We caught up with author KITTY BLACK about Everglade, the first book in an exciting and funny fantasy trilogy. Read on for the Q&A.
What sparked the idea for Everglade?
It was Wren, the main character herself! She wandered into my imagination during a warm-up writing exercise. She was determined and sarcastic, and I knew I wanted to write her story. From there, I threw everything that I loved about books as a child (and honestly, still love) into my own book. I mushed it all together and had a great time doing it.
What can you tell us about Wren and her magical abilities?
There are four types of witches in the magic system in Everglade, and each type of witch corresponds to an element – earth-witch, air-witch, etc. I can’t tell you what type of witch Wren is because that’s a spoiler! But I can tell you that Wren draws her magic from her connection to her element and what it represents. Wren is a unique witch for a variety of reasons, and she learns more about who she is and what she can do as the series progresses. I think we each have skills and strengths, plus moments where our determination and self-belief is so strong that it can feel like a type of magic, so I wanted to use a magic system that honoured that.
What kind of challenges will Wren face?
Wren’s initial challenge is to hide her true self in a place that despises who and what she is. This challenge then flips to her accepting herself fully and embracing her own skills and talents. The tension in the book comes from the interplay of Wren’s inner world with the concrete dangers of the outside world. Plus, there’s some good old-fashioned chase scenes, wolves, magical mishaps, and an excellently creepy villain.
How did you come up with the Eater?
Ah, my excellently creepy villain! The Eater is a complicated character. I love a villain with a backstory, so I wanted the Eater to feel vindicated in his choices, despite those choices being, obviously, terrible. I had a strong image in my head of when the Eater emerges from the shadows and is truly seen for the first time. I wanted a moment for the reader where they can say along with the main characters, ‘Oh, I see him now!’
What was your favourite part of creating the world of Everglade?
My favourite part was the bit just before it all had to make sense, haha! World-building does not come easily to me. I know the major plot points when I’m writing, but other than that things just happen, and I go with it. I really like the unknown aspect of writing – the part where there’s nothing but imagination and potential. However, for a book to be readable the world it is set in needs to make sense. So, I had to put everything together in a more deliberate, structured way and ignore the voice in my head saying, ‘add a monkey! Add six monkeys!’ There are no monkeys in Everglade by the way, so far, the voice of monkeys has been overpowered by the voice of reason!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kitty Black is a children’s author living in Perth, Australia. With a background in psychology and education, Kitty knows how important stories are for everyone. She is the author of numerous picture books. Everglade is her debut middle grade book. She lives with her partner and two children who are excellent at providing both noise and inspiration, although rarely in equal amounts.
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