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If you're like
me--an adult who
feels "called"
to write
supernatural
fiction for
juveniles--you
may find
yourself plagued
by insecurities
of
appropriateness.
Am I writing at
the correct
level? Do my
characters sound
authentic? Am I
hopelessly out
of touch with
the tastes of
today's 'tweens
and teens?
I wrestle with
these questions
on a daily
basis, so it's
always
interesting to
read the works
of an adult who
has successfully
tapped into the
juvenile fiction
market. Darren
Shan, creator of
the
Cirque du Freak
series of
novels, is one
such author. The
series of books
(slated to reach
20
installments!)
chronicles the
adventures of an
adolescent
who--though a
series of
bizarre
events--becomes
part vampire and
begins traveling
with a gallery
of fellow
misfits in a not
quite
above-ground
freak show,
including the
vampire who
sired him.
As a writer,
Shan--who is
British--accomplishes
much that is
admirable,
beginning with
the force of his
narrative drive.
The volumes I
read I finished
in a sitting,
testimony to
their appeal to
an
attention-challenged
younger
generation. In
addition, Shan
manages to put
an original spin
on the vampire
mythos. I won't
go into the
details
here--the books
themselves
articulate the
concept better
than any
synopsis
could--but I
will tell you
that in Shan's
world, vampires
are not
necessarily
evil.
Perhaps the most
noteworthy
aspect of Shan's
writing, in the
context of the
concerns
outlined at the
beginning of
this
introduction, is
the voice with
which he writes.
It is
deceptively
unadorned, yet
sounds
believable. This
is particularly
important given
the series of
novels is
written in first
person, that
person being the
boy who has
submitted to
vampirism. That
Shan can avoid
slang,
descriptions of
wardrobe and
other specific
cultural
references, yet
strike a
responsive chord
with middle and
high schoolers,
was heartening.
As an American I
couldn't even
tell the stories
are set in
England! Shan
also manages to
set a clear
moral compass
throughout,
without becoming
heavy-handed or
preachy. Actions
have
consequences,
often dire,
though sometimes
they take a
while to play
out. Plot logic
is never
sacrificed to
make a point.
You can learn
more about Shan,
Cirque du Freak,
and his books
for adults on
his
Shanville
website
(www.darrenshan.com).
For the purposes
of this
interview, FWOMP
concentrated on
the specifics of
writing juvenile
fiction and the
unique
challenges it
presents. Shan
was more than
generous (and
timely!) with
his responses,
providing for an
entertaining and
informative
read.
FWOMP: At
what age group
is your
Cirque du Freak
series aimed?
Darren Shan:
It varies. I
wrote them with
an 11-13
year-old
audience in
mind, but I
remembered that
I was reading a
variety of books
at that age,
some meant for
children, some
for adults. One
day I'd read
Roald Dahl [author
of such
children's
classics as
Charlie and the
Chocolate
Factory
and
James and the
Giant Peach
-Ed.], and
the next I'd
read Stephen
King! At that
age, I wanted to
write a book for
myself, one that
combined the
best elements of
the children's
and adult books
I read. It would
touch on many
dark,
thought-provoking
adult subjects,
but also be an
exciting, easy
read.
As such, the
Cirque du Freak
books appeal to
a very wide age
range. In the UK
and USA they're
aimed at 10-14
year olds, which
is similar in
many of the 25
countries in
which the books
are sold.
However, in
other places
they're aimed at
older teens, or
even adults. In
Japan many of my
readers are
18-30 year old
women!
FWOMP:
What made you
decide to write
for a younger
audience?
DS: It
had been an aim
of mine for a
long time. I've
always enjoyed
children's
books, and even
in my later
teens and
twenties was
happy to read
books by the
likes of Robert
Cormier [The
Chocolate War, I
am the Cheese,
and many more
-Ed.],
Robert Westall [British
children's
author known for
his ghost
stories, among
others -Ed.]
and Roald Dahl.
I also studied
children's
literature for a
year at
university. The
problem was
finding the
right story--and
the right voice.
