Interview with the Fabulous Melissa Marr

We here at YAYA are thrilled to introduce our interview with the amazing, New York Times bestselling author MELISSA MARR!

Our interview format is a little different--we all submit one or two questions to create a fun, quirky, different interview.

Let's get started:

Bethany: Obviously, your gorgeous covers couldn't be improved upon, but if you could commission any artist from any time in history, to paint a scene from one of your books, what scene would it be, and what artist would paint it?

I have three big weaknesses--the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Renoir, & Dali. Which scene would be dependant on which artist. With Dali, I'd go with the Faire in WL or the initial scene with Irial & Bananach in Ink. I'd want something with faeries so his unusual vision could run free. For Renoir, I'd go with a scene in the park across from Keenan's loft (Ink) or a scene outside Donia's cottage, something nature-y. For a PRB artist . . . Mmm. Anything really, an individual, a sequence, anything . . . I actually reference them in a museum scene in Ink Exchange. I'm a hopeless art fan, so seeing my world through artists eyes is amazing to me. In truth, that's one of the fun parts of this--I get to see artists' take on the world via covers, fan art, & the manga.

Haphazard: Do you feel that there's a negative stigma attached to fantasy/sci-fi novels? What do you think of it?

I suppose it depends on the reader. I read SpecFic, Romance, Mystery, Chick-Lit, Classic Lit . . . and I have met people who scoff at every one of those groups. I, personally, think it's asinine to suggest that any genre is IT or that any genre is inherently awful. I like words. I like stories. Some days, I want high fantasy with a band of mismatched heroes; some days, I want utterly sweet historical romance; and some days, want Faulknerian narratives. If a reader doesn't "get" one sort of text, they can read something else. Variety is a beautiful thing.

Suzanne: Have you ever found yourself falling in love with a character from your book? (editorial note: Keenan or Seth, especially?)

With my pov characters, I can't write them if I don't love them :) Some get my heart a bit more, but it's fluid. I'm writing the third novel these days, and my heart is definitely with one character more so than it was elsewhere. . . but a few months ago, I was smitten with Irial. It's just part of the writing process. Fortunately, I like falling in love so it works out well.

Hannah: Do you have a process for coming up with character names?

I keep name lists, & I research. I search Social Security lists of popular usage for the mortals. I collect names (I ask to keep some post-its readers names are on at signings). I'm a total geek on names. Almost every name is chosen for what it means, but also how it "feels" on the character. I do a control-F and substitute different names until I find the one that fits the character as well as has the right etymology. Names have power. I take time picking mine.

Sophie: What’s the most important thing a budding writer should keep in mind?

Oh, dear. "Most"? I'm never good at these questions. No one answer fits all people. Maybe that's the answer :) The path, the process, the advice--it's all guesses. What worked for me wasn't worked for writers I've since met. For me, the most important thing was reading. I read voraciously in all sorts of genres, & then I analyze why a book did or didn't work for me. Getting a degree in lit (& teaching university lit) was how I became a writer. I didn't take creative writing courses or how-to. I don't do the BiC ("butt in chair") thing. Other writers I know have word goals, took courses, do BiC, read only one or two genres. . . Some do crit groups; some don't. Some revise as they go; some don't. Some write start-to-finish. Some write outlines. It's all so very individual, so I guess that's my bit of "wisdom"--there's not a Right Way to do this.

Sophie: What do you prefer to write: characters, plot, or prose?

They're all tangled up. The plot is what happens when the characters' agendas conflict. The words . . . they're what I need to try to capture the experience of a thing, a moment, a feeling. Inevitably, none of it is really as good as I want it to be (shades of Platonic Ideals, yanno?), but there are a few moments here or there when the plot, characters, setting, prose, narrative, lore all tangle to get a little closer to what I want. That's what I like: those rare moments when I think I might be easing a little bit closer to my objectives.

Amanda: Did you take the title Wicked Lovely from the passage in the text, or did you start with the title and build the story from there?

