We recently interviewed the very talented Kristina Schram, author of the Chronicles of Anaedor: The Prophecies. Here Kristina talks about demanding characters, creatures in the woods, and the Squeezer!

Where did you get the idea for the Anaedor Series? 

The idea of Anaedor first came to me while attending graduate school in Akron, Ohio. After living in the city for a few painful months (I’m a country mouse), one of my professors – after hearing me lament about the depressing lack of nature – told me about a nearby park I might want to check out. I immediately sought it out and was thrilled to find trees and hills and streams everywhere I looked. While walking through the woods one day, the image popped into my mind that someone was close by, perhaps hiding beneath a ledge of rock, watching me pass by. I started to think about who this creature might be. Elf, fairy, goblin? I chuckled. Then I thought, why not? Why couldn’t it be a mythical creature? What if they really did exist? From this question came the story of Anaedor and its inhabitants. I decided that long ago these mysterious beings must have fled underground to escape the threat of ignorant humans who feared their powers. Of course, trapped for centuries in a world without light, it only makes sense that these mythical creatures might someday want to reclaim the land that was once their domain. Maybe someday soon. Makes you think twice about taking a walk in the woods alone, doesn’t it?

Who has been your favourite character to write about?

I like writing about Drefan – he’s an Amoral Anaedorian who appears in the second half of the book and comes to play an important role in 15-year-old Lavida Mors’ life. A clever and ruthless creature, he and his clan live by the motto, “The end justifies the means”. But Drefan has another side to him, a hidden side that surfaces during his first meeting with Lavida. The wild emotions she ignites in him are intriguing, yet they are frightening, too, stirring up an internal rebellion that threatens Drefan’s loyalty to his clan. I find it challenging to write about his battle with himself and with Lavida, plus I just plain like him as a character. He’s powerful, intelligent and beautiful…and yet, he has flaws that make him seem, well, almost human.

Have any of your characters demanded more page space than you had originally planned? 

Demanded. That’s a great way to put it. I’ve actually had several characters appear out of nowhere and demand to be included when I hadn’t planned to write about them at all. A character in book three of the series seriously wanted to be a part of the story. So I let him in even though I had no idea what do with him. As his story progressed, however, I soon discovered he played a pivotal role for the ending of the series in book four. Weird, huh? I’ve also had characters disappear from my book. I originally wanted them in, but the story wanted them out, and I had to vanquish the poor sods. I must admit I feel bad for these characters. I wonder what they’re doing now – if some other author took them in. Nobody wants to disappear, do they?

What advice would you give to aspiring authors? 

What I have learned from this difficult and glorious journey is that you must be persistent, you must practice, and you must focus on the little picture.

Persistence: Writing and getting published can be challenging in so many ways –  from experiencing writer’s block to struggling to find an agent – that it’s tempting to want to give up. But, if you don’t keep at it, if you don’t keep trying, you will not succeed. That’s a pretty obvious statement, I know, but it’s a pretty important one, too. Despite the hurdles (and trust me, you will have them), you have to keep going. Quitting is not an option.

Practice: I’ve been writing for decades, in one form or another, from putting out a dissertation to writing short stories and novels, and I still attend writing workshops whenever I can. Why? Because I believe that writing is a skill that not only can be developed, but continually improved. If you think you are an amazing writer with nothing left to learn, you are doing yourself and your readers a disservice. ALL writers can improve.

Picture: If you look at the big picture of becoming a successful published author you will get lost in it. Focus on the little picture instead. Think: stone by stone (or, on bad days, pebble by pebble). To build a wall, you lay down one stone at a time, right? You don’t build it all at once. If you look at all the things you should do as an author (from social networking to taking workshops to writing a whole book), you’ll never succeed. It’s simply too overwhelming. My advice is to break your work into small pieces. For example, you can say to yourself: Today I am going to write one sentence, sketch out one character, or make one connection. Whatever works for you. But keep your expectations low. Every time you exceed them (and I bet you will), you’ll be so thrilled with yourself that you’ll want to keep going. Expect too much and you will fail. It’s like trying to lose weight. If you say, I am going to lose 50 pounds this month, you are more than likely going to fail. If you say, I am going to eat 50 less calories a day, you just might do it (that’s about half a decent-sized banana).

What is your writing process like?