For a long time
I held off
attempting a
children's book
and focused on
my adult novels
(I've had two
books for adults
published, but
they failed to
take off like
the
Cirque du Freak
books).
Then, one day, I
got the idea for
Cirque du Freak
and started to
write it down a
few days later.
It really was as
painless as
that! I started
it as a
side-project,
meant only to
amuse myself. As
I got more into
it, I began to
think it might
sell well, but I
honestly didn't
think it was
going to do as
well as it
has--or that
what started as
one single book
would transform
into such a long
series!
FWOMP:
When writing for
middle or high
schoolers, some
authors feel
obligated to use
slang, fashion
and the
contemporary
social/school
structure to
make their work
"relevant" or
"hip". The
downside to this
strategy is if
you miss the
mark you sound
foolish and
out-of-it. Even
if you succeed,
such a flavor
can date your
books quickly.
Your stories
manage to avoid
this trap--they
could take place
at any time and
in any location
in America in
the latter 20th
century--yet
they "feel"
contemporary.
Speech is
straightforward,
yet it seems
authentic. Was
it a conscious
decision on your
part to avoid
drawing on
specific aspects
of youth speech
and culture? If
so, what went
into your
thinking process
when deciding to
write that way?
How did you
figure out this
kind of
"universal
approach" was
the way to write
these novels?
DS: I
deliberately
avoided slang
and in-vogue
catchphrases
wherever
possible
(although some
have been added
to the American
editions of my
books, which
have been
Americanized by
my editors in
the States--a
process I
readily agreed
to in the
beginning, but
which I now
rather regret).
As you say,
getting teen
slang right is
difficult--especially
since something
that sounds good
when said in a
live situation
can look
absolutely
ridiculous when
set down on
paper! For the
most part I
think slang is
meant to be
spoken and not
written!
Also--again, as
you note--it
dates a book,
and I wanted to
write a story
that could work
in any country,
at any time. In
your question
you say that the
story is set in
America--and
while it most
certainly could
take place in
the States (the
reason why I
agreed to let
the books be
Americanized),
it could also
happen almost
anywhere else!
For me, the
first book is
set in a cross
between Limerick
and London (the
two places where
I've lived)--but
every reader
supplies their
own locations
when they read
these books. It
was a gamble--by
setting a novel
nowhere
specific, you
risk not finding
an audience
anywhere! But
the gamble has
paid off.
FWOMP:
How much
research did you
have to do in
determining
age-appropriate
vocabulary for
your audience?
DS: I
have a simple
philosophy that
I apply to both
my adult and
children's
books: big
ideas, small
words. For me a
great story is
one that is
intricate and
multi-layered,
but also widely
accessible.
While a book
like James
Joyce's
Ulysses
is a remarkable,
laudable work,
writers like
Shakespeare,
Dickens and
Twain are far
more important.
There's no
reason why any
book should be
inaccessible to
anyone with a
good grasp of
the language.
You can
construct the
most fantastic,
remarkable plots
and characters
using very
modest
language--just
as you can build
an amazing
palace using the
simplest of
building
materials. I
never use a
thesaurus when I
write, and only
occasionally a
dictionary when
I want to check
the spelling of
a word. The
words I use in
my books are the
words I use in
everyday
life--what you
read is what you
get.
When it comes to
writing for
children, I
generally try to
recall what my
understanding of
the language was
like when I was
a kid and base
my writing on
that. If there's
a certain word I
think readers
are going to
struggle with,
I'll sometimes
explain it
within the
story--but
normally I'll
try to make it
make perfect
sense within the
context of the
sentence in
which it
appears. If it
doesn't, I'll
search for
another word.
Each reader is
different, so I
don't think you
can rely on
research in a
case like
this--you just
have to go with
your gut
instinct and
keep your
fingers crossed
that you've got
it right! If
not, you'll soon
hear about it
from your
readers!
FWOMP:
Though you deal
with bizarre and
scary material,
I sense a moral
compass
directing events
in your stories.
You do it
without being
preachy, but
there is a sense
of ethical order
in these books.
Again, is this a
conscious
effort? If it
is, why do you
think this
aspect of your
writing is
important? Is it
because you know
you might be
influencing
impressionable
minds?
