Witch Hunt: Of The Blood – Guest Post

Although I don’t do these kind of posts often, I was more than happy when a group of my friends asked if they could guest on my blog today. They have contributed to a new anthology of novellas (5 in total) based around Devin O’Branagan’s popular Witch Hunt series of urban fantasy tales. I read the book, and although not my first choice of genre, I really enjoyed the stories, and I put some questions to the authors.

Interview

Krista Walsh:

No.1 What was the trickiest aspect about writing a piece of fiction set in an historical setting?

It’s very easy to get caught up describing the small details of the era, almost as if to say “See, I did my research”, even if it isn’t relevant to the scene. I had to keep reminding myself that the reader would fill in the gaps, I just had to make it feel authentic.

No.2 What was your thought process in coming up with the story idea? Did the plot come first, or characters, something else?

The first sentence of my story. I had this one line in my head that led to a good couple of paragraphs, all very dramatic and exciting. But none of it was working and I ended up scrapping it. The false start helped me get into the heads of my characters and from there it was easy to find the story, although it took a couple twists I didn’t expect.

 No.3 What is it about witches in particular that appeals to you?

I love the mystery and empowerment witches represent – working in the shadows and tapping into unseen energies to manipulate the world around them. Historically, they were the midwives and healers, fictionally the characters no one wants to cross, so there’s so much potential to work with.

Devin O’Branagan:

No.1 What was the trickiest aspect about writing a piece of fiction set in an historical setting?

The research was overwhelming. Learning about England during that era was time-consuming but had the unexpected benefit of providing me with plot gems. I had always known about the astrologer British Intelligence hired as an advisor…but never knew he was a flamboyant cross-dresser. Discovering this fact added so much humor to the plot, and I always enjoy inserting humor into my fiction whenever possible. And my research helped me uncover the role Ian Fleming played in the events, and that allowed me to include his future role as the author of the James Bond series. By researching what movies and actors were popular in that era, I was also provided an opportunity to find humor to incorporate. The core of the story is so painful and dark, that I wove as much light as I could into the tapestry. So, to sum up, the research was quite involved, but extremely useful. I’m proud of this project.

No.2 What was your thought process in coming up with the story idea? Did the plot come first, or characters, something else?

I am a plot-driven writer. When I was a child, I learned about the role the British witches played in preventing the Nazis from invading England, and I always wanted to write a novel about it. Unfortunately, I was sidetracked by other writing projects and never got around to it. When the idea for this anthology arose, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to tell the story via Vivian, the young English witch brought to America during World War II to marry into the Hawthorne family.

No.3 What is it about witches in particular that appeals to you?

I’ve known many witches. I respect and admire them, and love telling their stories.

K.L. Schwengel:

No.1 What was the trickiest aspect about writing a piece of fiction set in an historical setting?

Believe it or not, even though my character’s story takes place in the late 1980s, early 1990s, I still had to do some research! It’s amazing how quickly we become used to our modern conveniences, and I had to double check thinks like when the Internet came to be, when cell phones were common place. Other than that, I didn’t have to do much historical research.

No.2 What was your thought process in coming up with the story idea? Did the plot come first, or characters, something else?

With my character, the ending came first. It was the only part of Julia’s story that I knew, and that had to match the original Witch Hunt. Then it was just a matter of getting there. So I guess it was a case of plot driving the story. It proved unusual for me in that I normally don’t know the ending of a tale until I get there.

No.3 What is it about witches in particular that appeals to you?

In regards to this anthology, it was the realness of the witches. These aren’t Samantha Stevens, or the clichéd green-faced, hook-nosed hag. These women and their families are true witches in every sense of the word. I think the thing that draws me the most is their connection with nature, the elements, and the universe.

Keri Lake:

No.1 What was the trickiest aspect about writing a piece of fiction set in an historical setting?

Aside from the fact that I don’t typically write historical fiction, I’d say the trickiest thing for me was the science–forgetting what I know about pandemic flu and placing myself in this time period with the limited knowledge of organisms, tests and treatments.

No.2 What was your thought process in coming up with the story idea? Did the plot come first, or characters, something else?

I picked the character, Miranda, based on the time period, and the story just sort of evolved with the research. The more I learned about the state of the world and all of the events leading up to global transmission of the organism, the more it all just seemed to fit and help mold the characters.

No.3 What is it about witches in particular that appeals to you?

I actually hadn’t written anything about witches prior to this anthology, so my knowledge about them was pretty limited. But I think what appealed to me most, particularly with this story, is in spite of the social persecution these people faced, they remained steadfast in their beliefs.

Suzanne Hayes Campbell:

No.1 What was the trickiest aspect about writing a piece of fiction set in an historical setting?

Historical fiction is my favorite genre as a reader, and what I aspire to as a writer, but you’re right it isn’t easy to pull off. I think what was trickiest in my story was to try to write true to historical facts, but at the same time stay within the confines of the characters lives and actions as set out in Devin’s original book. For example, the Witch Hunt canon was that Prissy became nearly mute after her imprisonment and that she married an Iroquois man and lost contact with the family. Beyond that, I was free to decide how that might have happened. However, my research turned up facts about the relations between the European “invaders” and the native peoples of North America that were far more brutal and violent than I’ve depicted. I knew that Devin’s readership would not appreciate the truer aspects of such encounters, so I had to modify those interactions. I love the details and the incorporating the history I learn from the research—so the 20,000 word limit was also tricky—I could have gone on for a lot longer!

No.2 What was your thought process in coming up with the story idea? Did the plot come first, or characters, something else?

I am a character-driven writer, no question. The way I imagine a story is to think about the character’s personality, beliefs, and gut reactions—then to imagine a situation and see what that person would do when suddenly confronted by these difficulties. Sometimes I have a vague idea of how things might unfold—usually I will have a pretty concrete ending scenario I want to see played out, but characters will often surprise me by what they do along the way! That said, I think it’s hard to keep your characters “in character.” Nothing is more jarring in a novel than a character doing something that “they just wouldn’t do”!

No.3 What is it about witches in particular that appeals to you?

Here is where I probably differ the most from my co-writers. They are all skilled writers of fantasy and paranormal fiction, and I am more rooted in the real world with my writing. As a reader, I have certainly enjoy some fantasy and horror works. I like Stephen King’s and Neil Gaiman’s work. I adored Audrey Niffennegger’s, The Time Traveler’s Wife. But I had never written anything with magical aspects. Witches in particular do not appeal to me any more or less than other fantasy beings. I read and liked the Harry Potter stories, but not for the magic. I read them as a coming of age saga—and what mattered most was the intellectual growth, and emotional maturation of the characters; their strong feelings of friendship, love and loyalty. These stories are the ones that resonate, and it doesn’t matter what the setting, genre, or particular accoutrements dress them. So, for me, the magical parts were the hardest! I have a hard time suspending disbelief—when faced with an insurmountable difficulty, and the main character just whips out a magical power to make it “poof” go away—well that’s when I am disappointed. So I didn’t want that to happen in my story, but I knew some witchiness was expected, and I hope I didn’t disappoint in the way I chose to reveal it. Working the magical element into the story was most difficult for me—and wrapping it into the magical beliefs of the Iroquois tribes seemed a good way to do it.

Book Info - Witch Hunt: of The Blood