TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books who will tell us about their new work as well as offer tips on writing, stories about the publishing biz, and from time to time, a recipe.
Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?
Did you know human attacks account
for a staggering 100 percent of premature deaths for witches, swamp
monsters, cyborgs, and other supernatural, mutant, and exceptionally large
beings? How to Survive a Human Attack provides critical information at a
critical time with chapters specifically tailored to their target audience.
Which character did you most enjoy creating? Why? And,
which character gave you the most trouble, and why?
The chapter that proved the most challenging was the
survival guide for mummies, which, like mummies themselves, transformed many
times, through epochs and incarnations. It began as a short story published in Monkeybicycle.
Then it became a graphic novel script for a while when I thought that maybe a
graphic novel was what this book wanted to be. Then, it became a prose survival
guide that, frankly, didn’t quite work. It finally came to fruition when I
thought, What is a mummy’s fundamental problem? And I thought, at its
heart, it is one of security. Humans break into the tomb over and over again,
all through time. What would put an end to this? The chapter finally came
together when it became an instruction manual for the Third Eye Tomb Security
System, which is like a Ring Doorbell powered by the Astral Portal.
Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s
road to publication.
This
project began when my husband was watching "The Walking Dead" in the
other room, and there was so much screaming. Those zombies were getting
slaughtered! Someone should really help them, I thought. I wrote a short
advice piece for zombies, and it got published quickly. Pretty soon, I started
to suspect there were a lot of monsters that needed help. I wrote a few more
and had those published. Then, it seemed natural to think about a book, and I
drafted a proposal. The agent I had at the time wasn’t interested, and I sought
out someone to represent it. The agent I found really loved it and worked hard
place it. We took a break for a while and worked on other things, and then
circled back to it a few years later. In that time, the world had changed. For
better or worse, audiences now are perhaps ready to view humans through an
“antagonist” lens. They say timing is everything.
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?
Keep going.
As simple as it sounds, I can manage my fears and questions
about projects by devoting time and attention to the work. I need to repeat the
advice to myself because it so often doesn’t seem true that doing
the work is getting me anywhere.
My favorite writing advice is “write until something
surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?
I had never written a book that had been accepted on a
proposal. I imagined the “bird in hand” commitment from a publisher would be
reassuring, but it was scary. I didn’t want to let them down. What surprised me
was that I took risks creatively, in spite of the anxieties, letting the
project get just as weird as each monster in terms of voice and structure. Maybe
terror was the right motivation for this particular project.
What’s something about your book that you want readers to
know?
What readers won’t know until they crack it open, is that
the book’s interior features many illustrations by the incredible Joseph
McDermott. There’s a retro style to his depictions, as exemplified by the cover
art. I had a clear visual interpretation of this book, and it was almost as if
he could see into my head. He’s got supernatural powers. I can’t wait for
people to see “Swamp Monster Makeovers.”
Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any
food/s associated with your book? (Any recipes I might share?)
There’s a recipe in the chapter entitled “The 6(66) Habits
of Highly Successful Witches.” An incantation does accompany the recipe.
However, replicating it here would amount to pulling the pin on a grenade, so I
probably shouldn’t share it. It’s only for witches.
Combine:
Lavender
Honey
Water buffalo tooth
Eyelashes
Ground turtle shell
Graveyard dirt
Directions:
Boil this potion, removing scum from the surface. Rub on
your face.
Dosage: Dollop the size of a big toe
*****
READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR: http://www.kathyflann.com
ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR TBR STACK: https://www.runningpress.com/titles/k-e-flann/how-to-survive-a-human-attack/9780762472543/#