DS: In my
adult books I've
often been more
ambiguous than
in my children's
books--the world
can be a dark,
cynical,
relentless
beast, and I
quite enjoy
exploring its
seedy
underbelly. But
children read
books
differently than
adults, and
while an adult
can read a book
by the likes of
Hubert Selby,
Jr. [Last
Exit to
Brooklyn, The
Room
-Ed.] or
Bret Easton
Ellis [Less
than Zero,
American Psycho-Ed.]
and appreciate
the insights
they provide
into the grimmer
layers of
mankind, I think
a child might
find such a book
oppressingly
bleak. I don't
think children
should just be
given books
about happy kids
having happy
adventures, in a
world where
nothing ever
goes wrong--but
I do think it
would be wrong
to drop them
into a moral
abyss that life
hasn't yet
(hopefully!)
prepared them to
handle. I don't
preach in my
books, and I
don't tell
readers how to
live their
lives, but I do
try to provide
them with
characters who
know the
difference
between good and
bad, and who
know the
importance of
fighting for
what is right
and just.
FWOMP:
Though terribly
overused as a
story device,
you manage to
spin a fresh
perspective on
the vampire
legend. Any
particular
reason you chose
vampires to be a
centerpiece of
your fiction?
DS: I
loved horror
when I was a
child. Ghosts,
ghouls,
werewolves,
mummies,
zombies--I
devoured movies,
books and comics
about them with
delicious glee!
But vampires
were my
favourites. I
found them
irresistible.
Anything that
had anything to
do with
vampires, I
tracked down and
absorbed! Later
I tired of the
genre, since
it's so
repetitive, but
I still enjoyed
works that
managed to
produce a fresh
take on the old
ideas, such as
the movie
Cronos [influential
1992 Mexican
horror film; the
first in the
career of
director
Guillermo del
Toro -Ed.].
So, while I had
no wish to crank
out another
stale Dracula
rehash, I was
quite interested
in exploring
what a
blood-sucking
creature would
be like if he
wasn't an evil
monster--and had
a young boy for
a companion.
FWOMP: Do
you claim any
writers as
influences?
DS:
Loads!! Stephen
King is one of
my main
influences--I've
loved his work
ever since I
read
Salem's Lot.
Ray Bradbury has
also been a big
influence, as
well as Kurt
Vonnegut, Jr.,
and a wonderful
writer by the
name of Jonathan
Carroll [American
fantasist,
author of many
short stories
and novels
including the
Rondua Trilogy
-Ed.]. And,
of course, the
hilariously
macabre Roald
Dahl.
FWOMP:
What is a
typical day for
you in terms of
work habits and
writing
schedule?
DS: Rise
about 9 a.m.
Begin writing at
10. Work for two
hours. Have a
break. Work for
maybe another
two hours.
Chill!
Not a lot of
hours per day, I
know, but that's
because I write
very quickly.
When working on
a first draft, I
set myself the
target of ten
pages per
day--the quicker
I get those ten
pages done, the
quicker I can
knock off!!
In addition, I
normally spend
additional
hours--as few as
one, as many as
three or four or
more--answering
e-mails,
editing,
updating my
website, etc.
FWOMP: Do
you have any
advice for those
wishing to write
age-specific
material? Are
there any
special
challenges the
process poses to
adults who feel
compelled to
write
supernatural
fiction for
youngsters?
DS:
Hmmm…It's
tricky. I think
you have to
remember that
you're not
writing for
simpletons (some
writers seem to
have no idea
whatsoever of
what child
readers are
like!), but
you're also not
writing for
adults who know
as much about
the world as you
do. Try to tell
a good story,
with an engaging
and challenging
plot. Don't
preach. Don't
make them
educational
books in
disguise.
Remember what
you were like as
a child and try
to write for
that child you
once were.
FWOMP: Is
there a place
readers can
visit to learn
more about you
and your work?
DS:
www.darrenshan.com--co-designed
and solely
updated on an
irregular basis
by yours truly!
http://www.fwomp.com/int_darren-shan.htm |
