Heidi Berthiaume, also from 'Jack Gorman Got Cut By A Girl'

Heidi  Berthiaume

1) What is your least favourite trait of Jack Gorman?
The man has no remorse or concept that how he behaves is not
acceptable, therefore he has no desire to change his ways.

 2) What was the most fun part to write?

The interactions with Jack and the younger and older versions of the
girl who originally cut him. I got to work in a Doctor Who reference
and fencing!

 3) Favourite line or paragraph from your story?

//"Probably dumb as well as deaf" should be in italics if possible please//

###
The old woman shook her head, pointing to her ear, and beckoned Jack closer.
Probably dumb as well as deaf, Jack thought as he stepped forward,
almost bumping the woman's pant-clad knees.
"I said—"
"I heard you, you mutant man-ape," the old woman snapped, pushing
herself out of the swing and stabbing Jack in the arm with the quill.
###

 4) What is the best part of working with a whole bunch of authors in
a collaboration like this?

Seeing the variation of ideas that came from that dinner at WFC when
we all first heard the origin story of this drunken guy getting cut by
a girl. The creativity of these ladies is so much fun.

 5) What sort of stuffed toy do you own or sleep with?

Too many stuffed toys owned to mention and the bed currently has a
leopard, a panda, and a Build-A-Bear Champ teddy bear.

Keyan Bowes from the Jack Gormon Got Cut By A Girl Anthology

This week we have Keyan Bowes,  Clarion survivor, anthology contributor and all round awesome writer.

 

1) What is your least favourite trait of Jack Gorman?

His limited vocabulary, to stay in character - but that made him more difficult to write. He said "Ow" a lot. Also "fuck!"

2) What was the most fun part to write?

Hmm. The whole story was fun, but I really liked writing the scene where Lashira's trying to save the dragon from the man and the man from the dragon while the whole mountain is catching fire.

3) Favourite line or paragraph from your story?

He ran into the Acme and told Lashira, who was tending bar, “There’s a goddamn big lizard out there!”
“Yeah?” said Lashira, glancing quickly out the window. “How big is 'goddamn'?”
Jack stretched his arms, knocking over a bottle which shattered and spilled Heineken onto the already grubby carpet.  “Its belly was green, like that bottle,” he said, pointing to the shards, “and shiny, like…like, that thing you’re wearing.”
The “thing” was Lashira’s engagement ring (lab-created emerald, surrounded by tiny diamonds set in two circles around it), so she wasn’t especially pleased by the comparison.

4) What is the best part of working with a whole bunch of authors in a collaboration like this?

All the different points of view! They made the narrative come alive... right from the cafe dinner where the idea was born, to the email exchange of ideas, to the Skype conversations to pull it all together. And I loved the different narratives that emerged.

5) What sort of stuffed toy do you own or sleep with?

I have an ancient owl. It sits on my bookshelf looking befuddled.

Nancy Greene, another one of the authors from Jack Gorman Got Cut By A Girl

1) What is your least favourite trait of Jack Gorman?

I know I should like him less than I do, but I sort of like him for all the reasons he's an annoying ass.  His drinking, and search for more beer, is what gets him in the most trouble.

 

2) What was the most fun part to write?

I probably had the most fun with the bar scene and Raven's discussion with Jack afterwards. In the bar, Jack was the person he always thought he was - a gift to women - and still manages to strike out. When Raven explains what would be expected of him as a male in her world, he realizes that he might not want what he thought. Coming up with ways to abuse well known movie references was also fun.

 

3) Favourite line or paragraph from your story?

I have a couple of favorites, but the one that takes the prize is the metal bikini discussion. It was nice to be able to poke at the fantasy heroine stereotype.

 

 ###

 

The sun had finally crested the horizon. The man was wearing some sort of blue hide pants and orange  shirt. His long pale feet and legs poked out of the ends of his breeches. Why in the Goddess’s name wasn’t he wearing boots? She’d never seen anything like it. Curiosity battled caution. And won. She stepped closer. Fresh vomit clotted the man’s greasy straw-colored hair as if he’d rolled in it. He cracked an eye open. His eyes might have been the pale blue of a morning sky if not for the bloodshot whites. A trickle of blood ran from a small cut on his bulbous nose.

