4. You write intense falling in love experiences. Where/who did you get your inspiration from? Do you believe people can experience the love you describe in your stories or is it fantasy to you?
Uh, I don’t think you’re going to like the answer to this question, but I could not have written these stories before I had my children. They were my first experience with the kind of love that absolutely without question I would give my life for. You know I had different boys that I fell in love with off and on, but I always had a really firm grip on reality. But with my kids, I didn’t anymore. And that was really my experience with not the kind of romantic love, but to be able to understand the intensity and the way you do things that are insane and dangerous for somebody. That was when I kind of learned how it feels like that.
5. At what point did Doc start seeing Wanderer as a person and how did that change his outlook?
I can’t say an exact part in the book when that happens, but I think all of the humans living in the caves get used to her after a while—as you get used to anything. And once you stop looking at someone as an enemy, and you start noticing the really good things that they do—especially since Wanda does a lot of really good things, it’s hard not to look at her as a person. Also, Doc is just a very compassionate person. It doesn’t bring him any joy to hurt anyone, and so he always thinks of her very kindly and would never be the one to do anything nasty to her as much as she was afraid of that. So, Doc is on of the easier cases.
6. Why did you make Jared so mean? I was bothered that he hit her “Wanderer” over and over again. (Steph: He only hit her the one time.) Why were Sharon and Maggie so bitter towards Wanda?
Here’s the thing—because I wrote the story from the alien’s perspective, I think everyone’s looking at it from that side and saying, “But Wanda means no harm. She’s this wonderful, kind person who would never hurt them, how can they be this way?” And I think what you need to do as you’re trying to understand them, is think of the scariest movie you’ve ever seen with a really scary monster—something that kept you up at night. And then imagine that the whole world is filled with that monster and you’re all by yourself with all the rest of them out there, and that you live in horror and fear every single day. And that’s a really hard thing to think about, it’s on thing to say the words—but to imagine it is something else. Then imagine that that monster is in your power and that you finally have a group of people who are on your side and one of them comes to you, how would you feel towards them? This person has taken away everything from you. This is your worst enemy in the world. I’m surprised that so many people can understand Wanderer because it doesn’t make sense from a human perspective to think kindly of her at all. And Jared in particular, think of the person you love most in the whole world and imagine if someone took them from you and they came back with their face. You know how you would feel towards that person. That he’s able to overlook who she is; is an amazing thing to me. It was interesting writing his character because originally I had only planned for him to be the only love interest in the story. But he was very inflexible, and it made sense for his character. When I write, the one thing I can’t do is make my characters say something or do something that isn’t part of who they are. And so I couldn’t make him be something he wasn’t. Ian, on the other hand, he wasn’t supposed to have a part. He barely had a name. But from the first time he opened his mouth to ask Jeb, “What are you thinking? Why are you doing this?” That sense of him wanting to know more and being willing to listen to the answer, sort of leaped into his character and by the time he had his first conversation with Jared, it was over. I was already sold. So, he really came in and changed the story and made it an ending that I enjoyed a lot more.inflexible, and it made sense for his character. When I write, the one thing I can’t do is make my characters say something or do something that isn’t part of who they are. And so I couldn’t make him be something he wasn’t. Ian, on the other hand, he wasn’t supposed to have a part. He barely had a name. But from the first time he opened his mouth to ask Jeb, “What are you thinking? Why are you doing this?” That sense of him wanting to know more and being willing to listen to the answer, sort of leaped into his character and by the time he had his first conversation with Jared, it was over. I was already sold. So, he really came in and changed the story and made it an ending that I enjoyed a lot more.
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