 | Author: Elizabeth Richards Books: Black City, Phoenix, Wings Elizabeth and I did this Interview last year for my German book blog. Since I'm blogging in English now, I thought I should post the original one. |
When Ash explains his world (the war and the wall), I had to think about World War 2 and Germany since we unfortunately had a wall in the old days as well. Did this inspire you?
Elizabeth:
Very much so. I started writing Black City in 2009, and around that time Germany was in the news a lot because it was the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. I wondered what it would be like to be separated from my family by a giant wall that divides a city. Then I thought, wouldn’t it be worse if I was trapped on the wrong side of the wall, with the very people who wanted to kill me? So that sparked the idea of the Boundary Wall and Ash being stuck on the Sentry side of the wall, with the humans.
Sonja:
All 4 characters: Ash, Natalie, Day and Beetle have great personalities. Did you think about some of your friends or family members while creating them?
Elizabeth:
Yeah, I do take inspiration from my family and friends when creating my characters. For example, Natalie is named after one of my closest friends, and they have some similar character traits—they’re both feisty, brave and independent—and Day is a combination of me and my twin sister (my sister is academic and stubborn, while I’m a book geek). A lot of the characters in the Black City series are named after my friends as a little nod toward them.
Sonja:
Ash always tells Beetle not to do anything against the government. Why? Did he really give up hope or is he just concerned about his best friend?
Elizabeth:
I think it’s a little bit of both. Ash doesn’t want Beetle to get into trouble, especially not over a lost cause. Ash has spent his whole life being persecuted by the Sentry and doesn’t believe things will ever get better, so he’d rather just keep his head down and stay out of trouble. Of course, when he meets Natalie, that all changes…
Sonja:
There were a lot of twists in this book. Was it easy for you to write them?
Elizabeth:
Yes, they were pretty easy to write because they happened organically. I don’t outline my books in detail as I like to be surprised, because if I’m surprised then the reader will be to. Also, when I’m revising the book, I’ll often look at a scene and think ‘mmmm, what can I do to stir things up even more?’ and throw in another twist. I like to keep people constantly guessing.
Sonja:
Most of YA writers avoid to write about sex and drugs in their books. You didn't, why?
Elizabeth:
It’s mainly because as a teenager it used to really annoy me when authors would pretend like teenagers never had sex, drank alcohol or took drugs, because it wasn’t realistic. Teenagers are doing these things in real life, so why shouldn’t they read about them? As long as it’s relevant to the story, then I think it’s okay to write about them.
Sonja:
Was it hard for you to write the end? Because I almost cried. I knew you are not going to let him die (well i hoped) but still...
Elizabeth:
The ending was SO hard to write! I was sobbing all the way through it. My mum actually called me immediately after reading that scene, in tears and really mad at me, saying ‘how could you do that to Ash? I was so worried!” ha ha!
Sonja:
Are the Darklings related to the humans in any way?
Elizabeth:
No, they’re a species in their own right. However, their genes are close enough to ours that humans and Darklings are able to breed, to produce twin-blood offspring, like Ash.
Sonja:
How long did it take you to write Black City?
Elizabeth:
I started writing Black City in 2009 and it was published in November 2012, so about three years! The first draft took about five months to write though. Nowadays, I take about 3 months to write a first draft as I’ve gotten more used to the process.
Sonja:
Do you know if and when the book will be published in Germany?
Elizabeth:
I don’t have a German release date yet, but fingers crossed it’ll happen soon! I’d love to see my book in German stores! It would be a great excuse to visit the country again.
Sonja:
I've heard rumors about a movie, is this true? When will it hit the big screen?
Elizabeth:
The film option was sold to Screen Gems last year, which was very exciting! (Screen Gems made the upcoming City of Bones movie!) We’re currently looking for a screenwriter to adapt the book.
Sonja:
If anyone wants to write a book. What would you recommend to them?
Elizabeth:
Write what you love to read. Don’t write something just because it’s in fashion, if it’s not the sort of book you’d read. While it’s important to understand the market, if you write something simply with the goal of getting it published, your ‘voice’ will sound forced and will ultimately fall flat with agents and editors.
Most of YA writers avoid to write about sex and drugs in their books. You didn't, why?
Elizabeth:
It’s mainly because as a teenager it used to really annoy me when authors would pretend like teenagers never had sex, drank alcohol or took drugs, because it wasn’t realistic. Teenagers are doing these things in real life, so why shouldn’t they read about them? As long as it’s relevant to the story, then I think it’s okay to write about them.
Sonja:
Was it hard for you to write the end? Because I almost cried. I knew you are not going to let him die (well i hoped) but still...
Elizabeth:
The ending was SO hard to write! I was sobbing all the way through it. My mum actually called me immediately after reading that scene, in tears and really mad at me, saying ‘how could you do that to Ash? I was so worried!” ha ha!
Sonja:
Are the Darklings related to the humans in any way?
Elizabeth:
No, they’re a species in their own right. However, their genes are close enough to ours that humans and Darklings are able to breed, to produce twin-blood offspring, like Ash.
Sonja:
How long did it take you to write Black City?
Elizabeth:
I started writing Black City in 2009 and it was published in November 2012, so about three years! The first draft took about five months to write though. Nowadays, I take about 3 months to write a first draft as I’ve gotten more used to the process.
Sonja:
Do you know if and when the book will be published in Germany?
Elizabeth:
I don’t have a German release date yet, but fingers crossed it’ll happen soon! I’d love to see my book in German stores! It would be a great excuse to visit the country again.
Sonja:
I've heard rumors about a movie, is this true? When will it hit the big screen?
Elizabeth:
The film option was sold to Screen Gems last year, which was very exciting! (Screen Gems made the upcoming City of Bones movie!) We’re currently looking for a screenwriter to adapt the book.
Sonja:
If anyone wants to write a book. What would you recommend to them?
Elizabeth:
Write what you love to read. Don’t write something just because it’s in fashion, if it’s not the sort of book you’d read. While it’s important to understand the market, if you write something simply with the goal of getting it published, your ‘voice’ will sound forced and will ultimately fall flat with agents and editors.
Thank you Elizabeth!
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