The Official Story Fan Site has posted the first in a new series: Q5. The Q5 will feature 5 questions submitted by readers and can be on any chapter, character, or topic in the story, past or present. The first Q5 (Topic: Mairi) is up. Enjoy. If you would like to submit a series of questions (less than 5 is ok), please send via the email on my profile.
The second in the series is now posted: Q5: Moments
The third is the series is up: Q5: John and Cait
10 comments:
Q5 Moments
Q1
In Moments, you make use of a diary entry to tell of an event that has happened. As a writer, you have shifted between many different styles, straight prose, poetry, interviews, dreams, flashbacks to name but a few, do you make a conscious choice to use one style over another in any given chapter or do they present themselves to you in the flow of inspiration and creativity? Anything else you could tell us about the writing process as you see it would be welcome.
Trée: 99% of the time the style is dictated by inspiration in the moment as opposed to a conscious plan. Some chapters, however, are usually best written in a particular style--for example, the snoot imbibed chapters with Rog and Von and John are usually best written in "play form' with very little accoutrement of the descriptive nature. Other times I feel like I'm stuck using a particular style with regard to moving the story forward and this is when we see "interviews" or "letters" or "flashbacks" etc. I will say there is a conscious desire to use many different styles for a few reasons. First, I like the change of pace and feel that each style is like a tool and that some tools are better than others for painting the picture I want to paint. The heavy dense poetic baroque style used to describe the rape and murder of Cait was, in my opinion, the only tools that could do what I wanted. To use a play format or even a journal entry from John, although doing the job, I think would have been less effective. Second, as I work on my writing skills, I like the idea that I don't have to start a new story in order to try my hand at a new style. Third, I have the belief that readers enjoy the change of pace and in a way it helps keep the story fresh and worth the visit since one never really knows what or how the story will move forward.
As for your last question, we could discuss that for days and perhaps should save it for a Mega Q all by itself. I have many thoughts on that matter. ;-)
Q2
As with a real journal entry, this chapter seems to flow in one endless stream of thought, was it written as such or did you take great pains to make it appear so? Either heralds an innate gift.
Trée: This chapter, as almost all of them, are written in the moment. I usually have a vague idea of where the chapter is heading but rarely do I know how a chapter (even one that is just a couple paragraphs) will end. Diary entries are a lot of fun for me because I don't have to worry about writing or grammar or style or consistency or logic or anything since it is a diary entry and technically, I'm not writing, the character is, so any mistakes are theirs, not mine. LOL
What I love about doing a diary or journal entry is I treat them as if I were writing my own journal entry, which is to say, I just start writing and let the character say whatever comes to mind in the moment of that entry. That is exactly what happened in this chapter. I had no idea if it would be 50 words or 500. Nor did I know where Kyra might take me. I am often as surprised as the reader as to where a chapter goes. And, I wouldn't have it any other way. There is magic in the moment. Think too hard about a chapter and that magic slips through your fingers like sand. My best chapters are written quickly with very little thought, they just flow from mind to fingers and even 1,000 words can be written in a matter of minutes. Those few chapters that I labored over, that took a long time and many revisions, are, in my opinion, some of my lesser pieces. Somehow, they lack the magic. Hard to explain. Which brings up another question, I do not write on a schedule at a fixed time. I write when the chapter presents itself, and that could be any time. :-)
Q3
Kyra writes "For the third time in my life I felt a warmth radiate from the center of my being", remind us please of those other two times and which chapters they occur in?
Trée: I may be completely wrong here, so take my answer with a grain of salt, but I believe the other two times involve-as she indicates in this chapter at this time in the story--the night of the fireflies with Papa and the iso-ward with Kieran when they entered the white room. There have been, and I'm not sure if these happened before or later, other episodes that Kyra could say this same thing about, feeling the warmth (Yul on the stone floor would be one; perhaps the "Kyra incident" would be another, her visit with The Unknowns too; not to mention the trip she took Ariel on to see her mother).
A question like this reminds me of just how much as happened and unlike a book that one might read in the course of a few days or a week or two, this story is now over two years old, and like real life, my memory of just exactly what happened and when it happened is sometimes a little blurry. :-D
Q4
In this chapter, Kyra is reluctant to place defining words upon the events that transpired, are you willing and able to?
