A Future of Your Own: Jeremiah Franklin in Conversation with Nikki Richard about Post-Apocalyptic Novels
Post-apocalyptic YA novels enjoy a perpetual popularity, but in such a popular genre it can be difficult to stand out. Jeremiah Franklin, author of the Dark Tomorrow trilogy, and Nikki Richard, author of Demon in the Whitelands, sat down to discuss how they personalize the genre by incorporating what is individual about their own lives. They use their own unique pasts to write new futures.
Nikki: What prompted you to write a YA post-apocalyptic story in the first place?
Jeremiah: Well, I grew up in southern California during the Cold War—and as a kid I’d often lie awake at night thinking about how I would react if I was faced with a potentially imminent disaster such as a major earthquake or a nuclear war.
Nikki: Wow! That’s so fascinating to me. I was born in the late eighties, so I grew up hearing stories from my parents about the emergency nuclear drills their school would run in the middle of classes.
Jeremiah: While I was both terrified and fascinated by the idea of surviving some type of doomsday scenario, it was not until I read The Road, the amazing post-apocalyptic novel by Cormac McCarthy, that I was inspired to write the Dark Tomorrow trilogy. But while McCarthy’s masterpiece is told from a decidedly mature point-of-view, I felt that a realistic dystopian thriller told from a teen’s perspective was rare in the world of literature. And while I’m a huge fan of speculative YA fiction, I was inspired to fill that void and bring something unique to the so-often fantasy-based YA genre.
Nikki: Like you, I’m a huge fan of McCarthy’s The Road. I’ve been fascinated with dystopian literature since I was a preteen. From Butler’s Parable of the Sower to Collins’ The Hunger Games, I fell in love with any story set in a post-apocalyptic world. There are so many interesting things that can happen in an advanced society that has somehow regressed to primal acts of violence. I started writing the first draft of Demon in the Whitelands my sophomore year of college, so being connected to young adult characters was my natural inclination. I was always drawn to writing about teenagers (maybe because I still think like one), and I wanted to write a story about a young person trying to find his identity (religious, sexual, moral) in a world where his father’s religion is used by the ruling class as a tool of oppression.
Jeremiah: How did your experiences and interests help to shape the focus of your novel?
Nikki: So much of what I write is shaped by my own personal experiences and interests. I suppose I’m a bit egotistical in that way. Demon of the Whitelands isn’t any different. My father was (and still is) an Evangelical minister in southern Louisiana. Like Samuel, I struggled as a teenager to reconcile my father’s personal faith and convictions with the harshness and complexities of the world around me. And, like Samuel, my understandings of gender and sexual orientation were grossly limited by the political, religious, and social climate I was raised in. I feel like so much of the teenage experience is learning about who you are, and what kind of person you want to be. Honestly? I feel like I’ve never completed that journey. I guess, in a cliché way, Samuel is me.
Jeremiah: It’s so interesting for me to learn about an author’s upbringing and how that environment helped to shape their writing. I can only imagine what it would be like to grow up in a strict religious family, but I see how it must have influenced every word you’ve written. My own parents were always very open, and I was free to make my own choices when it came to politics, religion, and other social issues. However, growing up with a father who was a private investigator, there were several instances where serious threats were made against my family (our car was literally fire-bombed in my driveway at one point) and even at a young age I was trained to always be on alert and ready for anything—very much like the main characters in Dark Tomorrow. It is no exaggeration to say that I grew up in fear of some type of violent retaliation, and I think I tried to control that fear by being prepared for whatever might come my way. And whether I was attempting to be prepared mentally, physically, and even spiritually, I was focused on survival at any cost, and I think that mindset definitely comes across in my writing.
Nikki: What separates your novel from other YA post-apocalyptic books?
Jeremiah: Like I said before, I do feel strongly that my books stand out in comparison to the typical YA post-apocalyptic story in regards to the stark realism that I tried to convey, but I also feel that you absolutely hit the target when you talk about exploring characters who might not fit the expected roles of a typical YA novel. In the Dark Tomorrow trilogy, I hoped to create characters that were both realistic and unique, and although I do not dive too deep in terms of unexpected gender-roles and/or perceived sexuality, I do want readers to make their own assumptions, and to read between the lines so to speak.
Nikki: I don’t ever want to be presumptuous and list the ways my novel is different in comparison to other great works. Truth is, Demon in the Whitelands has been influenced by a variety of other YA post-apocalyptic books. However, I do believe Demon in the Whitelands adds a new perspective in that it deeply explores characters who struggle to fit the gender and hetero-normative roles set by society. As a genderless humanoid being, Zei breaks every norm expected of a “little girl.” Throughout most of the novel, Samuel sees himself as an unfit man. Neither of these characters are stereotypical hero types. To me, that’s what makes them fascinating.
Jeremiah: What were the greatest challenges in writing your book? I think the greatest challenge for me personally was simply finding the time to write.
Nikki: I suppose I’m more or less the same! Finding the time to sit and write down the thousand ideas I have in my head is always a struggle. Between finishing up my doctorate, taking care of a beautiful daughter with special needs, and working part-time jobs when I can, it’s so hard to find that time to intentionally write. However, one of my writing professors always encouraged me to “follow the fire,” to force myself to write down all the things that were burning in my mind. I’ll find myself so consumed by a project that the only way to come back into reality is to force those words out.
Jeremiah: Fortunately, I rarely suffer from writer’s block, but juggling work, family, and writing a trilogy of YA novels is no easy task. At one point, I basically stopped watching television, and devoted all of that time to writing instead. It was hard at first, but by making that decision, I was gifted a few hours of uninterrupted writing time each day, and I did not feel like I was taking time away from loved ones and other responsibilities. Besides finding that time, I think that editing is challenging as well. Writing itself is very enjoyable, but having to cut out entire chapters, significant events, and even beloved characters is something that every writer will have to face at some point, and it is borderline painful to hit “delete” on something you might have spent a great deal of time and effort creating in the first place.
Nikki: In the end, we’ve both been able to get our books written and published. With that small measure of success, what advice could we offer to aspiring YA authors?
Jeremiah: The best advice I can give any aspiring YA author is simply to “go for it”. Too many times in life, we are given the opportunity to do something great, but we allow ourselves to become discouraged for whatever reason. Maybe it’s a lack of self-confidence, or maybe there are others telling us that we will not be successful, but the fact is that everyone has a story to tell. There is a quote by the famous inventor, Thomas Edison, that goes something like, “If we did all of the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves”, and I believe that to be true. We are all capable of great things, and if you aspire to write the next great YA novel, there is no one but yourself holding you back. Be a voracious reader. Study the craft of storytelling. Write. Write some more. And then re-write it all over again. If you want it bad enough, you will be successful. And who knows, with a little hard work, tenacity, and dedication, you may even astound yourself.
Nikki: Follow the fire! If you find yourself being consumed by ideas of a new world and interesting characters, then find ways to write those things down. It’s tedious, particularly in the beginning, but the payoff will be worth it.
Jeremiah Franklin is a former private investigator and arm-chair survivalist. When he is not creating thrilling post-apocalyptic worlds, the author enjoys reading, staying active, and spending time outdoors with family and friends. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s in Education, and several other certifications of little interest. He lives, writes, and plays in beautiful central Oregon, USA. Book two in his trilogy, Dark Tomorrow 2: Cult of the Crow, releases November 2019.
Nikki Richard is a sensitive queer writer with moods and coping mechanisms. An MFA graduate from the University of Baltimore, she lives in the city with her hot wife, amazing daughter, and fluffy cat. Her new novel Demon in the Whitelands is available now.
