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Book Event: Recap of Kristin Cashore's Tour Stop in Seattle

5/15/2012

17 Comments

 
Graceling Realm series
If you want to give a book event some ambiance, hold it in a church. Better yet, hold it in a chapel with a backlit cross and recessed lighting above it, so that when something shorts and the lights flicker over the cross and then smoke starts coming out, everyone will ponder if it is God wondering why it took a book event to get them to go to church. Or maybe that was just me.  This event made me so excited from the get-go. I walked in and was handed a raffle ticket for the paperback boxed set, which included an advance reader's copy of Bitterblue. While writing the series, Cashore's editor moved publishing houses so she's had two different publishers. For that reason, she noted, this might be the only boxed set that is ever offered of the series. Spoiler alert, I didn't win the boxed set. Second spoiler alert, I thought about jumping the winner in the parking lot. Instead, I bought a dollar ice cream sundae at Mickey D's and called it an evening well spent.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from Kristin Cashore in real life, but what I got was an enthusiastic, approachable, friendly author who more than carried the event with her personality. Most of the events I've gone to previously were for groups of authors and I was curious to see if I would take as many notes when it was primarily a reading and just one author. Well, when the author is so gosh-darn interesting and quotable, it turns out that answer is definitely yes.

Cashore said she was in a great mood that day for several reasons: a positive diagnosis for a family member, Obama's support of gay marriage, and finding out she was #2 on the New York Times bestseller list for the week. She'd decided, upon visiting Seattle, that she'd like to take a ferry ride since we have regular ferries running all over Elliott Bay and Puget Sound. While she was on the boat, she found out all this information so not only did that make it "the best ferry ride ever" but she was also contagiously happy that evening. 

Kristin Cashore
All of my photos from the night are blurry. Photo fail!
Armed with a tabbed and margin-note-ridden copy of Bitterblue and one of her many notebooks, Cashore began talking about her writing process. She writes everything by hand and transfers her work in Word every so often. Since it is impossible to backup handwritten words with the same regularity as computer work, she keeps her notebooks in a fireproof, waterproof safe. Cashore showed the audience one of the seven notebooks she filled while writing Bitterblue, and when she walked down the aisle, we could see that almost half, if not more, of the writing was crossed out. She chuckled when she saw that she'd written, "This is rot and shards and contagion, but that's okay" along the top of one page. Evidently that is a quote from a book she enjoyed but she used it as a starting point to talk about the importance of failure for aspiring (and all) writers.

According to Cashore, the first draft is total crap. You know the heart of the story but you don't know how to get it into words. You just write it and rewrite it until you get it right, except even when you think you might've gotten there, you could be totally wrong. Bitterblue took twice as long as the previous two books for her to write and when she turned it in, her editor read the draft and said what is probably every author's nightmare sentence: "Would you consider starting from scratch?" Though it was an initial shock, Cashore agrees with her editor's statement and thinks the book is stronger for it. She used that first draft as a source and just lifted all the good stuff from it. Doing so allowed her to approach her revision with unbelievable freshness and when she was completed, her editor called the revision a miraculous feat. 

Here's Cashore doing two readings from Bitterblue. Sorry the audio quality is not the greatest. Pump up the volume! (I wish there was some reason to put pics of young Christian Slater in this post.) These two videos are a bit long and straightforward so if you're pressed for time, watch the other two later in the post, in which she answers audience questions.
I mean no disrespect to young adult fans in general, anyone who knows me knows what a huge, huge fan of the genre I am, but I have to say, fantasy and sci-fi young adult readers ask phenomenal questions. They are invested in the worlds, the characters, the author, and the inventions in ways that astound me. I was surprised several times over when audience members asked questions about how tyrannical characters from history influenced her writing of Leck and a question about a comment Cashore made in the acknowledgments of Bitterblue that elicited a wonderful response from the author. Apparently, she made a comment in the acknowledgments about Po's character and this was the first time she'd ever been asked about it. (If you click that link, it takes you to a discussion on Cashore's blog which was inspired by the audience member's question.) The reader just asked if she could elaborate a little bit on what the comment meant. I could tell that Cashore thought very hard about what exactly she wanted to say, and I think she explained herself thoughtfully and tactfully on the matter. (There will be a spoiler for Graceling, if anyone wants to skip on to the next paragraph.) When an author is writing a book, they won't notice everything in their own characters or plot that might offend people. By blinding Po at the end of Graceling but then having his grace be magical sight, it might be seen as implying that Po couldn't be a "complete person" without his use of sight. "Curing" a disability may be seen as rude or presumptuous. Cashore talked about the inevitable mistakes authors make and though she regrets making that choice for Po overall, it was never intentional and she is very mindful about not making a similar mistake for any future characters she writes. I actually drew hearts all around my notes from this section of the event because it was readily apparent how much Cashore took it to heart and I was glad she didn't try to evade the question even one bit.