Trée: No and Nope. Only Kyra knows and she has not spoke to me of these things. To put words in her mouth would be a grave injustice and could harm the relationship (Kyra and I) that I have worked so hard to cultivate. I won't risk that relationship with idle speculation on a matter that I have no direct experience of, of a matter that is very personal to herself. One day she might share and I promise you this--if she does, I will document her explanation in the story, probably via an interview or a journal entry or maybe even a late night exchange with Von or John over a snoot or two. ;-)
Q5
Kyra's special abilities have been the basis for much of the story, how did you come upon such a wonderful idea? Were you inspired by something seen, read or heard or did it tumble forth from the rich and fertile soil of your imagination?
Trée: In short the idea evolved as the story began to unfold--it was not pre-planned. The underlying idea, however, forms the basis for the story, and that is the gifts of a child are magical and they are to be cultivated and nourished as if precious jewels. This is what Papa does and in this fictional story, we see those gifts become something quite spectacular. But the basic idea is there. Love your child and in that love you will be repaid a thousand fold. As will the universe. ;-)
Q5 Mairi
Q1
Mairi was the last of your characters to appear in the story just after the Arc'teryx boarded Bravo-Four-Zero and still the one least known, albeit truer still it would be to place Trevor along side her in this respect. With all of the characters of The Story, there seems to be an essential component to their character, a flaw, a gift, and no unacceptable contradictions through the many appearances ahead. Are they telling you their story or are you telling theirs?
Trée: I'm tempted to say neither in that the story I'm telling is my story through them. As I've mentioned many times, each character in the story is a little bit of me, some more so than others with Kyra the one I most see as having my personality. Likewise, most of the chapters and events are educated by events in my own life rather than events I imagine or make up. Having said that, however, I would say the characters are telling me their story rather than me telling theirs. In other words, there is no master plan that a character is on a certain "track" to do certain things, to reach certain goals, to fulfill a certain objective within the story. I like that idea, that as long as the characters stay true to themselves, there is nothing predestined about what they may or may not do.
Q2
One of the first things we learn about Mairi is that she has always felt seperate from both the 'normal' children and the 'children of the shells', never quite feeling at home amongst either of them. We learn as she appears that she has kept herself to herself on board Bravo and though she begins to take centre stage on a number of occasions, with Dr X, Trev, Yul, most recently with Em, though we have seen her share some of her experience while captured and we have seen her hold her own ("Frail you farm boy")under verbal attack, there is still very much a sense of reservation, of her approaching when she is needed and retreating when that need is over. Given the desire she has expressed that carried through her childhood and onto Bravo of wanting to feel as though she belonged, as told in her regret over never approaching Kieran, another child of the shells before he was struck down by the Animus virus, do you think finally having to some extent at least her singularity defined has made her feel more or less at peace with who she is?
Trée: Mairi is moving in that direction but is not there yet. What seems to be an apparent inconsistency in her character, that is, on the one hand she is a Chatelaine and on the other seems to lack a certain sense of confidence in belonging, the two are actually a fascinating look into the layers we all have, which is to say, I believe we all harbor such complexities as to make our behavior appear, at times, to be inconsistent. I think to do otherwise with a character is to make them book-like, cardboard, or two-dimensional, and therefore less interesting, less real, less mysterious, and l think, less able to move in ways we don't imagine, which is to say, unpredictable, within reason. The bottom line is this: Mairi has a gift. She didn't know she had it until about a year ago. That gift is developing. And with each development she grows in confidence that she fits, that she belongs, that she can make a contribution. In short, if Mairi were a flower, her bud is opening to the sun of her gifts and the blossom gets more beautiful with each unfolding petal.
Q3
With Mairi, there has been much expression of regret, of guilt, in some ways she has a background similar to Yul. She speaks of feeling regret over not having approached Kieran, of having taken things for granted, guilt at what happened to Trevor, always and unspoken and so to say so is to say so without basis there seems to be a sense of self-reproach, an acceptance that she is destined to remain on the sidelines, as with Yul, it would appear that in Mairi's case too environment has convinced her of a truth that is nothing but an opinion. One of the few direct insights we gain into Mairi comes as she overhears Taren say; "I wouldn't want to be her" and we catch a glimpse of the inner workings of her mind and heart as she questions privately; Who else could she be? Where could she go to escape herself? She knew the answer. She knew the answer because she had asked herself the question a thousand times and the answer was always the same. In Evv-err, Mairi still with no clue of how essential her passage on Bravo would become to other members there, even knowing what she now knows, knowing that were it not for her, Dr X would not have been able aid Yul, Em would have the chance to regain her sight is Mairi any closer to understanding why fate dictated, however it came about, that she was meant to be aboard Bravo?
