Another blog post, another wonderful guest! Today I’ve persuaded Castlemaine’s own
Kirsten Krauth to give us a visit. Kirsten
and I knocked knees together during our very first author readings, and now Kirsten’s
debut novel
just_a_girl has recently
been released by UWAP. Set on the
outskirts of Sydney, it’s the strange and sultry story of Layla.
Layla may be only 14, but she’s grown up fast. She does a lot of things online that she
probably shouldn’t. Her mum has her own
problems to deal with, plus she’s a bit church-obsessed. Layla is figuring things out on her own, and
she’s a quick study. And somewhere else
in the city, a man is packing his lover into a suitcase…
Just_a_girl is an
adult novel that looks into the heart of teenage life, its darkness and light,
and it’s filled with beautiful language that made me drool a little. So now I’d like you to give a warm welcome to
the very talented Kirsten Krauth!!
Kirsten – hey there,
how’re you going? You’ve been a writer
and blogger for some time, but what’s it like now, being a fully fledged
author?
It’s a big step. It feels different having your book out in the
world. Very exciting to receive that little package in the mail. It’s kind of
like being pregnant. You don’t really believe you’re going to have a baby,
until you have a baby! I have the book on top of the huge pile of books next to
my bed. It’s nice to look at when I wake up.
Now here’s the
question that seems to be compulsory for every writer – which is it, plotter or
pantser?
Definitely a pantser. For this first novel, I was learning,
so I started out just concentrating on voice (Layla’s). I wrote paragraphs,
playing with words. Gradually the paragraphs started to merge, new characters
were born, and connections were made. I don’t know where the characters are
taking me, and it’s one of the joys of writing, to find that out. I like seeing
the shape of the novel emerge slowly. I concentrate on structure and plotting
in later drafts.
Just_a_girl is pitched as an adult novel, but your protagonist is
14. What were the challenges of writing
from a teenage perspective? Did you find
yourself doing a lot of eavesdropping and observing to research the way
teenager’s behave and talk?
Layla’s voice had real resonance with me. I find 14 year
olds endlessly fascinating and she was the easiest character in the book to
write. This is because Layla is on the cusp, in so many ways. She is full of
contradictions: sexual but naïve; angry but vulnerable; passionate but evasive.
I think I am always drawn to teenagers as they often see themselves as
outsiders looking in, trying to work out the world. I think most writers see
themselves that way too! The challenge with writing from a teen perspective is
you have to hold onto that naiveté, and remember how much they don’t yet know.
With Layla, her style is very distinctive. Short, sharp, disjoined sentences.
Often not grammatically correct. So it was important to keep that consistent.
I used to commute between Springwood (where the novel is
set) and Kings Cross in Sydney for four hours a day. It gave me a lot of time
to listen to girls on the train. I was surprised by how much they revealed to
each other and all of us listening (and questioned quietly how much of it was
true). I used to note things down. I also spent a fair bit of time on Facebook
seeing how young girls communicated there…
What prompted you to
write just_a_girl in the first
place? How did it all start to come
together?
I had a few ideas about Layla (she originally started as a
hypertext fiction created for the internet, which is why she is so jumpy!) and
took them to university where I did a research masters in creative writing. My
supervisor Sue Woolfe was a fantastic encouragement and I had a shorter version
of the novel by the time I completed my degree.
So much of teenage
life is conducted online now – chatting with mates, arranging events, acquiring
knowledge, even hooking up – and it’s all conducted in full public view. Everything you do is out there, like you’ve
taken out a half-page ad in the paper. And
yet the responsible adults are often a bit oblivious, because they’re not as
connected with or informed about the technology. It struck me that just_a_girl highlights this idea really well – the existence of a
secret life, conducted in public. Was this
something that you noticed too, as you were pulling all the threads of the
novel together?
Yes, yes, yes. I actually set out on the book with this
theme in mind. It continues to occupy me. I was interested originally in the
impact of digital technologies on people’s lives, family, parenting, teenagers.
What could a teenager do in her bedroom that I couldn’t when I was that age? If
she could chat with a stranger (who could find out a lot about her online and
gear the conversation around certain things), and then organise to meet him in
another town, that’s a pretty big shift! Then when I told people about my novel
and ideas, stories just poured out. Of young people discovered doing the most secretive
and scary things. One sticks in my mind, a young boy who was selling naked
images of himself. His mother only found out when she discovered his bank
account had thousands of dollars.
I think you’ve just given me a great line for the book … ‘a
secret life, conducted in public’. Can I use it? (Sure!
– go for your life!)
As a parent yourself,
though, do you find it a bit unnerving?
Or is this just normal for teenagers now, and do adults need to get over
it (or get with the program)?