That title was a nightmare. We were almost at ARCs before we had a title. Between us (two editors, agent, and me), we had a list of at least 300 titles. Then, one afternoon, my agent & I were on the phone. I was ranting (again). She suggested "Lovely Wicked"; I was elated. My US editor inverted the words. Both houses liked it. We had a title. OTOH, Ink Exchange had a title from page 1; I knew the title. I knew the plot. I knew the resolution. The two were very different.

Meg: How extensively do you plan your books?

Plan? Umm, like an outline? Ahh . . . I have a series of thread I poke at with different characters. What do they want? How does that impact others? The world? The story is what happens when I shake a few characters up in a box. I have a general sense of the "big picture," but the getting there is not planned out. It's like road trips/driving tours: I have places highlighting. I know we'll stop at F, W, & Q. The stuff that happens along the way? If I plan too tightly, I get bored. Then I will wonder off to do something else. I hate being bored, so I'm not so much on minute planning. With the first two books, I knew the general ending from fairly early on. I had a sense of a few key events, but the minutia comes as I write. Then I re-structure the whole to flow with the consequences of that minutia.

Meg: What’s the best possible comment a reader could give your book, besides the generic, “I love your book?”

I'm kinda basic here. I just like knowing what people thought, & I've been lucky to have so so many amazing letters from readers already. I get extra smiles sometimes over the odd ones, but the fact is that I'm just touched that a person a) took time to read my text and b) took time to share their thoughts.

We all want to know:

Are the characters from Wicked Lovely going to play a big part in Ink Exchange? Or will they simply be mentioned in passing?

I have a no plot spoiler rule. What I'll say is that a couple of the WL characters are definitely players; some aren't there at all. Obviously, Leslie & Niall were characters in WL, & they're the MCs in Ink . . . which means that some WL characters are inevitably in Ink as they as tied to the lives of these MCs.

How is Ink Exchange different from Wicked Lovely? Is it darker?

Darker? Yes, but not in any gratuitous ways. It's also, I believe, hopeful.
The Dark Court was instrumental in binding Keenan (as noted in WL), so they move to the center stage in Ink.

How is it different?

In some ways, Leslie (the mortal) is the opposite of Ash. Where Ash had a stable family, a friend/love she could trust, and the Sight, Leslie has none of that. She has no anchors, no Sight, & no defenses. The other two MCs--Irial and Niall--have agendas, but she is oblivious. That was a challenge to set up, and it was a factor in the overall darkness. Another difference is in how much stronger I think Leslie is. She falls pretty far, but falling doesn't mean she gives up. I've known a lot of people like her.
Structurally, there are similarities--three narrative threads & POV limiting veracity; there are thematic similarities--volition concerns & moral relativity. It's a different sort of story, but I hear that it's a viable companion to WL. We'll see what readers think.

Is your publisher planning on a book tour for Ink Exchange?

My US publisher is. I believe I go out in May. In 07, they ended up sending me on two US tours: a pre-release tour (where I met a lot of booksellers & some readers) and a post-release tour where I met readers, booksellers, librarians, teachers, & interviewers. 2007 was unbelievably busy on that front. I've turned down far more than I did, and I still did a lot of events. 2008 looks busy, but there's only one tour this time--and I don't believe there are any overseas events. Last year, I did a few things in London. My Italian publisher (Fazi Editore) has offered to bring me over to do events in Italy, and my German publisher (Carslen) has expressed interest in my coming there as well, but I don't think that's in 2008. We'll see. I chat with my editors in these places, and they're all so wonderful. It makes it very hard to tell them no. I want to go see them; I want to do whatever I can to support their efforts . . . and I'm also a total travel fan. I'm trying to be reasonable though, so I'm really trying to not agree to too many things.

Do you have any random thoughts, ideas, advice, or comments to share with us?

Just a good luck wish to the pre-published & soon to be published among you. Thanks for asking fun questions.

Thank you, Melissa!

Wicked Lovely is Charming Fun

I picked up WICKED LOVELY as a result of one thing—the title. It is, in my opinion, one of the best titles I’ve ever seen, right up there with A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY and WILDWOOD DANCING. It puts it in the elite collection of books I plucked off the shelf with absolutely no thought of plot or characters or genre.

