Some questions you might want to know about Lauren Kate and her books.
ABOUT THE BOOKS:
What drew you to the idea of fallen angels?
I’ve been writing love stories for as long as I’ve been writing. To me, the most complicated romances make the most interesting narratives, so I’m always looking for new obstacles to throw in my lovers’ paths. When I was getting my masters degree in fiction, I was studying biblical narratives and came across a line in Genesis (6:1-4), which describes a group of angels who fell in love with mortal women. Putting this reference together with a mention in Isaiah and another in Palsm 82, biblical scholars conclude that these angels were actually cast out of Heaven for their lust. Which means—you could say—that these angels chose love over Heaven. Isn’t that a great set up for an incredibly complicated romance? I started thinking about what kind of mortal girl it would take to attract an angel’s attention. And what it would be like for her to find herself in this position. What kind of baggage would an angel have? What would her very over-protective parents think? From there, this whole world unfurled in my head with fallen angels, demons, reincarnation, and the war between good and evil all battling for a piece of the action.
Who is Luce based on? What does she look like to you? Which character are you most like?
The
physical traits of Luce (pronounced Loose) are based on my oldest,
closest friend—the dark wavy hair, hazel eyes, tiny teeth, etc. When I
first started writing her, I pulled some personality traits from this
friend, but as I continued with her story, Luce veered away from my
friend into an identity of her own. I share some traits with her—like
her stubbornness and tendency to get swept away by romance. There is
probably a little bit of me and a little bit of everyone I know and love
in all the characters.
As
for the settings of the schools in the books, everything is fictional,
but like the characters, they’re based on a compilation of things I’ve
experienced.
Did you struggle in coming up with any of the characters?
Daniel was the most challenging, mainly
because the full truth of his character has to come to light very slowly
over the course of the entire series in order for the books to work. By
now, I’ve really come to love Daniel and I can understand why he’s been
the way he’s been with Luce. But I like to think of him as a work in
progress, a developing story, and someone who, above all, knows Luce
better than anyone else (including herself), and has her best interest
at heart.
Who
is the good and who is the bad guy? Why did these angels fall? Why did
you kill Penn? What’s up with the Outcasts? Why did you end the book
with so many unanswered questions??
You’ll see....
How long do the books take you to write?
Because
Luce’s story is so emotional and so intense, I like to “go there” with
her and stay inside her head without coming up for too much air. I write
fast and furious every day for about two to three months to get out a
first draft. Then I take a break and usually go back for another month
or two of heavy revision.
Do you have a playlist of songs for the Fallen books?
Thirteen by Bigstar
You Look So Young by the Jayhawks I Envy the Wind by Lucinda Williams The Book of Love by The Magnetic Fields Marvelous Things by Eisley One by Harry Nilsson Strangers by the Kinks A Thousand Kisses Deep by Leonard Cohen Beaches by Bridezilla I Know Goodbye by Jason Morphew
I love playlist suggestions, so feel free to pass them along.
What about your other book, The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove?
Betrayal, my first novel, is a dark, funny, gothic story about one girl’s twisted path towards Queen Bee-dom. It’s a Cruel Intentions meets Friday Night Lights meetsMacBeth (told from Lady MacBeth’s point of view), set in the contemporary south. People read Fallen and they ask me whether I went to a school like Sword and Cross. Not even close! Actually, it’s the school in Betrayal that is a thinly veiled version of my utterly enormous and insanely Texan high school. All the things Natalie cares about in Betrayal are very close to my high school heart.
Like Fallen, Betrayal is richly southern gothic—Fallen is set in Savannah andBetrayal is
set in Charleston, South Carolina—so the same sort of wonderfully
oppressive southern scenes are important to both books. But where Luce
is struggling to find her place in a new, unfamiliar school, Natalie is a
girl at the top of her game—and she won’t let anything compromise that.
Like every complex character, they both have some pretty remarkable
skeletons in their closet. Natalie is a bit naughtier than Luce, but I
imagine they would be friends. Actually, Nat’s kind of like a type-A
version of Arriane.
There’s a beautiful repackage available in stores on June 14th.
ABOUT WRITING:
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
I've
been writing stories since I was in middle school, so I love talking to
people who are interesting in writing. One question I get often has to
do with what to do when you get stuck, and the clearest advice I can
give about that would be to look at the scene from a different angle and
write through it. Say I'm trying to write a scene about two people
having an argument at sunset and can't figure out how to make it
interesting or fresh. Sometimes, when it takes me a while to get warmed
up, I'll imagine how someone else--my husband, my best friend, someone I
recently argued with--might see the same sunset. What would they notice
about it that I wouldn't, or vice versa? Write a whole paragraph about
the sunset instead of just a sentence. Then go back and look at what is
strongest image you came up with. Which image reflects something new
about your characters? Save that image, cut the rest. Eventually, those
strong images will pop out first in your mind.
To
those of you who are working on a novel or have finished one and are
sending out your work: stick with it! I don’t think you can ever be too
young (or too old!) to start sending out your work. In addition to Fallen,
I have another novel I have been working on for eight years now and I
know that someday I’m going to finish it! I couldn’t even begin to count
how many rejection letters I’ve received over the years from agents,
publishers, editors, and contest judges. What kept me writing was the
support of other friends who are writers—and a dogged determination to
someday get my writing published. There were times when I never thought
it would happen, but now I’m so glad I kept writing. Find a
writing-buddy, share your work, revise it over and over again, read it
aloud, stay true to yourself and your voice, and don’t give up. An
English or a Writing program are great ways to read widely and meet
other writers. You can get a lot of great practice writing and revising
in an academic program but I wouldn’t say the degrees you earn are
necessary. If you’re looking for an agent, Writers Marketplace (the
book) is a great place to start. There are also tons of publishing blogs
out there with suggestions for agents. It’s mostly about finding
someone whose tastes and sensibilities match yours.
