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Author Interview: Clare Davidson
As I promised on Friday, today we have a special treat: an interview with U.K author and writer extraordinaire, Clare Davidson!
Clare has a new book out, Trinity, that I highly recommend you check out. I even wrote a review, if you’d like to know my opinion (spoiler: it got five stars).
But enough of my opinion, this is Clare’s interview, isn’t it? So away we go.
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Thanks for joining us today, Clare. So, you’re a writer. When did you decide to take the plunge and call yourself one?
In an art lesson in high school, when my friends were mercilessly ribbing my dream of being published. I told them then I’d prove them all wrong and that when I did I’d dedicate my first book to them by writing “Gutted!”. Obviously I didn’t do that! I haven’t seen most of those friends since we parted ways for university. However it was their teasing that made me realise I really wanted to be a writer. I might not have advertised it much at that stage, but that’s what I then called myself.
I think some of those kids are eating a big helping of crow at the moment. Next question: what initially drew you to write fantasy?
It was the genre that I read the most. I remember my Dad reading me the ‘Chronicles of Prydain’ quintet as bed time stories. I guess I was just drawn to the genre. I liked how fantasy allowed your imagination to run free, but could still be used to explore real world issues and relationships.
Your novel, Trinity, has a unique premise: the protagonist is the living embodiment of a goddess. Where did you draw that idea?
In the past, I’ve often played with the idea of the gods being dependent on humans for their survival: if a god has no followers, then they have no power. I took that concept a step further in Trinity and asked myself what would happen if an immortal god was killed, would there be any way to save the god? In many ways, I wanted to show the strength of humanity itself and how that can surpass the strength of the gods they believe in.
What advice can you give to novelists who are preparing to self publish for the first time?
Don’t rush it. Make sure that your work is the best it can be at the time. If you can afford to, work with an editor, copyeditor and cover designer so that your work looks professional. If you can’t, utilise your friends and critique network to help you do the same thing. If your novel/short story looks professional, then people are more likely to buy it after reading the sample. Also, good luck! It’s hard work, but worth it for the creative control that you’re able to maintain.
Quick! Outline or Pantser?
Neither! Both?
If you had to pick one literary character to do your day job for a year, who would you choose and why?
Jean Brodie, because unlike me she gave her entire life to teaching and was depicted as an amazing and inspirational teacher.
What adventures await the heroes of Trinity? Do you have further novels planned?
‘Trinity’ was originally supposed to be a standalone novel. That said, early feedback is that people would like to know more. There’s certainly scope for both a sequel and a prequel, as there’s unanswered questions in both directions. While I’m editing my current project, I’ll be working out which direction gets the most votes! Do you have a preference, Nic? 
Me? Opinion? I couldn’t presu…oh, alright. You twisted my arm. I would like two more, please. I have a soft spot for trilogies. Ok, you have one paragraph to make your best sales pitch for Trinity. Go!
‘Trinity’ is a tense, emotional, fast paced fantasy novel. It follows the plight of a sheltered young girl, Kiana, and her companions, who choose to rebel against the status quo within two, warring societies. Above all, they strive to do what’s right, no matter what the consequences. Filled with excitement, danger and intrigue, ‘Trinity’ is a fresh epic fantasy for a young adult audience, but there’s plenty in there for everyone to enjoy.
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And there you have it, a bright new star in the field of YA Fantasy and you saw her here first! (Unless you happened to see Clare at her blog, in which case you, uh…saw her second? Third? I don’t know. Stop wasting time and GO BUY HER BOOK ALREADY!).
Thanks again for joining us today, Clare. Can’t wait to see more of your work in the future.
An Interview with the Nanny
In Razors and Rust, our hero, Diego Santos, experiences a slow descent into madness. The story takes place over twenty years, covering Diego’s growing obsession with pyramid power, as well as his desperate need to answer questions Sir Wentworth Atlee has left behind.
It affects everyone around him, forever altering the lives of his wife, children, and closest friends.
But what about the nanny?
In an attempt to get to the root of Dr. Diego Santo’s obsession, I’ve invited Mrs. Pennyweather here to discuss her time at the Santos house, her years raising the children, and perhaps the most important question of all: which flavor of jam does Diego prefer on his toast? (Turns out it’s preserves.)
Warning: Mild spoilers for “Razors and Rust.”
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Mrs. Pennyweather, thank you for joining us today. I hope the flight was comfortable.
I’m sorry to say it was not. I rather doubt I will be traveling Egyptian Airlines again.
Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. What do you—
There weren’t even peanuts! Who doesn’t include peanuts on an eleven hour flight? Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve enjoyed a legume? Dr. Santos wouldn’t allow them in the house. Said he was allergic. Though I never saw an inhaler…
Er…I see. Well, perhaps we should begin with the first time you met Dr. Santos, and how—
Not even pretzels? There should be a law: anytime you’re stuck on your bum for over an hour you get either baked snacks or peanuts.
I should have driven.
Mrs. Pennyweather, let’s try to stay on topic. Can you tell us about the first time you met Dr. Santos?
