Ask the Author: Peng Shepherd
Answered Questions (13)
Peng Shepherd
About a year. I was in grad school in London, and a friend from my hometown sent me a gorgeous little note that was almost more art than letter, with lots of doodles and colored ink and included some Polaroids and random magazine and newspaper clippings that were related to things she'd written. She didn't expect anything in return, but it was so beautiful and fun, I had to send one back to her, and then we fell into a rhythm with it. There's nothing better than getting a letter from a friend in the mail.
Peng Shepherd
Thank you! I'm so happy to hear that you loved The Cartographers so much. When I finished that novel, I felt like I owed it to Nell and Felix to let them have their ending, so I don't have any immediate plans to write a sequel, but I love the world of rare books and maps so much, and hope to return to it in a new way in another book soon. Plus, there's always hope for a "Cartographers" TV adaptation someday ;) ...
Peng Shepherd
If you'd like to read it in hard copy, you can find the piece in the "Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022" anthology, which just came out a few months ago!
Peng Shepherd
Thanks for your question! All of my books are in the adult genre. They could be appropriate for some teenagers, but do contain some dark themes, and there is explicit language in The Book of M.
Peng Shepherd
The hoops aren't infinite! If you're interested in traditional publishing (vs indie or self), after you finish writing and revising your manuscript until it's ready to go, it's highly recommended that you look for a literary agent rather than a publisher directly. Literary agents are wizards and very, very worth it. I could go on and on about them, but I don't want this to turn into a novel itself, and there's plenty of information online about what they do for you and how to find the right one for you. Once you have representation, your agent will actually be the one pitching your book and sending the manuscript to editors for you. Hope that helps!
Peng Shepherd
Hah! So I think yaks are adorable and hilarious — their huge noses, wooly coats, goofy grunting noises, the way they bounce around when playing with each other as babies... but I guess because they’re a slightly uncommon animal here in the US, my love of them has become a running joke among my friends and a few readers. I am teased about it mercilessly, but I don’t care. :) Yaks are the best!
Peng Shepherd
Hi, and thanks for your question. I haven’t yet had a loved one be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, but I do have close friends with relatives afflicted with those conditions. Watching them lovingly care for their parents and grandparents as they cherish the time they have left together was certainly an inspiration for the deep devotion and bonds between many of the characters in the novel.
Because I don’t have direct experience, and because the story in The Book of M involves more magic than science, I wasn’t aiming to specifically represent or speak for anyone suffering from or caring for someone suffering from memory loss. Rather, my hope is that readers whose lives have been touched by Alzheimer’s, dementia, or amnesia in some way are able to take whatever they personally want to from the story—whether it’s just the adventure, the love the characters have for each other, or something more.
Because I don’t have direct experience, and because the story in The Book of M involves more magic than science, I wasn’t aiming to specifically represent or speak for anyone suffering from or caring for someone suffering from memory loss. Rather, my hope is that readers whose lives have been touched by Alzheimer’s, dementia, or amnesia in some way are able to take whatever they personally want to from the story—whether it’s just the adventure, the love the characters have for each other, or something more.
Peng Shepherd
Yes, I am! I actually just finished the first draft about two weeks ago. It still needs a lot of revision, but I’m hoping to get a near-final draft of the manuscript to my editor by the end of the year/super early next year. (Seriously, where did this year GO?!?)
They always say that second books are the hardest out of them all to write, and it definitely feels true to me right now! I’m also trying something a little different, which is making the writing exciting in addition to slightly terrifying. I can’t say much more at this point, but I really hope you enjoy it once it’s out there. Thanks!
They always say that second books are the hardest out of them all to write, and it definitely feels true to me right now! I’m also trying something a little different, which is making the writing exciting in addition to slightly terrifying. I can’t say much more at this point, but I really hope you enjoy it once it’s out there. Thanks!
Peng Shepherd
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And thank you for the kind words. I've been blown away by the reception and so, so grateful to everyone who took a chance on it and picked up a copy. As for the writing process, I spent about 9 months on the first, very rough, draft, and then revised for 6 more months before I started looking for a literary agent. It felt long at the time, but the book is pretty big (about 150,000 words), and it seems like my second novel is going to need a bit more work than that, so now I miss that speed! :)
Peng Shepherd
I think about foreshadowing a lot when writing, as it can really build anticipation and tension (which is always fun to read), but the process itself is still a little bit mysterious for me.
Sometimes, I know right from the start what big reveal I’m building toward, and writing those instances of foreshadowing is very planned and strategic. It’s a game of trying to hint at just enough but not give away too much. But occasionally—usually in the first draft, when I’m still developing the plot and don’t know everything that will happen or all the little connections yet—I’ll write a line or scene that I suddenly realize is foreshadowing for something I didn’t even know was going to occur! That’s always a really exciting moment because even though I’m the one creating it, I get to feel that same sense of discovery in my story as the reader.
Sometimes, I know right from the start what big reveal I’m building toward, and writing those instances of foreshadowing is very planned and strategic. It’s a game of trying to hint at just enough but not give away too much. But occasionally—usually in the first draft, when I’m still developing the plot and don’t know everything that will happen or all the little connections yet—I’ll write a line or scene that I suddenly realize is foreshadowing for something I didn’t even know was going to occur! That’s always a really exciting moment because even though I’m the one creating it, I get to feel that same sense of discovery in my story as the reader.
Peng Shepherd
Thank you so much for reading! That’s a great question. I wrote The Book of M as a standalone, but I’ve had quite a few readers ask me if it’s going to be a series, so you're in good company! My publisher and I are thinking it over, but haven’t reached a decision yet. I’m torn, because I love the characters, and the story definitely could continue—there is so much more of the world to be explored—but there’s also something to be said for allowing an ending to remain a little open and letting the reader draw their own conclusions.
Peng Shepherd
That's awesome! I really hope you enjoy the book. To answer your question, the linking of shadows and memory didn't come from any personal experience. It felt more like a process of exploration. First I stumbled upon the idea of shadows disappearing as I began creating the world, but I knew there had to be more to it than that -- it had to *cost* something to lose your shadow and be able to do magic. Shadows and memory are very different things, but they both also are very integral, permanent parts of a person. If you were to lose one or the other, would what was left still be you? That's the question that struck me, and the one I tried to follow as I wrote the story.
Peng Shepherd
Thanks for your question! When I read, I personally don’t like encountering spoilers and work hard to avoid them, so when talking about my own writing, I always err on the side of caution and try not to reveal too much -- especially in a public article or interview where readers who don’t want spoilers could accidentally stumble upon it.
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Jul 24, 2024 09:33AM · flag