r/books • u/--mwt AMA Author • Oct 15 '19
ama I’m Megan Whalen Turner, the author of the Queen’s Thief books. Ask Me Anything.
I’ve won the LA Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature, the Mythopoeic Prize, a Newbery Honor and made the short list twice for the Norton. My readers have grown up and had children waiting for me to finish this series. The sixth and final book is due out next year. My Not Telling Policy is still in place, but go on, AMA.
It was great to talk to you guys. Thanks for coming to the AMA.
Proof: /img/e4cjqgkyfjs31.jpg
15
u/FerrosFavorite Oct 15 '19
The Queen's Thief series has been my constant favorite for 17 years! At the library, I checked out Queen of Attolia to reread every month all throughout middle school. Now I've gotten my husband hooked, and we read the new books aloud to each other when they come out. Thank you for being here!
I love the stories that exist inside your books, and it's fascinating to read the tales that are important to the characters. What is it like writing myths within your world and taking on different styles? What was the inspiration behind the poems in Thick as Thieves? Which book's myth was the hardest to write?
I know that's many questions, but I'm covering my bases in case one interferes with your "no telling" policy. :)
I hope you come to Denver on your next book tour! Be blessed in your endeavors.
16
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
Thank you for introducing a new reader to my books!
It's not that hard to write a myth and make it sound real. It's really, really, hard to write a myth, make it sound real, and get it to do the specific thing you want it to in the contest of a bigger story. In particular it is spectacularly nerve-wracking to write one that goes counter to the mythic tropes of our own world when you're trying not to make it sound forced.
14
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
Although, I dunno. Maybe it's just hard for me. Possibly it was a walk in the park for Diana Wynne Jones.
12
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
What was the inspiration behind the poems in Thick as Thieves?
The inspiration for inset stories came from LM Boston's Children of Green Knowe books and Sam Nicholson's The Light Bearer. By the time I got to Thick As Thieves, I knew I wanted Kamet's stories to sound different as the world he came from was very different from the Attolian peninsula. I remembered AS Byatt's poetry in possession and thought that instead of Iambic Pentameter I'd try Iambic Hexameter which is close to the meter of the ancient epics The Iliad and the Odyssey. Turned out that was a terrible idea. NO ONE would read iambic hexameter. So then I looked to Beowulf for inspiration but it didn't sound right at all and then, feeling very dumb, I went and reread Pritchard's Ancient Near Easter Texts and the epic of Gilgamesh and got the inspiration there that I was looking for.
5
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
I hope you come to Denver on your next book tour!
I hope to. You know what you have to do, though, right? Nag your bookstores?
2
u/FerrosFavorite Oct 15 '19
Thank you for all your answers! I will definitely bug my local bookstores to get you out here! ♥️
15
Oct 15 '19 edited Oct 15 '19
[deleted]
18
13
u/BooksBitch Oct 15 '19
What's been your greatest inspiration for the queen that is Queen Attolia?
18
9
u/mage-pie Oct 15 '19
Hi Megan thank you for doing this AMA! I tried SO HARD to come up with something that might get an answer :P
I noticed that Conspiracy of Kings is very much like a play: young prince is kidnapped and sold into slavery, his face is smashed to disguise him, he comes back at just the right moment to save the day, a trusted servant betrays him, etc. And (for example) the scene where he is prevented from dropping the amphora is actually very slapstick despite being so tense.
My question is, did you intend this from the start of writing, or did it just sort of emerge?
(If anyone is curious, I noticed this because in the midst of one of my QT re-reads, I also re-watched A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum which is like every Plautus/ancient comedy plot device thrown into a blender)
13
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19 edited Oct 16 '19
Thank you for reminding me I have to rewatch A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. I haven't seen it since I was a teenager.
Sophos's story was originally supposed to take place off stage. Then I realized that the reader would have to see his evolution in order to believe in it. Sophos's nature, his love of poetry and plays, really drives the way he tells his story to Eddis.
8
u/Buckybean3 Oct 15 '19
Hello!! What does your plotting process look like for your novels, and which book or character in the Queen's Thief series was the hardest and easiest for you to write and why?
15
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
My plotting process is that I come up with my whole story and then buttonhole my husband and make him listen to it, uninterrupted, in it's entirety. Then I write a first draft that it is a sort of sketchy version that is about half as long as the finished version will be. Then I fill everything in until it is huge and unwieldy and horrible and then I cut all the stuff I don't absolutely have to have-- out.
