A moment with Maggie Stiefvater
When a book gets a lot of hype I always sort of hope I will like it. It's fun to like popular books because you can discuss them with everyone and get all excited. Of course, you can talk about popular books you don't like too, but it feels more evil. And when a friend writes a book, I really hope I'll like it so I can cheer on their success not just because I like them as a person but because I love the book.
So it was with a mixture of thrill and trepidation that I opened my ARC of Shiver. Would it live up to everything I had heard?
It did. Shiver is a deliciously romantic tale, a new take on lore, and a beautiful story about the things that make us human. I absolutely loved it and I'm happy to have this interview with Maggie for her release day.
I am always fascinated by how a writer's themes and influences develop. What was the first story you wrote that you carried something from into Shiver, if anything?
This is such a good question -- such a writer’s question too. Because it’s true, you play with themes for years until they finally grow up and make their way into real novels. I wrote a novel a few years ago, before my debut came out, that explored loss of identity and soul -- The Horses of Roan, it was called. It really was Sam’s dilemma inside a different framework. It’s funny because I am now basically parting out HORSES, using bits and pieces for different novels. I stole some of the theme for SHIVER and now I’m stealing some of the folklore and myth for the novel I’m writing now.
Have you noticed recurring themes in your work over time?
I do seem to be obscenely concerned with this idea of nonconformity and losing your soul. At risk of sounding overly preachy, I do think it’s something that American teens grapple with all the time. Staying true to themselves instead of giving in to the suburban rat race; following your dreams and staying excited about life.
You've talked about how Shiver is more "you" than any other book you've written and it's being launched to major buzz. Do you have a book in your head that you fantasize about eclipsing Shiver, or is it just about keeping with what you've already established right now?
I have fifty pages written on a book that I think will blow SHIVER out of the water if I do it right . . . but I’m taking my time with it. I have plenty of books either on the shelf or about to be or going to be (I’m booked through 2013 at the moment) (wow, that is weird to think about) so I feel like I can go slowly on this book and really try to make it everything I hope it can be. I don’t know if it will be the big commercial success that SHIVER is turning out to be, but I think it can be more probing and meaningful -- if I can pull it off. And I keep learning more and more from writing the SHIVER series. Stuff that I’m going to need for this other book.
It might sound weird, but I think the point where Shiver really hooked me, where the characters really leapt off the page, was when Sam said his favorite day of the week is Tuesday, because I also like Tuesday for the same ridiculous reason. I think you're really good at bringing out those little moments that make people human. Do you have a favorite small moment in Shiver?
Aw! I love that you pulled that section out of all things, because one of my early readers said “what in the world is this supposed to mean?” And I sort of muttered and wiggled my hands in the air, because I couldn’t explain it. As someone who loves writing and reading and words, the way words looked made a big difference to me. I always liked that whisper really looked like a whisper and nasty really looked nasty.
My favorite small moment in Shiver? Mmmm . . . there are a lot of little tiny moments that build on Beck’s character, and I’m very fond of a lot of them. There’s one in the scene about Mr. Dario’s dogs where Sam notices the electric collars on the guard dogs, and Beck observes “shocks the hell out of them” and makes a jiggling motion to indicate electric current. It’s a small, silly moment, but to me it sort of embodies Sam and Beck’s easy father-son relationship.
Young adult urban fantasy is often focused on what "creature" the book is about. Your debut, Lament, was about fairies and Shiver is a brilliant take on werewolves. While you quite likely agree with me that it's the execution and not the creature that makes a fantasy, is there some other mystical being you'd like to write about in the future?
Actually, the book I was talking about -- the one that’s taking me forever -- is a fantasy without a creature, which is very odd. I feel like LAMENT and that series is very heavily invested in the creature: the faeries. I got to play with folklore around every turn. And then SHIVER is far less invested in the creatures. The werewolves in SHIVER are more scientific than magical, and so the rest of the book is pretty realistic too. And then in my latest, there is no creature at all, just the fantastic twist, and it’s at the opposite end of the spectrum from LAMENT. It’s actually a lot easier to have that safety net of the folklore.
What is your favorite myth, fairytale, etc.?
I’m still a big faerie folklore person. I love how they embody longing and innocence and taboo and nature all at once.
You also write an astounding amount of short fiction at Merry Sisters of Fate. What has writing short fiction taught you about writing novels?
Oh man. The average short story at Merry Sisters of Fate is between one and two thousand words, the length of a scene in a novel. Writing dozens of them over the past year has taught me that it is possible to establish character in a paragraph and also taught me to be very, very efficient. It’s been a great experience.
You are the future queen of America. When you ascend to this position, what will your first decree be?
I’m glad that you noticed. I actually wrote a blog post in 2007 declaring the top 10 things I would do upon being crowned Queen of America, and I just looked back over them. They still seem true. http://greywarenart.blogspot.com/2007/03/future-queen-of-america-speaks-out.html
Since I am fabulous frock, at least until I convert everything into dull professionalism, what is the best, worst or strangest piece of clothing you've ever worn and why?
You will always be Fabulous Frock. I have been spotted in a kilt and a t-shirt while piping in college. I own a sweatshirt that says ‘Guns Don’t Kill People, Faeries Kill People.” But I’m afraid that my usual apparel is a tank top, bootcut jeans, and ass-kicking shoes. Because that’s what gets it done.
