1. I
am so happy to have a little while to interview you, Jenny! :) Would you mind
telling us a little back-of-the-book blurb about The Shadow Things?
Indi has lived all his life accepting and
rubbing elbows with his pagan environment, but as time goes on his conscience
begins to question the validity of his faith.
What people have been calling good begins to look evil. With this void of unbelief growing inside
him, Indi hesitantly begins to fill it with the preaching of a Gallic monk who
comes teaching a single God slain for men on a Roman cross…and the cost of
taking up one’s cross oneself.
2.
So it's historical fiction—how did you go about your research for the era?
Truth to tell, I had been doing my research
before I knew I was going to write the book.
I’m very interested in history in general and the ancient world in
particular, so it has been something I have been studying for years. The insular nature of The Shadow Things did not allow me to show a great deal of
backdrop, but I was already familiar enough with the world then so that when I
went to write the book I did not have to do a lot of serious research.
3.
Was there a particular dream, thought, picture, etc. that first inspired The
Shadow Things?
Yes, actually: a very heart-wrenching little
novel by Rosemary Sutcliff. It gave me a
vague, watercolour kind of image for The
Shadow Things; additionally I was inspired by a familiar notion that men
have always held, a truth we can find in Scripture, and is probably most
succinctly summed up in the words of C.S. Lewis: “If I find in myself a desire
which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is
that I was made for another world.”
4.
Who is your favourite character you created in this book?
Oh, Indi.
Always Indi. The emotions in him
were always so raw and near to me that the link between author and character is
still very strong.
5.
Which character do you think most resembles yourself in
temperament/personality?
That is a difficult question. I suppose in terms of emotion (as stated
above) Indi is closest to me. His sense
of the rightness of things, his almost painful ability to feel both goodness
and evil—really, how raw and
sensitive he is, is also how I am. We
differ vastly in other ways, too: though we both have tender tempers, Indi
holds his in check far better than I do.
In many, many way I wish I was more like him.
6.
As you know, you have pen-slain me numerous times on your blog, especially with
excerpts of your current works in progress (Adamantine and Plenilune).
Does The
Shadow Things follow your pattern of description and emotion-rich prose, or
does it have its own voice?
All three novels, I think, have the same
overarching voice which is my own, but I find myself intuitively taking into
account the sort of people I am writing, the atmosphere of their culture, and
the nature of the plot. Adamantine takes into account both
elementally agrarian cultures and practical mindsets: that novel is a kind of
blend. Plenilune, while heavy on the practicality, is populated by a rich,
almost medieval people—the writing style in that novel reflects that. The
Shadow Things itself is the most elemental of my works to date: it is a
matter of intuitive colour, sharp images, and the simple magic of conjuring clear,
close feeling through small things. They
are all very much in my own voice, but I believe the tone changes from story to
story depending on the factors I stated.
7.
What inspires you more: people-watching out in the real world, or burying
yourself in a corner of the house with your own characters?
Oh, I would definitely prefer to sit in a
corner with my own characters. I do,
actually… I know I’ve said it before,
but I’m pretty poor at watching people.
I am too conscientious to want to impose and stare at them, and I am,
admittedly, somewhat disinterested in them.
Because my characters are so much their own people I get more out of
watching them than I do out of real people who have nothing whatsoever to do with
my story.
8.
Your sister, Abigail, is a published author as well—did you publish your books
at the same time?
Yes, we did! We both submitted to Ambassador almost at the
same time but, because I no longer carry my maiden name, they had no idea we
were sisters. I think they were a little
nervous they we might grow jealous and have a row if one book succeeded more
than the other, but we get on fine, and the
two-homeschooled-sisters-get-published-together marketing pitch was something
new.
9. The
Shadow Things—how long did it take you to write?
I’m tempted to give a different answer to
this question every time someone asks me.
I would guess around two years, give or take, mostly give. I honestly don’t remember. I didn’t sit down at the beginning and think,
“It’s March 4th—I’m starting my very first novel today and I’m going
to keep track of how long it takes me so that, years from now, I can tell
people how long the process took.” Never
occurred to me; and, technically, I was in the sixth century anyway.
10.
Do you feel more in your element writing historical fiction or fantasy?
I feel most comfortable writing a sort of
“historical fiction meets fantasy” style.
Both Adamantine and Plenilune are in this vein: history is
always fascinating and fantasy gives me scope for the imagination. But The
Shadow Things is straight-up historical fiction, and I do find getting into
the nitty-gritty of history helps bring the past to life. When an author can make you feel as if that
time is real and now, you know the goal has been reached. That is what I strive for.
11.
Which classic authors do you admire the most?
“And the three men I admire most—the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost…” Theological
issues aside, I’ll take this line by Don McLean. No one has written a better, bigger, more
glorious story than that of Man and Time.
12.
Which modern authors do you admire the most?
While he deals with film and not with
novels, I confess I do admire Joss Whedon’s ability to tell a story. “I like to meet new people,” his character
Kaylee Frye once said. “They’ve all got
stories.” As a storyteller myself, I tip
my hat to the man’s ability to conceive and draw together the stories of a
large cast and yet never lose sight of the plot and always move toward the
story’s goal. He’s also got a fun way
with words that either leaves me laughing or nodding in admiration. Here’s to wordsmiths and storytellers.
Posts