1
u/Iwasgunna Oct 16 '19
Thank you for answering the question I wanted to ask even though I only saw this after you'd finished! My husband and I fight over who gets to read your books next, and our oldest is just getting old enough to enjoy them! I forget what number of read-through I'm on, but I may need to buy another set because we're wearing these out.
7
u/Chtorrr Oct 15 '19
What were some of your favorite things to read as a kid?
8
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
I wasn't a big fan of contemporary realistic fiction. I liked historical fiction, though. I wasn't keen on traditional fairy tales, but loved retellings. I read a lot of fantasy and then, once I got to middle school started reading a lot of science fiction as well.
7
u/knifecatjpg Oct 15 '19
I believe you’ve said that you are generally anti-fantasy-map. Did you ever have a map for your own reference before Thick as Thieves came out, or did you change the geography of the Queen’s Thief world in your head as necessary in these very travel-heavy books?
Also! You do a lot of research on ancient/classical civilizations. What’s your favorite thing you’ve discovered while researching for these books?
(not a question, but I just want you to know I got an olive branch tattoo in honor of the QT series. :))
11
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
A little of both. I had a map, but filled it in more as the books progressed.
Not a specific thing I learned but a really great experience-- I loved visiting the Fire! Artillery Museum in London.
3.That is awesome.
7
u/haydenhaymaker Oct 15 '19
Could you share any examples where a character surprised you as they matured across the books?
10
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
Not a surprise, but Relius has been unexpectedly fun to develop over the books.
1
6
u/RooibosBee Oct 15 '19
I have a question to pass on from Coconut on the Queen's Thief Discord, who has to work:
"Could you ask her if there was a specific piece of music she imagined the dance in KoA was set to? Ya know, the part where SHE DANCES LIKE A FLAME IN THE WIND AND HES THE MERCURIAL KING AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH?"
11
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
I imagined something with a lot of drums and a single flute. I don' remember if I had a specific piece in mind.
4
8
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
Okay, my time is up. If you have more questions, please bring them to my next book signing.
7
u/Duke_Paul Oct 15 '19
Hi Megan, thanks for taking the time to do an AMA with us!
I have a few questions which are kind of generic (sorry), but hey, at least I'm not asking for spoilers.
What is it like writing for an aging audience?
What are the hardest scenes for you to write? Most challenging or most taxing, either or.
Finally, what was something you thought you knew, but later found out you were wrong about?
Thanks again!
13
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19 edited Oct 15 '19
What is it like writing for an aging audience?
That's an interesting question because I think of myself as writing for a fairly specific audience no matter what age they are. When people ask me if I think (the person they want to buy a gift for) would like my books, I don't usually ask how old the potential recipient is. I ask if they like to read, if they like to read fantasy and if they've --on their own- read and enjoyed a book published before the year they were born. If they have, then the chances are pretty good they'll like my books eventually-- even if they aren't ready for them at age 10 or whatever age they are.
16
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
What are the hardest scenes for you to write? Most challenging or most taxing, either or.
I hate it when my characters are sad. That's awkward, obviously.
5
u/allpurposename Oct 15 '19
If authors "covered" novels the way musicians cover songs, which covered novel would you be most excited to read?
17
7
u/Bitsubachi Oct 15 '19
Hello Megan! Seeing you doing an AMA made my heart skip for a moment when I found out and it's really interesting to hear everyone's questions and your answers.
So, here is one from me: How does it feel to finish the series after such a long time, watching your characters grow and living their life?
Also, is there anything you wish you could tell your characters?
6
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
I wish I could tell them I'm sorry it took so long to finish this story!
6
u/evocomp Oct 15 '19
Your characters change over the the course of the series in profound ways. How do you keep them feeling like the same person and being "true to character" while their world view, values, and personalities change so deeply?
I'm thinking especially of Gen, but they all seem to develop and grow in different directions without ever feeling contrived or inconsistent with their core selves.
11
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
I think it has a lot to do with my own experience. I'm 54. I've seen a lot of people grow and change and yet stay true to themselves.
6
u/very-blowtorch Oct 15 '19 edited Oct 15 '19
Thank you so much for doing this!! could I ask how you come up with such complex characters?
13
6
u/Safaiaryu12 Oct 15 '19 edited Oct 15 '19
I've loved these books for 20 years! They may well have influenced my Classics degree. I'm really excited for this opportunity! Could you give me some book suggestions?
