Episode 31: Mary Robinette Kowal, Science Fiction and Fantasy Author
Oct 4, 2023
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Mary Robinette Kowal, science fiction and fantasy author, discusses her transition from puppetry to writing and how it influences her work. They explore the role of puppetry in creating lifelike characters, express their love for sci-fi and fantasy, and talk about their latest novel with martini recipes. They also discuss using Scrivener for writing, the challenges of voice to text technology, and recommend 'Craft in the Real World' and 'Unrelenting' as noteworthy books.
Mary Robinette Kowal draws inspiration from her background in puppetry to bring characters to life in her writing.
Kowal values the unique exploration and metaphorical aspect that science fiction and fantasy genres offer to encourage conversations about various topics.
Deep dives
Mary Robinette Kowal's Journey From Puppetry to Writing
Mary Robinette Kowal discusses her transition from being a professional puppeteer to becoming an author. She shares how she stumbled into puppetry during college and pursued it as a career for 20 years. Eventually, her passion for writing took off, prompting her to shift her focus to becoming a writer. Despite concentrating on writing, Kowal still practices puppetry and believes that her experience as a puppeteer influences her writing, particularly in bringing characters to life.
The Unique Blend of Science Fiction and Fantasy
Kowal explains why she is drawn to science fiction and fantasy as genres to write in. She expresses her love for how these genres allow for the exploration of the natural world in unique ways. Additionally, she appreciates the metaphorical aspect of science fiction and fantasy, which encourages readers to engage in conversations about various topics. Kowal also humorously mentions her affinity for dragons and spaceships.
The Writing Process and the Use of Scrivener
Kowal shares her writing process and how she utilizes the writing software Scrivener. She starts with a synopsis and outlines her novels, using Scrivener's feature to break the outline into separate documents. She organizes her writing based on specific plot structures, such as the seven-point plot structure or a heist structure. Kowal mentions that she enjoys the flexibility of Scrivener and the ability it provides to adjust the outline and identify any gaps in her story. She also highlights the usefulness of Scrivener's binder feature for managing different elements of her projects.