Special chat with Charles Todd, Alan Bradley, and Tasha Alexander discussion

If you have a question for the authors -- such as what their writing process is like or how they come up with their ideas -- this is the thread to ask it. They will be answering questions on September 8.

Charles Todd -- how do the two of you cooperate? Do you e-mail back and forth, write separate chapters, scenes?

Alan Bradley -- how much research is involved writing in this time period. Your heroine is delightful, by the way...a young girl we would all like to know.

Charles Todd -- do you find a different writer takes the lead on a different series?

Alan Bradley - Do you find yourself heavily outlining your novels, or do you write them start to finish unraveling the mystery as it goes along? Thank you kindly for your time. :)

Tasha Alexander - do you have a long range view of your characters/series events that is specifically and carefully developed book by book? Or do the characters/series take over during the writing of each book and do you just write what they tell you?

Alan Bradley & Tasha Alexander: I love both of your characters. Can Flavia please invent time travel and solve a mystery with Lady Emily? OK, kidding, a little. Both your series are do wonderful, are they as easy to write as they ate to read?

Alan Bradley - You write the character of Flavia cleverly. How did come up with idea to have her interested in Chemistry and Poison?

For Alan Bradley,

Hi Mr. Bradley, The descriptions of mixing chemicals, their reactions, the various poisons, are fascinating - please describe your background in chemistry.

Some famous poisoners have been mentioned, could you recommend further reading about them?

Was the orange Black Penny stamp printed & circulated for the reasons mentioned?

Will we learn more about Harriett? (From the first two books, she sounds intriguing and I'm getting more suspicious about her death.)

What are your plans for Flavia? I think I read it's a 5-book series - I hope it goes on and on. Thank you for such a delightful series.

Alan Bradley - Flavia is one of my favorite sleuths in the wonderful world of mystery. I can't thank you enough for creating such a unique, quick-witted charmer. I am delighted that there is a Christmas gift this year in the form of a new Flavia mystery. I do have to ask, though. Will there still be one in March? I simply can't get enough of Flavia.

Alan Bradley - I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the Flavia mysteries, doubly so as I've listened to them read by the wonderful Jayne Entwistle. Did you meet with her prior to the recording of your works? If so, what kind of questions and advice were exchanged?

Alan Bradley- Love your Flavia novels! She is so much fun and so smart! I'm just wondering...does Flavia discover her girly side? Not to the extent of her sisters, but maybe some pink nail polish, lip gloss or a little glitter here and there? Or some streamers and pearls for Gladys? Or are you saving that for when she turns 13? :)

Alan Bradley, Just finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and enjoyed it. Afterwords, I kept pondering about the title of the book and how it played into the story. I came up with several ways the sweetness quote could fit the people and plot of the book. How do you feel the quote connects to your story?

Alan Bradley - As a former English teacher for many years, I always told my students that writers will reveal parts of themselves in their novels. In what ways have you included your personal likes or dislikes? Hobbies or interests? Background and travels? Or other elements that show part of yourself in your series? And, just how much of yourself do you reveal?

To all the authors: What are their favorite books and which books/authors influence them? What advice do they have for aspiring writers?

Alan Bradely--- Whenever I read your books, a huge weight is lifted off my shoulders and I just appreciate the moment. I love Flavia! Her love for chemistry inspires me in my chemistry classes! How did you come up with such a unique character? In addition, I am a college student and I am not done writing papers! I get writers block all the time..do you have any tips? Thank you! I love Flavia and I never want her adventures to end!

Mr. Bradley,

Is your portrayal of the deLuce sisters informed by your own relationships with siblings? Did you ever live in England? On both accounts I feel you get the dynamics spot-on! Do you anticipate aging Flavia as the books go on?

Alan Bradley - I'm so captivated by Flavia and I've chosen her as one of my "Awesome Female Characters" for an online magazine I'm on the staff of which we're working on this month. She's such a strong, determined young lady, and I was wondering if you modeled her on anyone in particular in fiction or in the real world and how she developed for you as a character. What is her biggest strength in your opinion, and her biggest weakness? I can't wait to read the next chapter of her story, and re-read the first three in the next few weeks. Thank you for creating Flavia and all of the Buckshaw and Bishop's Lacey characters.

Charles Todd - Do you plan any more 'stand-alone' novels like The Murder Stone?

For Alan Bradley - I'm curious about why Flavia's story takes place so close the end of WWII, and how the individuality of the sisters may have been shaped by their experience/memory of the War and its impact on them because of their relative young age.

Thanks for creating such a delightful detective surrounded by a quirky family and batty community!

Ann wrote: "Charles Todd -- how do the two of you cooperate? Do you e-mail back and forth, write separate chapters, scenes?

Alan Bradley -- how much research is involved writing in this time period. Your hero..."