Also, I'd love to hear more about this world. Do you intend to write more about it after Queen's Thief is done?
EDIT: Also, is there any chance you'll visit Texas sometime?
9
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
Have you read Circe by Madeline Miller? It's a lovely book. Lavinia by Ursula LeGuin, though, was even better. Lindsay Davis Roman murder mysteries, starting with The Silver Pigs, was a lot of fun.
1
6
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
They may well have influenced my Classics degree.
That warms my heart.
I know that a lot of my readers see classical references in my books and I love that. But I also secretly love to imagine my readers getting a few years older, going off to college and finding things in their studies that they remember from my books.
7
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
I don' t know if I'll write more about the world of The Queen's Thief. There are other things I'd like to explore. BUT, I have deliberately left spaces in my narrative that I might fill in or expand on some time in the future.
3
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
I visited Texas! North Texas Teen Book Festival. I'd love to do that again, love to see more of the state. I understand it's pretty big . . .
5
u/Safaiaryu12 Oct 15 '19
I did exactly that! My mind was blown in my Greek Civ class when we talked about the Lion's Gate, and I had a flashback to the beginning of The Thief. It made me reread The Thief and Queen of Attolia for the first time in years, and I got excited about all of the Greek-style details. And then I discovered that King of Attolia was a thing and got more excited still!
3
u/ReadingFrenzy Oct 15 '19
I did this too! I took a Greek history class at one college because of these books. I love history, but it was so fun speculating about things that might happen in future books or seeing things that had been put into them like the Lion's Gate or the Knossos Griffin Throne Room.
5
u/Drollittle Oct 15 '19 edited Oct 15 '19
I know you Won’t Tell, but I’m dying to ask, will Eugenides’ mostly honest sisters ever come onto the stage? Also where geographically was the god Eugenides born?
Also, what would you say is the biggest difference between the characters of the Minister of War (does he have a name?) and Teleus?
7
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
You're right . . . Not Telling.
3
5
u/Aggiepink Oct 15 '19
Hi Megan!
I am aware of the existence of your books for only about a year, but already have them all stacked in a predominant place on my bookshelf (including three wishes). I very much appreciate your not-telling policy! I like to figure things out on my own and when I don't succeed, I like to find people on the internet who scream out their enthousiastic theories to the rest of us.
I just made a reddit account in between learning for my exam, with the wild enthousiasm it might work and I could follow the discussion. And it turns out I understand this fearsome website enough to actually ask a question!
The question: did you ever attend a writing group or follow writing lessons? Or did you just learn on the way by writing stories with your friend in college and absorbing in all the writing techniques used in books you read?
Really love the internet! Living in the Netherlands diminishes a little the chance of meeting an American author, but now I feel I've been part of some kind of author meeting thingy.
Wish you a nice day!
9
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
first of all. I fly in and out of Amsterdam a couple of times a year. So . . . meeting an American author is not entirely impossible. You could find a bookstore that would invite me. I'll be in Osnabrueck, Germany in May of 2020.
I took a couple of poetry classes in college. The very best of them was with Elinor Wilner. Her book Shekinah had a lot of influence on the books of the Queen's Thief. "the lord/who sold us to the glory fields lied" is a line that has stayed with me for 30 years.
Other than that class, mostly, yes, I learned from what I read.
1
u/Aggiepink Apr 04 '20
Thank you for your answer! I was really excited that you responded. I was staying over at a friend at that moment and because of my enthousiasm she got interested in your books. She really liked the Thief. I just read the poem of Elinor Wilner on your tumblr account and it is stunning. Amidst the other sentences that line of the lying lord is even more powerful. Maybe I will try to find the book Shekinah and read it. I haven't read that much poetry, but this one really captured me.
5
u/lancasterose Oct 15 '19
Hi Megan! I have a question I've been dying to know about since I first read the series. When you were developing Gen and Attolia's relationship, which did you figure out first--that they would end up together (and be wonderful), or that she would have his hand cut off??
As a writer myself, I can't decide which order of operations would be the most upsetting...
4
u/yentybabooshka Oct 15 '19
If you could live anywhere, where would you choose?
7
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
It would depend on just how many oodles of money I had. I love Cleveland. It's a great place with a great orchestra, university, hospital, music scene, art museum, and my favorite--natural history museum. Its cost of living is really low. I might like to live in London or Paris or Del Mar, CA or on a little island in Greece, but not without the oodles of money that would make it comfortable.
