Tortall Comics Project
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Tortall Comics Volume 1, Issue 4 Winter 2011 Project Interview with the Founders By Kris (~Queen-Obsessed) Everyone has their own stories of how they drawing fan art for the books right away. As Table of Contents were first introduced to Tamora Pierce’s for Alena, she was in high school when she books and how they first discovered the found a copy of Wild Magic in her local Highlights from the Tortall Comics Project. With the project bookstore. She liked the cover so she bought Mastiff Book Tour winding down, I decided to sit down with the a copy. When she reached the end of the Pg. 1-3 club’s three founders, Steph (*Maseiya), book and realized that there was a series Alena (*whitelyte), and Claire (~prismageek), before that, she started reading Tamora Interview With the to have them share their thoughts and tell us Pierce in earnest. Claire was the first of the Founders the story of the project’s origins. founders to be introduced to Tamora Pierce. Pg. 1, 4-5 She was in middle school when she read her Steph was the last of the founders to start way through a friend’s copies of the Circle of Survey Results reading Tamora Pierce. Introduced to the Magic before discovering Tortall as well. Protector of the Small series by a friend just Pg. 5-7 three and a half years ago, she read all four When asked to pick a favorite series, both books over the course of two days and Steph and Alena chose the Protector of the promptly asked for more. Steph also began Continued, Page 4, “Founders” Founders: Highlights from the Mastiff Book Tour Steph (*Maseiya) By Kris (~Queen-Obsessed) Alena (*whitelyte) Mastiff, the third and final book in the Beka have you come back at me for lying!” Claire (~prismageek) Cooper trilogy, was released in America on October 25, and Tamora kicked off the During the course of both sessions, she release with a book signing tour. Tortall went into some detail about her writing fans and Tortall Comics Project members process. She informed us that the time to Co-Founders: complete a story, from idea to published across the west coast flocked to meet her. Kris (~Queen- For those who missed the question & novel, varies from book to book, but the answer sessions, here are some highlights basic process is generally the same. Obsessed) from the Seattle session (from notes taken She prefers multi-book publishing deals, Alanna by me) and the San Diego session (from because she generally takes years to think (~DevonianFossil) notes taken by Alena) . about a book before she starts writing. For Tammy started each question & answer example, her current contract has 6 books http://tortallcomics session by assuring that any questions on it—Beka’s trilogy, which is now complete; project.deviant.com could be asked and she would answer a Circle of Magic book tentatively titled them, because “I’d rather tell the truth, than Continued, Page 2, “Mastiff” 1 Page 2 argue with hers. The main example she Dedicate Crane for a year before the story, Cont. from pg. 1) “Mastiff” ( used for this was from the Beka Cooper and has taken a part-time job as a Battle Magic, featuring Briar, Rosethorn & trilogy. Her editor would try to correct her waitress. We also learned that her Evvy in Yangjing; and a duology about punctuation, and then Tammy would have roommate at Lightbridge will be a Numair’s early years and his falling out with to remind her editor that Beka doesn’t use merchant’s daughter, whose father thinks Ozorne. punctuation like semi-colons. that Tris is respectable and will be a good influence on his daughter. What he doesn’t She found, years ago, that she doesn’t do She talked frequently about being good know is that his daughter is something of a well trying to write more than one book at a friends with author Bruce Coville. She party animal. This caused quite a bit of time, so she lets her ideas “simmer” in the explained that, because they live near each laughter in the audience, as many people back of her mind for a long time before she other, whenever they are both home, they present were familiar with Tris’ dislike of actually starts writing. She keeps a will frequently visit each other and read parties. database of people to help choose physical excerpts from the stories they are working characteristics for her characters, but she on. They help each other with their stories, From this point, discussion topics at the likes to start each book with a scene that with Tammy helping fix Bruce’s battle two book signings varied. In Seattle, shows something about the main scenes while he helps her with things like Tammy was asked to pick a favorite character, as when Kel faced off against repeated words. secondary character from Bloodhound. the boys, and then the spidrens, in First She settled on Pearl and Okha as her Test. As Tammy explained it, by the time favorites, saying that writing Pearl was a she sits down to start writing, she lot of fun, but she really enjoyed generally has this beginning, with the “Fire, flood, plague, exploring Okha’s character, and wished introduction of the main characters, earthquake, palace falls that she could have fit Okha in the story planned out. She also has the idea for more. the end of the book, which could include, down and the rats reign She also talked about Lark and as she put it, “fire, flood, plague, supreme!” earthquake, palace falls down and the Rosethorn’s relationship in the Circle of rats reign supreme!” -Tamora Pierce, October Magic books, and Rosethorn’s relationship with Crane. She mentioned She went on to explain that figuring out 2011 that, because the books were so focused all of the bits in the middle is where she on the four children, she couldn’t go into runs into trouble. She will frequently call those two relationships as much as she her “spouse-creature,” Tim, to help her She explained that she works better when wanted, so instead she hinted at them brainstorm. She gave a few examples, she forces herself to write a certain number wherever she could. starting each one by calling, in a drawn-out of pages before she takes a break, so she and whiney voice, “Honey…!” One of the always sets herself a page limit for the day. Tammy said that in addition to the books examples that she used, both in San Diego She also mentioned that she works hard to featuring Briar and Tris, she is also working and Seattle, was how she ended up make sure she has pages finished for on a story for either Sandry or Daja. As she sending Beka and Goodwin to Port Caynn Bruce so that she and Tim can stay and explained it, she would really like Daja to be the main character, but Daja has in Bloodhound. She also used an example watch Bollywood movies with the Coville’s, where she called one of her friends, who which made the audience laugh. decided that now that her forge and shop was the basis for Queen Thayet, to ask are up and running the way she wants, she about the type of jewels that Thayet would The other big item that she talked about at wants to focus on that for a while. Tammy have worn when she was presented to both signings was Tris’ upcoming book. also said that the story she wants to do This unnamed book will feature Tris involves lots of travelling, and Daja feels the court in Lioness Rampant. applying to Lightsbridge University under she’s had quite enough of that after the She talked for a while about her editors an assumed name. Tammy explained that adventure they had in The Will of the and publishers. She told some stories from Tris will be trying to earn her basic mage’s Empress. Tammy plans to talk with Daja her early days of work which made the license, without anyone finding out who some more in between working on her audience laugh, and she explained how she really is. Some newer details that other stories, in the hopes that Daja will important editors were to a story, even came out at the signings included the fact take the story. Cont., pg. 3 though there were times when she would that Tris has been getting tutored by Page 3 Kris (~Queen-Obsessed) and Shannon (~yellowis4happy), with Tamora Pierce and a Kel doll. (Taken by Shannon’s mother on October Cont. from pg. 2 26, 2011) Related to arguing with Daja, Tammy can let go of the almost perfect picture and to our very own founder, Steph (*Maseiya). mentioned that her characters stay in her paint something new.” When Steph announced that she was there head once she’s created them, and they with a group from the Tortall Comics will sometimes tell her what they are doing In San Diego, Tammy briefly discussed Project, Tammy cheered. Steph then between books. When the audience wanting to do a series with Daine and asked for a short video to encourage and started asking about various characters, Numair’s children. She said that she inspire our members. The video can be she revealed that Daine and Numair wanted to the story from Rikash’s point of found on the TCP YouTube page (http:// currently spend most of their time chasing view, but she was waiting until the kids are www.youtube.com/user/TortallComics) and their children, Rikash and Sarralyn.