Anne Michaud - Author Interview: Short Story Writer

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

I read everything I laid my hands on, from Sci-Fi to the Classics, fantasy, historical dramas and thrillers. Much like now, I couldn’t get enough. At 9, I wanted to be Jessica, the evil twin in Pascal’s Sweet Valley High; at 10, I dreamed of wearing a crown like Marguerite in Druon’s The Accursed Kings; at 11, I walked the line between good and evil with Christiane F; I became a vampire with Anne Rice’s Lestat; had a forbidden love affair with Winston Smith in the year 1984 and married Mr. Darcy, thanks to Jane Austen. I. Love. Books.

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

I strongly think so. I’ve travelled to so many different worlds through books, I’ve loved so many stories and characters, no wonder I write just as many. For me, it’s all about how I look at things from a different perspective depending on the genre I’m willing to explore. I think of my premise, characters and plot and then toy with a dystopian development or a strong Sci-Fi vibe, sometimes a horror setting or even a lit approach. I like the challenge different genres bring just as much as the writing itself.

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

Misery of Me, published by Cutting Block Press in the anthology Tattered Souls volume 2.

Misery of Me is my favourite simply because of the entire process behind it. I initially thought of writing it as a novel, then decided to shorten it to a novelette—and the writing just flew out of me in 3 days. I became nervous when it got picked up by Cutting Block Press, I knew the editor Frank Hutton wanted to change things a bit, but the moment we started working together, my fear dissipated. I just loved the whole experience.

Who is another author whose fiction writing you admire and why?

There are many but, for his proficiency and unique approach to storytelling, I have to nominate Neil Gaiman. I just love him, the way his stories lure me in without ever letting go, and I admire his artistic views on the craft of writing, too. Such a creative mind, I really hope he gets to live for a long time to tell us more stories.

How would you summarise one of your short stories in one paragraph?

In Misery of Me, a heroin addict vampire falls in love with her human blood bank, and through their nights of need and want, she becomes the monster she always was and he becomes the man he always dreamed of being.

How would you describe the appeal of this short story to readers?

Vampires are becoming household names at the moment, because of how writers humanised them, made them sexy and normal—not in my story. Misery of Me is for fans of horror, of finding the beast within, of being scared of what we can become, too.

How would you summarise a scene or sub-section from this short story in one paragraph?

In an abandoned library, the cold wind ruffles forgotten books as Liriel and her victims shoot up by the dim evening light. Her eyes light up at the prospect of riding horse, she finds the way the blood mixes with the drug in the syringe so beautiful, and she needs to drink blood as much as she wants to fly. But as soon as she drinks, something goes wrong, and through the thick veil of H, she sees police raiding the squat.

How would you describe the contribution this scene or sub-section makes to the short story?

From the get-go, we see her as who she is: a vampire disguised as a human girl, ready to do whatever she needs to get what she wants, not afraid to follow strangers into dark corners, and happy to bite any junkie’s neck.

Do you aspire to primarily write novels in the future, or are you more interested in writing short stories, and why?

Oh, I write in every shape and form: flash fiction, short stories, novelettes and novels. I never constrain myself into one genre, either—the beauty of art is to explore whatever you want and feel, to go wherever it leads you. My love of writing started with short stories, so I’d be the first one surprised if I ever stop writing them.

Do you read many short story anthologies, and why?

I do, and I just love to be surprised by the stories inside them. I prefer themed anthologies, to see the different perspectives and approaches different authors have to the same guidelines. I’m also a great fan of single-author collections, which also gives a good perspective of the writer’s world.

What lengths of short stories do you usually write, and why?

They range from a couple of sentences to 12-15k. At the moment, I’m working on soft horror novelettes, Girls & Monsters, a collection of five stories about, well, girls and monsters. So for now, my mind is focused on lengthier short stories, but every couple of weeks, I blog flash fiction, so I need to switch gears quite often.

Do you submit for many short story competitions, anthologies and magazines, and what are your main motivations for this?

I ignore competitions since I’ve been a judge for screenplay contests and know how they work: highly subjective depending on the mood of the day, personal taste and opinion. My goal is to get published, to get my stories out there, to be read. If it’s through a cool antho, a popular magazine or on my blog, it’s all good—as long as I write, I’m happy.

