HAVE YOU WRITTEN IN ANY OTHER GENRES BESIDES YA DYSTOPIAN? WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS GENRE? Yeah, I’m a genre hopper. I usually write YA, but I’ve written surreal and literary short stories, gothic horror novels and novellas, and a high fantasy series. As a writer, I think you’re supposed to stick in one genre. I couldn’t do that, I’d get bored.
YA dystopian is pretty cool. You get to include the most rebellious characters, a little social commentary, and tie it in with some serious action and a dash of romance. No wonder it’s so popular.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START AS AN AUTHOR? I would say that having short stories published in magazines helped me to focus on writing as a career.
DID YOU CHOOSE TO SELF-PUBLISH OR GO THE TRADITIONAL ROUTE? WHY? I began with pursuing a publishing contract, but it became apparent that agents had already moved on from YA dystopian. That’s when I decided to self-publish and get my work out faster than a publisher could. It turned out to be a pretty good decision.
HOW DO YOU OVERCOME WRITER'S BLOCK? I take a break, read books in the genre I’m trying to write (or purposefully avoid that genre, depending on my mood) then re-read what I’ve been working on. Writer retreats are good for this. I go to an urban retreat where a bunch of writers rent a room to work in. Watching other people typing away soon spurs you on to write something.
DO YOU EVER FEEL FORCED TO WRITE? Of course. Writing is my business now, and because I’m self-published, I worry that if I don’t publish a book every few months that people will forget all about me. But I like that I’m always busy, it’s the best feeling.
DO YOU PREFER EBOOKS, PAPERBACKS OR HARDCOVER? I’ve never enjoyed hardbacks. They are too heavy, bulky and awkward. Paperbacks and ebooks I like the same amount. With a paperback you get the gorgeous cover to look at, but with an ebook, you get the immediacy. Reading a series on an ereader is a very enjoyable experience.
WHAT BOOKS HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING? Oh, all of them! For dystopia – The Handmaid’s Tale had a big influence on my ideas. I love Victorian gothics, like Dracula, Wuthering Heights, The Picture of Dorian Gray… they have definitely influenced my style of writing.
Oh, and I would never have written The Blemished without reading the Hunger Games.
WHAT IS THE FIRST SCIENCE FICTION BOOK YOU REMEMBER READING? That’s a tricky one. I read a lot of teen horror/fantasy books like the Little Vampire and Point Horror books. I suppose you could call them speculative fiction.
But harder sci-fi, I think it is probably 1984, or John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids. I love the scope of science fiction, I love the ideas and the imagination—the ‘what-if’s. One book that had a huge influence on my writing is Theodore Sturgeon’s More than Human. I’m sure most sci-fi fans will have read it, but if not, go read it now!
DO YOU BUY A BOOK BY THE COVER? Unless I am going on a personal recommendation, the cover always plays a big part in my buying decision. Anyone who says you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover is wrong. The cover does a huge job of conveying the tone of the book, making it easier for readers to select their next read. It has a purpose. I’ve learned that from making my own covers for my books. Covers are really important.
WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND WHERE DO YOU CALL HOME? WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE? I was born in the UK, and I live in South Yorkshire (which despite the name, is in the North of England). I love it here. I love the people and the changeable weather. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. There are moments when I think I’ve fallen out with my home country, but then I have a holiday and find myself excited about coming home.
WHICH WORDS OR PHRASES DO YOU TEND TO OVERUSE? Oh, so many. Before I send my work off to an editor, I always have a cull—look, feel, really, just, okay and adverbs. In moderation they are fine, on every line, they are not fine.
WHITE WINE OR RED? White wine. Red wine delivers the most traumatic hangovers.
COFFEE OR TEA? Oh, come on. I’m English, of course it’s tea.
SLEEP IN OR GET UP EARLY? I’m generally a get up early person, but I can be very lazy sometimes.
ARE OUR ELECTRONIC DEVICES STEALING OUR SOUL? AND IF SO, DO YOU MAKE
OFFERINGS TO YOUR TOASTER? Ha! No way, as a sci-fi author I encourage the advances in electronics. Actually, I’m a bit sick of people telling us we should stop texting and playing games on our smart-phones. Humans, by their nature, need time away from other humans. What do people think our ancestors did? Sit around and talk all day? No, they needed hobbies, things to do on their own. That’s why we have art, music, books and films. Not everyone can create, either. Let people be, and concentrate on your own lives. /rant over
WHY DIDN'T HURLEY LOSE ANY WEIGHT WHILE ON THE ISLAND? Umm, I don’t know, genetics? Plus he found that big stash of food and ate loads of dressing… that bit made me feel a bit sick
BONUS QUESTION: WHY DO VILLAINS PREFER LONG HAIR CATS INSTEAD OF
HAIRLESS CATS? HAIRLESS CATS ARE MUCH MORE EVIL LOOKING. SEEMS LIKE A
MISSED OPPORTUNITY. Because they would look a bit ridiculous stroking a hairless cat (had to choose my words very carefully then!) There’s something evil looking about a Sphynx, that’s true, but there’s also something sort of hilarious about them, too.
