We round out this week with a Follow of Friday of none other than Sarwat Chadda! 

Sarwat has a fabulous website.  He also has an entertaining blog, and now is a great time to follow him as he embarks on his Kiss Me/Kill Me series of interviews with some amazing YA fantasy authors.

And don't forget to chat with Sarwat on Twitter.

"I’ve always being interested in history and mythology but nevertheless I spent six months reading all the books I could find on the Templars until I was saturated. I could recall most of the key events, characters and dates without references. I then rearranged all the pieces to create the setting that suited me. There are challenges in using real places, real history and real religion, but the rewards are so much greater when all the pieces do fit."  -- Sarwat Chadda

I think I’ve mentioned before that I know more gossip about the Tudor Court than I do about reality TV.  If they put Henry on the cover of People magazine, canoodling with a Court bimbo, I could probably name her without referring to the headline.  “Key events, characters and dates without references.”

I loved that Sarwat Chadda mentioned this in his interview because creating a fictional plot from history seems such a paradox.  It’s history, right?  So where does the plot come in?  Or character?  Or world-building?  It’s all already there.

That is the challenge to which I believe Chadda refers.  There are constraints.  World-building is just as necessary as in a fantasy or science fiction novel, but is dictated by the very real materials left to us today.  Ruins and drawings and diagrams.  Historical accounts and records.  Art and architecture that remain extant.  But those flat descriptions have to be given dimension.  The paintings made flesh.  The modern remains imagined as they once were, brighter, more vibrant, more real.

Characters are described in historical accounts from the skewed perspectives of the journals, diaries and diplomatic memos of the people who wrote them.  Richard III comes to us as a monster, hammered into place by Thomas More and William Shakespeare.  But absolute facts don’t necessarily point him in that direction.  As a writer of historical fiction, it’s my job to look at these subjective accounts and say, “What if they’re wrong?”  I look at the facts, at the bare numbers and place names and dates and actions.  And I wonder, “What if he actually meant to be this way?  Wouldn’t it be fun to create a character true to the facts, but different from the suppositions of historians?”

And then there’s plot.  Because without plot, without that arc in action and character, there is no story, only timeline.  History is linear and episodic.  Fiction can’t be.  So somewhere within the iron structure of fact, I have to find a way to compose a believable and relatable story, with highs and lows and tension and crises.  All of which are dependent on who did what where and when.

And when it works, when the pieces of the puzzle fit together, I find that what Chadda said is absolutely true.  The rewards are great.  I love what I do.

"My parents wanted me to study science, to become an engineer. That makes a lot of sense, it’s a reliable, well-paid profession. Being a writer is bloody insecure, especially if you’re trying to support a family. But engineering doesn’t come close to making me happy the way writing does." -Sarwat Chaddah

I've been thinking about this quote from Sarwat's interview because it has been a recurring theme throughout my life. Do I write for love or for money? And is it possible to do both?

My father was a school teacher and my mom was a school secretary. The idea of becoming a writer was never a career option. Mostly I wanted to be a marine biologist, but you can't do that very well if you get motion sickness at the drop of a hat, so I became a teacher and then, eventually, a teacher of teachers. But all along the way I wrote stories. Not for money. Just because. I wrote them on notebook paper tucked away in dresser drawers, in journals with bright blue pens, and finally on computers in a file labeled "writing." And something strange happened. I learned I could make money with what I wrote. It was such an alien concept. You make up something in your head and people pay you for it.

My first experience with being "paid" for my writing was when I won the local newspaper contest for a Father's Day essay. I was eight and I won a clock radio (remember those?). It was very cool. Later, much later, I found myself writing for PBS and making a lot of money with what I made up in my head (at least it was for me). Teaching at the university and still writing on the "side," I was the only one writing for the television show that wasn't a full time writer. I just couldn't make the leap. All of my childhood values of job security and common sense were screaming at me to not give up the day job. Even so, I developed a problem. Making money from my writing meant I began to write for money. That pressure changed the way I thought about writing. I couldn't just write anything anymore. I needed an idea that would sell. It was a total creative buzz kill.