The most exciting part of the night for me was when someone asked the inevitable "What's next?" question.  The answer, I was ecstatic to find out, is contemporary, realistic YA!  The draft is already completed so I, for one, cannot wait to read it when it comes out. What she will do in other arenas?  Here's Kristin talking about the book she's just finished a draft of and what else might be next for her:
She said she may eventually write another book set in the same world as the Graceling Realm books, perhaps one from Po's point of view, but one character she hopes never to visit again is Leck. Cashore said being inside Leck's mind was an awful experience. For a few weeks, she'd write something terrible for him, approach it with fresh eyes and realize it had to be even more horrific and rewrite. The entire process was taxing, but an author can get a sort of sick pleasure when writing evil characters.  
An audience member applauded Cashore for cleverly writing a young adult book with romantic elements but without that as the central theme. Story is the main force behind Cashore's books and she said she wouldn't feel as challenged if she were to write a book with romance driving the story along. She is averse to love triangles and finds them "so boring." As do I, Kristin Cashore, as do I. 

A few more fun facts:
  • She queried Graceling along with a realistic middle-grade book, which is now, sadly, closeted.
  • It took her one and a half years to write the first draft of Graceling, and six months to revise it.
  • She doesn't remember the inspirations behind the characters in the series.
  • She once worked as a waitress in a pub in Australia. She said she must've been hired for the novelty of having an American working there as she was a terrible waitress.
  • When they were trying to think of a name for the overall series, one of her friends suggested "Kickass Women Who Kill Their Fathers." 
At the end of the evening, when it was time for the raffle for the boxed set, she walked over to the bag of tickets and looked at the audience before saying, in a perfect Effie Trinket voice, "May the odds be ever in your favor." Psht, as if you could even make me like you more, Kristin Cashore.   
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17 Comments
Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
5/14/2012 10:18:33 pm

I think this is the first book event recap I've read that actually mentions teen attendees:)

I find it interesting that Cashore switched publishing houses when her editor moved. I wonder how it works, because I thought the book contracts were assigned to certain publishers, not editors.

And also, funny about love triangles, because I felt there was one in "Bitterblue," not fully developed, but nevertheless a love triangle:)

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
5/15/2012 07:33:16 am

A few of the events I've gone to have been almost exclusively adults (college-aged and up), which surprised me. However, there are definitely some younger people at most of them. What I liked most about this particular event was how enthusiastic and knowledgeable the fans were and I think it has to do with the genre. I mean, just look at how devoted fantasy/sci-fi fans are as adults. Our love of these genres starts early.

I'm fairly positive there were probably a lot of contract issues and resolutions that went down with switching publishers. I'm sure they've all worked out some sort of profit-share agreement.

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Jasprit link
5/14/2012 11:19:08 pm

Cashore sounds like a fantastic down to earth person. I still have to pick up her series, it's good to know the romantic elements aren't central to the theme and that she dislikes love triangles too! *fist pump* It's a shame you didn't win the books :( but it sounds like you had an enjoyable time at this event too!

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
5/15/2012 07:34:43 am

I definitely did:) I've never stayed to get anything signed at an event before but I got two books signed at this one and it was pretty exciting. She is definitely down to earth and it makes me like her series even more. You should try Graceling soon!