I know strange people who swear by writing outlines. I never liked making outlines, not as a kid for school, and not as an adult for my books. However, I do like to develop what my story is about and how I want to get there (at least, in my mind). When I take my daily walk I imagine the next scene I want to write. Leaving the process open like this seems to make me more creative than sticking to an outline. Of course, this is also how I get characters showing up out of nowhere and demanding to be included. The strange thing is, I’m a pretty organized person. I’m not sure why I don’t write in a more organized way (I do jot down reams of notes, though). In terms of times, I tend to write whenever I can. When my boys were younger I wrote during their naps and at night. Now I have a bit more of a regular schedule, but I still have to fit marketing and networking into the day (along with all my stay-at-home/runner of the household chores). I do my administrative stuff in the morning and reserve afternoons for writing. I try to write every day, but that doesn’t always work since there are days when I have more to do, being that my children and pets are forces of nature that seek to destroy my house.

Has researching for a novel ever got you into any funny situations or predicaments?

The Chronicles of Anaedor takes place in an underground, cavernous world so to aid in my research I try to visit caves whenever I can (actually, I just like caves). Every couple years I visit the Lost River Gorge caves in New Hampshire. One of the caves is called the Lemon Squeezer (the name is a warning, my friends, pay heed). Basically, you have to pull yourself through some VERY tight spaces in this particular cave. If you don’t want to get stuck and very possibly die a horrible death, you must be able to squeeze your body through a man-made wooden apparatus at the front entrance. If you can’t do it, you won’t make it through the cave. My kids and I fit through the Squeezer test apparatus on our first try, but my husband got stuck and declined to go any further. Hmmm. Perhaps he was the smart one. Anyway, I let my kids go first, in case one of them needed my help. Ha. They were fine. I was the one who struggled. The first tight spot was a doozy. A few years of yoga might have helped me handle it better, but unfortunately I don’t do yoga. However, I somehow squeezed through without screaming madly that the walls are closing in on me, please somebody help me! At one stage along the passage, I had to pull myself along on my stomach while a swollen stream, a mere three feet away from my head and which looked on the verge of flooding, rushed past me. But I made it through, and it was awesome. In the future, I hope to continue my tour of caves. There’s a cave in Mexico called Superman’s Cave because of its giant crystals, and one called Krubera in the Republic of Georgia that’s 7000 feet deep. The longest cave (390 miles) is Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave. Having survived the Squeezer, I think I’m ready to take them all on.

As a writer, who and/or what are your main influences?

 These classic authors make me want to do better: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle, Jane Austen, Daphne Du Maurier, Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Secret Garden is my favorite), Dodie Smith (I Capture the Castle). I’ve also been influenced by reading hundreds of gothic novels, as well absorbing everything British (BBC, Masterpiece Theater/Mystery, the history of the monarchy). I have several degrees in psychology, which shape my writing, too. My kids and husband influence me, as well as all the interesting people I’ve met along this journey called life. Weird people are a great inspiration.

It seems that more and more adult readers are finding their way to YA books. Why do you think that is?

Because none of us want to grow up! YA authors are also writing in a way that appeals not just to younger readers, but to older ones as well. YA authors tend to nurture that child-like part of us all. I don’t know about you, but while I might want to grow up, I don’t want to grow old (i.e., stodgy). Reading YA helps keep me young!

What is the best part about being an author?

There are a couple of best parts. One, I get to create worlds, which satisfies my power hungry side. I’ve also always had an active imagination so being able to put some of my imaginings onto paper is a bit of a relief. Two, I get to help others, which satisfies my altruistic side. I love being able to help people of all ages, mainly by running writing workshops at schools and libraries. I get to use my schooling along with my imagination to help others achieve their dreams. How great is that?!

And the worst?

These days it seems as though being an author has become more about business and less about the creative process. Most authors aren’t the most gregarious of creatures so having to do our own marketing is challenging to say the least. I’m generally a shy introvert. Forcing myself to push my book is an experience akin to wearing a hair shirt. Actually, I think I’d rather wear a hair shirt. On the plus side, in being an author, I do meet a lot of nice people that bring me out of myself.

What books have you recently read and loved?

I’m currently reading Revolutionby Jennifer Donnelly. It’s historical fiction, which I love. The main character is a little angsty for my liking, but she’s growing on me.  I’m not sure I love, love the book, but I do like the story quite a bit. I also enjoyed reading the Flavia de Luce books by Alan Bradley. Flavia is my kind of character – strange, smart, and anti-establishment. I’m also re-reading the Miss Read Fairacre books, which I just adore. If you like quaint English villages and a funny heroine (Miss Read is a spinster teacher), you’ll love these books.

Can you tell us a bit about what you are currently working on?

I’m currently working on another YA fantasy trilogy starring three brothers (who are older and slightly altered versions of my three sons). The books have mystery, action, and even some romance. Book one is complete and I’m halfway through the second one. I’m also working on a series that’s YA, but more of a mystery/adventure. I can’t say any more about it though because the main character has sworn me to secrecy. And she’ll have no problem punishing me if I break my oath.