We chat with author Henry H. Neff about The Witchstone, which is an unforgettable, high-stakes, laugh-out-loud funny novel, blending the merciless humour of The Good Place with the spellbinding fantasy of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.
Hi, Henry! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure thing. I’m an author who’s written and illustrated seven fantasy novels for young readers and adults. These include the five-volume “Tapestry” series, Impyrium, and The Witchstone, which is my latest novel and first aimed squarely at adults. While I grew up in the Chicago-area, I lived in California for ten years where I taught history and fine art at a San Francisco high school. These days, I write full-time in New Jersey with my wife, two boys, and a pair of rescue pups.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Oh, I was young—too young to remember the exact age. My parents were art historians and there lots of weird books and things laying around the house. I have vivid memories of reading Where the Wild Things Are and Goodnight Moon and squirming with delight and terror when Bilbo kept Gollum at bay with riddles. I also remember stumbling across the tale of Beowulf in some old edition that had frightening (but fascinating) woodcuts and being confused as to who was the hero and who was the villain. To my ear, “Beowulf” sounded a lot more like a monster than “Grendel.” I’ve always had an active imagination, and credit stories for fueling it as long as I’ve been alive.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Your latest novel, The Witchstone, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
A delightfully demonic globetrotting horror-comedy
What can readers expect?
It depends a bit on the reader. If they’ve got a sense of humor, they’ll have a laugh or two. If they’re sentimental, they’ll shed some tears. If they have an active imagination, they might start wondering what’s lurking beneath the sewers… My goal for The Witchstone was simply to keep the reader entertained. It’s not a book where I wanted to preach or pout or weigh things down with needlessly obscure prose. I’ve encountered a lot of that on my nightstand of late and have found myself abandoning those books. Maybe I’m getting old and cranky, but I don’t want something that I’m consuming for pleasure to feel like homework. If nothing else, readers can expect The Witchstone to be a fun and engaging read. Think of it as a literary version of steak-frites: delicious and decadent with a bit of international flair.
Where did the inspiration for The Witchstone come from?
The idea of a “curse keeper” (i.e., a spirit assigned to enforce a curse’s terms) is something I came up with years ago while playing around with a different story. As I was thinking about a curse’s victims, it occurred to me that they’d only be endured by their community if they offered something of value—perhaps serving as “sin eaters” for a church that still employed such horrid practices. I wrote some chapters for my agent at the time, who liked them but said that there was no way this could be a children’s book. I agreed and decided to lean in to the darker themes while also indulging my desire to write a story that could be horrifying but also funny. I swapped out my original curse keeper (a dry and studious fellow) with Laszlo—a lazy playboy of a demon who’s such an embarrassment to his father (a Lord of Hell) that he’s been cut off from the family and forced to take a job in which he’s put in charge of a curse whose origins are far older—and more dangerous—than anyone imagines.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Laszlo’s a writer’s dream: a sharp-tongued, morally casual demon who would rather quaff martinis and chase supermodels than do anything resembling work. He’s sly and shameless and has been alive for 800 years, which means he’s seen a thing or two but is essentially a toddler compared to some of the more ancient (and terrifying) demons we encounter. His powers—or lack thereof—also provide some opportunities since Laszlo can’t really go toe-to-toe with the forces arrayed against him. He has to rely on his wits and charm and his human companions/patsies as he tries to save his behind. I loved writing for Laszlo and hope to do so again.
Can you tell us a bit about your process of putting a story to the page?
I typically start out with what I think are intriguing characters and concepts and go from there. Earlier in my career, I’d construct incredibly detailed outlines but I no longer plan things out to such a degree. Just having a sense of where I want to end up and some milestones along the way is usually enough to get things moving. I have a sense of destination and story shape but retain the flexibility to incorporate new ideas along the way. I find that to be a nice balance. When everything’s already planned out and spoken for, I feel like I’m just executing a blueprint and denying myself the creative spontaneity that can make writing feel magical. Once I’m in drafting mode, I like to get up early early in the morning—4 or 5—and just start writing. It gets me at my desk and pushing the story forward without overthinking things. For someone who’s often too cautious with first drafts, this has been a godsend. If I can get down a few hundred words in before my kids wake up, I feel like I’ve accomplished something and have a bit of momentum to carry me through the rest of the day.
What’s next for you?
In addition to launching The Witchstone, I’m working on several projects including an adult fantasy novel involving a Gormenghastian fortress at the edge of the human world, a picture book about imagination, and trying to up my art game so I can tackle a graphic novel down the road.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
I recently listened to Christopher Buehlman’s adult fantasy, The Blacktongue Thief, while walking my dogs and couldn’t have enjoyed it more. He’s a first-rate storyteller and I admire his skill at worldbuilding with clever little touches and layers that accumulate throughout. There’s a prequel coming out shortly called The Daughters’ War and I’ve already placed my pre-order. Rumor is that Neil Gaiman’s working on a sequel to Neverwhere and I’ll be lining up for my copy the moment it hits shelves. I’m also eager to to dive into Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series, which I’ve heard is wonderful. That one’s next on my reading list.
Some other books I’ve enjoyed in 2024 include Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake, Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, Leigh Bardugo’s Hell Bent, Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions, the Monstress series of graphic novels by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda, Burn Book by Kara Swisher, Call Me Iggy by Jorge Aguirre (writer) and Rafael Rosado (illustrator), and the Wolf Hall books by Hilary Mantel (which has become a series I revisit often). Basically, I try to read lots of different kinds of books; both fiction and non-fiction, classics and new works, pure prose and graphic novels. They all stimulate my brain in different ways and make me a better writer.
I just finished The Witchstone. It was a fast-paced, clever read that I thoroughly enjoyed. With elements of many different genres, adults are invited into an underworld with a twist.