Rachel Hartman is the author of the Seraphina series. Shadow Scale, the second in the series is being released March 10th. We’ve talked to her about this and other things.
Be sure to also join the current Rachel Hartman Giveaway.
For those not familiar with the world you’ve created in Seraphina, can you tell us a bit about it?
Seraphina takes place in the medieval realm of Goredd, where dragons can take human form. As you might expect, this has caused a great deal of trouble. There are rules and laws and a tenuous peace, but it’s hard to know who to trust when anyone might be a dragon.
Can you give us some insight into your main character, Seraphina?
Seraphina is half-dragon, half-human, something that is strictly forbidden in her culture. She’s a talented musician, but has always felt isolated by the need to keep her origins hidden. Music and loneliness eventually goad her into leaving home, despite the dangers.
I guess it’s not an understatement to say that your debut novel Seraphina was a success. Did you ever expect something like this?
Well, I hoped people would like it, of course. The book succeeded so far beyond what I was prepared for, however, that I found writing the second book a challenge as a result. It was hard to even get started, because I didn’t see how I could begin to equal the success of Seraphina. The sequel felt like a failure to me before I’d ever written a word. Fortunately, I found the way to dig myself out of that mental hole, but it was tough going for a while..
Can you tell us a bit about your new book, Shadow Scale?
Shadow Scale is the story of Seraphina’s journey to find others like her, bring them together, and stop the dragons from invading Goredd. Of course, this proves more challenging, rewarding, and heartbreaking than she could ever have imagined. One of the other half-dragons is also searching, trying to bring them together for her own nefarious purposes.
What is it with fantasy and dragons that you find so fascinating?
Fantasy is, to me, a laboratory for thought experiments. I get to create a world with different rules than ours and then run characters through the maze to see what happens. Dragons, my favourite mythical creatures, fascinate me because they embody both the best and worst of ourselves — on the one hand, they’re known for their wisdom and intelligence, but on the other, they’re bloodthirsty killers. It gives us a chance to see our natures taken to extremes, and that’s a fascinating variable for any thought experiment.
How did you start writing? Was there a particular book or moment in your life that spurred you on?
In fact, it was my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Chamberlain, who first introduced me to creative writing and noticed that I really enjoyed it. At the bottom of one of my poems, she wrote, “Rachel, you’re a real writer!” She was my favourite teacher, so of course I believed her. I’ve felt like a writer ever since. I am very fortunate that she’s still around, and that I had an opportunity to see her a couple years ago and say thank you.
What sort of challenges, as a writer, might you have faced over the years? Any insights you would be able to share for those aspiring writers seeking advice?
My advice to aspiring writers is to be patient. There’s a lot more waiting in publishing than I ever imagined. It takes time for agents to read your submission, for editors to get notes to you, and for you to rework things until they’re good enough. Even after the writing is finished, it can be another year before the book comes out in the world. It’s good to have another project you can work on, while you wait.
Have you ever struggled between what you would like to happen to a character and what you considered more sensible to occur? Can you tell us when and what did you do at last?
That’s an interesting question, but difficult for me to answer. I don’t think of the action in terms of what I want versus what makes sense. I am generally of the opinion that anything can happen, and my most common strategy when I’m stuck is to throw away whatever was happening and replace it with something entirely new. This made writing the sequel kind of hard, because the first book was set in stone. I couldn’t jettison whatever I wanted for fear of contradicting the first book.
You’ve lived many places including England, Canada and Japan, has experiencing other cultures and countries influenced your writing in any way?
England was a very big influence for me. I lived there when I was sixteen, and absolutely fell in love with Medieval art and architecture. That’s the real reason I write medieval fantasy: I simply love the Middle Ages, with all my heart. It’s a much weirder time period than people realize. We all have kind of a sanitized, Disney-inspired vision of it in our heads, but that really isn’t accurate. I can use real medieval details and people think I made it up. I find that way more fun than I probably should.
In Shadow Scale, when Seraphina travels to Porphyry, I drew on my experience being an obvious, visible foreigner in Japan. And as for Canada, well, I live here now, and I expect that trickles into everything I do, whether I wish it to or not.
What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?
I used to read all the reviews, but now I don’t read any. I’m not even tempted. What happened was, the bad reviews hurt (as one might expect), but the good reviews, weirdly, hurt nearly as much. Enthusiastic readers inevitably speculate on the things they wish would happen next — and why wouldn’t they? I appreciate the enthusiasm, but as an author I would read these things and think, “Well, I’m not going to meet that person’s expectations with the next book.” It was making me really neurotic about all the people I was going to disappoint, and that wasn’t good for me.
How do you define success as an author?
Being able to keep loving the writing process, no matter how your books may be doing out in the world!
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I admit I like owning books. I like having them around the house. They’re comfort objects. I can go either way for reading, though, and I have to admit, an e-reader sure is handy for plane trips. All the books you want, none of the back-breaking weight.
What kind of books do you read, any favourite authors?
I’m a fantasy person, and I like Terry Pratchett, Diana Wynne Jones, and Lois McMaster Bujold, among others. My single favourite book of all time, however, is Middlemarch by George Eliot.
What do you do when you’re not writing, any hobbies?
I used to belly-dance, but these days I’m riding my bike, walking my dog, and singing in two choirs.
What’s next, what are you working on now?
I’m working on two more books set in Seraphina’s world, although they’re not about Seraphina herself. She will make some cameo appearances, however, which I’m excited about.
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Interview by Dag Rambraut – SFFWorld.com © 2015
