Authors from A to Z: M

M = McGowan

Maureen McGowan is the author of the Twisted Tales series, a new spin on classic fairy tales. The first is Cinderella: Ninja Warrior and the second is Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer. I seem to remember reading somewhere that a third one is coming soon, but I can’t remember where I read that or what fairy tale it is based on. Anyway, I have not read these yet, but I plan to. They sound like a lot of fun! Maureen kindly agreed to an interview for our Authors from A to Z event here at Proud Book Nerd. So, here we go!

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Proud Book Nerd: Your Twisted Tales series looks like a lot of fun. Where did the idea come from?

Maureen McGowan: A freelance editor approached me with the idea of writing a proposal for choose-your-own-path fairy tale adaptations to be targeted toward a particular publisher. So, I can’t claim the concept was entirely mine. But as soon as I heard the concept, I loved the idea of writing new versions of traditional fairy tales, but faster-paced, action-packed and with heroines capable of saving themselves.

In Cinderella: Ninja Warrior, I wanted to write about a Cinderella who was already actively fighting to escape from her stepmother and who didn’t see a royal marriage as her only way out. In Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer, I took a traditional story where the girl is passively sleeping, needing someone to save her, and turned her into a girl left alone every night, the only person able to fight off the vampires and save her kingdom.

PBN: I love the about page on your site. You seem to have a fun sense of humor. Does that make its way into your writing?
MM: Thanks! I hope so.

PBN: When you’re not writing, what are you doing?
MM: Thinking about writing. Or talking about writing. (Or reading or watching TV or movies… which then leads to more thinking or talking about writing.) I watch a ridiculous number of movies.

PBN: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
MM: Do it because you love it, not because you want to get rich. Also, learn to take criticism and realize that writing is a craft that needs to be learned and developed. Even if you’re a born storyteller, or have a natural way with words, learning to craft stories that other people want to read is a skill that takes study and practice, just like most things worth doing. If your first few manuscripts get rejected, or torn to shreds by instructors or critique partners, don’t be discouraged. This is normal. Either work on them, a lot, or write something new. If you love it, keep trying.

PBN: What is your favorite book?
MM: Oh, hard question… I have so many, but the ones that jump to mind when I’m asked this are usually the last great books I read, so right now I have trouble deciding between Divergent by Veronica Roth and The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan. I also really enjoyed/admired The End of The Line by Angela Cerrito.
PBN response: I am the same way. I tend to consider the last great books I’ve read as my favorites – until I read the next great book. My list of favorites is always changing!

PBN: What is your favorite movie?
MM: An even harder question… It’s hard for me to even come up with a top ten, but some movies that really stuck with me and/or I thoroughly enjoyed include: Short Cuts, Grand Canyon, Brokeback Mountain, Into the Wild, Star Trek (2009), Clueless, Sex and the City (but HATED the sequel). My favorite movies at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival were Black Swan, 127 Hours and Rabbit Hole. I think. I’m probably forgetting something great.

PBN: It seems that many authors have at least one work in progress at any given time. What are you working on?
MM: I’m working on a darker YA trilogy of novels, set in a post-apocalyptic world, and hoping to have good news to announce about them soon.

PBN: Who’s your biggest influence when it comes to writing?
MM: In terms of writing style etc., I’m not sure I have one. But I’d have to say my biggest influences are my critique partners. They inspire me with their own work and make me strive to improve every day. I’m also inspired by their work ethic, dedication and pure love of stories.

PBN: Do you have any pets? If so, please tell us about it/them.
MM: I don’t. If I did have a pet, it would be a smallish (but not too small) dog that doesn’t shed (because I have allergies–both to pet hair and house-cleaning).
PBN response: I am allergic to house cleaning, too!

PBN: I’m guessing that you’ve heard of the recent hoopla over a Wall Street Journal article saying that literature for teens is just too dark nowadays. What’s your take on the issue?
MM: I thought the article was poorly thought out, contained many inflammatory statements and, well, was a load of hooey. Lots of people have already written fabulous rebuttals, so I’ll just say: I don’t think that reading about dark subjects damages or influences readers, even young readers. I mean, the whole idea of fairy tales (the originals are VERY dark), was to help kids explore fears and learn about danger in a safe setting–through stories.

Reading fiction helps build empathy. If kids are suffering through terrible situations, reading about other suffering teens can help them know they aren’t alone and give them hope and even strategies to cope. On the other hand, if a teen has lived a charmed life, then exploring the feelings of others less fortunate can help them see issues from other perspectives and help them realize how great they’ve got it, and maybe make them think twice before they judge the kid at school who hides in the corner, or is bullied, or other people think is weird.

Teens, just like adults, will read the kinds of books they want to read, and it’s easy to tell from the cover art and back copy what kind of content a book’s likely to contain. Kids who don’t want to read dark or violent books have TONS of great lighter books to choose from. For example, um, Cinderella: Ninja Warrior or Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer.

When I was a teen, there was very little teen fiction and most of it was a tad juvenile, so once I turned 13 or 14, I started reading adult books–many of which were dark and, of course, were told only from an adult’s perspective, so they were harder to relate to. I wish there had been great YA fiction available back then. Ultimately, I don’t think it’s kids who spend time reading that society should be worrying about.
PBN response: Excellent response. I agree completely. I, too, wish there was more GOOD YA when I was a teen.

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Thank you, Maureen, for the awesome interview! I had a lot of fun. Good luck with your new trilogy!

FTC Disclosure: All items reviewed were either obtained by me for my own enjoyment or sent (from the author, publisher, publicist, via tour sites, etc.) in exchange for an honest review. I receive no monetary compensation for my posts. All opinions expressed are my own.

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