Yes, yes. The doctor. Well, he was a kind enough sort. Seemed a bit melancholy, though, always staring out the window and what-not. And not much use with the children. They’d yell after him, trying to get him to play a game or two, but he would just keep gazing out that window, ignoring the lot of us.
I remember one time little Wendell cut his finger and ran to Doctor Santos, crying and hollering, and making a mess of himself. I was about to grab him (the doctor didn’t care for noise. Sometimes he’d get the shakes if the children were carrying on), but Doctor Santos stopped me, and bent down to examine the cut. I thought he’d put a band-aide on it, or glue or something, but instead he…well…he…
Yes?
He grabbed a tiny paper pyramid out of his desk drawer and told Wendell to put his finger inside. Said he had to keep his finger in the pyramid for a couple of days and it would be healed.
Fascinating. Did it work?
I haven’t the foggiest idea. As soon as the doctor left I put a band-aide on it. No child of mine is going to run around with a pyramid on his finger.
Did that happen often?
Hmm…what, the pyramid? Of course not! What kind of household do you think I run?
I mean ignoring Diego Santos. He was your employer, wasn’t he?
I suppose so, but he never acted like one. In the early days I got instructions from the missus—
Julie Santos?
What? Yes. Stop interrupting or I’ll never finish.
Sorry.
You’re forgiven. Now, where was I…
Julie Santos used to give you instruction?
Now see? That’s what I’m talking about. Hush up.
Alright, let’s see, Mrs. Santos…
Yes. Right. She had some pretty strict rules for the little ones in the beginning. Only organic food, no television, no religion, no mention of Sir Wentworth Atlee, things like that.
Wasn’t Sir Atlee the family’s patron?
I suppose. Maybe. Doctor Santos didn’t seem to work, and Mrs. Santos was always traveling, vacationing…I guess the money had to come from somewhere. But the doctor wouldn’t talk about it, and the one time little Addy asked her mom if they were rich Mrs. Santos flew into a fit and wouldn’t speak with the children for days.
That’s why I never gave them the letter Sir Atlee…whoops! Nevermind that last bit.
Wait? What letter?
Hmm? Letter? There was no letter. I didn’t shred it.
Mrs. Pennyweather, what have you done?
Nothing! Don’t you judge me, young man. You have no idea what it was like to live with the Santos’. I wasn’t about to start a fight by giving them some letter from a man everyone knew was dead. What good could it have done? And besides, that nice, tall man—I think his name was Richy?—who delivered the letter warned me it might upset Doctor Santos.
Now why would I go and do that? The poor man could hardly hold a cup of coffee near the end. The last thing he needed was a shock.
And you shredded—
Oh my, look at the time. I’d better be off. It’s been forever since I’ve visited the States, and I hear they’re frying Oreos now! I’ve got to try that.
And maybe I’ll get some peanuts while I’m at it.
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Well, I’m afraid that raised more questions than it answered. But at least we know to avoid Egyptian Airways for the time being, or at the very least to bring our own snacks.
I’d like to thank Mrs. Pennyweather for joining us today, and wish her luck on her future travels.
And who knows? Perhaps someday we’ll find out what was in that letter.
It’s only a shredder, after all.
9 Things You Should Know About Your Main Character
Your Main Character is the life-blood of your story. Without an engaging, unique MC nobody’s going to give a gopher’s fart about your tale, no matter how great the setting. You may have a fantastic concept (“tarantula-gophers invade a New Mexican hospice), but it don’t mean a thang without a great protagonist.
But how do you get there?
It starts with knowing your character. A great MC doesnt emerge from the writer spigot all sparkly and clean; it’s birthed in blood and placenta and it’s your job to clean that kid up, teach it some manners, and find it a respectable job. Along the way you’ll learn what the kid likes. What it wants, needs, and most importantly–desires.
But just to be clear, the following are nine things you, the writer should know about your MC–not necessarily the reader. It’s ok to have a little mystery. The relationship between the reader and your MC is like a great marriage: learn a little each day, love a little each month, and don’t forget to take out the trash.
So, here are nine things you should know about your MC:
1. Education.
Oxford or Cambridge? Vocational or secondary school? Preschool or Daycare? In other words, how did your character get their smarts. Someone who went k-12 in a private academy and matriculated at Harvard is going display different characteristics than a character who spent their adolescence in an inner-city public school. Same goes for home-schooling and appreticeships. Did your MC grow up on a farm? How about in the mountains? They probably attended a school with a graduating class of 10-20, and you’d better believe that’s going to influence the way they interact with the rest of the world. People judge you on your education, whether you like it or not. Your MC is no different.
2. What the F They Look Like
“Well of course we’re going to describe our MC’s appearance. Come on Nic, we’re not idiots. My MC is brown-haired, green-eyed, about medium height and has an easy smile. Sometimes her hair is golden in the sunlight.”
Ok, that’s…nice. Now I’m picturing a faceless girl-shaped blob with a brown head. Guess what? I’m picturing your story the same way.
