Q&A :: A.J. Betts :: Rogue
July 02, 2019
Something a little bit special here today - I have the pleasure of participating in the Rogue blog tour (thanks to #macmillanaus and #AusYABloggers).
I'll be back later in the week with a review, but for now please read on below to see our Q&A!
1) Do you remember when
the idea for the HIVE duology first came to you and what
inspired you to write it?
I sure do. I had the idea in 2005 as I was driving
through the Graham Farmer Freeway Tunnel in Perth. I noticed drops of water
dripping from the ceiling of the tunnel…and I liked the weirdness of it. I then
had the image of a girl reaching up and wondering where it came from. Even
though I knew where the water was coming from (it was raining outside), it got
me thinking: what if I didn’t know? What if this was a mystery to me?
Over many years, the questions – and answers – kept growing, until I began
writing it properly in 2012, in between edits of ZAC & MIA.
2) Did you already know where you wanted to
take your characters in ROGUE when you were writing HIVE?
And has it ended the way you expected when you started the series?
I never knew the story of ROGUE, as such, but I had a sense of
the adventure that Hayley would go on, and the forces that would influence her.
I knew what the settings would be in this future world, and that the themes
would be about discovery, consequence and courage. (I would say more, but I’m
afraid of giving spoilers.) I didn’t know the characters she would meet along
the way. These came to me as I spent time in the settings for research, and
through the twists and turns of the first draft. I definitely knew how it would
end – I always know the exact moment of finishing. The hard part is finding a
satisfying way of getting there!
3) The HIVE duology is set in
an imagined world, which is a departure from your contemporary novels. When you
write, do the characters and their stories come to you first, or do you have an
idea for a setting or situation that you then populate with characters?
I usually begin with setting, and only have a rough idea of characters (who
I get to know better through the writing and editing process). Writing HIVE
was different in this respect, as the setting is fictional. I tried to ‘create’
the world before embarking on the story – with lots of sketches, and researching
various building structures and futuristic underwater designs – but the world
never felt authentic to me. After I while, I realised I had to build the world
at the same time as drafting the story. This way, I got to experience the world
as Hayley moves through it, and learn how it looks, sounds, smells and
feels. I also got to learn what she
needs from the world, and how it can help and/or hinder her. It was quite
organic, which required a lot of trust in the process.
4) Did you always set out to tell this story
for a young adult audience in particular, and can you tell us your favourite
thing about writing for teens?
I love writing teenage characters. It feels like they are on the cusp of
something bigger; that their choices matter; and that their lives can go in any
direction. When I write, though, I’m not thinking about teenage readers – or
any readers at all. I’m thinking about the character and what she needs. Then,
in the editing, I think about the world and what it requires, then the sound of
the prose so it feels smooth and natural. I hope that young adult readers enjoy
the story, as well as readers of all ages. My goal is to write good stories,
and I think these are universal.
5) Are you currently working on something new
you can tell us anything about?
I’m having a bit of break from writing. HIVE
and ROGUE took me seven years to complete, and I became quite obsessed
with them! I’m currently enjoying reading, DIY and travelling. I think it’s
important to have some breathing space between books. Having said that, my mind
is at work on the next one. It’s an idea I’ve been mulling over for four years
already, so I know the characters and situation pretty well. When the time
comes to sit down and commit to writing it, it’ll be heaps of fun.
6) Lastly, I'd love to know what you are
currently reading, or whether there is something you have read recently and
loved that you would like to recommend to us?
I’ve just finished reading Mark Smith’s ROAD TO WINTER.
It’s the first book of his dystopian trilogy. It’s well paced, and I love the
sparse writing. Today I’ll start AMELIA WESTLAKE by Erin Gough, and when
that’s done, I’ll read the LAND OF FENCES, the second book by Mark
Smith.
***
I can't thank A.J. enough for answering my questions - I love getting a peek into writers' processes and the thoughts behind their books!
Don't forget to check back to see my review of Rogue later in the week, and thanks to Macmillan Australia and AusYABloggers for having me on the tour!
xo Bron
1 comments
Lovely interview, Bron!
ReplyDeleteI love the thoughtful questions, and the responses from the author, too.
And your photo is absolutely gorgeous! You're so creative!
💜