HAIRLESS CATS? HAIRLESS CATS ARE MUCH MORE EVIL LOOKING. SEEMS LIKE A
MISSED OPPORTUNITY. Because they would look a bit ridiculous stroking a hairless cat (had to choose my words very carefully then!) There’s something evil looking about a Sphynx, that’s true, but there’s also something sort of hilarious about them, too.
IF YOU GAVE ONE OF YOUR CHARACTERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, WHAT WOULD THEY SAY? Mina would look at injustices in the world, in the same way she does in the book. She would want everyone on the planet to have an equal choice. In our society, she’d probably be out there protesting and annoying people at dinner parties. In her world, she’s the only one with the power, and the attitude, to get things done.
HOW IMPORTANT ARE NAMES TO YOU IN THIS BOOK? DID YOU CHOOSE THEM BASED ON SOUND OR MEANING? Mina is a nod to my old favourite book – Dracula. But in Dracula, Mina is a victim. She’s bright and witty and a good character, but she’s not much of an active agent. I wanted my Mina to get out there and change the world.
WHERE DID YOUR TOMORROW SPRING FROM? IN OTHER WORDS, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CRAZY WORLD? I like traditional dystopias where the characters have a government or corporation to rebel against, so I structured it around that idea. I’ve always had a bit of an interest in genetic engineering, which is why I decided on the Genetic Enhancement Ministry.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THIS STORY? I created the world and the characters and then I thought of as many obstacles as possible for the characters to overcome.
JUST HOW FAR IN THE FUTURE IS YOUR TOMORROW? I had a date written down somewhere, but it’s been a while since I planned and published the book. But I know the vague answer is a ‘couple of generations’ above us.
WHERE DID YOUR MAIN CHARACTER COME FROM? IS S/HE BASED ON A REAL PERSON? Not really. I wanted a strong heroine, but I also wanted someone who makes mistakes and has flaws. My characters often seem to have problems with responsibility, and Mina is one of them. She hates to face up to her problems, but in the end, she pulls things around.
DID YOU DO ANY SPECIFIC OR UNUSUAL RESEARCH FOR THIS BOOK? I had to do some research into genetic engineering. Don’t ask me any questions about it, because I’ve pretty much forgotten it all! And I’ve not read the books for a while. But, I got some great advice from scientists involved in genetics, and it was easy to go from there and research the basics. I know that the science in the books is pretty realistic. Most of it could happen. The special powers are probably unlikely, but designer babies are a reality.
IS THERE A PARTICULAR AREA OF SCIENCE OF SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLE THAT IS A PLOT FOCUS?
There are two main ideas:
The Gestalt being – the idea that some humans can be a ‘part’ and put together with other ‘parts’ can create a unified ‘whole’. My concept was based on special powers that stem from our senses. The humans with the special powers come together into a powerful being.
Participant evolution/DNA sequencing/Designer babies – participant evolution is a controversial idea that we can change our genetics and redesign the human body. DNA sequencing is how DNA is changed in embryos. The book sort of merges the two of these. By changing DNA in some children, and by letting parents create the humans they want to create, we end up changing the landscape of humans for generations to come. The ethics behind this is fascinating. I’m neither for or against (outside of my books) and so I enjoyed exploring these concepts.
I also explored the idea of a ‘hive mind’ – a little bit like the clone army in Star Wars. Individually, these clones are pretty much unable to function. But together, and whilst being controlled by the person who created them, they become formidable fighters.
DID YOU HAVE TO CONDUCT ANY EXPERIMENTS FOR THIS BOOK? No, and it’s probably a good job I didn’t. I think the UK laws would frown upon me attempting to clone a sheep in my bedroom.
DID YOU CONSULT WITH ANY EXPERTS FOR THIS BOOK? I got a prod in the right direction from a few scientists, but most of the research is right there on the internet. I wanted my world to be believable to a point… but to also explore the ‘what-if’s of the more unbelievable.
IS THERE ANY SUPER-COOL FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY/WEAPONRY IN YOUR TOMORROW? Yes! I needed laser guns in my world. They’re just cool. Also, advertising has gone bat-crap crazy. You can wander around a city, and the walls know you from the contact lenses that you’re forced to wear. They know your buying history and give you recommendations on what you might like. Then, if you want to purchase something, you put your palm against the glass and it buys it for you.
