Friday, September 4, 2009

ASH Celebration: Interview with Malinda Lo!

(The excitement for this is self-explanatory, but in lieu of fears of redundancy let me just say this: I AM SO EXCITED TO BE SHARING THIS INTERVIEW WITH YOU ALL!) :) Welcome, Malinda Lo to Steph Su Reads!

1. ASH contains many magical elements, including fairies and an enchanted wood. From where did you draw your magical inspirations?

A lot of it came from the fairy folklore I read -- British and Irish folklore collected by Katherine Briggs was a major influence on the fairies in Ash. A lot of the magical quality of the Wood was based on my own experiences of the woods in Northern California. They really are beautiful, magical places.

2. Describe your writing process for us. Do you have a particular time and location where you like to do most of your writing? Do you plot carefully, or let the words come as they will?

I have always been an organizer, but I've discovered that even though I like having lots of notes and reference material, when I sit down to write I usually pay no attention to it. In an ideal world, I'd like to have time to do research beforehand, to take a lot of notes, and yes, to outline the book and write up character backgrounds, stuff like that. I look at the outline as a basic map to where I'm going, and I start writing at the beginning. But I usually discover that the story takes me in directions the outline did not anticipate, so I don't really force myself to stick to the outline. In fact, after I've written the outline I pretty much never look at it again!

If I'm deeply into the writing, the words do come quickly. But the words rarely, if ever, stay in the first form they came out in. I go over every word in many drafts, and the finished product is a lot more focused than the first draft, which is often all about getting the emotion or action onto the page, willy-nilly. That stuff needs to be honed.

3. You do a monthly feature on your blog showcasing covers for debut authors' books. What are some of your favorite covers of all time?

Well, in terms of YA, I absolutely adore the U.K. cover to Graceling by Kristin Cashore. The silhouette is so strong and yet so graceful -- I think it perfectly captures the character of Katsa.

Of all time, though ... One of the most memorable covers for me has been from an adult novel. The Blue Place by Nicola Griffith is a very powerful book, and the cover is, in my opinion, equally powerful. The main character is a strong, self-aware woman, and I think the ease and self-confidence of the woman on the cover fits her perfectly. The first time I saw that cover, I walked right over to it and picked up the book -- it was like a magnet! Note: It is NOT a young adult novel.

I think there is a theme in what I like on a cover. :)

4. What is your favorite contemporary fairy tale retelling? How about a favorite retelling of Cinderella?

You know, I wrote Ash because I hadn't read any retellings of Cinderella that satisfied me, so I don't have a favorite. My favorite fairy tale retelling is probably Deerskin by Robin McKinley. I love her other fairy tale retellings, too, but Deerskin is so incredible. It's dark and complicated, and not exactly for younger readers, but it is amazing.

5. Readers of your blog will know that you like to take pictures of food (a lot!). Do you have a favorite dish?

Oh my God I LOVE ALL FOOD. OK, of course I have a favorite dish! My mother's beef stew -- it's her version of hongshao rou, which is translated as "red-cooked pork." It is fabulous. I don't know how she does it. She makes it every time I come home! I even wrote an essay about it.

6. If you could retell another fairy tale, which one would it be and why?

Bluebeard. It was brilliantly retold by Angela Carter in The Bloody Chamber (also not YA). I'm drawn to the horror in this story, and the possibilities for it. OK, so actually I do have plans to retell this story, but it would not be a YA novel simply because of the content of the tale.

7. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Read! And eat. And cook. And watch Top Chef, which often leads to cooking and eating. I am a total Top Chef fan. I'm so excited that the new season has begun! I'm also a big fan of Mad Men and I cannot wait for 30 Rock to return. And Lost -- so bummed I have to wait till January! So, I love to watch TV, too. :)

8. Can you tell us what's next for you in terms of writing?

My next book, which I'm currently revising, is a companion novel to Ash. It's set in the same world, but several hundreds of years earlier. It's about the first huntress in that Kingdom, and it's an adventure.

9. If you could ask yourself any interview question, what would it be and how would you answer?

I'm not sure how I would frame this in terms of a question, but I truly hope that teen readers who are not LGBT will still give Ash a chance. I've read countless books with heterosexual romances in them, and even though I'm not straight, I can still relate to the straight characters and their love interests. We're all human, and we all experience love as a big, life-changing event, no matter the gender of who we fall in love with.

-

Thank you SO much for providing fascinating answers to my questions, Malinda! If you're like me and can't get enough of her writing, you should make sure to check out her regularly updated blog, where Malinda likes to write about Ash, food, pictures, queer stuff, and more!

For more information and links to the ASH Celebration Givaway, click HERE.

For one entry: Comment on what most interested you about this interview and/or leave another question you'd be curious to know Malinda's answer to.

50 comments:

  1. Quite personally, I cannot WAIT until I can manage to get my hands on Ash - straight or not - it simply sounds amazing! I also agree about the cover of Graceling.. I actually had a friend I have in London get it for me so I could have that version of the cover! Lovely interview Steph!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can't wait to read Ash, either. I really like that cover of Graceling, as well. I still need to read that book, as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What interested me most about the interview was that she wrote Ash because she didn't like the other Cinderella retellings.

