Harvard Book Store; WGBH Forum Network; Kristin Cashore: Fire

Good evening and welcome. My name is Rachel Cass and on behalf of Harvard bookstore I am delighted to welcome you to this evening's reading with Kristen Schorr. Before we begin let me take just a quick moment to remind you of a couple of events we have coming up in December. Next Thursday we're excited to host two bastions of the publishing industry Harold Evans and Jason Epstein as they both speak about their new memoir each chronicling their literary lives from different vantage points. And they will be speaking Thursday December 3rd at 6 p.m. at the Brattle Theater. And $5 tickets are on sale at the registers now. Also plan to make some progress on your holiday shopping list at our winter warehouse sale will open the doors of our Somerville warehouse Saturday December 5th and Sunday December 6th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. And we'll have lots and lots of used in Bargain Books for an additional 15 percent off their usual price. And for details about any of our upcoming events pick up the December events flyer on your way out this evening or visit us online at Harbor dot com. And now it's my pleasure to welcome Kristen can shore. Kristin is a graduate of Williams

College and the Center for the study of children's literature at Simmons College and she pursued her writing career she has held jobs as a dog runner a packer in a candy factory. An editorial assistant and a legal assistant as well as a freelance writer. And in 2008 she felt published her first book Grace Ling which is a New York Times bestseller and has won her awards including the American Library Association best books for young adults and it has also appeared on several lists of the best books of 2008. Kristen's new book Fire is a prequel of sorts to Grace Lange. It is set in the same world 30 years earlier in a spot in the mountains called the Dells. It tells the story of a girl named fire the last remaining human shaped monster of the dolls who is impossibly beautiful and control can control the minds of humans. As I was reading up on the book this morning I was and I was I found one of my favorite ever I think reviews on good reads which after expressing some trepidation about reading a

prequel to Graceland which the reviewer had really loved. She went on to write ha. Oh ye of little faith. Kristen can shore is an absolute gift to our world. Fire is even better. All in caps and Graceland. After the reading tonight we will have time for plenty of questions followed by a signing here at the front. As always I'd like to thank anyone who purchases a copy of either for books this evening both of which we have over at the registers. By doing so you're supporting both an independent bookstore as well as this author series. And now please join me in welcoming Chris and Chris shore bright red isn't my usual skin. That was very sweet thank you. So what I thought I would do first tonight is just say thank you because the two days before Thanksgiving maybe isn't the nicest night to ask people to come out to event but

there are so many people here and that's just so nice. Are there Simmons people here. Welcome Simmons people. And there I since it's a local event I also see some some friends in the audience which is really really nice. So anyway I just want to say thanks. And what I'm going to do is I'm going to read a little bit from fire and then I'm going to. A little bit about my process and then if anyone has any questions I'll answer them. So a little bit of intro just so that the scene that I read makes sense. Rachel explained a little bit about what fire is about. If you've read gray sling fire is a standalone prequel ish companion it takes place in the same universe. It's the same planet event but it's in a different world entirely in Graceland if you've read it you'll remember that it's a very occasionally people are born

with bizarre special powers and you can recognise these people by the fact that they have two different color eyes in fire. Fire takes place in a canoe called the Dells and there are no grace things in the dells. But as Rachel said there are creatures called Monsters and monsters have the shape of normal animals so horses fish dragon flies birds whatever but they're bizarrely gorgeously colored and they have the power to control minds. And so a brown horse in the dells is a horse. But. Iridescent green horse with the gold mane is a monster and some of them are very dangerous. The mountain lion monsters or the Raptor monsters or the bear or wolf monsters are predators and they mesmerize you and then they attack. So my main character fire is 17 years old at the opening of the book

and she is the last remaining human shaped monster in the dell she has wild crazy hair. She has the power to control people's minds. And because of that mind reading mind control thing she's pretty much hated by everyone and mistrusted but she has a human appreciation of right and wrong and she avoids using her powers whenever she can. I'm going to tell you the names of a few people just as background for the scene I'm reading which incidentally if you're a person who's worried about spoilers it's very early in the book and nothing I'm telling you is going to be something you won't know very soon quickly so don't worry too much about remembering all the names. As I read it should be clear. But just to give you a little you know the background you need fire's father was named cancel and he was not a nice guy. He he in the previous king of the Dells King Nax pretty much lived for their own pleasure.

