Q&A
Q. How long have you been writing?
A. I’ve always loved to write and started becoming more serious with short stories while attending law school. My journey to get published started in earnest 15 years ago. During the day, I worked as a prosecuting attorney then stay up until two or three in the morning writing.
Q. Why did you become a prosecutor? A screenwriter? A novelist? How does all this figure into your family life?
A. I went to law school so I could do something professional with my English degree. I became a prosecutor to serve my community. I write to fill the other half of my heart…that artsy part. I feel extremely lucky to be able to lead two lives. Speaking thereof, my lives are absolutely crazy. Two jobs, two boys (9&6) and a professional turbo-wife who works full-time. It’s delightfully nuts.
Q. You mention how your experience as a prosecuting attorney working with juveniles who've gone astray influenced the writing of your first novel, Demonkeeper. First, can you extrapolate on that a bit?
A. Demonkeeper is a super-fun fantasy for kids, but the primary allegory in the story delivers a good, serious message. At its heart, Demonkeeper is about kids needing mentors and a home. As a juvenile prosecutor, I saw the damage that living on the streets did to kids. Demonkeeper itself began as a short story inspired by a street kid I prosecuted regularly in juvenile court. He was thirteen, had a green Mohawk, and I would see him downtown begging change. Then one day he disappeared. Nobody seemed to care. I imagined the chaos of those streets as a monster that simply rose and ate him up, as it does with so many kids. Demonkeeper retains that serious underlying message, but the novel has evolved into a lighthearted and fun tale accessible to kids.
Q. Also, why did you set it in Seattle rather than in Bellingham? How might those "lost souls" be different in a more urban area? (First it was a short story set in B'ham, then a screenplay set here, then a novel in Seattle. Is that true?)
A. This is an easy question. Demonkeeper “moved” to Seattle when I took my Bellingham based story to Hollywood. My agents were very clear with me that Seattle is an easier sell to movie studios than Bellingham as a setting. It’s a matter of scale. Seattle big and well known…Bellingham small. I think lost souls face similar problems in both places. But Bellingham has its share of lost souls for its size. I recently had lunch with David Webster, the Executive Director of Northwest Youth Services, and he reminded me of the astounding number of homeless children in our own county. We’re not talking 10 or 20…more like hundreds.
Q. Who do you expect might be the readers for "Demonkeeper"?
A. I suspect the next generation of kids interested in Harry Potter style fun will dig this story. It’s great for ages 9 and up. I get e-mails from middle schoolers, mostly. School librarians are some of the biggest fans. Teachers and parents who want to get kids reading like it too…if they can handle monsters.
Q. What kinds of questions might a reading group develop/talk about in relation to plot, theme, character, setting?
A. How does the message of children needing homes and good mentors resonate throughout the story? Why is Seattle a great setting for this story? What developmental obstacle does the main character, Nat, need to overcome? What are demons, according to this story? Are they necessarily evil? Is chaos bad for children? Why?
Q. You seem to give a lot of backstory for your characters... Why is that important to the reader, and do you (as most writers seem to) create a biography in your mind for your characters?
A. My typical method has been to think up a crazy situation first, then ask, “what would some unfortunate kid do if I dropped him/her into this mess I’ve created?” From there, I get to know my character by watching how they react. This might be backwards from what more organized authors do (and it causes me lots of rewriting). Some writers like to get to know the character before they put them in situations so they know exactly what they’re going to do. I don’t create biographies yet. I’m moving toward that model, but I still like to be surprised sometimes.
Q. You've written lots of award-winning screenplays. How is writing a novel different, and what's the same?
A. Both are fun. Screenplays don’t explain what’s in the characters’ heads. They are purely action and dialogue. When I write a novel, I must let you (the reader) into the thoughts of at least one character, maybe all of them. Also, with a novel there is much more description of what you see. I paint the picture for you. In a script, that is left for the director/art director/cinematographer to do. Storywise, I find them the same. In fact, it’s a surprisingly easy translation, especially from scripts to kids’ novels.
Q. What kinds of questions might your two young sons have about what happens in "Demonkeeper," and how might you discuss some of those issues?
A. Mostly they want to know about the fun stuff—how the demons work. They love the monsters. I prompt them by saying, “what sort of demons can you think up” or “what do you think the demon might do to cause more mischief?” Kids-in-danger is a big, fat, heavy issue, though. I don’t shy away from it. Some kids get eaten up by monsters in Demonkeeper, but this is to advance the theme. It’s not “horror” for horror’s sake. Even though it’s fun fantasy, my kids still ask, “what happened to those kids that the monsters ‘got,’ dad?” This is purposeful. I see this as an opportunity to teach valuable lessons about good choices, mortality and even high stakes in storytelling (I’m teaching my six year old to write stories).
Q. What's the latest with the script for "Demonkeeper"? How are your other writing projects coming along?
A. My script is in development in Hollywood. Director Sam Fell (The Tale of Desperaeaux, Flushed Away) is attached, and he’s working with the writer currently on the project. It feels slow to me, because I’m so eager. Movies take several years to make. My second book, Goblins! An Underearth Adventure came out last year and my next book, The Dead Boys, is due to be released in September 2010. All are with Penguin/Putnam. Demonkeeper is also doing well internationally, as a best seller in Germany (Random House – Penhaligon). The sequel was released in Germany in November 2009, and I am currently writing the third book in the series.
Q. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
A. Like doing anything well, writing takes time and practice. I have put in a lot of hours perfecting my craft. When I speak at conferences, I encourage people to dream big and work hard.
