Douglas E Richards - Author Interview: Teen/Young Adult Novelist

What kinds of fiction did you read as a teenager, and did you have some favourites?

I read science fiction almost exclusively. I loved Isaac Asimov and Madeline L’Engel, especially her novel A WRINKLE IN TIME.

Would you say your reading as a teenager has had a distinct influence on how you write fiction now, and why?

Absolutely. As a kid, I became passionate about science, but this passion didn’t stem from the boring lessons I was learning in school about plants and mineralogy, it stemmed from the accurate, mind-blowing concepts I was reading in science fiction novels. Within the pages of these novels, I encountered scientific ideas so awesomely cool they were harder to believe than anything out of a Harry Potter novel. Concepts such as Einstein's theory of relativity, quantum physics, cosmology, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology. Concepts that sent my imagination soaring. Because of this, I made sure to include similar mind-blowing concepts in my middle-grade/YA science fiction series, THE PROMETHEUS PROJECT.

What did you do before you became a published teen/young adult novelist, and how did you come to write your first teen/young adult novel and get it published?

I was a biotechnology executive. As my own kids became older, I realized that while there was plenty of worthy fantasy available for kids, there was very little of the “hard” science fiction that I had loved growing up. I wrote the first book in THE PROMETHEUS PROJECT series and was lucky enough to sell it to a very small publishing house.

How would you describe your style of teen/young adult fiction or your approach to writing teen/young adult fiction?

My goal was to write adventures that would appeal to all ages, from nine to adult, including boys, girls, advanced readers, and reluctant readers alike. Adventures with numerous cliffhangers, breakneck action, mind-expanding science, and tight plots; hopefully making it very difficult for anyone to stop reading them, regardless of their age or passion for reading.

The protagonists in my books are bright, well adjusted kids, and the tone is optimistic and upbeat. I take great pains to deliver intelligent, tight plots with complex mysteries at their centers. My villains are always brilliant, brilliant people who don’t make mistakes -- and yet as brilliant as they are, the kids are always able to outsmart them.

Who is another author whose teen/young adult fiction you admire and why?

Rick Riordan. I admire writers like Rowling and Riordan who are able to captivate kids and adults alike.

How would you summarise one of your teen/young adult novels in one paragraph?

In CAPTURED (THE PROMETHEUS PROJECT, Book 2), Ryan and Regan Resnick are the youngest members of a top-secret team exploring the greatest discovery ever made: an abandoned alien city buried deep underground -- as potentially deadly as it is astonishing. When the city is captured by highly trained soldiers led by a ruthless alien, the adult members of the team are taken hostage, and Ryan and Regan become the team's only hope of survival. With the future of the world at stake, the Resnick kids must do the impossible: outwit the brilliant alien, free the prisoners, and thwart an unstoppable invasion. But not everything is as it seems. And time is quickly running out. . .

How would you describe the appeal of this novel to teen/young adult readers?

Young readers get to root for fellow kids, and can immerse themselves in an exciting, perilous adventure in which young protagonists are able to outwit a brilliant alien and save the day.

How would you summarise a chapter from this novel in one paragraph?

In one of the later chapters, the kids finally figure out the exact nature of the villain’s plot, and walk the adults through the logic and clues that led them to this horrific, yet inescapable, conclusion.

How would you describe the contribution this chapter makes to the novel?

This chapter reveals the horrible truth behind the villain’s plot, which is worse even than the adults had thought, and underscores the kids amazing reasoning skills and clarity under pressure. But just because the kids have figured out what is going to happen, doesn’t mean they’ll have any way to stop it . . .

To what extent would you say fiction written primarily for young readers is different from fiction written primarily for adult readers?

I recently wrote my first adult novel, an adult biotechnology thriller called WIRED, which has become a bestseller in the US. Having written for both worlds, I find that writing for kids is far more difficult than writing for adults. When I write for kids, I’m never completely sure what will resonate with them, because, alas, it has been many years (decades) since I was one myself. I still demand of myself that my plots for kids are complex and contain surprise twists, but for an adult book I can totally let myself go with respect to the complexity and sophistication of both concepts and sentences.

Author website: http://www.douglaserichards.com/. I am better able to keep my author Facebook page current, so I also encourage anyone interested in my work to Friend me on Facebook at Douglas E. Richards Author.



Warren Fahy - Author Interview: Setting

Pick one of your favourites among the settings from your published fiction stories or a setting which is an interesting example from your published fiction. What makes this setting one of your favourites or an interesting example from your fiction?

Henders Island from my novel FRAGMENT was a marvelous place to explore as an author. Other authors, like Conan Doyle and Crichton, had revisited “lost worlds” from Earth’s natural history, but the challenge of creating Henders Island was to take an evolutionary path not taken, which led to a world that might as well have been an alien planet.

What is a setting from a published fiction story by another author you would compare this setting to and why are they similar?

Other scenarios that employ exotic locations for science thrillers have focused on mankind’s meddling in misbegotten science (Jurassic Park, Mysterious Island, The Island of Doctor Moreau), lost worlds frozen in time (The Lost World) or invasions from other planets. The challenge in FRAGMENT was to create an alien world that was terrestrial and natural, and which had actually been evolving longer than all other life on Earth.

How would you describe the way you introduced this setting to readers of your story?

I imagined Henders Island as an egg that had been gestating for half a billion years, its walls like a shell beginning to crack and its contents ready to hatch out and threaten the entire planet with its offspring.

How would you describe the integration of characters and setting in this story?

The characters, mostly scientists, bring with them their own theories, biases and motivations as they visit Henders Island, which will turn out to be a crucible in which they are tested, challenged and provoked into action that will affect the fate of the world.

How would you describe the interaction of story and setting in this story?

In FRAGMENT, the setting is the story: its discovery, its implications for the broader planet, its ethical dilemmas, and its affect on the characters ideas and aspirations and how all of these unspool are the forces that drive the plot.

How much research did you do for the setting of this story, and what did that involve?

I did about six years of research to put together the ecosystem of Henders Island, consulting scientists from various fields and visiting Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution while stitching together the alien monstrosities from as much real science as possible.

To what extent would you describe the setting of this story typical or atypical of the settings in your fiction stories?

Henders Island is unique as FRAGMENT is a what-if story about the discovery of something mind-bogglingly alien right here in Earth’s own backyard.

How do you usually decide on or develop a setting for your fiction stories?

I would say that the method of choosing is as varied as the story being told.

To what extent do the settings of novels you read have an impact on why you read them, and why?

The setting of a story can be the determining factor in whetting a reader’s appetite. With FRAGMENT I wanted to slake my thirst for adventure and exploration, for something entirely exotic, new and thrilling. Sometimes, I’m in the mood to visit a certain place or time that is familiar, however. So, the setting is the world a reader can escape inside and is a crucial factor in determining interest.

Author website: http://www.warrenfahy.com