Trée: That is a great question and the answer is no. She doesn't think in those ways, in short because there is little fruit in visiting such a question. The immediate reality of their life is too overwhelming. I feel I have not done as good a job as I could have in painting the bleak picture of their reality, of what it means to be the last seven of your race, where the future is dark, you have no home, and the environment, unknown space, is hostile, dangerous and unforgiving. This reality overwhelms virtually all other thought and the crew is in danger of turning to drugs or sex or other unhealthy diversions to keep insanity at bay.
Now, having said that, what I really like about this question is the assumption that the crew of Bravo was handpicked, an idea not expressed in the story but begs to be addressed. That is, did Papa know about Mairi and put her onboard for that very reason? I don't know the answer to that question and perhaps we will see Ceru ask Papa that question if they make it to Silus. ;-)
Q4
It seems to be suggested that although a Chatelaine is a creature of stature and reverence, Mairi was searching for a place to belong and a place to hide all at the same time, in becoming a Chatelaine, she could bury herself, become someone else, be associated and accepted. Though rising to the top of her profession, her questioning after hearing Taren's comment indicates her training did little to dispel the thoughts of unworthiness and the question is did she merely succeed in disassociating herself further from where she truly wanted to belong, in short does she regret becoming a Chatelaine and if so, is it for the reason that in seeking not to care, in seeking to rise above it, in seeking to belong, ie in seeking to eradicate the thoughts that tormented her throughout childhood. does she feel that what was once imagined, she has made a reality?
Trée: Interesting question. Let me answer it like this. What is on the surface and what is underneath are not always the same. Mairi wants them to be the same. Right now, they are not. On the surface, she is an accomplished and skilled Chatelaine. Underneath, all the childhood insecurities are still there. Becoming a Chatelaine only covered up the issues. She hoped the training would transform her, but it didn't. So we see one person on the outside and another on the inside. Mairi has been, at some considerable cost, living a dual life--one public, one private. Now, on Bravo, there is no place to hide and no place really for her to a Chatelaine, to practice her trade and derive self-esteem from the practice, so she finds herself naked so to speak and all the insecurities bubble right back to the surface. Only her association with Dr X has given her reason to believe she is more than the outcast, that she has a place and can make a contribution.
Q5
How would you define the relationship between Mairi and Dr X by what we know to date?
Trée: In a word, Symbiotic. Fate has thrown them unexpectedly together. Dr X has the scientific find of a lifetime and he wants and needs to investigate. Mairi, as expressed before, is experiencing the transformational experience she has always longed for. So we have this rather strange beauty and the beast relationship, although to be fair to Dr X, my painting of him did a disservice to how handsome, in an alien sort of way, I picture him. :-D
Heartfelt thanks to Autumn Storm for submitting questions for the first two Q5s. Any and all are welcome to submit questions on any aspect of the story or the writing. :-)
Hi !
That Header picture is so beautiful. Hope this finds you and all other readers in great spirits.
The Fan site?..sounds great
Take care
(*_*)
Uma
Thinking about that Rolo smile of yours, a joy-spreading smile if every there was one. :-) Hope today went well, sweet dreams and safe journey tomorrow, x
I missed ya Tre...
**HUGS**
Keshi.
Hugs to you too Keshi. :-)
Hi Uma. Always nice to see you stopping by. :-)
Is this site shifting? Saw the fan site, but bexcoz I haven't been following the story tightly, it was quite a maze to me.
Good to see you smileys again :)
I think it's admirable that despite your heavy work commitments, you are so dedicated to the story :)
Thanks Saffy. I do love the story and it brings me much comfort and joy in times of stress and trouble. ;-)
The fan site is a blog unto itself dedicated to taking an interested reader deeper into the chapters and characters and writing. You will see everything from interviews to quizes and lots of other stuff as it gets fully built. The Story will always remain here at DT and new chapters will always appear here.
Thanks for stopping by Saffy. Always nice to see you. :-)
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