    Now I'm more intrigued to read Ash!

    For Malinda, I would like to know what other princess fairytale you would like to write about? And, what's your fave dessert? :)

    bunnybx at gmail . com

    ReplyDelete
  4. The companion novel to Ash sounds like it'll be an interesting read. I'll look forward to reading that one when it comes out.

    -Rylie
    bcanyon at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  5. very nice/enlightening interview - I'm more interested in the story after hearing her responses.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, I've never heard of Deerskin. :) I'll have to check this one out!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hurray for GLBT lit + fairy tale retelling + awesome awesomeness.
    I'm really so excited for this, I really loved that she used Irish folklore as inspiration or ideas because Irish folklore is amazing and magical. I can't wait to read this.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This interview makes me want to read Ash now! The fact that she used Northern California woods as inspiration was interesting. I have to agree that the woods there are gorgeous and mysterious.

    jillkt13 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am more then happy to learn there will be a companion book for Ash!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I find it interesting she would choose to retell Bluebeard.
    My question is Do you plan on writing more fairy tale re-tellings?

    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. What most interests me about this interview is that I get the impression Malinda Lo is just really well read. I definitely believe that reading widely helps to make a person a better writer, so now I'm even more convinced I am going to *love* Ash.

    I really hope that straight teens give this book a chance too. From the excitement in the YA blogosphere I'm getting the impression that Ash appeals to a *lot* of readers, so I think that they will.

    lauren dot wavekeeper at googlemail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Her writing process. I'm always interested in seeing what succesful writers do to create a story. And it's true, you can't force your story to go certain way just because it was designed that way from the beginning. One just has to let one's imagination flow.

    principessa_mia2000atyahoodotcom

    ReplyDelete
  13. What interested me most was her love for red pork. I hadn't ever heard of that before and it sounds like something I might try in the future.
    wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  14. The most coolest part about this interview was the cover showcasing, and the tidbit about her favorite foods. I love that she loves Top Chef! It's one of my favorite shows too. Haha.

    So, if I could ask her a question, it'd probably be. "Since you like to watch Top Chef, have you ever tried to cook some of the dishes they come up with?"

    ReplyDelete
  15. What I loved the most about the interview was Malinda's honesty. I'm straight and I've read books with gay characters and she's right, people should give it a chance.

    vicky216n(at)(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  16. What was interesting to me was that Malinda likes to take pictures of food. Its the same with my friends, whenever we go out to eat at a reataurant they have to take a picture of the food before we eat it. Its cause the presentation of the food is so nice.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I found really interesting that she is writting a companio book for ash, Im sure is gonna be good.
    Great Interview!!

    Mariana
    sarima89(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great interview. I'm dying to read Ash! I'm really interested to know there's going to be a companion novel!!

    Kelsey
    kelseythebookscout@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. I like that she likes to cook, and I actually really like that she recommended a few books, I will definitely look into the bluebeard book. :-)

    If I could ask her a question, I would ask her what she thinks about the lack of GLBT YA fiction? I mean, I get that there is a few books out there, but I think it's like 1/10 of YA books feature GLBT characters.

    goodbooksandgoodwine[at]gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. What most interested me?
    Uhm, discovering Malinda Lo is writing a companion novel to Ash! Yay! :)
    Dani.
    lightningstreak123@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete
  21. Definitely Question 6: So Malinda, when is your version of Bluebeard coming out?? :) Would love to get my hands on that!

    spoiltbrat_forever@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm straight but that doesn't affect what books I read. If it looks good, I read it and Ash looks/sounds amazing!
    What interested me most about this interview was seeing what Ms. Lo plans on working on next. I love her blog!

    ReplyDelete
  23. If I could ask, I'd wonder if the next book will be based on a different fairytale?

    sdeeth@msn.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Bluebeard..I'd love to read her version!!

    mj.coward[at]gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. I always find it interesting to read about people's writing processes. I remember being forced to use outlines in English class and I always cheated and wrote my stories or essays and then went back and wrote the outline. I also never wrote a bunch of drafts; my first draft was usually my final draft. I think I only had 2 drafts of my master's thesis!

    melacan at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Re-telling of fairy tales really rock. I never heard of BlueBeard going to have to look into it.

    Did you have any intake on the cover? and who designed the dress?

    ReplyDelete
  27. I am most excited to hear that there will be a companion novel to ASH!!!

    I have a question. Looking back at your journey as a writer so far, what would you change / do differently in order to become a better writer quicker?

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I like when Malinda said there wasn't any retelling of Cinderella that satisfied her so she went to write one. Way to go, Malinda ^^

    And since I'm a curious cat, I want to know the title of her next book. Does that count as a question?