Drinking doing drugs sleeping with people while the kingdom fell into ruin around them and cancer was a monster I don't know if a monster as well I don't remember if I said that. But anyway both Nax and cancer are dead now but the mess that they left behind still remains. And there are some people who are kind of trying to get things back into order. King Nash is the young leader of the Dells. His brother brigand is the commander of the army and spends most of his time in the mountains putting down uprisings and gnash and bringing his mother roan lives in a fortress in the north of the Dells and she dispenses supplies to anyone in the kingdom who's on the side of peace so if you need spies or soldiers or weapons she dispenses those. Like I said Don't worry if you've already forgotten all those names in the scene I'm going to read to you fire is visiting Roan in her northern fortress and unfortunately both of her own sons King Nash and Commander

Bergen have shown up kind of randomly with a quarter of the army and fires basically spending her entire visit trying to avoid them because it would be fair to say that the girl monster who can read minds and control minds is just about their least favorite person. So that's where we are when I start reading. Oh and the one name that you might want to remember is small. Who is fires horse. OK. She didn't want trouble. She only wanted the stars to tire her so that later she could sleep without dreams. She knew she would have to find her way to an outer window to see them. She decided to try the stables because she was unlikely to run into any kings or princes there at this time of night and at least if she found no sky facing windows there she would be with small. She covered her hair before she left and wore dark clothing. She passed guards

and servants and of course some of them stared but as always in this fortress no one bothered her. Roan saw to it that the people under her roofs learned how to guard their minds as best they could. Rowe knew the value of it. The roof passageway to the stables was empty and smelled comfortably of clean hay and horses. The stables were dark lit by a single lantern at the near end. They were asleep the horses most of them including her small. He stood as he dozed plane in quiet leaning sideways like a building about to talk. It might have worried her except that he often slept like that. Leaning one way or the other. There was a window to the sky at the far end of the building but when she went to it she saw no stars. A cloudy night she turned back down the long row of horses and stopped again before small smiling at his sleeping posture. She eased the door open and sidled her way into his stall. She would sit with him for a while as he slept and hum herself to tiredness. Even

Archer couldn't object. No one would find her curled up as she was against Smalls doorway. No one who came into the stables would even see her. And if small a bloke it would not surprise him to find his lady crooning at his feet. Small was accustomed to her nighttime behavior. She settled herself down and breathed a song about her leaning horse. A small nudge her awake and she knew instantly that she was not alone. She heard a male voice baritone very quiet very near. I fight these looters and smugglers because they oppose the king's rule said the voice. But what right to rule do we have really. You frighten me when you talk like this. A female voice responded roans voice fire pushed herself against Small's door. What has the king done in thirty years to deserve allegiance. Said the male voice. Bergen said roan warningly. I understand the motivations of some of my enemies better than I understand my own brigand said

brigand. Rhone said this is your fatigue speaking. Your brother is a fair minded king you know that. And with your influence he does good. He has some of father's tendencies Bergen said. Well what will you do ask groan. Let the Raiders and smugglers have their way. Leave the kingdom to lord my dog and his thug of a sister or Lord gentian preserving Nash's kingship is the best hope for the Dells. And if you break with him you'll start a civil war for ways. You gnash my dog gentian I fear to think you would come out on top not you with the allegiance of the king's army split between yourself and your brother. This was a conversation fire should not be hearing not under any circumstances not in any world. She understood this now but there was no helping it for to reveal her presence would be disastrous. She didn't move barely breathed and listened hard despite herself because doubt in the heart of the king's brother and military commander was an

