Writing inspiration questions

What do you think makes a good story?

Characters to die for, an exciting series of events that happen to them, and a satisfying conclusion that often works out as a happily ever after for me.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

The beta reading stage/editing stage. Truly everyone has their own opinion and absolutely nothing matches up. The pace is too slow; the pace is too fast. The romance is barely there; the romance is engaging. You write like middle grade; you write like New Adult. I could go on. Everything contradicts itself and if you’re looking for consistencies, you might go insane. I learned I had to only take advice that sounded true to myself and true to the book, and I didn’t actually learn this lesson until The Name and the Key. When I was working on Son of the Siren, I was being shown this lesson and just didn’t quite get it until I gave up on the book and said “screw it, I’m submitting it no matter what!” With The Name and the Key, I used only two beta readers instead of five, which was better for my sanity, and even then, I disregarded a lot of what the beta readers said. When the time came for my editor, Kim Ostrom, to take a look, what they brought up never came up in her notes as an issue.

What might your next book be about?

I’m writing it now! It’s Book Two in “The Darkening Gate.” The Step and the Walk is named for Andresh’s personal journey into the magic of alchemy, and his deal with the demon he names Isabelle. The book is an epistolary novel in the form of Andresh’s journal. I’ve never written in this style before, but it’s a lot of fun for me, and I hope readers are on board for this type of structure.

Andresh isn’t always a reliable narrator. And he has a habit of conversing with his journal, sometimes naming an audience for his words. Because he writes his journal to other people, he can’t be trusted to not filter some of his writing, or to disclose everything. In fact, he has an enormous secret that readers won’t get to see either until the end of The Step and the Walk or the middle of The Fear and the Flame (Book Three)…I haven’t decided how soon to reveal it, but my gut is telling me to save it for the third book. His deed is so bad that his family in Sindalia disowned him for it.

Do you ever get inspiration from your dreams?

For decades I’ve had really vivid nightmares that terrify me, but are also aesthetically beautiful or interesting. A lot of the imagery inspires me, and the realm where Nigredo Gate appears in The Darkening Gate trilogy came from a dream. The original Guardian in the thesis version of The Name and the Key also came from a dream, including a final form he transforms into. However, that specific form got cut from the new version of The Name and the Key. As cool as it was, it just didn’t work. It was a wolf-snake-eagle-scorpion hybrid. That sounds nuts but I got an artist to render it and it looked freaking cool. I wish I could’ve saved it for the new version of The Name and the Key somehow, but, alas.

What is your favorite genre to write and why?

It’s always going to be fantasy. I love horror, too, but I don’t think I have the skill yet to write a complete work in the genre…however, I do like to add dark bits to my stories, so a little bit of horror trickles in there in some fashion.

I just like the open possibilities of fantasy, and I love the idea of magic. I love what it can do and I love exploring the repercussions and price of using it. That always makes for interesting stories, in my opinion.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I’ve never been able to choose just one. I will, however, mention the foundational author that made me want to switch from writing plays to writing books, and that’s Juliet Marillier. I read Daughter of the Forest my freshman year in college and even found her email to tell her how much I loved it. It’s been decades now, but I still remember the love between Red and Sorcha, the drama of trying to make the nettle shirts to save her swan brothers, and the tests she underwent (some very extreme and mature, so be forewarned) to try to break her vow of silence. It’s an adaptation of The Seven Swans/The Wild Swans, and I’ll never forget how that book made me feel.

How do you get inspired to write?

So, I’m a big cosplayer, and also part of the reason I got involved in theater was so I could dress up in costume (you never quite feel fully in character until you wear their clothes). Because of my love for historical and fantastical clothing, I will think of outfits my characters will wear, and that inspires me. A lot of times in my fantasy, I base it aesthetically off of a time period just so my characters can look a certain way in my mind. For example, Son of the Siren is inspired by Tudor England. “The Darkening Gate” trilogy is inspired by the Regency. And yes, my characters look amazing in their clothes!

If I want to get into a certain costume aesthetic, I’ll watch movies or TV or even anime that share the look I want in my novels. For The Name and the Key, it’s been Bridgerton (2020-present), Pride and Prejudice (2005), Sense and Sensibility (1995), and the reality show Regency House Party (2004). I like almost everything about the Regency aesthetic except the way women’s hair was styled. I do not like the hair pulled back tightly with those equally tight curls framing the face. So, in my book, Lily wears her hair long and loose to defy social norms, while Nell, her little sister, upholds them.

Besides getting into period movies and TV, I’ll also try to read books and stories set in the time period, too. Making Pinterest boards is another thing I like to do, as well as mood boards on Instagram.

Can you share an instance where real-life events inspired your writing?

I won’t get into too much detail because it’s really painful for me, but the worst parts about Queen Aurinda in Son of the Siren were inspired by the worst parts of my behavior when I was experiencing severe manic episodes during my newly diagnosed bipolar I disorder. That was during my college and recently post-college era. The worst years of my life, I would say. I was such a destructive, obsessive person.

How do you handle moments where inspiration seems hard to find?

I try to throw myself into the media that inspires me–just reference the costume and time period stuff from above. Also, anime soundtracks are really inspirational, too. I just surround myself in media that speaks to what I’m trying to write to get back on board. And if I have a deadline, I just sit down and write anyway.

Can you tell us about a book or author that has greatly inspired your own work?

I have to give a shout-out to Margaret Rogerson and her YA fantasy Sorcery of Thorns. It’s one of my top YA fantasies out there, and it greatly inspired the demon aspects in The Name and the Key. Rogerson has something completely unique with how her magicians make pacts with demons, and how those pacts manifest in the real world. While I don’t copy it in my own book–it’s too special to–I do get some inspiration with how the demons communicate with their masters and how they use their magic.

What is the most inspiring feedback you’ve ever received from a reader?

This review of Son of the Siren sent me to the moon and back. I will treasure it forever.

How has your concept of inspiration evolved throughout your writing career?

I used to believe that inspiration came to you from nowhere or some sort of divine “zing” in your brain. Otherwise, the Muse. But now I’ve realized that inspiration comes from things that I like. If I surround myself with what I like to watch, read, and do, then inspiration is limitless.