Thanks for popping in Maggie! (And my apologies that this interview lacks images, links, and other such frills. I still have to keep typing to a minimum especially after the vacation of shoulder hell. I am breaking down and calling a chiropractor or something this week...)
So it was with a mixture of thrill and trepidation that I opened my ARC of Shiver. Would it live up to everything I had heard?
It did. Shiver is a deliciously romantic tale, a new take on lore, and a beautiful story about the things that make us human. I absolutely loved it and I'm happy to have this interview with Maggie for her release day.
I am always fascinated by how a writer's themes and influences develop. What was the first story you wrote that you carried something from into Shiver, if anything?
This is such a good question -- such a writer’s question too. Because it’s true, you play with themes for years until they finally grow up and make their way into real novels. I wrote a novel a few years ago, before my debut came out, that explored loss of identity and soul -- The Horses of Roan, it was called. It really was Sam’s dilemma inside a different framework. It’s funny because I am now basically parting out HORSES, using bits and pieces for different novels. I stole some of the theme for SHIVER and now I’m stealing some of the folklore and myth for the novel I’m writing now.
Have you noticed recurring themes in your work over time?
I do seem to be obscenely concerned with this idea of nonconformity and losing your soul. At risk of sounding overly preachy, I do think it’s something that American teens grapple with all the time. Staying true to themselves instead of giving in to the suburban rat race; following your dreams and staying excited about life.
You've talked about how Shiver is more "you" than any other book you've written and it's being launched to major buzz. Do you have a book in your head that you fantasize about eclipsing Shiver, or is it just about keeping with what you've already established right now?
I have fifty pages written on a book that I think will blow SHIVER out of the water if I do it right . . . but I’m taking my time with it. I have plenty of books either on the shelf or about to be or going to be (I’m booked through 2013 at the moment) (wow, that is weird to think about) so I feel like I can go slowly on this book and really try to make it everything I hope it can be. I don’t know if it will be the big commercial success that SHIVER is turning out to be, but I think it can be more probing and meaningful -- if I can pull it off. And I keep learning more and more from writing the SHIVER series. Stuff that I’m going to need for this other book.
It might sound weird, but I think the point where Shiver really hooked me, where the characters really leapt off the page, was when Sam said his favorite day of the week is Tuesday, because I also like Tuesday for the same ridiculous reason. I think you're really good at bringing out those little moments that make people human. Do you have a favorite small moment in Shiver?
Aw! I love that you pulled that section out of all things, because one of my early readers said “what in the world is this supposed to mean?” And I sort of muttered and wiggled my hands in the air, because I couldn’t explain it. As someone who loves writing and reading and words, the way words looked made a big difference to me. I always liked that whisper really looked like a whisper and nasty really looked nasty.
My favorite small moment in Shiver? Mmmm . . . there are a lot of little tiny moments that build on Beck’s character, and I’m very fond of a lot of them. There’s one in the scene about Mr. Dario’s dogs where Sam notices the electric collars on the guard dogs, and Beck observes “shocks the hell out of them” and makes a jiggling motion to indicate electric current. It’s a small, silly moment, but to me it sort of embodies Sam and Beck’s easy father-son relationship.
Young adult urban fantasy is often focused on what "creature" the book is about. Your debut, Lament, was about fairies and Shiver is a brilliant take on werewolves. While you quite likely agree with me that it's the execution and not the creature that makes a fantasy, is there some other mystical being you'd like to write about in the future?
Actually, the book I was talking about -- the one that’s taking me forever -- is a fantasy without a creature, which is very odd. I feel like LAMENT and that series is very heavily invested in the creature: the faeries. I got to play with folklore around every turn. And then SHIVER is far less invested in the creatures. The werewolves in SHIVER are more scientific than magical, and so the rest of the book is pretty realistic too. And then in my latest, there is no creature at all, just the fantastic twist, and it’s at the opposite end of the spectrum from LAMENT. It’s actually a lot easier to have that safety net of the folklore.
What is your favorite myth, fairytale, etc.?
I’m still a big faerie folklore person. I love how they embody longing and innocence and taboo and nature all at once.
You also write an astounding amount of short fiction at Merry Sisters of Fate. What has writing short fiction taught you about writing novels?
Oh man. The average short story at Merry Sisters of Fate is between one and two thousand words, the length of a scene in a novel. Writing dozens of them over the past year has taught me that it is possible to establish character in a paragraph and also taught me to be very, very efficient. It’s been a great experience.
You are the future queen of America. When you ascend to this position, what will your first decree be?
I’m glad that you noticed. I actually wrote a blog post in 2007 declaring the top 10 things I would do upon being crowned Queen of America, and I just looked back over them. They still seem true. http://greywarenart.blogspot.com/2007/03/future-queen-of-america-speaks-out.html
Since I am fabulous frock, at least until I convert everything into dull professionalism, what is the best, worst or strangest piece of clothing you've ever worn and why?
You will always be Fabulous Frock. I have been spotted in a kilt and a t-shirt while piping in college. I own a sweatshirt that says ‘Guns Don’t Kill People, Faeries Kill People.” But I’m afraid that my usual apparel is a tank top, bootcut jeans, and ass-kicking shoes. Because that’s what gets it done.
Thanks for popping in Maggie! (And my apologies that this interview lacks images, links, and other such frills. I still have to keep typing to a minimum especially after the vacation of shoulder hell. I am breaking down and calling a chiropractor or something this week...)