Victoria Aveyard, Author Of The Red Queen Series
What inspired you to become a writer?
I've been a storyteller since very early childhood, whether it be with dolls or action figures or my own friends in the backyard. My first stories were written with crayon, and I've been writing creatively since I knew how to write. I think the inspiration to write came partly because stories were so immersive to me - and because I wanted a world different than my own. Inventing my own stories seemed like a natural progression, but I didn't really think I could be a writer until I was accepted into my college program. That was the first moment I realized I could actually do this and was probably good at it!
Why is storytelling important to you?
I think storytelling is one of the basest human instincts. It's how we connect to each other and give meaning to the world around us. There's a reason mankind gathered around the campfire or sat down at the movie theater. Stories bring us together. They inspire us, they drive us, they bring our emotions out and make us feel.
Do you already know how you want the Realm Breaker series to end? Did you know how you wanted the Red Queen series to end when you started writing?
I've known the ending of Realm Breaker for a very long time, since almost the beginning of the story process. The series is very structured and planned out, more so than Red Queen was. I did know the ultimate ending of Red Queen from very early on as well, but not exactly how I was going to get there until later in the series. I do like to know my beginnings and endings, either with a singular novel or the series as a whole.
What inspired the world and characters in Realm Breaker?
While Red Queen grew out of an image and a desire to write a certain type of story, namely a young adult dystopian/fantasy. Realm Breaker was very much enabled by the success of Red Queen, and I started by asking myself what I wanted to write and more importantly, what story was I searching for as a teenager? From there, Realm Breaker grew from the question – what happens when heroes fail – and my love for Lord of the Rings, but its inability to love me back. I so adored Tolkien's world but didn't feel like it had a place for me in it, and so this is my attempt to make a little more room in the classic fantasy adventure.
What advice do you have for writers with writer's block?
For me, writer's block means one of two things. The first - I just need fresh eyes. I need to take a break and step back from the work for a little bit of time, then come back. And then I'll be able to figure out my way through whatever the obstacle in front of me is. Or - the block means what I'm writing isn't correct. I've stumbled off the path of the story and I need to cut my way back to where the story was working. The second is much harder, because it requires lots of lost words, but it's worth it to find the path again. □
