An Interview with Carrie Vaughn

Carrie Vaughn, author of Kitty and the Midnight Hour and Kitty Goes to Washington, is not only a sharp new author but also a wonderful person to talk to. Upon meeting Ms. Vaughn, I was struck with her sincerity and eagerness to meet her fans. Here is a writer who is truly happy, even surprised, that others are reading and enjoying her books.

In our exclusive interview, Ms. Vaughn talks about herself as a writer, reader, and fellow geek girl.

Geek Girl: Where did you get your idea for the book?

Carrie Vaughn: It all started with a rather sarcastic observation that many vampire and werewolf stories get quickly wrapped up in personal angst and soap operas, and Dr. Laura just wouldn't be able to handle their problems if the characters called into her show. So they need their own radio advice personality. This turned out to be a great format for exploring all kinds of topics and introducing all kinds of characters, so the idea took off in a much bigger way than I was expecting.

GG: Why did you decide to make Kitty goes to Washington so different from the first book? How has the reader response been to the change?

CV: It wasn't a conscious decision. It grew out of the situation I had put Kitty in at the end of the first book. She's lost her pack, she's traveling, she's gone public--to make the second book similar would have required returning to a pack, getting involved in local affairs, and that would have seemed to undermine what she accomplished in the first book. Also, I knew what I wanted to have the in second book: the idea grew out of the scenes I wanted--her confrontation with the Senator, her appearance on television--and that required a different kind of story.

Reader response has been great. Most people have said they like the second one better. That may be because I'm still improving as a writer, and that comes through. There may also be an element of "Keep them guessing" that hooks people. I don't want people to feel like they're reading the same book over and over again.

The third and fourth books are going to feel very different yet again.

GG: What drew you to fantasy? Have you always wanted to write in the contemporary fantasy genre?

CV: I grew up with fantasy and science fiction. My favorite childhood movies are things like Star Wars and Labyrinth, so I've always loved other worlds. An early written inspiration is Ray Bradbury. So, yes. I write those stories because that's what I like to read and watch myself. I've done more and more contemporary fantasy lately, probably because I've developed more experience and issues in the "real world" and have a need to address those, but I still love the fantasy elements.

GG: Your books have unusual titles. Where did they come from?

CV: That I don't know. The titles for the first two books just appeared fully-formed in my brain, and I never thought of calling them anything else. Essentially, the titles describe who Kitty is and what she does, and I think they also get across some of the quirky, humorous tone of the books. These aren't as dark as some books in this genre, and I want that to be clear.

GG: What books inspired you? Who do you read?

CV: Ray Bradbury, Robin McKinley, Patricia McKillip, Lois McMaster Bujold, Stephen Brust, Peter Beagle, Charles Dickens, Joseph Conrad. Anything that makes me think, "Wow." Writers who create characters that I want to spend a lot of time with. I read them to try and learn how to do that.

GG: In each of your books, you include a play list of the music you listened to while writing. How does music contribute to your creative process?

CV: I have to listen to music when I write. It's a trigger for the creative side of my brain, which would otherwise be making lists and worrying about the dishwasher or something. It can also set an atmosphere--if I'm going to be listening to music anyway, I might as well listen to something that gets me into the story. I also listen to a lot of soundtracks since they have a lot of drama naturally built in.

GG: How much research was involved in creating Kitty’s world? Do you have experience with radio shows, or did you do research in the field? Where did you get your information about wolf packs and politics?

CV:I don't have personal experience with radio, but I have friends who do, and I did research. I also have a police officer friend who vets stuff for me. I've done a lot of research on wolf behavior--there's a ton of information out there. National Geographic has a very good documentary about one of the packs introduced to Yellowstone National Park. Watching it, I could see how wolves move, how they interact, and the development of the pack over the course of a year. The nice thing about writing about werewolves is I can pick and choose which behaviors--wolf or human--I want in which situation.

GG: On your website you mention that you role-play. How has this helped you develop as a writer?

CV: I haven't done much gaming in several years, but I've always been interested in how gaming and writing intersect. Gaming has been more a social activity for me than a creative one, but I've been very lucky in gaming with groups who are interested in storytelling and character development, so it's a fun way to build stories in a different environment than writing.

GG: Did you write any other books before Kitty? Do you have plans to work on other projects as well as the Kitty series?

CV: Yes. Kitty is the fourth novel I tried to sell. The previous three are traditional fantasy. I've written two stand-alone novels since starting Kitty that are contemporary fantasy, and I hope they'll find a home someday. I write a lot more than just Kitty. Currently, I'm writing a story for the new Wild Cards anthology edited by George R. R. Martin, due out in 2007 probably, and I usually have short stories appearing here and there.

GG: Many writers have day jobs. What did you do before you were published? How did you balance writing with work? Do you still have a day job?

CV: I still have a day job, though it's part time. I mostly do administrative assistant work. Low-key, low-pressure, so I can leave the job, then come home and focus on writing. The key to balancing it is you have to treat writing like another job. You have to put in the time, some way, some how. If you treat it like a hobby, it will often get shoved aside for other things, and you won't make progress. I've always considered writing to be my first job, and any other job is just paying the rent.

I also worked in a bookstore for a few years, which was invaluable for learning about that side of the book business. I highly recommend a bookstore job for aspiring authors.

GG: What surprised you most about the process of publishing?

CV: The pace is glacial. I think I knew it, but now that I'm on this side of it, I really understand it. Even when the manuscript is written, it takes almost a year for the book to come out. I get very impatient, waiting for it!

GG: How did you break in? I understand you found an agent before you sold your first book. How did that come about, and do you recommend that aspiring authors try to find an agent before they are published?

CV: I found my agent by sending a cold query letter. He asked for the first three chapters, then asked for the manuscript, then agreed to represent me. It happened exactly like the "how to" guides all say it does. I do recommend finding an agent, because an agent will speed up the process. If you submit directly to publishers, it'll take years to hear back, versus weeks with an agent. It's still possible to sell a novel manuscript through the slush pile, but it's much more common to sell one through an agent.

I should note that short stories are a different game, and most agents don't represent short stories. You should send those directly to magazine/anthology editors. Having a few independent short story sales can get your foot in the door at a good agency.

GG: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself or your writing process? Any words of wisdom for other writers?

CV: I love writing. I love stories. Mine, other people's, good, bad, everything. I love analyzing stories, and I think good stories are about more than one thing, so I try to accomplish that. As for my process, I could probably go on for pages and pages. Basically, I start with a scene or a character, and write the book in the course of explaining how that scene came about, or how that character got into that situation.

Er, words of wisdom…persistence really is the key, with a caveat. You also have to be constantly improving as a writer. Try new things, new styles, new subjects, challenge yourself, aim high, don't settle. It took me 10 years to break in with short stories, and another 5 to sell a novel, and that's about average. If you're serious about getting published, be prepared for the long haul. Another caveat--it never gets easier. I actually came closer to quitting after I'd sold a few short stories than I did before, because I could see that the process wasn't getting easier. But we're back to persistence. As you can see, I didn't quit.

See reviews of both Kitty books here at the Time Waster’s Guide:
Kitty and The Midnight Hour
Kitty Goes to Washington

Discuss it in our forums.

Written by MsFish on October 13th, 2006