Author website: www.annecmichaud.wordpress.com



Nancy Kilpatrick - Author Interview: Internationally Bestselling Novelist

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

The first book I read as a child that I took out of the library was The Little Witch. Most of the stories I liked growing up were supernatural tales. From my late teens through my twenties I devoured a lot of book, and liked to read categories, including Russian literature, the existential writers, modern novels considered best sellers, plays by some of the significant playwrights of the past and present, translations of ancient Greek fiction, and plenty more supernatural fiction. In other words, I read everything. I had periods where I fixated on a specific writer, for example, Franz Kafka, and read every book, story, letter and fragment he wrote. J.D. Salinger was a favourite, a writer I respect for publishing his 4 books and then stopping because he had nothing more he wanted to say to the world. I love gothic literature and read all the horror classics that we all know and a lot that are not familiar to most writers. I think it's safe to say that I like to read and read a wide range of fiction and non-fiction.

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

I'm not certain it had a direct influence but certainly by reading a lot, anyone who wants to write has a terrific base for understanding writing and also how story works. And reading is, of course, enriching to the soul and expands the mind. Culture involves reading.

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

The first novel I wrote has never been published. My second took 23 years to publish. The third was published right away. None of these books are related to one another. Before working as a professional writer, I did a variety of jobs, some low paying, like waitress, museum security guard and some high paying--I was a VP in a market research firm for a while. But throughout, I wrote. I also did a few years of freelance writing for magazines and newspapers, and advertising copy for a large ad firm.

How would you describe your style of fiction or your approach to writing fiction during your first few novels?

The first (unpublished) novel I wrote was semi-autobiographical. I was just writing for the love of writing and while I thought it should be published (as did my first agent), it wasn't. I learned a lot from writing that book. I switched to the dark fantasy and horror genres after that and the writing became dark and atmospheric. The second novel I wrote was a wild, futuristic vampire novel, set 30 years in the future. It wasn't published for a long time and because time has a way of creeping along, I had to revise it many times until the futuristic element became quite small--the future had arrived. My style developed with that book and the next one, which was an erotic horror novel that turned into a series. I think by then I was getting some footing in terms of my own concepts of story, and my own narrative style. I'd say my style is fearless because I'm not afraid push the envelope. That asks a lot from readers, but so far so good.

How would you describe your style of fiction or your approach to writing fiction now?

I don't think my style has changed much but hopefully my writing has improved and smoothed out. I think that has to happen, the more one writes. Writing is learning and it becomes easier to see what does and doesn't work in fiction, how to say more with less, how to keep the suspense going.

Was your first published novel standalone or part of a series, and what advantages or disadvantages did this present for you?

The first novel published was intended to be stand alone but when the contract was negotiated, the publisher wanted a series, which I was happy to write.

Did you find writing your second novel easier or more challenging than writing your first novel and why?

Each novel is so different that I can't see them as easier or harder, just different. I suppose that the more one writes, the easier it gets in some sense because confidence builds, and knowledge about craft broadens. Still, writing is always new, a new project always a mystery and there are inherent excitements and fears involved.

Who is another novelist whose fiction writing you admire and why?

I'll mention Patrick Susskind again. There have been many writers who blew me away but Perfume stands out. I also liked his novella Pigeons. I like the thoughtful, existential approach in writing, which is what he does. Also, his use of the sense of smell in Perfume was extremely unusual and it worked shockingly well. I think he's a genius.

Pick a series of novels you have written. How would you describe what makes that a cohesive series with strong appeal for readers?

I have a couple of series but will stick with the Power of the Blood. The world I set up is the thing that remains the same, though each book focuses on different characters in that world. This doesn't mean they take place in the same setting--they don't--but the vampiric world is the same. I think that the world itself is what makes the series cohesive. Even though the characters change (but appear in one another's stories), and the plot changes, the world is familiar. It's kind of like being in a fairly large family and going home for Thanksgiving. Everybody is in the same house but they all get to tell what's new to the others. That locks in a familiarity and safety for the reader. To me it's crucial to establish a stable setting in a series and work from there. The reader needs to be grounded.