astonishing thing. Mildly now and with a tone of concession broken said Mother you go too far. I could never break with my brother you know that. And you know I don't want the kingship. This again and it's no comfort to me said roan. If Nash is killed you'll have to be king. The twins are older than I said Bergen. You're being deliberately obtuse tonight said roan. Karen is ill. Clara is female and both of them are illegitimate. The dolls will not get through this time without a king who is kingly. I'm not King Lee. Twenty two years old roan said commanding the king's army as well as broker did your soldiers would fall on their own swords for you. You are a kingly alright Brogan said. But Rock's mother I hope will never be called King. He once hoped you'd never be a soldier roan said. Don't remind me he said his voice tired. My life is an apology for the life of my father. A long silence fire

sat on breathing a life that was an apology for the life of his father. It was a notion she could understand beyond words and thought she understood it the way she understood music. Small stirred and poked his head out of his stall to examine the low voiced visitors. Just tell me you'll do your duty brigand Elron said. Her use of Britain's royal name deliberate. A shift in his voice. Britain was laughing under his breath. I've become such an impressive warrior that you think I run around the mountains sticking swords into people because I enjoy it. When you talk like this Ron said you can't blame me for worrying. I'll do my duty mother Britton said as I have done every day. You and Nash will make the Dells into something worth defending she said. You'll re-establish the order in the justice that next uncancel destroyed with their carelessness. Suddenly and with no humor in his voice Reagan said I don't like this monster roans voice softened. Nash is not

next. She said and fire is not her father. No he said she's worse. She's female. She's a thing I can't see Nash resisting. Reagan said Fire has no interest in Nash. She does not so deuced kings and ensnare them. I hope you're right Mother Britain said because I don't care how highly you think of her. If she's like her father all snapped her neck. Fire pushed herself into the corner. She was accustomed to hatred but still it was a thing that made her cold and tired every time she was tired thinking of the defenses she would have to build against this man. And then above her and in Congress thing Reagan reached a hand to the muzzle of her horse. Poor fellow he said stroking Small's nose. We walk you go back to sleep. It's her horse roan said the Horse of the monster you threaten. Oh well you're a beauty brigand said to small his voice light. And your owner is not your fault.

Small nuzzled the hand of his new friend. And when Roan and Reagan left. Fire was gripping her skirts in both fists swallowing an infuriating fondness that she could not reconcile. At least if he decided to hurt her she could trust him not to hurt her horse so that. That's the passage I wanted to read and now I confuse myself with papers. I bought some show and tell because I write by hand and I don't know I just think it's helpful for people to actually see what it is they're a writer at least one who writes by hand and sits down and does every day all day long what the work actually is. So I brought my most recent notebook. This is my current work in progress it's a third book in the same universe it's called bitter blue. If you read gray sling it was 10 years old and

racing and she's 16 in this book. I was just transcribing some of that before I left and it is now at three hundred ninety six pages and growing so it's going to require some chopping But anyway I just wanted to let you guys actually see what that. Was. I thought. About what

might. Be right. Why. So. What then. What will I

hear. Oh right o. Right. Now. My wife. So I shut my eyes. While.

You. Watch while what watching you know. A lot about me. Well. You know a lot of what you. Know.

I did want to show you guys so that if I know. Well I guess they could. Well no not even to show you when I was on tour I was working I was on tour in October for a couple weeks and I was working on a really tricky scene and it just was crossed out page after cross of page over and over again. But finally I figured it out so if anybody has any questions I would love to answer them. Yes well you know. It's my respect you request to me you. Know I'm just going to some time after I finish writing it. That's all I really can say is kind of like for me it doesn't feel like I have

any idea when it's going to end until I've written the last line. And it's going to need a lot of revision so sorry I can't give you a more complete answer. Yes. A lot of different places I. I read encyclopedias I buy look up books on the specific thing I'm looking for right now I'm reading a book about code breaking or breaking which isn't necessarily medieval although some of it is. In that time I ask people for advice I have librarians but I don't read all answer that question first.