To
those of you who have asked, I’m sorry that I can’t agree to take a
look at your own writing and offer feedback. I would love to have the
time to do that, but I have to start working on my next book!!
And
to anyone whose writing about angels, some of my favorite scholars are
Harold Bloom, Jeffrey Burton Russell, Milton, and Dante. And of course
the Bible and the extra biblical texts like the books of Enoch and the
Dead Sea Scrolls.
ABOUT LAUREN KATE:
When did you start writing?
I
wanted to be a ballerina until I was about 15 and was told I didn’t
have the right feet, ever since then, I’ve wanted to be a writer. When I
was younger, I wrote often and across a lot of genres—poetry, songs,
stories, lots and lots of diary writing. I started focusing mainly on
fiction by the time I was in high school, and longer stories came more
naturally to me than short stories. I majored in creative writing in
college, and went on to get a masters degree in fiction—but I don’t
think those things are necessary to being a good writer. Practice,
curiosity, voracious reading, and diligence are more important than any
degree. I finished writing my first novel right when I graduated
college—but nothing ever happened with it. It look another six years
before I had a book accepted for publication.
What are your favorite books?
I’ve always been a reader. I can’t go on vacation for a weekend
without at least five books. Growing up, my favorite author was Roald
Dahl, and I think I read each of his books ten times. My favorite
children’s/YA writers are Lois Lowry, Frances Hardinge, Meg Rosoff,
Maureen Johnson, Phillip Pullman, Suzanne Collins, and John Green. A few
of my favorite adult books are To the Lighthouseby Virginia Woolf, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Can I get a signed copy of Fallen or Torment or an advance copy Passion?
I am sorry that I don’t have nearly enough books to send one to
all of you who ask for them! I very much appreciate all of you who are
interested in reviewing my books online and I encourage you to sign up
for Random Buzzers on the Random House website to get on the mailing
list for advance copies of their books. Maybe you’ll get a copy of one
of my books before it comes out! Emailheadbuzzer@randombuzzers.com.
Can I send you a letter?
Certainly!
Lauren Kate
PO Box 461514 Los Angeles, CA 90046
(Also, if you would like a signed bookplate, please feel free to send me a self addressed stamped envelope to this PO Box and I’ll get one in the mail to you.)
When is your birthday?
March 21st, first day of spring.
ABOUT PUBLICATION AND PROMOTION:
How many Fallen books are you writing? What's the publishing plan for the series? When is the next book coming out?
Four books: Fallen, Torment, Passion, Rapture.
Passion comes out June 14, 2011, and Rapture is scheduled for May of 2012.
*The
books are available in most bookstores, online, and also on Kindle and
on audio! They audio version is really cool. I’m sorry I don’t have all
the international publication dates, but please check online for your
country’s pub schedule.
What do you have planned after Rapture?
Something exciting. Stay tuned…
Will there be a movie?
The film rights for all four books were optioned by Disney/Mayhem
Productions. Mayhem is Disney’s edgier production company, for anyone
who has concerns about Disney being purely for younger kids. I got to
have lunch with the Disney people and they seem to get the tone and mood
of the books. I don’t have any new information yet, but hopefully there
is more to come! I will keep you posted on my blog. For those who
asked, I love Lucy Hale for Luce, Liam Hemsworth for Daniel, and Emma
Stone for Arriane. (Also, there is no connection to the other movie
called Fallen, which came out in 2008.)
Can I be in the movie?!?!?! Please.....??
I wish we could ALL be in the movie! All my friends and relatives
are asking the same thing. I don't know anything about casting yet (and I
have nothing to do with the final decisions), but I promise, if I hear
of an open casting call from Disney, I will post it on my blog! And
thanks to those of you who sent along casting suggestions. I too think
Ed Westick would make a great Cam.
Do you have any readings/signings coming up?
My US tour in June will take me to Miami, San Francisco, Dallas and Atlanta (details/dates/stores available on my website at www.laurenkatebooks.net).
I’ll be in Singapore and Manila in July, Australia (Melbourne, Sydney,
Perth, and also Auckland NZ) in August, Brazil and the UK in September!
Check back on my site for updates.
I
am keeping track of the places where readers are asking me to visit, so
keep asking. Someday I would love to be able to make it to your neck of
the woods.
Follow me on twitter for more updates: @laurenkatebooks
I am also on facebook as Lauren Kate.
Tell me more about the cover art! Where can I buy those dresses!
The
artist’s name is Fernanda Brusi Goncalves, and the cover was designed
by a very talented team of designers at Random House. I’m sorry I don’t
know who designed the dress, though I’ve been told Morgan LaFaye has a
very similar one in her wedding collection (which also comes in black). I
want them, too.
If
you've made it through most or all of this email, I truly appreciate
your interest. I hope I've answered most of your questions. Thank you
all for reading and for sharing your thoughts with me.
Best wishes,
Lauren
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