QUOTE A CHARACTER, ANY CHARACTER.
“Because your little inspirational speech was about as uplifting as a kitten funeral.” —Sebastian, The Blemished
GIVE US THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR YOUR TOMORROW.
It’s set in England and Scotland, so… drizzling.
WHO SHOULD NOT READ YOUR BOOK?
EVERYONE SHOULD READ IT. NOW! No, really.
People who don’t like YA dystopia anymore shouldn’t read it. Don’t force yourself to read a genre if you’re sick of it. Go explore the many other genres out of there.
There is a medium strength love triangle. It’s resolved in the first book, but some readers get irate if there’s even a sniff of a love triangle!
Also, if you’re not into the grey areas of genetics. If your world is very black and white, it might not be for you.
ARE ANY OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS FROM THE LGBT (LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER) COMMUNITY.
Yes, but if I tell you who, it’s a spoiler.
GIVE YOUR BOOK THE BECHDEL TEST
1. IT HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO (NAMED) WOMEN IN IT Yep!
2. WHO TALK TO EACH OTHER Yep!
3. ABOUT SOMETHING BESIDES A MAN
Yep! There’s a friggin’ war on, men aren’t THAT interesting!
WHAT SORT OF BODY COUNT ARE WE TALKING HERE? It’s war, so… thousands!
YOUR TOMORROW GETS MADE INTO A MOVIE. WHO DO YOU TAKE TO THE PREMIERE AND WHO DO YOU SIT BY? I’d take my fiancé of course. Without his support, I wouldn’t have written a single word! We would sit at the back in the corner, because I hate attention, and I would get really tongue-tied around celebrities!
DO YOU WANT YOUR TOMORROW TO MAKE IT BIG, AS IN JK ROWLINGS-BIG? WHY OR WHY NOT? There’s the working class girl in me screaming I WANT ALL THE MONEY! But no, seriously. JK Rowling comes across as so cool and collected, and I’m not sure how she does it. That amount of attention would drive me a little crazy. Perhaps if it happened to me in my forties, I would feel differently, but right now, I don’t feel mature enough to cope with that much success. JK did it in her early twenties, she deserves a lot of respect for handling everything so well.
ON A SCALE OF 1-5 WHAT WOULD YOUR BOOK GET FOR THESE ACTUAL MPAA RATING DESCRIPTIONS
VIOLENCE 3/4
LANGUAGE 2
DRUG USE 1 (there may be an alcoholic punch incident)
SEXUAL CONTENT 1ish, they are a little distracted by all the war and everything.
NON-STOP NINJA ACTION 4 – Mina can be pretty ninja sometimes
MILD PERIL 5 – there’s quite a lot of peril!
SALTY LANGUAGE AND INNUENDOS 3 – and they’re all from Ali (middle-eastern/Scottish cool guy)
JUNGLE ADVENTURE TERROR 0 – there aren’t too many jungles in the UK
BRUTAL AND BLOODY VIKING COMBAT 0 – but I feel like I missed a trick!
COMIC HORROR, VIOLENCE AND GROSSNESS 1 – although there are some ick moments
SWASHBUCKLING ACTION 0 – again, missed a trick here. Swords are the one thing missing from the series…
ABUNDANCE OF OUTRAGEOUS GORE 2 – it gets a little bloody from time to time. Not too much gore though.
SEXY DANCING 1 – seeing as my characters are 15, that could be skeevy!
INTENSE SEQUENCES OF BAT ATTACKS 0 – damnit, missed another trick
DEMENTED MAYHEM 3 – mostly from a demented Scottish clan
SCENES OF DENTAL TORTURE 0 – hell no.
IF YOUR MC WAS IN A PRESENT-DAY HIGH SCHOOL HE/SHE WOULD BE A
GEEK
NERD
JOCK (M&F)
GLEE KID
MEAN GIRL/GUY
EMO/GOTH
HIPSTER/COOL KID
OUTSIDER ßshe’d be the weird girl people avoid.
PREPPY
SKATER/SLACKER/POT SMOKER
IF YOUR BOOK WERE RATED LIKE A ROMANCE NOVEL, THE HEAT LEVEL WOULD BE
1) NONE
2) SWEET ß My MCs love interest is one of my favourite characters. A very sweet boy, and the moral compass for the entire series.
3) MILD
4) HOT
5) WILD RIDE
2) SWEET ß My MCs love interest is one of my favourite characters. A very sweet boy, and the moral compass for the entire series.
3) MILD
4) HOT
5) WILD RIDE
6) BLOOD THIRSTY
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