I I am on a big water. I actually could have brought my book plan and then it's 90 headlong. It's a little too like I even have a note at the top of it that says don't look at this much. It's it's. Every little idea I get I need to write down I'm afraid I'm going to lose it. And some of those ideas are entire conversation. So I have a book plan that's actually kind of partly has something sees in it. I also cannot start writing the book until I see some sort of possible ending until I have a complete thought. Otherwise I get too nervous that it's not going to be about anything or that it's just it's already so uncertain the process when you're writing it and so out of control that I at least need to have some plan for where it's going. It can change one major plot point changed in fire when I got there and realized you know I can't do this. But generally it stays how I planned it. Graceland pretty much stayed the

same the whole way through. And then the other question about what I enjoyed reading. I read a lot of different kinds of stuff. What happens is if I read a lot of fantasy I can't just read it. And it starts studying it and tearing it apart and putting little tabs next to things I like and. And I also start to sometimes feel like I'm plagiarizing even though I wrote my part before I read. You know the thing I'm reading because there are so many tropes and themes that are common in a season. So I read a certain amount of fantasy but I also try really hard to read things that are really different from what I'm writing. So I'll read a lot of mysteries. The problem with that is that I read mysteries and I you know read more and more mysteries and I start to think I really need to write a mystery that I start tearing them apart too and I have become so ridiculously critical of books because I spend all day long tearing apart

my own sentences. And it's really hard to open a book and not tear apart the sentences when you've been spending all day doing that. So I'm always looking for things that are dramatically different from what I write. Yes. Yeah well it was after Simmons while I was at Simmons I was working on a middle grade contemporary realistic novel when I left there and it wasn't until partway through that that I started thinking about Grace playing and I'm not really sure where it came from. I just know that what came to me were the characters of cats so RAF and Poe they came to me all together and they came to me with their

powers intact. So I knew it was a fantasy. And it's funny because people ask you. Just like that and the problem is that when I was writing that book like five years ago six years ago I wasn't thinking to myself how is this happening. Where did I get that idea. And then people ask and it's like oh my god I don't remember early. I don't really remember but I can actually. I do remember the genesis of fire because the genesis of Fire is a line in Graceland. Po and cats are sitting by the fire and Poe is telling catcha the story of where a third character supposedly came home and he says he came to court telling stories of this land where monsters rise out of the air and the armies rise out of rock and I don't know a few other things and I just kind of threw that in as like a throwaway line because I needed the stories he told to be about something. And then later on I kept returning to that and finally asked myself you know

where is that land like what are these monsters and how do armies rise out of rock and the land of the Dells came from that I wrote racing never intending to write another fantasy but by the time I was done with it I already wanted to write fire anybody else. Yes yes. Yes well you know what I thought. Oh that's. Right. But you know and that also is very light and you know I think you know

well it's just your life you know. You know right. Well one thing I would say is that when I write I'm not writing to any particular age group reader. I write the story that comes and then the agents and the publishers decide who's going to pick this up. In the UK my books are published in full market and in France Germany and the Netherlands there are both Y.A. and adult editions exactly the same translation or there will be if they have this it's not all of them have come out yet. And I mean I definitely I'm not completely sure how to what to say. I haven't gotten too much feedback about that.

I mean I hear what you're saying and I definitely think that if the complaint is that it's perpetrated by Ammon then I have a problem with that to you live. I think that's all they really are. Yeah now you know. Well for a while I was having a hard time getting a Korean deal when the reason given was that the Korean publishers in general thought the book was too violent. But then I got a deal so I'm not sure what was anybody else yes why not. And I was ready to go. I wish I had that girl live shot. But yeah I love life

and you know there's a lot yeah. It's just. I read just yesterday a review. I don't I only read reviews if my editor sends them to you but you got if I can't resist so I read a review yesterday in The L.A. Times and it said something it had like my favorite line I have ever read in a review. And of course now I'm probably going to mangle it but it said something like. By presenting an exaggeration of femininity in fires form I manage to talk. I set up a situation where I could talk really honestly about the experience of being female and I know that was partly in my mind with the firelight. It's exaggerated but if you're reading it and you've experience that doesn't really feel that eccentric. As far as where it came from I've just always

