How Character Relationships Can Reveal Vulnerability and Create High Stakes
Oct 10, 2024
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Alix E. Harrow, a Hugo-Award winning and NYT bestselling author known for her works like 'The Ten Thousand Doors of January,' dives into her latest novel 'Starling House.' She explores how character relationships illuminate vulnerability and raise stakes, plus the flexibility of word counts in sci-fi and fantasy. Alix shares her world-building process, the art of using secondary characters effectively, and innovative techniques like footnotes—all while emphasizing writing beautiful prose in the drafting phase and balancing backstory with curiosity.
Alix E. Harrow emphasizes the role of secondary characters in elevating stakes and deepening the emotional complexity of the narrative.
The discussion highlights the importance of balancing character backstory revelation to maintain curiosity while enhancing relatability throughout the story.
Deep dives
Upcoming Deep Dive Virtual Retreat
The first and second of February 2025 are set for a Deep Dive virtual retreat that has shifted to a weekend format to maximize participation from listeners around the world. This year will feature sessions and workshops from a previous 10-week deep dive and promise access to an expanded group of gatekeepers. Attendees can look forward to presentations from various authors along with a greater number of agents and editors being featured than in previous years. Important dates to remember include November 29 for early bird pricing, encouraging early registration for those interested.
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Interview with Author Alex E. Harrow
The episode includes an in-depth conversation with author Alex E. Harrow, focusing on her latest work, Starling House, which has been recognized as a Reese's Book Club selection. Harrow describes her protagonist Opal, a cynical orphan intent on creating a better life for her brother, who becomes captivated by a mysterious mansion with dark secrets. The discussion highlights her journey to publication, emphasizing the role of luck and connections in the industry while sharing insights about the importance of refining one's craft through short stories and other writing forms. Harrow also discusses the process of integrating authentic elements from her life into her world-building, enhancing the story's relatability and depth.
Crafting Complex Characters and Narratives
The episode explores the intricacies of developing multifaceted characters and maintaining narrative tension within a story. Harrow discusses how secondary characters like Opal's brother Jasper serve to elevate the stakes and add emotional depth to the narrative. The conversation also touches on the balance of revealing a character's backstory gradually, maintaining curiosity while enhancing character relatability. By linking backstory elements that inform characters' motivations without overwhelming the plot, Harrow emphasizes the nuanced approach necessary for effective storytelling.
In today’s episode, Bianca interviews the Hugo-Award winning and NYT bestselling sci-fi and fantasy author, Alix E. Harrow. They discuss Alix's latest novel, Starling House; her journey to publication and being chosen for Reese's Book Club; novellas and the fantasy/sci-fi genre's flexibility in the length of a work; Alix's process with world-building and her thought-process behind writing a book within a book; using secondary characters to up the stakes and shed light on your main character; the use of footnotes in the novel; maintaining and upping tension; writing beautiful prose in the drafting rather than the editing phase; and balancing the divulging of backstory while maintaining curiosity.
Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.
Carly's course for writers, The Author's Publishing Playbook, is available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven't grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15
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