Fortunately, the rest of the book did not disappoint. Marr creates a believable world full of vivid creatures, re-exploring the fey in an entirely fresh way. Her characters are highly engaging, particularly Aislinn, Seth, and Keenan. Aislinn and Seth both live in a world far outside the high school norm and neither are clinging desperately at the fringes of society—they’re happy to be different, which is a refreshing change from clique books. (Although, to be fair, Aislinn does seem to resent her Faery Sight.)

WICKED LOVELY is sure to charm readers—I know I’ll be looking forward to INK EXCHANGE!

Wicked Lovely rocked my face

Wicked Lovely made me start a new rule for myself: I will not start books just before I go to bed. I planned on reading a couple chapters and going to sleep, but it became “Marathon reading session until I finished the book at three in the morning.” In spite of my best attempts at willpower, I couldn’t stop myself from turning the page.

Reading this book forced me to suspend all the adorable notions of fairies I had from childhood stories and step into a much darker concept of a fairy world, lying alongside and wrecking havoc in our world. The very first scene threw me off balance, in a way that made me want to know more. Getting sucked into the story is easy, thanks to a realistic “real world” portrayal and amazing characters. I found myself sympathizing with Aislinn while being unbelievably intrigued (and disgusted) by Kennan. And Aislinn’s friend-but-maybe-more Seth…well, if Seth is real, I hope he lives in my town.

Knowing very little about the actual folklore of fairies (except what Sophie has written on this blog) I wasn’t able to compare the courts of the novel with traditional fairy lore. Even without all this background, there was a strong feeling of history in the reading. I really felt like I was watching a battle that had gone on for centuries.

So if you only like lovely stories of mischievous but still cute little sprites, I would not recommend Wicked Lovely. But if you have any sort of love of non-traditional fantasy with wonderful characters and a plot that gets thicker and better with each page, go grab a copy. Just don’t start it at nine PM.

Wicked Lovely is Wicked Awesome

It wasn’t long after Wicked Lovely was released in June 2007 that I started hearing news about it. It was displayed in the front of most bookstores, and websites had it featured on their front pages. I didn’t know anyone who’d read it, but it seemed like the rest of the world had. So, recently, I decided to check it out myself. And I’m glad I did.

Honestly, I don’t usually read about fairies, so I was a little skeptical at first. Most fairy books I’d heard of focused on little happy creatures with wings who played with butterflies or rode on ladybugs. Nice, sure, and great for some people, but they just weren’t my thing. Even the “dark” fairies just tended to be pixies, who would knock over the sugar jar or something like that. Minor things that, to me, just weren’t any cause for alarm or worry. But as soon as I started Wicked Lovely, I knew it wasn’t going to be one of those Disney-esque fairytales.

The mood was set right from the start with an amazing prologue that was enticing and delightfully perplexing and made me have to read on, just to find out what’s going to happen on the next page. And not once was I disappointed as I turned each page and read the story of Aislinn, Keenan, Seth, and the Winter and Summer Courts.

Melissa Marr did an amazing job of making traditional fairies her own while keeping with many folkloric customs and showing that not all fairies live in sunflowers and smile all day. At times I almost felt as if I was there, with Aislinn and the others, learning more and trying to decide what was right and wrong and good and bad and if those terms could even be applied to the new world I’d been thrown into.

The fey in Wicked Lovely are not the personality-lite happy-go-lucky sort that many would remember from their childhoods. They have motives, and secrets, and pasts, and futures. They’re almost human, save for the magic and immortality of course. It was refreshing, and eerie, to read of fairies portrayed in a fashion that could very well be plausible, making this one of few fairy-stories where I’ve felt it could truly be real.

I haven’t gone into much detail about the actual story here—this is more an introduction of Melissa Marr’s work then a full review of the text itself—but my fellow YAYAs will follow with their own thoughts and feelings on this novel that, to me, has to be one of the best fairytales around and one of the best YA books of 2007.

If I were actually certified to give some kind of ranking on books, Wicked Lovely would get five out of five stars (or maybe sunbursts), without question.