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Field Recordings welcomes YA fantasy author, blogger, and twitter addict S.M. Boyce to the internet wilds. Links to connect with S.M.Boyce are scattered throughout the interview. A bit about her fantasy world is at the bottom for you lovers of fantasy.
Name: S. M. Boyce
Most recent title published: Treason (Grimoire Saga #2)
Where do you write?
My office desk, surrounded by my books.
What are your rituals with regards to writing (ex: Must have tea, a cat on the lap, etc)
I listen to a "trigger song" that gets me into the mood & mindset of the series I'm writing. The Grimoire Saga's trigger song is Unstoppable by E. S. Posthumus.
Describe your writing process.
I'm a plotter, which means I need to have a solid outline before I dive into a series. It helps me focus my attention on the story instead of what's coming next.
What do you when you begin to revise? What's the first thing you do during that process?
Actually, my husband and I have a great system. He reads the outline so he knows what's going to happen, and then he reads every chapter as I'm writing to look for plot holes, poor character motivation, and the like. After that, I comb through and send to beta readers, who give me similar feedback on the story as a whole.
When revising, how many drafts do you go through before you feel comfortable with the final product?
Anywhere from 3 - 7, usually. All depends on how well I'm connecting with the scene.
Where does your inspiration come from (music, film, other books)?
Life. There's so much beauty, mystery, and terror in our everyday lives that its a wonder we don't all walk around gaping at it all. I keep track of my favorite images/visuals in Pinterest. Some examples: my inspiration board, character swipes, creature swipes, and laughs/just for fun.
You have to invite three authors to dinner, who are they? Why?
Neil Gaiman, Nikki Jefford, and George R. R. Martin. Gaiman: so he can just talk, since he always has the most whimsical and inspirational things to say; Nikki, because she's a talented author who I want to finally meet in person; and Martin so that I can force him (somehow) to tell me how GOT ends.
Favorite title (you wish you had come up with):
I wish I'd written Coraline by Neil Gaiman. It's such a beautiful and dark book about courage, and finding your own inner strength. Wonderful book.
Line you wish you wrote:
"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" - Albus Dumbledore, the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
Book you did not read in high school but now have read and have an appreciation for: And why:
Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott. It was required reading for some of my peers, but I never had to read it in my classes. After I found the free eBook, I gave it a shot and was surprised by how much I enjoyed hearing the story of four wonderful sisters growing up together.
Favorite words:
Love all, trust few, harm none. Shakespeare
Least favorite words:
"I can't"
Advice you would like to pass on to other writers:
You can't impress everyone. You'll go crazy trying and end up crying in a pile of balled-up paper. Write for yourself (and hire a damn good editor once you're done).
What you would discuss with your pet if your pet could talk:
Why he drags his darn toys out all over the house for me to trip on them. It's bugging me.
About the Grimoire Saga
Kara Magari is about to discover a beautiful world full of terrifying things—Ourea.
Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother’s recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With no way out, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book’s untamed power. Discovered by Ourea’s royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict—a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn’t trust anyone… but she’s being hunted and can’t survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing.
For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire.
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