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Nomes
5/14/2012 11:39:10 pm

Love your photo fails / they look fab

Wish I had been there with you. Reading this recap is nearly just as good. *nearly*

Would live to have asked her for a visual inspiration for Po

But that would make me seem incredibly shallow and not at all Luke my intelligent and thoughtful adult self


You go to such gray events

Great

And love the venue , you set thd scene well

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Nomes
5/14/2012 11:41:09 pm

My iPod typos are just another part of my charm

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
5/15/2012 09:55:15 am

That they are, Nomes. I love that basically every line has a hilarious typo. But I also love that iPod auto-corrects itself to iPod.

I hope I get to go to some more GRAY events soon.

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Heidi link
5/15/2012 02:54:42 am

What a fun night that must have been, Flannery. I would love to meet Ms. Cashore after reading this post. I cannot even imagine writing everything by hand. That must take hours and hours. Writing a book is so much work! Hats off to all these authors who entertain us. Drat...sucks you didn't win!

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
5/15/2012 09:58:18 am

I was only bummed for a second about not winning. It was such a great event otherwise. I can't imagine writing anything by hand either. I once had to write for 2.5 hours for an exam and my hand was basically on fire after that. I cannot imagine what it would be like doing that daily! Though maybe it has something to do with how hard I press when I write. I once did trivia with some of my friends and we won a prize for my "aggressive handwriting." Appropriate.

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Maggie, Young Adult Anonymous link
5/15/2012 05:19:49 am

Flann, I wanna see your notes! And I hope you did this to your Mickey D's ice cream: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m32bgvaVq91qdlh1io1_250.gif

With Cashore, I'm always way more interested in her than her books. She always sounds so thoughtful and intelligent, but Graceling didn't blow me away. That was one of the first fantasies I tried though pre-goodreads so I'm definitely willing to give it another go. And I can't wait to read her YA.

Great recap! BTW, lawyer schmayer... let's go waitress at an Australian pub!

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
5/15/2012 09:53:46 am

I'd LOVE to go waitress in Australia, though I don't know how good I'd be at waitressing. Have you ever done it? Hmm

That gif is priceless. And I would NEVER waste ice cream like that. Who do you think I am?! A non ice-cream fanatic?

Reply
VeganYANerds link
5/15/2012 08:38:35 am

What a great recap, Flann! I'd never knew about Kristen until everyone on twitter/goodreads/blogs kept going on about some book called Bitterblue so I recently book 2 thinking I might read this series but now you've convinced me that I should get book 1 and definitely read the series.

Kristin sounds entertaining and engaging and I hope she comes back to Australia for a tour! Also, hooray for writing contemp next, that's always exciting!

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Flannery (The Readventurer) link
5/15/2012 09:59:58 am

Yeah, I saw that on your video and couldn't believe it! I feel like Graceling was really explosive on the scene for a while there and I don't know many people who haven't read it yet. I wonder what you'll think.

I saw on her blog that they are thinking of doing and international tour of sorts so who knows--that COULD mean Aus!

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Chachic link
5/15/2012 01:18:23 pm

"Kickass Women Who Kill Their Fathers." Hahaha excellent title for her series! This sounds like a GRAY event, Flann. So glad you keep updating us with recaps. I would have loved to meet Kristin Cashore in person because I love her writing. Really excited for her next book, I think it's awesome that she's writing a contemporary YA novel.

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Holly link
5/16/2012 12:03:08 am

Wow Flann, KC sounds absolutely amazing in real life. A contemporary draft already finished you say? I hope we don't have to wait 2-3 years to read that. I'm excited to have the chance to meet her at BEA. Thanks for the detailed, articulate post as always. I will have to come back to watch all the videos later.

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Lucy link
5/18/2012 01:45:58 am

I'm just listening to the audio of Bitterblue now so this recap is perfect timing. You are the best at recapping author events so thanks for keeping us all informed! Cashore sounds like a lovely person. Looking forward to reading her contemporary book. That is exciting! I was just reading about her struggles writing Bitterblue in PW I think- can't imagine having to start again like she did.

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Jo [Wear the Old Coat] link
5/21/2012 07:17:20 am

Flann, I wish it was your job to go to book events and recap them.
I've heard how brilliant Ms Cashore is (both her books and herself!) but I've never read her! I really need to remedy this.

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