    Btw, the UK cover for Gracelling is HOT~

    ReplyDelete
  29. Cool! I've got to watch Top Chef. :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. There's interesting questions here, and of course, some very interesting answers too!
    The writing process is very complex and different according to the author. "(...)after I've written the outline I pretty much never look at it again!" That line caught my attention. I usually read what I write a lot of times. But, she gets so involved into the story she creates, that becomes very easy for her to remember the details, she is awesome!

    Kiara
    kiara.dg(at)gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. This interview was amazing, thanks. I was really interested in the question about her writing process. I'm always interested in learning the different methods that authors go about.

    jennay1221(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  32. Wht most interested me about this interview is where Malinda gets her magical inspiriation from. I've often wondered about that for many authors!

    ReplyDelete
  33. I found it interesting that she didn't have a rewrite of Cinderella that she was satisfied with and that was one of the reasons she used that one.

    I'd like so still know - what she does when she hit a block in her writing. How does she get past it?

    foltzsfantasticbooks at gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  34. I found it interesting that she didn't have a rewrite of Cinderella that she was satisfied with and that was one of the reasons she used that one.

    I'd like so still know - what she does when she hit a block in her writing. How does she get past it?

    foltzsfantasticbooks at gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  35. great interview

    I love the U.K cover of Graceling more that the american one It one of my all time favorite cover I even dought the Uk version becuse if It

    DeniseMadness\

    deniseguzman682(at)Gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  36. I agree with her about the UK version of Graceling. I also liked how she wrote Ash because there wasn't a retelling of Cinderella out there that she liked. I think that's cool.

    ReplyDelete
  37. The most interesting thing about your interview for me was Miss Lo's mother's beef stew. Being a foody, any dish worthy of an essay must be deliscious!!! ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  38. Yummy, yummy "Hongshao Rou," that reminds me, my mom is cooking some, and I am starved...:)

    And that is so awesome...finally another Asian YA author :)

    oo I love the cover for The Blue Place...I want to read it too!!

    Wdebo :)

    electricalbookcafe@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  39. Her next book seems interesting.. I hope she says more about it!

    Question: Are you going to write, after finishing the book companion of Ash, another YA book? Will it have fairy tale elemnts?

    sheere.dry@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  40. I love that Malinda's interested in food! I love cooking myself, and I'm always way too thrilled to hear about authors who share my interests.

    ReplyDelete
  41. I enjoyed learning about what books she enjoyed, and how she liked the UK cover of Graceling. I'm excited to learn that she's writing a companion novel as well. :)

    McKenzie
    mac.attack17(at)yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  42. I loved seeing this - I remember Malinda from her days at Curve mag

    ReplyDelete
  43. Just wanted to say, these are great questions ... I will have to see if I have time to answer them somehow. :)

    ReplyDelete
  44. (Re: the last interview question/answer)
    Hmmm. The fact that I'm straight doesn't change the fact that I want to read the book. I think that any romance, no matter the gender of the characters involved, should be able to be enjoyed and related to by a reader if it's well-written. If it's not well-written, then regardless of gender, the reader won't be able to relate.

    I have wondered if this would impact the book's selling. I hope not, because there isn't a lot of gay fiction out there, which I think is a shame. I hope Ms Lo hasn't been abused for her sexuality or the romance in her book.

    I would find it hard writing a story where the hero/ine falls in love with someone else of the same gender, just because that's not what works for me. Obviously, I haven't read Ash yet, but I understand there's some romance between the male fairy and the heroine. Was that more challenging to write than the main romance?

    ReplyDelete
  45. What interested me most is the way she writes - how she doesn't look at her outline again after creating it! That's awesome, like she alsready knows what she wants to write about. :)

    austenfanblogs[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  46. I absolutely loved her answer to the last question. And what she says, "We're all human, and we all experience love as a big, life-changing even, no matter the gender of who we fall in love with." I totally agree with that. I'm not gay, but I support LGBT 100%. I have the pleasure of being in my school's GSA (gay straight alliance) club!

    infinitemusic19 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  47. I absolutely loved her answer to the last question. And what she says, "We're all human, and we all experience love as a big, life-changing even, no matter the gender of who we fall in love with." I totally agree with that. I'm not gay, but I support LGBT 100%. I have the pleasure of being in my school's GSA (gay straight alliance) club!

    infinitemusic19 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  48. Comment on what most interested you about this interview and/or leave another question you'd be curious to know Malinda's answer to. - I'm curious about the companion novel to Ash. It sounds interesting! And I totally support GLBT YA lit and life!

    paradoxrevealed (at) aim (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  49. i've been stalking Malinda's blog for quite a few months, and I absolutely love her take on covers. Graceling is one of the most pretty covers I've ever seen (although that other book just screams baaaaad paint at me :P)

    juiceb0xx at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  50. I've been hearing a lot of talk about this book, but I gotta admit - I haven't read it yet! BUT I really really want to. This was an awesome interview. I didn't know that there was going to be a sequel!

    booksobsession(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete

Hello! I'm so excited to read what you have to say. Due to high amounts of spam, I'm forced to disabled anonymous comments for the time being. Sorry for any inconvenience this causes, and I hope you can understand and still appreciate the content here!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...