First off, Kim, I’d like to say thanks for agreeing to this interview. Tourniquet was a great read. I’m keen to find out if there’s going to be more ‘Tales from the Renegade City’ in the future. When are we likely to see publication of any sequel?
Really delighted that you enjoyed Tourniquet! Hearing feedback like that makes the whole writing slog worthwhile. Tales from the Renegade City is a series which is particularly acute for me both professionally and personally, primarily because it is set in the rock scene which is the air that I breathe, and also because it explores issues of real significance to me: alternative lifestyles, our innate human need to ‘belong’, gender boundaries, artistic expression, and transgression. Tourniquet was also the turning point in my career as a writer, shifting me from a dark fantasy author into a kind of steam powered new weird/science fictional hybrid! I am currently working on the next book in the series, provisionally titled Heteroclite and which sees the gothic sensibilities of the first novel evolve into urban SF. I am also very excited about a new project, a graphic novel prequel to Tourniquet which I am enjoying writing so much I might be tempted to change career!
What sort of a writer do you see yourself as? Are you the painstakingly methodical kind, or do you just bite the bullet and see where your writing takes you?
Whenever I teach a writing workshop, I am always eager to stress that old adage, ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’ I shoulder the nastiest breed of niggling self critic. But as to whether I’m methodical or spontaneous, bizarrely for me, I’d have to go with methodical. I find that my writing benefits from a structured approach. The way I write a story is to plot it in great detail – my outlines run to over 20,000 words. But I also suspect this may be a case of fooling my brain – or the nasty critter on my shoulder – into thinking I’m writing a plot no one will ever see then finding out I’ve actually written the bulk of the scenes.
What’s your average writing day like, and what do you do on days when you’re feeling uninspired?
I have chosen to write when I can rather than sacrifice family life for the sake of my career. As a result, the days when I get to write uninterrupted are few and far between. But I usually aim to start my working day by attacking an invisible assailant in my kitchen – otherwise known as kickboxing. It wakes me up, helps counteract an otherwise sedentary occupation, and gets me in the mood for writing action scenes! By 10am, I’ll be tucked into a corner of my husband, Del’s sound studio, and finally crawl back out around 4.30pm to collect our daughter from school. Most evenings I like to fit in another hour to two hours writing. I usually have enough projects going on to find the inspiration to work on one of them. My main enemy is the Internet; when researching, I find myself clicking off onto the most random tangents. Enlightening reading that crash lands into the realms of procrastination.
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What is it about steampunk that ‘does it’ for you? Are there any authors writing in this style that really appeal to you, someone you would recommend as a good read?
You know, I am still trying to work that out. I have never studied engineering, am bloody useless at maths, and am hardly what you’d call a hands-on mechanic. But there is just something beautiful to me about the steam engine; clearly, the historical romanticism appeals, but I think it’s more than that. The draw of steampunk for me is the way extraordinarily intricate mechanisms combine with stylish artistry and a good glug of grime. Mind you, I am not what you might call purist steampunk, by which I’m referring to a Victorian London aesthetic. I’m all about retro-futurism – my latest novel-in-progress is a stand alone gaspunk action adventure called Autodrome, and it features 30s, 50s, and 70s alt-historical eras.
As for author recommendations, I really think that the YA writers are ahead of the field. Phillip Reeves’s series, Mortal Engines, is brilliant post-apocalyptic steampunk and features ‘traction cities’ that trawl the ruined planet attempting to devour one another. Eoin Colfer’s latest, Airman, is swashbuckling alt history with distinct steampunk inclinations. And, of course, Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is seminal.
Could you ever see yourself writing in any other genre or style, or is steampunk the kind of writing you see yourself doing for the foreseeable future?
Yes, I love to write fight scenes, car chases, and action adventure, but I am really keen to make my characters three-dimensional, and my readers care what happens to them. The great thing is I’ve found a medium that supports both in steam/gaspunk. I suspect my writing will always have a layer of dystopian grease to it, and I will never tire of writing about cool cars!
How do you feel as a woman writing genre fiction? Do you think the image of a male-dominated writing field is finally breaking down?
I feel in no way discriminated against by fans of genre fiction. In fact, I get a kind of perverse satisfaction from being held to task by fans just as strictly as any male writer. If we are talking the industry as a whole, well, it is a slightly different story, still very much male-dominated and, at times, sexist. But what to do? Bitch or kick ass? Personally, I just pull on my new rocks, load up the bazooka and haul on in regardless.
As a genre fiction author, do you feel there are boundaries you wouldn’t cross in your writing, any subject you would feel uncomfortable tackling?
On a personal level, I have always been fascinated by controversial subject matter and I have tried to
come to some level of understanding by exploring it. As a writer however, I want to feel excited when I write, not terrified. This means I have definite boundaries in terms of how far I would ever take a story horror-wise. I am not a fan of slasher/gore. I am also turned on by the sexiness that infuses a story or characters as opposed to overt sex, and my writing reflects that.
Finally, I read in another interview that you’re a bit of a Joss Whedon fan. What do you make of Whedon’s current sci-fi television series, Dollhouse? Any other television series or films you’re particularly taken with at the moment?
I was certainly a fan of Buffy, Angel and Firefly in their heyday. I can’t comment on Dollhouse as it hasn’t shown on terrestrial TV in the UK to the best of my knowledge, and Del won’t abide Sky in the house, political animal that he is! We tend to watch a lot of box sets and catch up on series long after the rest of the world. Current favourites include Supernatural (Dean…hell yes!), Carnivàle, Medium, and Veronica Mars. In terms of films, if it hasn’t got vampires, muscle cars, or pyrotechnics, I’m probably not interested. That said, none featured in Tarsem Singh’s The Fall, and I thought that was breathtaking. If I can achieve anything halfway as visually arresting via my writing, I’ll be happy!
You can catch up on what Kim’s up to at her website, here.