How would you summarise one of your novels in one paragraph?

I'll use a stand alone novel, As One Dead, co-written with Don Bassingthwaithe: A Romeo and Juliet style love story with two doomed lovers, each from a warring vampire clans hell bent on destroying the other.

How would you describe the appeal of this novel to readers?

Readers have the tension of the war, the swells of truce that fail, the underhanded manipulation within the clans, the manipulation of the lovers, and their fight to join together in a world that is against them.
How would you summarise a chapter from this novel in one paragraph.
An unusual girl with a raven on her shoulder arrives at a club which is in a small area of the city held by one of the vampire clans. The rest of the city is controlled by the other, warring, clan. She brings them hope, but they don't trust her.

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

It sets up the story so that the reader understands what's going on in the city, why these vampires are boxed into a small area. They also meet the enigmatic girl who can help them, if only they can trust her. The chapter sets everything up for the reader so they know what type of story this is, and what to expect.

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



Nancy Kilpatrick - Author Interview: Story

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

I can't say I have a favorite novel or short story I've written because I like them all. I'll select the novel Near Death, just because. This story was innovative when first published, which is why Pocket Books bought it and why it was popular. Mainly, I was able to show a unqiue vampire to the world.

What genre(s) do you consider this story primarily to be, or how would you describe this story?

Vampire, dark fantasy, a 'soft' vampire caught in morbidity by his pre-undead nature, who is enamoured with the romantics and quotes Byron often.
What is a published fiction story by another author you would compare this story to and why are they similar?
I can't think of another novel that is like Near Death. Of course, there are other vampire novels out there, many. I have a vast collection of 2,000 vampire novels. I don't see that any have done what I've done, so other than the sub-genre theme of vampire, I couldn't say.

To what extent did you use any pre-existing story formula, template, paradigm, plot design, archetype, or theory or principle of story/plot structure in planning, writing, editing or rewriting this story?

I worked with the vampire archetype, of course. I've read about 2000 vampire novels to date (maybe about 1000 at the time I wrote this novel) and have collected books for years so I knew what had been done, and I know what has been done since Near Death was first published. I wanted to create a unique vampire that still remained solidly within the archetypal parameters.

How would you describe the first chapter, scene or section of this story in one paragraph?

Chapter one gets readers right into the story. A drug-addicted girl arrives at the vampire's ancestral home in Manchester, England trying to drive a stake through his heart. He stops her. She reminds him of a past love. He can't get the truth out of her heroin-soaked brain and has to dry her out first to find out who sent her to murder him.

What makes this chapter, scene or section an effective opening for this story?

Right from the get-go readers know what the story is about and who the two main characters are. It's a mystery that folds around revenge, romance and betrayal and the opening alludes to all of that.

What major stages, twists or turns does the story conflict take in this story before the conflict is resolved (or not resolved)?

Near Death twists and turns quite a bit and just when you think you have a grip on what's going on, the story spins another way. It would take too long to identify all the plot twists. I'd suggest reading the novel, which is available in print and also as an ebook.

How would you summarise the major sub-plot or sub-plots in this story? If this story has no sub-plots, how would youe describe the main sub-plot or sub-plots from one of your favourite published fiction stories by another author?

The main plot is: who sent Zero (the heroin-addicted prostitute) to kill David, and why? The subplot is: What is Zero hiding from her past that impacts on all this? Another subplot is: David's past lover and whether or not he can see beyond his illusions and recognize her as a threat. And a short but final subplot that unfolds in the other books in this world is: What role does the vampire half breed play in the future of this dark species?

What does the story gain from the sub-plot or sub-plots?

The subplots enrich the main plot, expanding the story, folding in on it, criss-crossing so that the story is not one dimensional but layered and complex.

To what extent would you describe your story discussed here as typical or atypical of your fiction stories?

Both typical and not typical, I'd say. I've written some stories and novels with a 'weak' protagonist, meaning a protagonist with a weakness . But essentially I'd say that each story and novel is so different from the others, which is how I enjoy writing, that I can't really group them into typical types.

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