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INTERVIEW with N. GEMINI SASSON
Every author has a unique path to publication. Can you tell us a
little about yours?
Sure,
let’s just say it’s been a long time coming. The very
first book I wrote, in the late 1990's, was more along
the lines of historical fantasy, but without the magic,
which I suppose didn't make it much of a fantasy. I had
a few responses for partials from agents, but eventually
realized I needed to write something better.
The
next book was about Owain Glyndwr, who was the last
Welsh prince of Wales. I actually had an agent for that
one, but over an eighteen month period she’d only sent
it to three publishers, two of whom only did
non-fiction. Finally, I wrote her a break-up letter,
only to receive a notice shortly afterward from her
estate lawyer telling me she had died. That would
explain why she wasn’t responding.
In
the meantime I’d written a story about Robert the Bruce
that somehow turned into three books. Succinctness has
never been a quality of mine. I had a wonderful agent
for The Bruce Trilogy who tried relentlessly to find a
publisher. We had sincere interest from editors along
the way, but none panned out. Some editors said that
historicals featuring male protagonists didn’t sell as
well. Which is what led me to write Isabeau. But by the time that one
was going around to editors, I was being told that
biographical historicals were on their way out. I knew
people wanted to read my stories, but I didn't seem to
be hitting on what publishers considered a commercially
safe bet. While I do enjoy a good Tudor novel from
time to time, I felt that boat was already full and I
wasn't about to get on it. I believe there's room
out there for diversity in historical fiction.
That led me to the decision to independently publish,
beginning with The Crown in the Heather, The Bruce
Trilogy: Book I. It will
be released in paperback first, and an e-book should
follow within a few months via Smashwords, so readers
will be able to access it with virtually any e-book
device.
For
me, the real joy in writing is being read and I am
determined to make that a possibility. I'm truly
enjoying the different creative pursuits that being an
independent author provides - I could spend hours
dreaming up book covers or designing interior layouts.
Marketing really challenges me to stretch my wings, but
if you don't ever push yourself outside your comfort
zone, then you don't grow. I think it all comes down to
self-belief. Anything’s possible if you are
willing to learn. I'm also very dogged, which helps.
Tell me I can't do something and I'll try like
heck to prove you wrong.
What was your inspiration for The Crown in the Heather?
For
years I’ve been a fan of Celtic music. Nothing stirs my
soul more than the skirl of bagpipes. I also have
Scottish ancestry on my mother’s side. The first time I
went to Scotland, I felt like I’d come home, even though
I’d never been there before. It was a very surreal
feeling.
After seeing the movie
Braveheart (yes, I know it’s full of inaccuracies,
but it was great storytelling), I was inspired to write
something epic. My curiosity about the rest of the
story, beyond William Wallace, had been piqued and so I
began to read, and read, and read . . . Four years later
I had three books about Robert the Bruce written,
although they’ve since undergone many revisions. In a
way, it was a blessing that they didn't find a home with
a publisher right away. They are much better books now
and I think they're ready to go out into the world.
Why should people read The Crown in the Heather?
One of my goals in writing
historical fiction is to make history feel real,
exciting and accessible, not academic and boring.
Hopefully, readers will get a sense that history is more
than just dates and names. It's also about more
than costumes and weaponry. It is about real people who
had the same fears and dreams, flaws and ambitions that
we do today. Robert the Bruce was more than a soldier
and tactician, more than a king and diplomat. He
endured many hardships to achieve a dream and by
conveying some of those trials through storytelling, I
sincerely hope that readers will gain an appreciation
for his determination and draw inspiration from it.
How important do you think it is to accurately represent the facts in
historical fiction?
Very
much so. But there's so much about the private
moments of historical figures that we know nothing about. Historical fiction, then, can never be
100% accurate, although authors must do their best to
represent the true intentions and motivations of the
people they are writing about.
Whose side the writer chooses to present though – in other
words, who the viewpoint character is – will affect the
slant of the story.
Truth is relative,
depending on what your perception of events is.
I do
my best to keep anachronisms to a minimum, but if the
right word in a sentence is 'whopped', I'll use it, even
if it wasn't recorded until centuries later. The eras I
deal with, 13th-15th centuries, spoke versions of
English and French that we today would be hard pressed
to understand. So I use language that's understandable
to modern readers, but I don't want it to sound like
they just walked around a street corner in the Bronx
either.
What sparks your creativity and keeps you working?
My creativity comes in stages. At
first, I really have to force myself to be disciplined
and write something. It's called 'apply butt to
chair'. The Muse of Creativity rarely visits me without
having to be hunted down, lassoed and then chained to my
desk beside me. Knowing that it’ll take a year or more
to complete a project can be daunting. But the further
along I go in a story, the easier it becomes. The
characters take over. It’s like being possessed – only
in a good way. Then, the fact that I need closure
drives me to the end. Starting is the hard part. Once
momentum takes over, it’s like being on auto-pilot.
What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you
share some advice which may help others get past similar
problems?
I’d
have to say lack of confidence. For years I wrote, but
wouldn’t let anyone see my work. I wouldn't even let my
husband tell friends or family what I was doing. I was
afraid they'd ask too many questions. That reluctance
to share slowed my progress, but it did give me the
opportunity to develop my own voice and style. Finally,
I forced myself to join a critique group. That was a
breakthrough. I learned I was better than I thought,
but that I still had work to do.
Later, I put my work up on a
writer’s web site. That was an eye opener. I got both
praise and criticism, which taught me to develop a
thicker hide and never get too full of myself. So, to
anyone else who wants to write, I’d say don’t be afraid
to put your work out there. Learn who you are as a
writer. And if someone doesn’t like it, even if they
have harsh words, be okay with that. No writer ever
existed who pleased absolutely everyone. I'd rather
have half the readers love my work and half hate it,
than get a tepid reaction across the board.
What authors were your early inspiration and who are some of your
favorite current books or authors?
My
early favorites were Alexandre Dumas and Jean Plaidy,
but I also read J.R.R. Tolkien, Stephen Donaldson, Terry
Brooks and Ursula LeGuin’s fantasy books. After college
and kids, when I finally had time to read again, I was
reintroduced to historical fiction by Morgan Llywellyn.
Nowadays, I read Bernard Cornwell and Philippa Gregory
in historicals, plus Joshilyn Jackson and Mitch Albom.
Garth Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain
really choked me up - I love stories from an animal's
point of view.
Every author works in a different way. How do you approach writing a
novel? The way you set out the plot, your workplace,
anything that contributes to the process?
It’s a mess and I wouldn’t
recommend my method to anyone. Basically, I start with
copious notes from highlighted and dog-eared resource
books and a timeline sketched out on a posterboard.
Next, I figure out where the story should start and end
– and I change that about five or six times along the
way. I don’t always start writing at the beginning,
since I’m not always sure where the beginning is. I
just start . . . somewhere, perhaps with a critical
scene, like a battle. Then I skip around a lot. I
rarely write successive chapters, although I try. If
it’s gray and gloomy outside and I’m in the mood to
write a dark scene, I do that. Somehow it all comes
together eventually.
What is your current work in progress?
Isabeau,
about Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer, will be my next
book out. It should be available in Fall of 2010.
Meanwhile, I’m doing final edits on the second book in
The Bruce Trilogy, Worth Dying For. The third
and final Bruce book is roughed in and awaiting
revisions. Also, I am about halfway through writing the
sequel to Isabeau.
Where can readers find more information about you and your books?
On my website at
http://www.ngeminisasson.com
or at my blog at
http://ngeminisasson.blogspot.com.
The Crown in the Heather will be available on
Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble beginning in June of 2010. |