I have many friends that do a wonderful job of balancing the creative side of writing with the business side. I even know some that also have the incredible talent to support themselves as full time writers. Sometimes I'm jealous of that opportunity, but then I remember how I get sea sick when the waves are too high, and I know I probably have to go with a safer choice. But maybe, just maybe, one of these days I'll figure out how to have both -- love and money.

Thanks to Sarwat Chadda for sharing ideas on process, character and the writing life with Talia yesterday.

We liked Sarwat's interview so much, that the YA Muses will be musing on it all week.

Here's an excerpt of Sarwat's answer when asked about his main character, Billie, and the sacrifices she must make:

I think the Billi/Arthur dynamic meant the most to me, both as the parent trying to guide their child but also from the child’s POV, resenting the lack of control they have over their own lives. Do you choose what you’re good at, or what you want?

I love this quote. It encapsulates so much of the coming of age journey. Who didn't struggle with this growing up? Should I do what my parents and peers want me to do, or should I do what I want?

What do I want, and how do I choose?

To me, that question defines the young adult years. Of course, we ask this of ourselves throughout life. There is always a give and take. There is always decision, and indecision. But I think as writers for young adults we need to be especially attuned to this question. The first real steps to independence happen in the teenage years. First job. First time behind the wheel of a car. First kiss. First time voting. They're big moments, every one calibrated on that fine scale of what do I want, and how do I learn to choose?

Are your characters grappling with that question? I hope so. It's a good one to do battle with.

Thanks again Sarwat and Talia for an enlightening interview! I can't wait to read DARK GODDESS!

Last week, I had the pleasure of reviewing DARK GODDESS by Sarwat Chadda.  Today I'm excited to introduce you to the author himself, who was gracious enough to be interviewed about his inspiration, writing process and even how personal sacrifice has played a role in is own life.  Readers of his books will not be surprised to find that Sarwat is both thoughtful and thought-provoking, or that he possesses a wicked sense of humor.  But you don't have to take my word for it.  You can read the interview or, better yet, pick up one of his novels.

Who or what was your muse or inspiration for Billi's story?  I've read that you based her on Conan the Barbarian, but what else inspired you?

 

I knew that Conan the Barbarian reference was going to come back and bite me on the butt one day!  Billi’s based mostly on my two daughters.  Attitude, she’s most like the eldest, appearance-wise, she resembles the youngest (who has eyes of the blackest black!). The seed of Billi was probably planted when I read ‘Women Who Run with the Wolves’ by Clarissa Pinkola Smith that deals with fairy tales from a feminist slant. Then there are the warrior queens like Boudicca, the Rani of Jhansi, both real characters who faced insurmountable odds but fought on when everyone else had surrendered. Writing about a female warrior adds special restrictions and allows greater emotional challenges. You can’t get by on just having bigger muscles. Billi’s conflicted by her skill in violence and her doubts over the legitimacy of her cause. She’s not blinded by machismo or testosterone. Her Conan attributes are her melancholy nature and her drive. Billi will never, ever give up. Ever.

On the Muses blog we like to share our writing process.  Tell us a little about your process.  Do you outline and plot before your write?  What kind of revisions do you do? 

I usually have the opening and the ending in mind, but rarely the middle. Or muddle, as it’s better known. I go through four or five rewrites to get that bit sorted. I think my greatest problem is I have all these cool scenes in mind, but lack the skeleton of a plot to hang them on. So in early drafts the scenes seem disjointed. But my biggest problem is the tendency to overplot. I want to put in EVERYTHING. Most of my revisions are to cut back on the action. Too much action and it’s like a Michael Bay movie, loads of spectacle but no story. You stop relating to the characters because there is no downtime to reflect and get to know them.

The opening and ending though are hugely important. You need to hook the reader and give them enough information that they see your world quickly and understand the theme of the story and the ending, you must resolve the loose ends and give them an ending that justifies all the time the reader has invested in your book. Save the best ‘till last.

Was it intimidating to write from a female POV? How did you go about it?