 “Hey, dude.” Rolling on to his hands he pushed himself up. “Dude. Aren’t you supposed to be wearing a metal bikini? And what’s up with your hair? It’s purple.”

“A what?”

“Umm, ya’know.” He motioned to the front of his chest and groin area as he spoke. “A bathing suit that only covers your tits and ass. Ya’know for swimming?”

Her brow furrowed. Raven looked down at her serviceable chainmail and plate armor. She hadn’t been able to afford full plate, but why on earth would any shield maiden wear plate only on her most sensitive areas? And there was nothing wrong with her hair. 

“How exactly would a metal bee key ne  protect me in combat?” She shook her head.

What a ridiculous idea. Maybe he was an imbecile. No one would any sense would think this bee key ne would make decent armor.

He grabbed her staff to pull himself to his feet. She was taller than most women and he stood another hand higher.

“Where the fuck am I?” he slurred.

“Feynadun.”

He ran a hand through his hair. Red streaked the strands. His eyes traveled around the circle and widened at the white birch trees and verdant grass. “Toto, it doesn’t look like we’re in Topeka anymore.”

"Are you addled?"

 

 ###

 
4) What is the best part of working with a whole bunch of authors in a collaboration like this?

Working with a whole bunch of writers. Seriously. For large chunks of time, writing is a solitary profession. This anthology was very different from the one I previusly participated in because of its origin and the publisher. The dinner where the idea was born was wonderful. We then all went to our various writing corners and came up with a story based on one idea "Jack Gorman was cut by a girl." Once we saw everyone's story, we had to figure out a way to knit them together. That also, was a lot of fun. I think the anthology is much stronger for the collaborative effort that went into it, and the group of us were able to form friendships as a result.  

 

5) What sort of stuffed toy do you own or sleep with?

My husband.  :) He gets annoyed when the critters take up the bed, so he's not giving up real estate to a stuffie. 

 

Find out more about Nancy's writing here! 

Goldeen Ogawa from the anthology Jack Gorman Got Cut By A Girl

Author interview time! Today I put for your delectation the delightful Goldeen Ogawa, the writer who started the whole Jack Gorman Got Cut By A Girl anthology simply by telling an awesome story.

1) What is your least favourite trait of Jack Gorman? 

Besides the fact that he was an idiot (and kinda creepy) drunk? Well, he wore a really ugly shirt.

2) What was the most fun part to write? 

The ending. Where I got to make stuff up. Writing real stuff, I have learned, is not as fun. From now on I'm sticking strictly to fantasy.

3) Favourite line or paragraph from your story? 

"That Jack Gorman, I'm just sick of him. He came to me, you know, saying he was attacked by a gay guy with a sword outside the Waterwheel!"

I have been mistaken for a gay. And I have been mistaken for a man. But never both at the same time before.

4) What is the best part of working with a whole bunch of authors in a collaboration like this? 

My favorite part was working with my friend Heidi (whose story comes after mine) to get our two lined up. Heidi made my job really easy without knowing it, and it was wonderful. Aside from the specific instance, just getting to see this little dinner-table story of mine get inflated and continued by other writers is humbling and astonishing.

5) What sort of stuffed toy do you own or sleep with? 

White Star, the gray and white stuffed horse my grandmother bought for me when I was three. I recall at about the same time I watched The Velveteen Rabbit, and I swore I would never do that to her. We have been best friends ever since. Don't judge. (No judging around here, Goldeen! - Sarah)

--
Sarah Lee Parker

The Anthology is Coming!

The anthology is coming! The anthology is coming!

If you're a long time reader, you might remember I went to World Fantasy Convention last year in San Diego. Carol and I had a wonderful time in America, my first trip overseas without the family, and the first time to a World Fantasy Convention. One of the many highlights was dinner on the last night at a tiny diner close by the convention hotel that had a dreadful chicken friend steak. It was still a highlight, as this is where the idea for the Jack Gorman Got Cut By A Girl Anthology came to be.

One of the writers at the table told the story of how she had once been menaced through a series of drunken mishaps and misunderstandings by a man who thought she was a boy. The story resonated with all of us, and Celina said "Dammit, this is why I have my own publishing company. Every one send me a story on this character, and we'll put together an anthology and it will be great!" And so we did. There were about nine of us at dinner, but only 6 of us managed to provide a story in time.

