A few increasingly common questions.: seanan

A few increasingly common questions.

So I've actually started getting my own set of 'frequently asked questions' from people who hear that I've sold a trilogy. They don't include a lot of the classic writer's questions, as yet -- I figure I'll start getting really sick of 'where do you get your ideas?' and 'can you introduce me to your agent?' sometime after book two comes out -- but they're fascinating all the same. Here's a selection, with exposition.

Why do you write about ______?
People who know me through horror and are thus aware of my undying passion for dead stuff and diseases tend to blink at me and ask 'why do you write about faeries?' like it was some sort of unhealthy personal grooming choice. (One acquaintance picked up the opening chapter of Rosemary and Rue, read about ten pages, and then said, clearly perplexed, "This has faeries in it." Perhaps he assumed I wouldn't have noticed.) People who know me through fantasy and are thus aware of my lifelong obsession with folklore and fairy tales tend to ask the reverse question, looking puzzled as they say 'why do you write about zombies?' I sometimes want to arm both camps with boffer weapons, get popcorn, and watch them try to beat each other into submission. Because it would be funny.

Why haven't you quit your day job yet?
Well, beyond the fact that I don't actually have any books published at this particular moment in time, I like paying my mortgage. I like eating things other than canned tuna (although, I must admit, not often). I like being able to buy comic books. Do I eventually want to quit my day job? Oh, hell yes. I'm a fast, disciplined writer, but there are only so many hours in the day, and the idea of being able to get up in the morning and just start writing is heavenly. I'm just not quite there yet.

When is Rosemary and Rue coming out?
I like this question, because people who ask it tend to want to buy my book. Unfortunately, I don't have anything resembling a functional answer to this one yet, because it's still early days. I have a whole lot of editorial to look forward to before I can even take guesses at the date.

Will you be at WorldCon?
2008, no. 2009, yes. 2010, if I have to sell one of Brooke's kidneys to do it. (She's Canadian, she has good kidneys.) I want to go to THE LAND OF POISON AND FLAME. That's what I call Australia. THE LAND OF POISON AND FLAME. The idea of an entire continent devoted to destroying human life is sort of like the idea of Willy Wonka's factory: too good to be true, but oh, if only it were...

Do you sleep?
No.

I can't wait to see what gets asked next...

archangelbeth

June 18 2008, 15:34:53 UTC 9 years ago

New comment

Mine'd be: did you go in agented, or did you surf the slush? *grin*
(And I look forward to being able to buy 'em!)

seanan_mcguire

June 21 2008, 03:28:28 UTC 9 years ago

I went in agented. I adore my agent, I love my agent, I needed my agent very badly, because she made things make sense. Seriously, a good agent? Worth his or her weight in platinum. If you think you're good enough to sell, start looking.

(Yay!)

June 21 2008, 23:36:24 UTC 9 years ago

*nods sagely*

Talked to your agent, actually (before the announcement of the partnering!) -- she gave me THE MOST BESTEST EVAR advice with her rejection, with some specific comments showing where I was doing That Bad Thing There, instead of the "oh, it's way too long" that she could've sent me on my way with.

You have a rocking, rocking agent.

(And thanks for the answer!)

dormouse_in_tea

June 18 2008, 16:10:54 UTC 9 years ago

Pfffft. Newbies. Us old-timers have been asking you if you sleep for years.

June 21 2008, 03:28:43 UTC 9 years ago

Oh, I know, darlin'. And you know damn well that I really don't!

snowishness

June 18 2008, 19:47:33 UTC 9 years ago

Here's one from me...

Why do you hate commas?

June 21 2008, 03:29:16 UTC 9 years ago

I don't! I just tend to take the approach of 'throw all the punctuation you can hold at the page and assume that whatever actually sticks was used correctly.' This makes my editors...very, very sad.

palmer_kun

June 19 2008, 00:18:08 UTC 9 years ago

My brand of fantasy comes from D&D.

Thus zombies and faeries side by side are the norm.

As a result, I'll read everything you put out. Without fail.

June 21 2008, 03:29:24 UTC 9 years ago

And I love you for it.

June 21 2008, 21:38:04 UTC 9 years ago

Hell, I want to read your YA and I don't even like YA generally. Same for horror.

It's just the warm fuzzy comfort that comes from knowing, ultimately, that the genre doesn't matter. If you wrote it, I'll be haplessly enthralled.

dr_zrfq

June 19 2008, 00:26:33 UTC 9 years ago

That's what I call Australia. THE LAND OF POISON AND FLAME. The idea of an entire continent devoted to destroying human life is sort of like the idea of Willy Wonka's factory: too good to be true, but oh, if only it were...

"Come to Australia; ya might accident'ly get killed!"

June 21 2008, 03:29:40 UTC 9 years ago

Everything in Australia is AWESOME BEYOND WORDS.

tezmilleroz

June 19 2008, 01:00:55 UTC 9 years ago

You should so come to Oz - especially Melbourne ;-) By the way, as far as I can tell: Melbourne is better for living, and Sydney is better for visiting. You can guess where I live ;-)

Have a lovely day! :-)

June 21 2008, 03:30:15 UTC 9 years ago

I'm totally planning to come if I possibly can (Brooke has begun wearing protection over her precious kidneys). I want to see the most poisonous place on the planet!