As a parent (of two young children) I’ve been dwelling on
these ideas a lot. How do you control your children’s access to technology,
when they are so desperate to keep up and fit in? Is it possible when most
parents (and teachers) know less about technology than the children do? I have
always been interested in computers and communications so I try to keep up with
it. I think all use can be moderated to some extent. If kids are going to use
iPads, laptops, they need to do it in family areas, with parental supervision.
And they need to switch off too. With mobiles, it’s more difficult. I’m sure as
my kids reach their teens, technologies will have changed rapidly again, so
I’ll have to revise my thinking…
The book has been
described as having a ‘noir-ish feel’, which to me was odd (as I always think
of Elmore Leonard when I think of noir) but also strangely appropriate. Do you think it’s an accurate description?
Funny, I hadn’t thought of it that way, but yes, I think it
works. The author Wendy James describes her work as ‘suburban noir’ and it
might fit in there. I hope the book crosses genres in some ways so I’d be happy
for it to be described like that. The book has an undercurrent of darkness that
permeates…
I noticed you slipped
in a reference to Layla reading Murakami…
What sort of books were you reading when you were 14? Do you think they influence you even to this
day?
I wasn’t reading any Japanese writers (a shame) but I was a
voracious reader. On my school hols my dad would buy me a pile of 10 books and
I’d binge-read, happy as anything. My favourites were the US writers in teen
fiction, Judy Blume, Robert Cormier, Paul Zindel, SE Hinton. Yes, these writers
were focused on sex and occasionally bleak themes (with the odd strike of light
and humour), so they have definitely influenced my first book. I still love to
see them on my bookshelf.
Just_a_girl is your first book – what has it been like to see your
‘baby’ go out into the world (and did you ever read through the typeset pages
and think ‘omg, I should have changed that!’ etc)
It has been both exhilarating and unnerving. It’s strange to
let go of something you’ve worked for so many years on. I love hearing what
other people think of it, especially when it’s struck a nerve. Even thought
it’s written for adults, I’ll be very pleased when I hear a teenager’s opinion.
I haven’t looked through the final copy as I don’t want to think about changing
anything! I just like looking at the cover!
So now you’re
published, do you have any words of wisdom for other young writers out there?
Write what you’re passionate about. Be resilient. Keep
trying even if you get knocked back a few times. Learn to know which
advice/criticism to take on. For the first draft, don’t look back. Just keep
writing. Don’t think about it. Plenty of time to do that in future drafts.
Well, folks, that’s the end of Kirsten’s interview – thanks,
Kirsten, for being such a lovely guest, and good luck with the book! If you’d like to come to the launch of just_a_girl here in Castlemaine, come
along to Lot 19 on Saturday 13 July, 5-7pm.
Ask a local for directions! (or
tweet me, because I’m going, so I can point you the way)
And if you’d like to read
just_a_girl, copies are available from
Stoneman’s Bookroom in
Castlemaine, various bookstores around the country, or online (paperback or
ebook)
from
UWA Publishing.
Finally, before I go, a couple of VITAL things. The next few weeks are going to be incredibly
busy, because everything is happening at once, it seems. But I do need to mention –
Here's the author, hard sloggin' it with the signings...
It was a fantastic night at
Brunswick Bound,
and if you’re a crime fan, go and grab a copy of this awesome novel featuring
the hard-drinkin’ ever-lovin’ detective Jayne Keeney in Krabi (I’m hoping to
hit Angela up for an interview some time when she’s not busy as a bee…).
On ya, Angela!
* The winner of the Every
Breath Cover Reveal Competition is about to go live!! I’m pulling a name out of the hat this
weekend, and I’ll post it up on Sunday.
Check out one of the sweet sweet prizes…
(No, not
me! The t-shirts!)
Yes, you get one of these, plus a copy of the
book, so if you’ve been thinking you’d like to jump aboard, then – quick! Go
here right now and comment, or say hi on
Facebook or Tweet me @elliemarney, for your last chance to win!
(More crazy selfies below! It's the t-shirts, people, the t-shirts...but check the stylish beanie...)
* If you’re a student at Castlemaine Secondary College, the Every Breath Review Comp starts on
Tuesday 16 July – that’s next Tuesday!
I
know, I know, it’s sad to go back to school, but…Prizes! Book copies!
Your name in lights!
If you’d
like to enter the competition, go see your English Teacher and nominate to
review the book –
your review could be published online here, and in the
Castlemaine Mail!!
* Last but not least – er, KOALAS IN OUR DRIVEWAY.
Well, not plural koalas, just one very
lost-looking koala, who spooked the chickens when he/she wandered into our
place on Wednesday… The koala took a
side trip into the study, so yes, I am writing in the very place that our koala
friend peed (koalas get freaked out in confined places – who knew?). Koalas – very fluffy ears, and totally weird.
That’s the round-up. Hope
you’re all having a good week, and talk to you again very soon J
Xx Ellie
.jpg)