I'm really pleased to be one of them. The anthology comes out on the 20th of July, and to celebrate I am running a series of interviews with the authors, and hopefully even Celina, our editor. The first interview will be with Goldeen Ogawa, who was the one to tell us the original story, from which all others have come.

I hope every one enjoys the anthology and our stories as much as we have enjoying writing (and editing!) them.

--
Sarah Lee Parker

Interview with Mary Victoria: Author of The Chronicles of the Tree

Mary Victoria was born in Massachusetts and has lived in Cyprus, Canada, Sierra Leone, France and the UK. Her career in animation took her to Wellington, New Zealand, where she began her first novel, Tymon's Flight: Book One of the Chronicles of the Tree, released in August 2010. Book Two, Samiha's Song, was released in February this year, and Book Three, Oracle's Fire, will be released in September.

1. How would you describe The Chronicles of the Tree to someone who has not read any of your novels?

Chronicles of the Tree is one tale told in three distinct parts, rather than three standalone novels. I was interested in exploring moments of great change in the story, whether personal or societal; it seemed to me that all the fantasy tales I loved most - Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea novels, the Lord of the Rings and many others - combined those elements of personal change with a sweeping, world-paradigm shift. I accordingly included elements of the classic coming of age tale in the first story, the hero's sacrifice in the second and apocalyptic 'End Times' myths as a basis for the third.

I was also interested in exploring changes propelled by environmental collapse. The world of COT, as the name indicates, is a giant tree, a huge continent of tangled vegetation hundreds of miles wide. The World Tree is the limit of the known universe for its inhabitants. All else is legend, a nightmare lurking beneath the Storm at the Tree's foot. But this world has a lifespan: half the Tree is already dying. Rainfall is scarce in the east, and whether through their own past mistakes or just plain bad luck, the easterners have a rougher time of it all round.

But don't be put off by all the intellectual explorations going on in the background. Chronicles of the Tree is also a good, old-fashioned adventure yarn. In fact, you could read it that way and ignore the underlying philosophy entirely. Many people do.

2. The gorgeous cover of Tymon's flight shows an engine-powered dirigible, hinting at the steampunk elements that appear now and then throughout. Do these carry on into novels two are three and if so, can you give us some teasers?

Technology is a theme underlying all three books. In the story of 'Tymon's Flight', the westerners, the Argosians, live in a society at about a 15th century level of technological development, which is just discovering steam power for the first time. Science is viewed with distrust and there is very much a religion vs. science divide fostered by the ruling priestly caste. The steam-powered flying machine one protagonist invents is accordingly considered 'demonic' (though as it turns out, the priests' dislike of the inventor's work is more due to his egalitarian philosophy than his scientific breakthroughs.)

At the same time, other, older technologies have persisted in this society, for the Argosians are certainly not the first civilization to develop and flourish in the Tree. Despite an earlier ban on its use, the priests do possess the secret of 'blast poison', a Tree equivalent of dynamite. And there are other, more ancient inventions in existence the elite keep secret, and use to maintain their hold over society. Those availing themselves of this forgotten technology have no idea how it actually works, employing it as one would 'magic'.

Those themes of technological innovation, the discovery or re-discovery of ancient civilizations and hidden powers are a theme running through the books, culminating in the third.


3. On your website, you write that inspiration for Samiha came from your great-grandmother, Samiheh, "the beloved matriarch of a family that still somehow manages to maintain contact over four continents". Where does Tymon come from?

Tymon is based on Timon of Athens, the story of the misanthrope. Timon is a rich man whose fair weather friends abuse his generosity; when he's cheated out of his money and has none left to give, no one wants to know him any more. He swears off society as a result and becomes bitter about humanity in general, living in a cave. Although my Tymon does not end up bitter, he certainly finds himself on the outskirts of society and questioning the truth of everything he has been taught by the priests.

Tymon starts off as a typical youthful rebel, rejecting social norms in an unthinking way and dreaming of personal freedom and glory. He receives a rather rude awakening from these daydreams and comes face to face with the deep injustices of his society. Thereafter, he realises he has to broaden his dreams - he can't live for himself alone. When he meets Samiha, he begins to learn what it means to live for a larger cause.

