We chat with Alysa Wishingrad about her latest release Between Monsters and Marvels, which is a new standalone high-stakes middle grade fantasy and it’s perfect for fans of Ellen Oh’s Spirit Hunters and Lauren Oliver’s The Magnificent Monsters of Cedar Street.
Hi, Alysa! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi, thank you so much for having me, I’d love to! I write fantastical stories for upper middle grade readers, which, really should be everyone from 10 and up. My books weave history and the quest for truth together with the magical and mysterious, and always ask where does the truth lay?
I’d always intended to be a writer. I came out of college a playwright, moved to NY, was very lucky and fell in with an amazingly talent group of people. My mentors were some of the most brilliant writers of the time. But . . . I wasn’t ready to do the real hard work of writing. I was very results oriented, and because I didn’t understand the work of revision I thought I was no good. So I took another path for a while— I was a casting director for TV, Theater, and films. But . . . writing was always sitting on my shoulder, waiting for me to get down to work, which I finally did after I moved to the country to raise my kids.
Now if you ask me what my favorite part of writing is, I’ll say, hands down, it’s revising. I had to grow into it, and that’s just fine. There’s no time limit on becoming a writer.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I was the kid who stayed up late into the night telling myself stories, acting them out with my stuffed animals, until I fell asleep mid-tale. I don’t think there was ever a time I didn’t love and live for stories.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
I can see myself lying on my bed in my childhood bedroom, reading Charlotte’s Web. That a story could break my heart and leave me filled with so much love, and sadness, and hope was pure magic.
There is no one book that made me want to become an author, but writers like Richard Price, Frances Hardinge, Kurt Vonnegut, E.B. White, and yes, Dickens, who make me want to touch, even for a moment, the worlds they weave.
And one book I cant stop thinking about? The Lie Tree by Francis Hardinge. If you haven’t read it, please do!
Your latest novel, Between Monsters and Marvels, is out September 12th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
- Monsters
- Lies
- Spiky girls (I know, that’s 2 words, sorry!)
- Mystery
- Marvels
What can readers expect?
To be dropped into a world that feels real, familiar from history, a kind of Dickensian city divided by class, ruined by industrialization, and rife with poverty. But this world once had monsters in it. Or maybe it still does?
Readers can expect mysteries, illusions, and a lot of suspense! There are many questions about who you can trust and what it means to listen to your instincts. My main character, Dare and her world are facing many of the same issues as our world; our relationship to nature, the nature of power, and how any one person can help move us toward a more equitable and just society.
But beyond all that, they can expect a cracking good adventure with a feisty, brave, and outspoken girl, who’s surrounded by a colorful cast of intriguing and sometimes frightening characters.
Where did the inspiration for Between Monsters and Marvels come from?
I tend to begin my books with a character, someone I can’t look away from. And so it was with Dare. I won’t say she came to me fully baked, but I knew who she was and what she wanted, and needed, from the get-go. Then came the world. I knew I wanted to explore that moment in history when everything was changing—cars on the road next to horse-drawn wagons, electric lights in some places while gaslamps still burned in others, and factories changing everything about how people lived and worked. That period of time provides a stark parallel today.
And then there were the monsters. After playing around with magic in my first book, The Verdigris Pawn, I really wanted dive into what makes a monster and why do we fear them so?
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I absolutely loved writing my main character, Dare. She’s spiky, and smart, and suffers no fools. But she’s also sensitive and loyal and filled with love. Diving deeper into her psyche, helping her slowly unwind herself, expose her dear, fragile heart was, honestly, an honor. It required me to do some very deep digging through my own defenses, to get very honest about why and how I’ve protected myself from others throughout my life, and exploring what it is that truly scares me.
But that deep work also led to creating the monsters and the world in which they once lived. Diving into all the ways a beast can defend themselves, or attack, then melding that with some pretty fantastical abilities was a lot of fun! Part of that too was
This is your second published novel! What are some of the key lessons you have learned between writing the two?
Probably the most important lesson I’ve learned from writing both of these books is to never be afraid to toss great big chunks if not the entire draft. I’m not sure if I’ll do that on the new book I’m working on yet, but I know that it’s one of the best tools for getting to the heart of your story.
The way I think about it is like building a house. That that first draft is all about choosing the materials— figuring out the world, getting to understand the main character, their problem, and what they’re willing to do to fix/change things. But sometimes that first house doesn’t stand straight, it’s wonky. So you tear it down and rebuild using much of the original material, but also adding in new things that you learned along the way.
And finally, just because I learned how to write the last book doesn’t mean I know how to write this one. Each story presents new challenges and problems. Between Monsters and Marvels has a pretty big reveal at the end — I had to learn how to hide it in plain sight. That was a great challenge, but now my new project has an even bigger obstacle for me to find a way around.
What’s next for you?
I have two things I’m super excited about, but sadly can’t talk about them yet. But I hope to be able to soon!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Always! There are some truly marvelous middle grade reads coming out this month. For my fellow fantasy readers please pick up Adia Kelbara and The Circle of Shamans by Isi Hendricks stat!
Kate Albus is back with a new historical novel, Nothing Else But Miracles, which will steal your heart. Jessica Vitalis has a deeply moving story coming out in October, Coyote Queen.
And finally, Chad Lucas’s You Owe Me One, Universe the sequel to his debut, Thanks A lot Universe is a must read!
Thanks so much for having me!
Readers, please visit me at www.AlysaWishingrad.com