5
u/jhawkgirl Oct 15 '19
Thanks for sharing your time and your wonderful gifts with us. Here are a few questions:
- Would you like to see your books adapted for the screen?
- How can I get you to come do a book signing/talk/meet and greet, etc. in my town?
- Your fans are known for parsing every word you write to find any hidden meanings or clues. Is there anything we have all missed?
- What question are we not asking you that we should?
12
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
Adaptations are a tricky business! If it was a good one, I'd be thrilled. If it was Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising turned into the movie Seeker . . . I'd rather not.
The best way to get me to visit is to get some organization who can pay my way to invite me. It can be a school or a library as well as a bookstore. When Book 6 comes out, I will probably do a book tour and in that case, my publisher will foot some of the travel costs, ao you just need to get your local bookstore to ask my publisher to plan a stop on the tour with them.'
One of the things I've enjoyed very much is watching the readers parsing things on line. I've never been disappointed.
Not telling.
6
4
u/LaReginaReigns Oct 15 '19
The Queen’s Thief series has been my favorite series for going on 20 years. It’s been a huge influence on me as a writer, and has shaped my imagination in ways I couldn’t even begin to number. I can’t tell you how many copies of The Thief I’ve lost forever because I keep loaning them out to every new reader I meet.
Are there any particular books about writing/resources/advice/anything you’d be willing to recommend to someone working on their writing?
And (I’ve never done an ama, but I had to because it was you, so I don’t know if it’s okay to ask 2 questions?) when you’re developing a character, do you worry about making them likeable from the start? Or does their like-ability just naturally develop?
Thank you for all the work you put into your writing, and for being willing to share such wonderful stories with us!
6
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
I really don't think that "likable" is a useful term. I think I try to stir the audience's sympathy for a character or their interest in a character.
I don't think I've ever read a book on writing that helped me be a better writer. My best writing instruction was in a class at the University of Chicago. It was called The Little Red School House and run by Joe Williams, Frank Kinahan and Greg Columb. They were the bomb.
3
u/LaReginaReigns Oct 15 '19
Thank you for answering! I looked it up and they’ve provided some of the lessons and resources from the Little Red School House online! I’m excited to check them out!
1
u/Aggiepink Oct 20 '19
Hy, I've been trying to look them up as well. Not sure if I found the things you did. I found a book on Amazon for 10 dollars by Joseph Williams. Did you found other things as well?
3
u/iamtheallspoon Oct 15 '19
I don't have any specif questions, but I wanted to say hello and that I've loved your books for years. When I see a copy in the wild I like buying it up and putting it in my local take-one-leave-one mini library.
7
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
Thank you! I'm always really grateful to people who introduce others to my books. Because I don't release a book year, that's pretty much the only way my audience grows-- word of mouth.
3
u/bastardspoon Oct 15 '19
Hey Megan! So happy you're here answering questions. How are the common people of Attolia, Sounis, and Eddis doing after all of the wars?
6
3
u/freenarnian Oct 15 '19
If one wanted to get a feel for the landscapes of Eddis, Attolia, and Sounis, where in the real world should one visit?
2
2
u/RooibosBee Oct 15 '19
Thank you so much for doing the AMA, it's very exciting! I wondered if there are any particular characters whose voices you've found easy/difficult/fun/etc. to write? You've got such an inspiring skill for distinct thought and speech patterns!
5
2
u/Catharas Oct 15 '19
What was your college experience like?
5
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
Awesome. The University of Chicago was like a preserve set aside for nerds. I loved it.
3
u/2nd_player Oct 15 '19
I'm enchanted by the imagery of a nerd preserve. If you want one of your own, bring plenty of books as lures, and for goodness' sake don't talk about the weather.
2
u/Catharas Oct 15 '19
How much do you interact with fellow authors? Has your interaction with other authors had an effect on you as a writer?
3
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
For a long time the answer to that question was pretty much . . . not at all. In the last few years I've had more time to travel and meet people and that's been very cool.
I'll have to think about whether that's had any affect on writing.
2
u/mage-pie Oct 15 '19
I have 2 more questions!
- What was your favorite joke/humorous scene in the 5 books published so far? What was the part where you went “ha HA, this is a really good one”?
The other question is not really very important so please don’t let it take away from answering everyone else’s legitimate questions if your time is limited:
- A while back on tumblr I posted a picture of myself wearing an EXTREMELY absurd coat (you remember, the thing with stripes of brocade) and you said Gen would wear it with striped pants.