4. Tymon's Flight is not only your first published novel, but also the first novel you have written. What were your most memorable highs and lows on your six-year journey from beginner to published novelist?

Oh lord! There were some roller-coaster rides along the way, and still are. Just to reassure anyone whose jaw dropped to the ground at the mention of six years, the first novel didn't take that long to write. It took two years to write a first draft of 'Tymon's Flight'. And then another two to write it again, from scratch, when I realised it could not be sold in its current form. Let me explain.

Novel-writing - particularly plot-driven, adventure novel-writing - is not a 'gift' bestowed on talented writers from birth. It is a learned craft, 99% perspiration, as Edison used to say. I had to learn the process of fleshing out a story arc, creating believable characters and an engaging world. That took time, especially as the mother of a young child. I simply didn't have longer than a two-hour nap period to work in, until my child was old enough to go to kindy for a few hours a day.

So the lows over those six years involved the feeling that I would never get it done. The writing was slow, the learning curve was steep. I had no idea whether I was kidding myself: would all this be a waste of time? And yet I couldn't stop. I had to write.

The highs were, as you'd expect, specific moments: suddenly 'getting' a scene. Enjoying the revelations of a character. Being taken on by my agent. Receiving a publishing contract from Voyager, at long last, in 2009...

5. How do you manage your time between motherhood and writing?

Things are a little easier now than in those first few years. I write when my daughter is at school. That still only adds up to a grand maximum of 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, by the way. I have no idea how I wrote over 250000 words in twenty months for books two and three. I believe a minor miracle may have occurred.

It's quite hard to separate out the 'writing life' from the 'mother life.' They tend to wrestle with each other. But it can be done, and I have done it - though you can ask my daughter to tell you in a decade or two whether I did it well. Who knows, maybe I'm setting her up for years of expensive psychotherapy!

...And that, in a nutshell, is what it's like to be an author who is also the mother of a young child. Guilt-riddled.

6. You've worked as an animator for the Lord of the Rings Movies. In what ways does this artistic background inform your writing?

There are surprising similarities between animation and story-writing. Animated frames tell a tale, just as novels do: they describe character, emotions, certain events which develop over time. The main difference is in scale and medium. An animator is generally describing, in meticulous visual detail, the events befalling a character during the space of a single scene. That might last all of a few seconds - weeks of work for a minute of film. A writer on the other hand must conjure up many characters, many scenes, a whole world in fact, using the more abstract medium of language. An animated film is a cathedral built by a thousand workers, each in charge of a single gargoyle, or one part of a stained glass window. A fantasy novel is a cathedral built primarily by one person, using a great many mechanized tools called 'words'.

But those three fundamentals - character, emotion, development over time - are common to both disciplines. There are more similarities between animation and storytelling than between painting and storytelling, for example.

7. What parts of the Lord of the Rings movies did you work on?

I worked on some wonderful, iconic moments. Some of my favourites involve the Nazgul and fell beast - those scenes in Osgiliath in the Two Towers, when the fell beast almost snatches the ring from Frodo, and quite a bit more of the witch king and general fell-beastery in Return of the King. I liked animating that big, impossible beast. I also worked on a smattering of other interesting characters - Gollum, the balrog...

8. Right now you are finishing off Book Three, Oracle's Fire. What are your plans for the next trilogy?

I don't have plans for another fantasy trilogy right now. I'm a bit trilogy-ed out! I have plans for a standalone novel which I will begin to flesh out later on this year, when the proofs for 'Oracle's Fire' are done. The novel will have fantastical elements but will not be epic fantasy, per se. I'd like to try something quite different.

That doesn't mean I won't one day return to the world of COT, given the opportunity!

Thank you for the interview, Mary. It's been a pleasure talking to you.

Thank you so much for having me here, Carol!

Mary Victoria will be at Swancon 36, Hyatt, Perth, 21-25 April, 2011. Her website is here, which includes an amazing picture gallery of scenes from The Chronicles of the Tree.

'Tymon's Flight' can be purchased from Dymocks here and 'Samiha's Song' from here.

--
Carol.