel? Or even skip to a scene in one of the next novels, since you have those outlined too?
If not, and you write everything chronologically, what point are you at right now in both series?
Thanks you so much!
Cassnadra - my A to U.Maybe here we get some mistake! I did not want to sound like an insult or something like this. My point was totally different! I don't like happy end 2, but in the teenage world - from wich are your fans, love is something very different. They/we (if U want) are not even interested in love! The hard way to got what they want is the way to kill they're feelings.
Maybe the story is attractive exactly becouse she is like this, but if it wasn't? Did we gonna like it more? How did U feel when U write about the people that U don't know? How did U know what is gonna like to them? If the love is most secret, amazing, beautiful and important feeling in the world and in life, why we can't even find it in the books? Is not the exactly happy end that is important... is the feelings of the picture made from the imagination.
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Warlocks can to some extent choose when they stop aging. There's more on it in books to come.
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Hey Ms. Clare I love your books. I wanted to ask if Simon likes Maia and does Clary get jealous of Simon in any way? I am only on the second one C/A. I love them all."
You're going to get majorly spoilered in this group! Maia is something of a love interest for Simon; Clary gets a little jealous.
Ginny wrote: "nicki wrote: "Hi Cassandra!sorry if somebody already asked this, but will there be another TMI book after City of fallen angels?"
There will be two more books after City of Fallen Angels: [boo..."
thanks!
i just love your books. theyre amazing. i was just wondering if you were going to write any other books then The Mortal Instruments series nd The Clockwork Angel series?
P.S i love the way u write your books.
P.S i love the way u write your books.
Hey Cassandra,I really enjoyed reading your books. They are one of my all time favourites and I could read them over and over again. Thank you for writing such incredible stories.
My questions are...Will there be any clarification in the further books of TMI on what Madame Dorothea said to Jace in CoB, that he will fall in love with the wrong person?
And... When will you twitter the next sneak peak of CoFA? Can´t wait for it!!
Thank you for taking so much time in answering all the questions here!
*************SPOIlER ALERT**************** oh i cant wait till april 11 im a huge fan i mean huge fan of the mortal intruments. personally my favorite characters are clary and jace im just wondering who will be tempted to darkness will clary be tempted cause obviously sebastion aka jonathon is clary's real brother so will he reel her in or will jace be cause he has a past for being reeled in and will clary's relationship last?????????????? Sincerly, the mortal instruments #1 biggest fan Kayleigh
In CoB Madame Dorothea said that Jace would fall in love with the wrong person, and I thought it was correct all throughout CoB and CoA until CoG when we actually find out they aren't really related. So I guess what my question is, are J and C really supposed to be together like is there someone else that comes between them in CoFA or do they struggle with anything that circles around this ? Sorry if the question isn't to clear, I'm just going to throw it out there and hope you know what I mean :P
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I generally tweet teasers for COFA every month on Twitter. And part 1 of the COFA teaser for Sept. is up!
http://twishort.com/abreu
I warn you it is mainly for people who've read CA as well. Tomorrow there will be a teaser for those who have not read CA yet.
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Yes. Though under odd circumstances...
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Maybe here we get some mistake! I did not want to sound like an insult or something like this. My point was totally different! I don't like happy end 2, but in the teenage w..."
I'm sorry. I think we're having a language barrier issue. I literally don't understand what you're asking. Maybe you can get someone to translate your question for you into English and we can go from there?
Hi Cassandra...I just finished your book, the fantastic The Clockwork Angel, in about 15 hours... I just couldn’t put it down, and my favorite character has to be Jem…
And my question is, what inspired you to write about London in 1876, why not New York in 1876...?
Not that is a bad thing, I love the idea of the shadow-hunters in London at that time, I wish I could use a time-machine and go back to that time, which you book have done for me...
Emma (Pulvis et umbra sumus) wrote: "Does the Kain mark on Simon's forhead have an impact on his life?(Please, pardon my bad english. It's not my first language)"
Cassandra wrote: "Jenna wrote: "*************"Spoiler for CITY OF GLASS"***************
Aww your english is fine!!