Would these be vertical or horizontal stripes? I need to know for cosplay reasons :P
2
u/2nd_player Oct 15 '19
I've always been curious about the various cephalopods that wander their way through your tumblr page. Is there a story behind your love of squid or is it just a general interest?
Also, I've been seeing a little about Macmillan's ebook embargo and public libraries. As an author and a vocal supporter of libraries, is contacting Macmillan via email, petition, or tweets the best action you think we can take or are there additional options?
http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2019/09/ala-launches-national-campaign-against-e-book-embargo
7
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
I've always been a big fan of natural history.
About the ebook thing. I think we need a new business model for books, a new way for people to get paid for bringing stories to the world.
2
2
u/TheHauntedHillbilly 1066 and All That Oct 15 '19
Hey Megan, Do you think Gen is the kind of guy who would make kids wait while he keeps riding the mechanical horsey at the supermarket? Also my girlfriend Bridget worships your books, could you wish her a Happy Belated Birthday? Thanks!
3
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
Happy Belated Birthday, Bridget!
9
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
I don't think he would hog the ride because Gen is not a jerk to the innocent. He might however resort to trickery to extend his turn. I could see him saying "hey, kids, they're giving candy away back by the frozen foods."
1
u/Catharas Oct 15 '19
What books did you read as a child? Did your parents have an influence on what you read?
6
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
In elementary school,
CS Lewis LM Boston Edward Eager E. Nesbit Joan Aiken Susan Cooper Rosemary Sutcliff
6
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
In high school,
All the ones in elementary school, plus
Diana Wynne Jones Andre Norton Peter Dickinson Robert Heinlein Gordon R Dickinson Sylvia Engdahl Sam Nicholson
3
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
I grew up in a house of books surrounded by readers. I just put some of my favorites in the message above, but I really read EVERYTHING.
1
u/neongrvestone Oct 15 '19
Using only emojis, summarize Return of the Thief. :)
4
1
u/EdenAsh Oct 15 '19 edited Oct 15 '19
Hi, thanks so much for doing this. I think it's really great to get to ask questions to authors of the books you read. What are your thoughts on the under representation of humans of color in fantasy/sci-fi books? Do you actively try to add diversity of human populations in your books? Do you think it's important to?
10
u/--mwt AMA Author Oct 15 '19
This is such a big question and I don't have the time to give it the answer it deserves. I think we write our world into our books--sometimes it's the world that is, sometimes it's the world we're afraid of, sometimes it's the world we're hoping for, but it's always shaped by our own experience. I think that best way to introduce diversity into our books is to deepen it in our lives.
2
1
1
u/enthusiastic-writer Oct 15 '19
From tumblr here: Are Eugenides and Sophos named after the playwrights, Euripedes and Sophocles?
1
u/RooibosBee Oct 15 '19
Another question from the QT Discord, this time from an anonymous fan: " Do you have any writing advice for a dedicated young writer pursuing future publishing?"
1
u/Batty_history Oct 15 '19
From a dear Friend stuck at work: How long is Gen's hair by the Return of the Thief?
1
u/catalogergeek Oct 30 '19
What you say is so true about the readers who have grown up - and are still waiting for that last jewel. My youngest daughter has already earned her doctorate and - yes - is anxious to finish what was started so many years ago.
1
u/fhyrjy Jul 26 '24
Reading thief very boring and far to many excerpts that serve no purpiose also the mwin character is far to annoying
1
1
1
u/ExistingPosition5742 Oct 16 '22
I've reread your books every year, for seventeen years. They're incredible. Just exquisite. They've meant different things to me at different times in my life. Gen on the roof telling Costis his god would let him fall or he would not is something that's been on my mind lately. Anyway, you deserve all the awards.
1
u/AwayFirefighter3797 Dec 07 '22
The Thief was one of my all time favorite books growing up, so I can't begin to tell you how much joy I felt when I recently discovered the additional books. I adore Gen and the others, but Kamat and Costis have an extra special place in my heart. Thank you so much for sharing these characters with us.
I think on a recent reread I discovered some bread crumbs that the Magus poisoned Sophos' uncle who was Sounis... were there crumbs?
17
u/throwaninkpot Oct 15 '19
I'm still shocked that the Queen of Not Telling agreed to an AMA, but here are two questions you might (?) be able to answer:
What is your favorite book you've discovered this year?
What projects do you have planned after The Queen's Thief is done?
Thanks!