Interview with Kirsten Miller
By Olivia / Spinebreakers Crew
Olivia: What inspired you to write about reincarnation, and do you believe in it yourself?
Kirsten Miller: I wouldn’t go so far as to label myself a believer, but I have always been interested in the subject of reincarnation. Let’s just say that I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if I discovered that some of us have led multiple lives. How else can you possibly explain déjà vu, child prodigies, or love at first sight?
And speaking of love at first sight . . . isn’t it nice to imagine there might be someone out there you’re meant to find? Someone you’ve known in multiple lives? Someone who might already be searching for you?
Olivia: How far did your own background inspire this book?
Kirsten Miller: Haven Moore, the book’s heroine, shares much in common with me. We both grew up in tiny towns in the south-eastern United States, and we both hit the road for New York City when we were seventeen years old. I’ve always wanted to write about a character who made that same (rather daunting) journey.
My previous novels have been set in New York (where I live) because I truly believe it’s the most magical place on earth. But the mountains where I spent my childhood were quite weird and wonderful in their own way. And the people who live there are much more interesting than the two-dimensional southern “hillbillies” we’ve all seen on television. So I’m glad I had a chance to paint a picture of that little world in The Eternal Ones.
Olivia: What were the influences for your characters?
Kirsten Miller: That’s a very hard question to answer. I borrow bits and parts of people I know to create my characters so it’s hard to pin down all of my influences. Haven Moore, for example, shares her unusual background with me. But I “stole” her wild, black hair from one friend of mine—and her pretty, freckled face from another friend. (The character who’s closest to a real person is Beau, who was based in large part on my amazing little brother—but owes a bit to another individual I’ve always admired as well.)
But in the end, every character is unique—a product of her childhood, her outlook, and the trials and tribulations she’s faced.
Olivia: How much research was involved in writing this book?
Kirsten Miller: Well I’ve been reading about reincarnation all of my life, so when I sat down to write, there wasn’t much more research to be done. If anyone out there is interested in reading some non-fiction on the subject of reincarnation, I recommend a book called Old Souls by Tom Shroder. It’s about the little children around the world who claim to remember previous lives. (And give plenty of details about the people they once were.) It blew my mind.
(Or just Google a boy named James Leininger.)
Olivia: Who are your favourite authors?
Kirsten Miller: Angela Carter, Lian Hearn, Michael Chabon, Jonathan Stroud, Philip Pullman, Arthur Conan Doyle, the Bronte sisters, I could go on and on and on.
Olivia: Are there any books (apart from your own) that you would recommend to teenage readers and writers?
Kirsten Miller: I think a teenager should read anything and everything that strikes her fancy. (How else will a person learn what she likes or doesn’t like?) There are plenty of great books written for teens these days, but I don’t recommend getting stuck in one small section of the bookstore or library. Here are a few of the books I loved as a teen (or would have if they’d been around back then) . . .
The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James. The best ghost story ever written.
Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier. Delightful suspense mixed with delicious scandal.
The Shining, by Stephen King. I read it at thirteen and couldn’t sleep until I was fifteen.
The Tales of the Otori (series), by Lian Hearn. If you love ninjas, and I certainly do.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson. Short and sinister.
And I really recommend reading at least one book on the history of your hometown. You might be surprised by all the amazing things that have taken place in your own backyard.
Olivia: How would you advise aspiring young writers to approach writing a good plot?
Kirsten Miller: I have one piece of advice, and you might not like it. If you want a well-crafted plot, you’ll need to sit down and write a long, tedious outline. This can take super-human self control, because once you’ve stumbled across a great idea for a story, you’ll want to get it on paper as quickly as possible. But stop and take the time to figure out where your tale is going and how exactly you intend to get it there. Like me, you’ll probably find this part of the process incredibly boring, but I promise it will be worth it in the end. (My outline for The Eternal Ones was about twenty pages long.)
Olivia: If you were able to choose who would play your characters in a film, who would you pick?
Kirsten Miller: I don’t know! None of the usual suspects, I think. (Although I do love Dakota Fanning, I’m not sure if she could pass for Haven.)
James Franco was the one actor I had in mind while I was writing the book. I think he would make the perfect Adam Rosier. (Particularly if you know what happens in the sequel to The Eternal Ones, which I do, of course.) He’s so handsome and charming—and yet there’s something deeply disturbing about him as well.
Olivia: How did you deal with writing teenage speech, was there any research involved, or did it come naturally?
Kirsten Miller: Some people might think teenage speech is synonymous with slang. I’ve always felt that using slang tends to “date” a book. Just go back and read a few things that were written for teens in the eighties. Some of the books will seem contemporary and others will feel completely out of touch. There are, of course, a few authors who were so good at capturing the voice of a particular generation of teens that their books became classics. (Think Catcher in the Rye, for instance.) But I wanted to write a book that wasn’t necessarily tied to one era, and I tried to avoid using lingo that would stamp the book “2010.”
I guess when it comes to writing dialogue, you just have to know your characters. Everyone has his/her own manner of speaking. If you know a character well enough to get into her head, you’ll know exactly what she’d say in any situation.
Olivia: Are there any other tips you could give to young writers?
Kirsten Miller: Here’s my tip. If you want to write, sit down and do it! And don’t get up until you have something you like.
In my experience, the difference between people who say they’re writers and those who actually produce work is a little something I call “butt power.” That’s the ability to sit on your butt in front of a computer and wait for a good idea to come along. It’s much harder than one might think!