How do Alec and Mangus end up? I think they are by far the cutest couple and you are awesome for writing it.
I am currently r..."
3ombieNinjaAkaAzra wrote: "he casum
ok
i cant think of anything right now
so
whats your favorite food?"
thats so not important
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The idea of the main character who has to choose between romantic possibilities can be found in thousands upon thousands of books. It is such a basic literary trope that it is a bit like asking "I notice your books are divided into chapters. Why this trend?"
Part of the reason the love triangle (although that is overly simplistic — in TMI Simon loves Clary who loves Jace who Alec is in love with, who Magnus is in love with, etc. It's more a love rhombus) is so popular is because it is an allegory — who the loved one "picks" stands in symbolically for what life she chooses.
"The Mortal Instruments there were two boys the heroine had to choose between."
Not really. Clary was in love with Jace. There was never any doubt about her feelings. When she couldn't have Jace because he was her brother, she tried to date Simon to help her forget and feel less hurt. Didn't work. She never "chose" between them in any real sense.
"In The Clockwork Angel the heroine is once again drawn to two boys."
I agree with this except for the "again" part. Clary isn't drawn to Simon romantically. Tessa will actually be torn romantically between Jem and Will. The dynamic is completely different. That is another reason love triangles are so popular - because you can ring endless changes on them. They may belong to the same category but they are not the same thing, any more than a bright purple silk t-shirt with the word WAHOO blazoned on it in glitter is the same as a plain black cotton t-shirt. You'd hardly not buy one because you already own the other, whether they are both t-shirts or not.
Cassandra wrote: "Tracy wrote: "This is more of a general question, but: do you know at which point immortal people stop physically growing? Like... in TMI, Magnus is described as a man, while Tessa is a still a gir..."Ohhh..ic. Thanks so much for answering! :)
Okay, I feel like a loser because I went through all these pages to make sure I don't re-ask questions like other people have been doing. It's gotten annoying.~SPOILERS~
First off, I want Will to be a jerk through the series, oddly enough. Too many guys start off as a badboy, or whatever you want to call it, and then turn into a sappy mess after 'falling in love'. Even though I was disturbed with the last chapter of The Infernal Devices, I was glad at the same time.
Anywho, I've been wondering:
-Are there going to be any new supernatural races showing up in The Infernal Devices/The Mortal Instruments?
-Is Tessa's real father a demon that has been mentioned in Mortal Instruments?
-Are all of the upcoming books going to be about the same length as the ones that have already been published, or are they going to be longer/shorter? Or do you not know for sure yet?
-How do you plan/outline everything? Is it based on events, or chapters, or the characters in the scenes, or main points, etc.?
-What is your favorite supernatural group to write about other that Shadowhunters? Such as the Fae, Vampires, Werewolves, Warlocks...
I apologize if this is a lot of questions, or if the questions seem stupid.
~Julie
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What I've never understood, and I apologize for my ignorance, is how she stopped at age sixteen, or whatever younger age she is at COG.
I never really understood how she can grow up to a certain age and stop.
"
Like I said before, the manner in which warlocks stop aging will be covered in the books. To some extent, they can choose it. Also Magnus looks barely twenty-five and there is no indicator of how old Tessa looks in CoG except that Clary calls her a "girl." She could look twenty.
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)
I hate to crush people's dreams, but I am not that much of a manga reader/anime watcher. I based Clary, with her artistic tendencies, in part on two friends, both artists: both obsessed with manga, like a lot of younger artists today. They gave me recs and I watched/read Hellsing, Trigun, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fruits Basket, Vampire Knight, etc. I don't think it was until CoB came out that a fan recommended Angel Sanctuary (angels, incest, I can see why they did) but (SPOILER) I only read up to the part where Sarah dies because I like my incestuous stories to have a happy ending. If there is a manga butler named Sebastian I don't know about it (And I can't see Sebastian butlering, but I am sure I am missing some badass backstory.)
I did develop an appreciation for manga I hadn't had before and when I was reading for Clockwork I did devour Godchild and Emma, but couldn't find much else in the supernatural Victorian vein.