Thanks, Ann. Your comments are much appreciated.
I do a huge amount of research for each of the Flavia books. Since I know nothing whatsoever about chemistry, I have to wade through vintage chemical texts trying to find out if Flavia's ideas are actually workable. And, of course, they usually are!
Early on, before I knew better, I used to say, "Gee, Flavia, I don't know if that's actually possible" and Flavia would reply (with a snap of her fingers) "Well, you can go look it up in your spare time."
Nowadays I know better, and I'm actually enjoying sifting through outdated chemistry texts.

Fox wrote: "Alan Bradley - Do you find yourself heavily outlining your novels, or do you write them start to finish unraveling the mystery as it goes along? Thank you kindly for your time. :)"

Hi, Fox,

I unravel as I go along. The myth about following a thread through a darkened maze, Im sure, was meant to define the writing process.

Alan

Rebecca wrote: "Alan Bradley - You write the character of Flavia cleverly. How did come up with idea to have her interested in Chemistry and Poison?"

Hi, Rebecca,

Flavia appeared full-fledged, equipped with family, house, village and a burning interest in chemistry and poison. I have no idea where she came from, or where she was before she appeared in my life - but I'm eternally grateful that she did!

Luana wrote: "For Alan Bradley,

Hi Mr. Bradley, The descriptions of mixing chemicals, their reactions, the various poisons, are fascinating - please describe your background in chemistry.

Some famous poisoner..."

Hi, Luana,

As I mentioned above, my knowledge of chemistry is less than minus zero, so I have to scramble to keep up with Flavia.

There are many interesting books on the great poisoners of history. I don't have a list of favorites in front of me, so I'll have to get back to you later today. a search on the internet should turn up a huge amount of information.

The history of the orange stamp was invented for the book, although the setting, the attack on Queen Victoria, and the paranoia of the Post Office is real.

Yes, you'll be hearing more about Harriet. We learn a bit more in each book. It's actually a six book series, and I'm presently at work on book five.

Thanks for your wonderfully interesting questions!

Alan

Edwin wrote: "Alan Bradley - I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the Flavia mysteries, doubly so as I've listened to them read by the wonderful Jayne Entwistle. Did you meet with her prior to the recording of your w..."

Hi, Edwin,


That's a great question. No, I actually hadn't been in direct touch with Jayne Entwistle until the recent recording session for "I Am Half-Sick of Shadows", although I was in touch with her producer for each of the earlier books. The things we talked about were mostly pronunciation of certain words, or of the feeling of a particular passage.
I can't tell you how many letters of praise I've received about Jayne's reading of Flavia. I can't wait to hear the new one!

Bellini Bunny wrote: "Alan Bradley- Love your Flavia novels! She is so much fun and so smart! I'm just wondering...does Flavia discover her girly side? Not to the extent of her sisters, but maybe some pink nail polish, ..."

Hi, Bellini Bunny,

I don't think Flavia's old enough or young enough to be aware of a "girly side". So far, her only interest in pearls has been to dissolve them in acid as a chemical experiment.

Since Flavia is usually quite proud of her grubby fingers and grimy nails, I don't foresee pink nail polish - unless it's one that happens to be compounded of a particularly loathsome poison.

Now there's an idea!


Alan

Laura wrote: "Alan Bradley, Just finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and enjoyed it. Afterwords, I kept pondering about the title of the book and how it played into the story. I came up with sever..."

The phrase "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" connects with the story in any number of ways. In one way, it's about the pie that Mrs. Mullet makes, of which someone steals a slice, and the chain of events that are set in motion by that event. In another way, it has to do with Inspector Hewitt's words to Flavia about her own life and the way in which she is perceived by the world. There are several others, but I'll leave them to readers to ferret out.

Diana wrote: "Alan Bradley - As a former English teacher for many years, I always told my students that writers will reveal parts of themselves in their novels. In what ways have you included your personal likes..."

Hi, Diana,

That's a four-star question!
The main story elements in each book are things that have held an intense interest for me at one time or another: stamp collecting, cinema, puppetry, British Gypsies, etc.
I've always had a great interest in reading about England, and especially English mystery stories. My mother was born in England,
and I grew up in a household where English customs and way of life were always considered to be worthy of study.
I don't think that Flavia, per se, echoes any of my own likes or dislikes. She's her own character, who does and says things that would never occur to me. The one attribute we share is the huge enthusiasm for, and the intense focus focus upon, a particular interest. With Flavia, it's chemistry: with me it was lenses, mirrors, reflectors and prisms - the ways in which we can play with light.

Jae wrote: "To all the authors: What are their favorite books and which books/authors influence them? What advice do they have for aspiring writers?"

Hi, Jae,

A book I never tire of pressing upon people (I've probably given away a couple of dozen copies) is T.H. White's "The Once and Future King". It's as near perfection in style and tone as I think it's possible to get.

