Author Interview With Kelly St. Clare!
Today, I’m very excited to welcome Kelly St. Clare to my blog!
Hi Kelly! Please introduce yourself! Tell us a little about you and your books. What do you write?
Hi! Thanks for having me! I’m a YA fantasy/science fiction Author. The Tainted Accords is my debut series. The last book in that series, Fantasy of Freedom, comes out October 10th! And my new series, The After Trilogy is sci-fi dystopian (end of the world stuff). I am a New Zealander living in Melbourne, Australia. I like chocolate and my husband.
How did you get into writing?
By reading. It never occurred to me until my late teens that I might like to write my own stories. I went through the ‘but how do I do it’ phase, and came out the other side writing the Tainted Accords. I don’t really know what happened, but one day everything clicked into place. I’ve been writing ever since.
What’s the one bit of writing advice that has stuck with you throughout your career?
Write your first draft with the door closed. And edit with the door open. (Translation: Write the first draft for your own enjoyment, and then edit as though Beyonce is going to read the book.)
And let’s talk about your books! Tell us about The After Trilogy.
The Retreat (the first book in the After Trilogy) is set in an age where global warming has destroyed Earth. The story follows a space soldier called Romy and her four friends who—like the other few thousand soldiers aboard the Orbitos—are waiting for Earth to be inhabitable once more. The waiting part is shot to smithereens when Romy and her friends crash-land on the, ‘supposedly’, unliveable Planet Earth. Betrayals are uncovered, suppressed hormones are released, and an action-packed storyline ensues.
Why did you choose the dystopian genre? Or did it choose you?
It chose me. Or I should say, the story chose me. I have very little control over my characters. I just do as I’m told or they hurt me.
World-building is so important for dystopians. How do you go about creating a new world? Do you work out all the details before you even start the first draft? Or do you discover the world as you write?
I work out the details of the world before I start. It is one of my favourite parts of the writing process; Adding little complexities, slang and, in this case, creating a realistic future Earth. Without fail, more details are developed when I sit down and write, too. So there’s a mixture of planning, and surprise discovery.
What’s the hardest thing about writing dystopians?
From a readers’ perspective, I think dystopian novels can become repetitive, so this was my main focus while writing. I wanted to build a completely fresh take on the end of the world J Getting the science correct was also something that took time, research, and a few talks with physicists and environmental scientists. I also really dislike when the science overwhelms the story and bogs it down, so I wanted to make the science aspects really accessible, so the story flowed for readers without difficulty.
Some authors don’t read in the genre that they write in—or at least not when they’re drafting. Is this the case with you?
Nope. I am a self-diagnosed bookdragon. I’ll read anything, and everything.
Book recommendations! What are your top five favourite dystopians?
Oooo, Hunger Games – of course. Strain of Resistance by Michelle Bryan, The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, Rising Tides by Katy Haye, and Cinder by Marissa Meyer.
And top five favourite non-dystopian reads?
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Harry Potter by Queen Rowling, Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. I have so many favourites, it’s hard to choose!
What’s the one event that you think shaped you most as a writer?
Not one event as such. I think just my belief and experience that humour, love, and friendships get you through the toughest situations.
If you could say one thing to your eighteen-year-old self, what would it be?
You don’t need a tequila shot at 3am.
What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
First drafts always look terrible. Eat some ice-cream and move onto the second.
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