Everyone has red, black, brown, or blonde hair. Same with eye color. That’s not helping me picture your unique, interesting, gopher-fighting MC. You know what does? Her over-bite. The chipped finger-nail polish. The pristine part in her bangs. Little things that immediately make your MC jumped off the page. Those small details will make your protagonist stand out in a sea of faceless brunettes, and they give you more bang for your buck. Chipped fingernail polish? Well, she cares enough about appearance to apply it in the first place, but something’s stopped her upkeep. Is she lazy? Perhaps that’s her style. Or maybe something is distracting her (like tarantula-gophers)…
3. Pet Peeves
What does your character hate? No, not rude people, everybody hates that. There’s something odd, something strange your MC doesn’t care for. Something that doesn’t bother other people (at least not the majority). Maybe it’s bleu cheese (how can you hate bleu cheese? It’s so TANGY!), or people who don’t remove their shoes before entering the house. My MC hates foreign flicks because he’s a slow-reader. He doesn’t like to admit it because he thinks it makes him look provincial, uneducated, a rube–but he still hates them.
Knowing what drives your protagonist up the wall will inform their interactions with others. Maybe he refuses to shake someone’s hand because they didn’t wash in the lavatory. Maybe he hates people who call the bathroom “lavatory.” Who knows?
4. Social Standing
Is your MC popular? Do people instinctively like her (this probably relates to #2, how they look)? Or is your protagonist one of the bullied? It doesn’t matter if it’s the playground or the boardroom, social standing counts and it will affect the way your character acts. Friends make a difference in this world. Does your MC have a huge social network, a Rolodex the size of a phone book? If she does I’d be willing to bet there aren’t many she considers true friends. Or perhaps she’s shy, with only one or two acquaintances. In both cases your protagonist is probably lonely, but she’ll show it in different ways.
There’s room in the middle, of course, with a character who is well-adjusted and full of self-confidence. She has a group of close, supportive friends and a broader circle of acquaintances and coworkers she feezzzzzz….zzzzzz….huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, your MC put me to sleep.
But maybe that’s me.
5. Their D&D Alignment
I’m talking 3.5 here.
Is your MC a good person? He is! Great, how good? Would he risk his life to save someone he knew? How about someone he didn’t know (really think about this)? At some point your protagonist needs to draw the line, but whether it’s in the sand or cement will vary based on circumstances and good, old-fashioned, will.
Characters need to act like real people, and real people are a mix of good and evil. Great instincts and poor instincts. Chaotic neutral and Lawful Good.
6. Hopes and Dreams and Fluffy Unicorns
Go into any community theater and you’ll hear the following:
Director: I want MORE!
Actor: But what’s my motivation?
Dreams make the world go round. Human culture doesn’t exist without hope. We all want to catch that fluffy unicorn. If your MC doesn’t want anything that’s going to make for a boring story, and I have network TV for that. We’re not talking hierarchy of needs, here–we’re discussing the deep, personal, character-specific dreams that fuel your MC. Does your protagonist long for the stage? Maybe they want to open the largest gopher museum the world has ever seen! There is something your MC longs for beyond a room over his head and three squares. Find it, use it, abuse it (don’t abuse it…I just like to rhyme).
7. Flight or Fight
Quick! Your MC is in a room with five methed-up bodybuilders toting semiautomatics and mommy issues. Does he decide to fight, to face his fears head on, to boldly go where only kung-fu masters and self-deluded protagonists have gone before? Or does he run. Flee. Turn tail and live to run another day?
This isn’t as simple as courage vs. cowardice. Or delusion vs. survival. At some point every character will run, and at some point every character will decide, odds be damned–lets light this candle! What will it take to force your MC into conflict?
And please, please, don’t be one of those writers who makes your MC fight every time. That’s not realistic, and if I’m reading your story I will root for your character to die. It’s more interesting to watch your MC run, feel guilty, wear a hair-shirt for a couple of days, and maybe, maybe, fight next time.
8. Day Job
We’ve already discussed what your character wants to do, now you have to determine what she has to do. In other words, how does she pay the bills?
No, it’s not sexy, but it’s necessary. Your character is a person, and people have financial responsibilities (even kids have to mow the lawn…unless your MC is one of those kids). Nothing drives me crazier than an MC who goes off on a two-week adventure and there’s no mention of their job. How are they paying for this adventure? Did they tell their boss? Are they going to have a job when they come back? If not, that should freak them the hell out. People get like that when they suddenly unemployed.
And if your character hates his job (come on, you know he does) that’s going to affect his demeanor. He’s going to yell at his wife when he gets home. He’s going to kick his dog. He’s going to complain. And that’s going to make him relatable (kind of hate-able if he kicks his dog, but sometimes people got to hate).
9. Allergies
Yup. You should know your MC’s allergies. Seriously.
Allergic to pollen? Cool, let’s see a little sneezing when he’s running through the field chasing tarantula-gophers. Peanuts? Then she’s probably carrying an epipen (you don’t mess around with peanuts). Allergies are great because allergies are human. They’re solid, real things that readers understand because pretty much everyone is allergic to something. I’m allergic to grass. It’s a crappy allergy, and I know if I had to fight an ax-wielding maniac in a barn I’d probably come out the other end with some serious hives.
It’s a little thing but it matters. And it will make your MC a real, live, human-being (albeit, one who spends a boat-load on Benadryl).