Advice to authors? As hackneyed as it seems "Write!". Don't allow yourself the luxury of being squelched by self-appointed critics.

Frédérique wrote: "Alan Bradely--- Whenever I read your books, a huge weight is lifted off my shoulders and I just appreciate the moment. I love Flavia! Her love for chemistry inspires me in my chemistry classes! Ho..."

It makes me happy to hear that, Frederique. Flavia just walked into my life. It's as simple as that. At no time did I sit down and try to figure out what kind of character she might be. She walked into another book I was writing, and took command. I had to give up on what I was trying to so, and give her her own book.

Writer's block (at least to me) refers to those times when you're , for one reason or another, unable to generate enough will power to sit down at the keyboard and write.

Sometimes it's a fear of not being perfect: of not being able to match in quality the work you've done before.

Eventually, you find ways of forcing yourself to write, and quite often, the very sentences you write under such conditions are the ones that people later recall as being your most memorable. Don't ask me how it works!

Sherry wrote: "Mr. Bradley,

Is your portrayal of the deLuce sisters informed by your own relationships with siblings? Did you ever live in England? On both accounts I feel you get the dynamics spot-on! Do you an..."

Hi, Sherry,

I never visited England until I went there to receive the Debut dagger Award for "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie," although I did grow up in Canada, in an English household.

I'll admit to having two older sisters, which makes me something of a Ph. D. in sibling torture.

I don't see Flavia aging much over the six books. They cover a span of a year in her life: a year in which she's on the cusp.
An older Flavia would not be nearly so interesting.

emma wrote: "Alan Bradley - I'm so captivated by Flavia and I've chosen her as one of my "Awesome Female Characters" for an online magazine I'm on the staff of which we're working on this month. She's such a st..."


Thanks, Emma - what a lovely message!

As I've said elsewhere, Flavia walked into the pages of another novel I was trying to write, and simply hijacked it. She arrived fully formed, like Athena from the brow of Zeus, and fully equipped with character, opinions, family, household, village, and so forth.

I wish I understood show that works, but I don't. I can only be in awe of the process, and be grateful to it.

Her great strength is her precocity. It is also her greatest weakness. She is not modeled on anyone I've ever known; she's entirely her own person.

Bonnie wrote: "For Alan Bradley - I'm curious about why Flavia's story takes place so close the end of WWII, and how the individuality of the sisters may have been shaped by their experience/memory of the War and..."

Hi, Bonnie,


Very much, I think. I was about Flavia's age in 1950, the time in which these books are set, and I still retain the very vivid sensations of those young eyes for the times, and the feel of the times.

Later, I spent years poring over anything I could get my hands on about England: it's history, geography, geology, folklore, customs, language, architecture ... anything.

I developed an "England-of-the-mind" that was accurate enough that I was able to find my way around London the first time I visited there. At the same time, it was not the reality. When I stood looking at something I'd read about, it was like looking at a 3D movie without glasses. It took a while for the reality and my mental image to merge into a rounded and sharply-focused view. It was fun, though!

For Tasha Alexander - Any chance Lady Emily will make an adventure to America?

Megan wrote: "Tasha Alexander - do you have a long range view of your characters/series events that is specifically and carefully developed book by book? Or do the characters/series take over during the writing ..."

I've always had an overall arc for Emily's character development. In the first book, she comes into her own intellectually. In the second, she has to reconcile her new, enlightened self with the society in which she lives. Then, in the third, she begins to get a broader view of the world. Subsequently, this view expands, and as her circumstances change, she has to adjust to marriage, loss, and an increasing sense of social justice.

For me, character is the most important part of a book, and I wanted the series to take a sheltered, aristocratic girl from her safe nest in society to a place where she is forward-thinking, independent, and enlightened. Today we look back at the Victorians and wonder why women didn't push back sooner and more strongly against the roles into which they were placed. But the truth is, very few people are prepared to wholly reject the world into which they are born. Rather than presenting Emily as an eccentric or a rebel, I wanted to consider the things that might have pushed a young lady in that direction. She doesn't do it all at once, and, especially in the early books in the series, there are moments when bits of her former character of rich, society girl creep in--but I think that's realistic.

Eccentrics will always be eccentrics. But the wholesale changes that came in the late Victorian Era and into the Edwardian couldn't have taken hold if those who might have comfortably stayed content in their roles started to reject them.

Robin wrote: "Alan Bradley & Tasha Alexander: I love both of your characters. Can Flavia please invent time travel and solve a mystery with Lady Emily? OK, kidding, a little. Both your series are do wonderful,..."

If only we had time travel.....

As for ease of writing, I find it loads easier than being a pharmaceutical sales rep, which was my previous career. I was very, very bad at that. :)

Thank you Tasha! I am so looking forward to the new book - have it pre-ordered in my Kindle! Also looking forward to what results from your recent trip to Europe!