I've always been very thoughtful about feminism I was brought up in a family with three sisters and I was brought up Catholic and that had song I went to Catholic school and that definitely had some effect on my perception of the world and what is fair and where does the power law in you know how how right is that I don't think I could ever write a book without thinking about it. Yes. I definitely get distracted and I have a couple special notebooks or better yet writing down those other ideas. Often what will happen is I'll get this great idea idea and all the like you have to cram this into beautiful tomorrow it's already way too complicated.

I meant and then I did have to step back and remind myself No that's for something else. So I have I know some things I want to write and I'm not going to say what any of them are but I'm definitely by the time I finish writing a book I tend to know what's next and I'm looking forward to it. Well yeah. Will you have a. Distance phone. I think that objectivity is a learned skill and it can take a long time to develop. But the more you read and then go back and look

at what you read the next day or the next week the more the more you learn how to be objective. Also feed back a couple of my readers are you audience. Back is critically important. I generally after I've written maybe 100 or 150 pages give it to my sister who is the kind of official person who reads it and tells me whether it is a book or a pile of crap. I don't want to I mean does that answer your question. It's it's such a slippery thing. Learning how to be objective and I don't think I ever am completely objective but I will say that the experience of looking back on what I read and being like oh my God it's horrible. He's very familiar with them. Who else. Yes. Probably. Know.

What you know. Right. Go go go. I do sometimes usually the ones that I know are worth looking back at are the ones where you see the tabs. I do on occasion usually though I don't usually once crossed out it's gone. Anybody else. Yes. Now. Look at what they buy. I think now I think generally being educated and as intelligent as you can be as important as a writer I know in bitter

blue I have encountered some difficult math which others in the audience at home knew that it was a lot better now than I am. Can you answer that you now was. Really Put your heart into the classes that your heart that are pulling at your heart. They don't ignore you rather like me not one of them. Well you know what. Oh I've read a lot of older mystery books I love Agatha Christie. I love Dorothy L. Sayers love the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries in fact I have there's a character in my work in progress who's currently named deeth misspelled to death which I have to explain to people. You know his name I changed but because Lord Peter's name is Lord Peter D3 democracy. So I also love the brother kept Faile

mysteries do you know those they. They take place in this monastery where there are a bizarre number of murders now and there is like the most comforting mysteries ever like when I'm stressed out I read them they're murder mysteries but it's like every half hour they stop and go for a year now to. Me. And. And also. Oh that's one of the ways I do research actually the person who asked about the research question. I think this is really bad but I do some of my research into fiction writing because especially if you're writing a fantasy world you just have it just has to seem like it works not actually necessarily have to be a story you know. Yeah so if you've ever actually

heard someone dictate into voice recognition software it does not sound like. Let me hear all of you. Me do a line or two without I have to make sure it's not spoiler ie. Maybe I'll do one of my no god this is kind of hard because I really don't want to basically OK you're saying like. Open quote Hello comma Kristen exclamation point close quote she said period new line. Open her needle like marbles but like you don't get our sound of musical prose. But and the reason I do it actually is to save my arms. It's a lot in my hands it's just a lot better for you if I'm sitting down and writing 30 pages out all in one sitting. It's just not a good idea and I had some arm pain back when I used to do that. So but definitely once I dictated it

I will then read it over in my own voice and reading out loud is definitely hard. So I think you're young. Will it make somebody comfy my favorite my favorite recent mistake was when I said I dictated. Massaging me. He draw we say massaging his hand or no. He dropped his pen and stood there massaging his heels and the voice recognition software wrote. He dropped his pants instantly. Was. That and. You don't necessarily catch them now.