A. I’ve always loved to write and started becoming more serious with short stories while attending law school. My journey to get published started in earnest 15 years ago. During the day, I worked as a prosecuting attorney then stay up until two or three in the morning writing.
Q. Why did you become a prosecutor? A screenwriter? A novelist? How does all this figure into your family life?
A. I went to law school so I could do something professional with my English degree. I became a prosecutor to serve my community. I write to fill the other half of my heart…that artsy part. I feel extremely lucky to be able to lead two lives. Speaking thereof, my lives are absolutely crazy. Two jobs, two boys (9&6) and a professional turbo-wife who works full-time. It’s delightfully nuts.
Q. You mention how your experience as a prosecuting attorney working with juveniles who've gone astray influenced the writing of your first novel, Demonkeeper. First, can you extrapolate on that a bit?
A. Demonkeeper is a super-fun fantasy for kids, but the primary allegory in the story delivers a good, serious message. At its heart, Demonkeeper is about kids needing mentors and a home. As a juvenile prosecutor, I saw the damage that living on the streets did to kids. Demonkeeper itself began as a short story inspired by a street kid I prosecuted regularly in juvenile court. He was thirteen, had a green Mohawk, and I would see him downtown begging change. Then one day he disappeared. Nobody seemed to care. I imagined the chaos of those streets as a monster that simply rose and ate him up, as it does with so many kids. Demonkeeper retains that serious underlying message, but the novel has evolved into a lighthearted and fun tale accessible to kids.
Q. Also, why did you set it in Seattle rather than in Bellingham? How might those "lost souls" be different in a more urban area? (First it was a short story set in B'ham, then a screenplay set here, then a novel in Seattle. Is that true?)
A. This is an easy question. Demonkeeper “moved” to Seattle when I took my Bellingham based story to Hollywood. My agents were very clear with me that Seattle is an easier sell to movie studios than Bellingham as a setting. It’s a matter of scale. Seattle big and well known…Bellingham small. I think lost souls face similar problems in both places. But Bellingham has its share of lost souls for its size. I recently had lunch with David Webster, the Executive Director of Northwest Youth Services, and he reminded me of the astounding number of homeless children in our own county. We’re not talking 10 or 20…more like hundreds.
Q. Who do you expect might be the readers for "Demonkeeper"?
A. I suspect the next generation of kids interested in Harry Potter style fun will dig this story. It’s great for ages 9 and up. I get e-mails from middle schoolers, mostly. School librarians are some of the biggest fans. Teachers and parents who want to get kids reading like it too…if they can handle monsters.
Q. What kinds of questions might a reading group develop/talk about in relation to plot, theme, character, setting?
A. How does the message of children needing homes and good mentors resonate throughout the story? Why is Seattle a great setting for this story? What developmental obstacle does the main character, Nat, need to overcome? What are demons, according to this story? Are they necessarily evil? Is chaos bad for children? Why?
Q. You seem to give a lot of backstory for your characters... Why is that important to the reader, and do you (as most writers seem to) create a biography in your mind for your characters?
A. My typical method has been to think up a crazy situation first, then ask, “what would some unfortunate kid do if I dropped him/her into this mess I’ve created?” From there, I get to know my character by watching how they react. This might be backwards from what more organized authors do (and it causes me lots of rewriting). Some writers like to get to know the character before they put them in situations so they know exactly what they’re going to do. I don’t create biographies yet. I’m moving toward that model, but I still like to be surprised sometimes.
Q. You've written lots of award-winning screenplays. How is writing a novel different, and what's the same?
A. Both are fun. Screenplays don’t explain what’s in the characters’ heads. They are purely action and dialogue. When I write a novel, I must let you (the reader) into the thoughts of at least one character, maybe all of them. Also, with a novel there is much more description of what you see. I paint the picture for you. In a script, that is left for the director/art director/cinematographer to do. Storywise, I find them the same. In fact, it’s a surprisingly easy translation, especially from scripts to kids’ novels.
Q. What kinds of questions might your two young sons have about what happens in "Demonkeeper," and how might you discuss some of those issues?
A. Mostly they want to know about the fun stuff—how the demons work. They love the monsters. I prompt them by saying, “what sort of demons can you think up” or “what do you think the demon might do to cause more mischief?” Kids-in-danger is a big, fat, heavy issue, though. I don’t shy away from it. Some kids get eaten up by monsters in Demonkeeper, but this is to advance the theme. It’s not “horror” for horror’s sake. Even though it’s fun fantasy, my kids still ask, “what happened to those kids that the monsters ‘got,’ dad?” This is purposeful. I see this as an opportunity to teach valuable lessons about good choices, mortality and even high stakes in storytelling (I’m teaching my six year old to write stories).
Q. What's the latest with the script for "Demonkeeper"? How are your other writing projects coming along?
A. My script is in development in Hollywood. Director Sam Fell (The Tale of Desperaeaux, Flushed Away) is attached, and he’s working with the writer currently on the project. It feels slow to me, because I’m so eager. Movies take several years to make. My second book, Goblins! An Underearth Adventure came out last year and my next book, The Dead Boys, is due to be released in September 2010. All are with Penguin/Putnam. Demonkeeper is also doing well internationally, as a best seller in Germany (Random House – Penhaligon). The sequel was released in Germany in November 2009, and I am currently writing the third book in the series.
Q. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
A. Like doing anything well, writing takes time and practice. I have put in a lot of hours perfecting my craft. When I speak at conferences, I encourage people to dream big and work hard.
Copyright 2009 - Royce Scott Buckingham