Jae wrote: "To all the authors: What are their favorite books and which books/authors influence them? What advice do they have for aspiring writers?"

My two favorite books are Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and David Mitchell's CLOUD ATLAS. Yes, I realize they don't go together, but both authors absolutely seduce me with their brilliance. Mitchell writes sentences so gorgeous I have to go back to them again and again.

As for advice to aspiring writers: read! There's no better way to learn what makes a book work than reading. Read anything and everything--fiction, non-fiction, cereal boxes, whatever you can. Also, if you want to write you have to actually write. This sounds obvious, but it's very easy to get caught up in research or studying craft or waiting for that perfect idea. Sit down every single day and write something.

Carrie wrote: "For Tasha Alexander - Any chance Lady Emily will make an adventure to America?"

:)

I get that question a lot.

At the moment, I don't think so, but I suppose anything is possible. I was in New Orleans last week and could see Emily there. Maybe...

Tasha.
What are your thoughts about Lady Emily coming to big screen? Do you see the series becoming movies? If so, who is your ideal duo?

Charles Todd: Is it fair to say that A Bitter Truth was written primarily by the female member of the writing duo? I enjoy reading mysteries by women and the portrayal of the main character seemed to show a good understanding of and sympathy with women of the period.

For Tasha Alexander - If Emily had a modern theme song, what might that be?

Tasha wrote: "Carrie wrote: "For Tasha Alexander - Any chance Lady Emily will make an adventure to America?"

:)

I get that question a lot.

At the moment, I don't think so, but I suppose anything is possible. ..."

Ah yes...Emily in NOLA...that would definitely be interesting...did they have beignets in that era? :-)

Mariah wrote: "Tasha.
What are your thoughts about Lady Emily coming to big screen? Do you see the series becoming movies? If so, who is your ideal duo?"

Movies are such a different medium from books---it's fun (and slightly terrifying if the book's yours) to see how they differ. I'd love to see Emily on the big screen.

As to who should play Colin and her.....that's hard! For Emily, people usually suggest Gwyneth Paltrow or Emily Blunt. For Colin, I've heard Jeremy Northam, Michael Fassbender, Hugh Dancy, Colin Firth...there are lots of ideas.

I've always hesitated to pick particular actors as I want to keep the characters very much in my head, if that makes any sense.

My husband thinks Jane Seymour and Anthony Andrews. But that's just because he loves their SCARLET PIMPERNEL too much.

Carrie wrote: "For Tasha Alexander - If Emily had a modern theme song, what might that be?"

This is an excellent question. I'm going to have to ponder before answering....

Carrie wrote: "Emily in NOLA...that would definitely be interesting...did they have beignets in that era? :-) ..."

Oh yes they did! Cafe Du Monde opened in 1862.

For Alan Bradley - Have you chosen the titles for each book before you began writing them, or after, and do you have any criteria to guide you in choosing them? I, too, am a great Flavia fan and thank you for sharing her with us.

Tasha wrote: "Carrie wrote: "Emily in NOLA...that would definitely be interesting...did they have beignets in that era? :-) ..."

Oh yes they did! Cafe Du Monde opened in 1862."

Excellent! For some reason this makes me extremely happy!

For Tasha Alexander:

As I've told you before in various mediums, I am just so drawn to the emotional development of your character Emily. While I love all her adventures in exotic locales, her struggle with her relationships and her society is always what keeps me coming back to your books. My question for you is this: now that you've invested so much time and energy into creating Lady Emily series, is there any chance one day that you might start a new series or write a stand-alone novel? I'd be interested to see what other kinds of characters and worlds you can create.

P.S. I hope you enjoyed being in New Orleans this past weekend - please come back and have a signing after the new book is released!

Bev wrote: "For Alan Bradley - Have you chosen the titles for each book before you began writing them, or after, and do you have any criteria to guide you in choosing them? I, too, am a great Flavia fan and th..."


Hi, Bev,

In the case of "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" the title came quite a long time before the book. As soon as I happened upon it, I knew that it was a great book title.
How much did it shape the story? I'm not sure.
"The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag" came at a time when I was three o four chapters into the book. I had thought of calling it something else, but changed my mind.
Ditto "A Red Herring Without Mustard".

Each of them was chosen, I think, because of the way they resonated; because of what they revealed and what they left unsaid.

They were also very different from the monosyllabic titles we've been seeing recently. I think some of my publishers were a bit nervous at first, but soon came to see that different is better.

Thanks for your kind comments.

Alan

Alan Bradley, I absolutely love Flavia's stories! Anytime I pick a book up I can't put it down until I'm done with it! I'm looking forward to the upcoming release! I love learning about the history of her family, in particular her mother. There's an air of mystery surrounding the whole situation (which I know is the intention! :)). I was wondering will we be finding out more about it/her mother soon and will it continue to play out through the novels?