Was you know what he said was early Saturday night. So my sister my first reader has actually found a few things. But I know I forgot your question. I was sorry. Oh how do I manage that. Oh it's it's really frustrating. I use next speech because I have a math. It's so much fun. It's so not as good as naturally speaking the PC program. It's so frustrating but it's still I don't know just patience I guess and I have the use of my hands and my my arm so I can go ahead and change things. So it's not as much of a hassle for me as if you are someone who doesn't know. Yes yes. You're experience. You're very well. Oh you were so right. Did

you notice that this little boy. Well I still I know it's working now but I don't know what's going to be happening in five or 10 years. It's a very very uncertain business and I am one of the few writers who is able to write. I've been very very lucky and when I knew was when I started to get foreign rights deals on the foreign rights steals combine to create a livable income. But like I said it's one of those things where. In 10 years I might need to be seriously thinking about another career who knows. So it was. A little bit. Everything went way too fast definitely. And I ate way too much. I was kind of not feeling great but that

summer. Yes. Maybe. I just know that doing right. You are you are you so very sorry. Yeah right. Well I'm writing definitely every day but it takes me eight months to write 50000 words. There is no. And it's so not my process I'm such an edit while you go right or that it would just be a disaster if I sat down and tried to write that much in one. So I'm kind of I'm actually. People have been writing comments on my blog thanking me for the pep talk and it's they're so sweet Everyone makes me get all teary because if these people who are discouraged and they think they're there they think that they've been writing for three weeks and

it is working so hard in this project and they just feel so down about it. And that's how I feel all the time. And so for them to feel that I've encouraged them. I don't think you realize how much their comments are encouraging me reminding you this is just what it's like. So yes. This was in the first seeing of fire. She's walking home she's not hunting. Well yes. Well I'm pretty sure I'm pretty sure I should i should probably not be doubting it but

I'm pretty sure she's just walking home. Oh OK. Yes. Yeah. Well no one has optioned it yet. My agent it's something my agent is working on so we'll see. Yeah. Right. I feel another slippery question I guess. I try really hard not to over explain and fact I try hard not to explain.

I try to show tricks to let the explanation of things come out in the action of the scene. I try not to use a lot of adverbs because I know that's a big rule but I think it's a stupid rule I think matters are really powerful parts of speech and used sparingly can be really you know just right now live. Other than that I mean. All I can say is that the more you do it it's not even necessarily that the easier it becomes the but the more objective you become and the more you learn to not let the voices that are telling you that you're wasting your time and what you're writing is terrible. And the more you learn to ignore them and not let them control what you actually do. You will see us go crazy and I'm not.

I entered a few contests that went nowhere but got me some contact with editors I went to a few conferences and of the A C BWI the society of children's book writers and illustrators. They tend to have regional conferences where you can pay a little extra money and get. Editors or writers or agents to look at you know 10 pages and give you feedback so I did things like that. I made some contacts that way but the way it actually happened was completely separate from any of the other contacts I had ever made I. A friend told me about an agent that she knew. I looked up I looked at her on her website it said that she didn't do fantasy. I kind of obnoxiously dropped her an email anyway and was like Is this really true you know do you really not do fantasy and she wrote back and she said well it's just that I'm really selective with fantasy why don't you send me the first 50 pages so I did.

Months later she wrote back and said I'd like to see the rest. So I sent the rest and again months later I got the best phone call. To I read it was right around my birthday I was visiting my grandmother I remember we were sitting in the sun. My phone rang my grandma was there with a little bit not at all fair so it was hard to explain that I was talking on the phone. But I remember I just remember it very vividly as what you find is that you and then a few weeks. Well no I did it when I did one revision for my age and then a few weeks later I had a deal. That was it happened so fast. That was the second best time to anybody else. Nobody else. You see I

don't really know it's kind of like while I'm writing another idea that I have while I was writing fire I got the idea for a bit of loot. I really don't know. I'm kind of just going with the flow. And you know I'm going to hit you for it. Now.