Page Created: 06/22/11. Last Update: 06/22/11.
N K JEMISIN
Books:
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
The Broken Kingdoms
The Kingdom of the Gods (forthcoming)
Official Site:
MEETING SUMMARY:
Meeting Date: August 13, 2011.
Meeting Site: Barnes & Noble, Hackensack.
Official Attendance: 21.
Meeting Program: Talk / Q & A with Fantasy Author
Notes:
Newsletter Account:
The following account is reprinted with permission from THE STARSHIP EXPRESS Copyright 2011 Philip J De Parto:
The Science Fiction Association of Bergen County met on Saturday, August 13, 2011 at Barnes & Noble in Hackensack, New Jersey. Fantasy writer N K Jemisin, author of THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS and THE BROKEN KINGDOMS, the first two books of The Inheritance Trilogy, was our speaker.
Barry Weinberger led off the Ice Nine pre meeting discussion with a list of the Top 100 Science Fiction Novels as compiled by National Public Radio. Other topics discussed were he upcoming relaunch of the DC Comics line and The Legion of Substitute Podcasts. John Upton showed a scrapbook of his latest photographs of the final Space Shuttle launch and of pictures from recently attended conventions.
Nora Jemisin's writing career began when she was seven and produced several "books" of children's fairy tales on construction paper. Her early (pre teen) work was effectively fan fiction, giving new endings to movies like ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN. The author grew up in Mobile, Alabama where she went through every book of interest because there was nothing else to do. Her parents had an amicable divorce and she spent summers with her artist farther at whatever college he was stationed in that particular year.
Although she read widely, myth and fantasy were the only genres which made our guest actively want to write. J R R Tolkien ("LOTR is the story of Aragon and some other guys") and Michael Moorcock were among the fantasy writers she loved and Ms Jemisin was working on a Tolkienesque fantasy when she had a dream which planted the seed or THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS.
KINGDOMS was the ninth book Nora had written and the third she had attempted to sell. She completely rewrote the work before sending out query letters to agents. Two agents from her second round of queries expressed an interest, with eventual agent Lucienne Divers being particularly enthused because the book was so different from most of the fantasies crossing her desk.
Nora Jemisin has not written any shorter works. She stated that she did not want to contract "short story cooties" when she was starting out, although she has gotten to the point where she might consider short lengths if the right idea presented itself.
Our guest was interested in writing a book which has a dialogue with mythology, not with epic fantasy. Epics are about gods and mortals and how they interact, She also wanted to focus on people of color, although Yeine Darr, heroine of the first book, is not black, but rather something like an Aztec. After completing the first book, NKJ discovered that she unconsciously inserted ideas about archetypes and psychological theory into the text.
The author tries to write 1500 - 2000 words every day, but there are times when she works only on weekends. She works off an outline, but it is only a rough guide. Less than half the final result is what was actually in the initial outline.
Ms Jemisin is currently working on THE KILLING MOON, the first book in a new series. This is also an epic fantasy, but in a post apocalyptic setting, and will be a metaphor for homosexuality.
Although she has been writing fantasy, our guest plans to write science fiction down the road. Isaac Asimov and Anne McCaffrey were among her favorite authors growing up, but first she has to build her brand. It would not be safe to do something different until she is more established.
The subject of comic books came up during the question and answer period. NKJ would love to write Wonder Woman and gave her take on how she would handle the character. Our guest believes that every superheroine should be wearing cargo pants because all those pockets are just so useful
Our thanks to Nora and to everyone who helped make this a great meeting.