My wife is my first reader, my agent is female as are both my editors. They make sure I keep a realistic female POV. Mind you, a lot of the issues Billi deals with apply equally to males. Billi’s fifteen and that’s the threshold of adult-hood and the question we all face around that time is ‘what sort of adult will you be?’ Parents, teachers as well as your peer group will pressurize you one way or the other. Each think they are doing it in you best interests but they only really see certain sides of you.

My parents wanted me to study science, to become an engineer. That makes a lot of sense, it’s a reliable, well-paid profession. Being a writer is bloody insecure, especially if you’re trying to support a family. But engineering doesn’t come close to making me happy the way writing does.

Billi’s dilemma is more extreme. She’s a Templar and that means sacrifice. She must give up her own life for the greater good. Few people have that sort of courage. It’s made all the harder because she’s naturally good at violence. She’s adept at war. But does that mean she should pick that sort of life?

There are elements of mythology, the paranormal and the Knights Templar in your books.  What kind of research did you do before tackling Billii's story?

I’ve always being interested in history and mythology but nevertheless I spent six months reading all the books I could find on the Templars until I was saturated. I could recall most of the key events, characters and dates without references. I then rearranged all the pieces to create the setting that suited me. There are challenges in using real places, real history and real religion, but the rewards are so much greater when all the pieces do fit.

For example, in Dark Goddess my big villain is the Russian witch, Baba Yaga. She’s mentioned in ‘Women Who Run with the Wolves’ as an old goddess. I love the writings of Angela Carter and especially her ‘Company of Wolves’, so there’s a lot of female/wolf/moon symbology in the book already. But Baba Yaga was missing followers. The goddess needed worshippers. I had this image of a group of warrior women, living in Russia, all serving Baba Yaga from the earliest times. Then I discovered the Polenitsy. A group of warrior women based in southern Russia during the ninth century BC. It was a real OMG moment. They really did exist. All of a sudden the book took a quantum leap forward. I didn’t have to make my Amazons up and give them a fake history. I love grounding my fantasy into the real world.

Since Devil’s Kiss was set in London, my home town, I needed to make sure Dark Goddess, set in Russia, had the same depth. So I took a trip out to Moscow, to walk the streets, visit the sights and meet the people. All this made the book so much more authentic and you see things, like the car races on Sparrow Hills and fire dancing, that aren’t mentioned in the guide books. Nothing beats treading the road of your characters.

Billi gives up a lot for the greater good.  Has sacrifice been a theme in your own life?  How so?

I worked as an engineer for the first twenty years after university. I’m not sure it was a sacrifice as such but it was definitely following a path not for me. 

I think the Billi/Arthur dynamic meant the most to me, both as the parent trying to guide their child but also from the child’s POV, resenting the lack of control they have over their own lives. Do you choose what you’re good at, or what you want? It’s not so easy if you’re talented in an area that doesn’t appeal to you. It seems selfish and self-destruction to turn your back on it. 

For me, the hardest decision I took was when I lived in Hong Kong in the 1990’s. I loved it there. You got paid well, the weather was great and it was a real party town. If you were in your twenties (boy, does that seem a long time ago!) there was no better place to be. But my girlfriend was determined to go back to the UK. Back there, jobs were hard to come by, pay was crap and you all know about the weather. But I loved her so chose to return. It was hard. I couldn’t afford to go out. I couldn’t afford to live in a nice apartment and basically spent ten years working my way up from nothing. But that girlfriend is now my wife and we have two incredible daughters and she supported me into making it as a writer. The sacrifice was well worth it.

What are some books you're looking forward to in 2011?

In no particular order and just off the top of my head as there are many, many more: Fury of the Phoenix, Dead Tossed Waves, The Royal Treatment, Witchfinder: Gallows at Twilight, Firebrand, Linger, Forever, and anything by John Connolly.

What are you working on next?

Three projects right now.  Bille #3, something set in India and something based on Celtic mythology that doesn't include faeries.  I'm hoping to be able to make announcements on one or two of them shortly.  Either that or go back to Engineering.