Marissa Meyer is the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of the Lunar Chronicles—Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Fairest, Winter—the New York Times–bestselling Renegades trilogy, as well as the graphic novel Wires and Nerve. Her first standalone novel, Heartless, was also a #1 New York Times bestseller. Her contemporary romance, Instant Karma, was a #1 Indie Bestseller. She lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and their two daughters.
Today, to celebrate the release of her new YA fantasy novel Gilded, Marissa Meyer is on the blog to take on our Ten Terrifying Questions! Read on …
Marissa Meyer (Photo by Connie Riggio).
1. To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
Hello! I’m Marissa Meyer and I was born in Tacoma, WA, USA, and have lived here my entire life! I have a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University, a Master’s in Publishing from Pace University in New York, and now I write books for a living, which is really fun.
2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
Writer, writer, writer! I’ve dreamed of seeing my name on a book cover since I was a little girl, in love with books. I grew up with a big imagination and was always writing stories, poems, plays, fanfiction … I knew this is what I wanted to be. That said, there were occasionally other dreams and ideas. At twelve I briefly wanted to be a Broadway actress (too bad I cannot sing or dance!), and at eighteen, though being a writer was the ultimate goal, I didn’t know if that was “realistic,” so for I planned to go into publishing as an editor, or possibly to start my own publishing company. At thirty I was a couple of books into my writing career and there was no looking back! I felt like I was living the dream, and still feel that way today.
3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you don’t have now?
Oh gosh. Probably a lot of things, but the first big one that comes to mind is how I perceived prison inmates. My assumption was that anyone in prison deserved to be there and we shouldn’t waste tax payers’ money on “helping” them. My feelings on the issue are so different now, seeing so many injustices within our legal system, and knowing that all of society would benefit if we actually helped people get their lives back on track, rather than condemning them forever for their past mistakes or the problems within the system.
Wow, that got serious fast!
4. What are three works of art – this could be a book, painting, piece of music, film, etc – that influenced your development as a writer?
The Lord or the Rings – this was the first high fantasy series that I read and it expanded my own imagination to see what could be created with the written word.
Sailor Moon – both the manga and the TV show – I was obsessed with this anime as a teenager and wrote a ton of fanfiction. That was the first time I dared to put my writing out into the public sphere, and the support and feedback I received from the community very much influenced the writer that I am now.
Grimms’ Fairy Tales – not only because I have written a lot of fairy tale retellings and I love how much potential there is in transforming an classic story, but because fairy tales prove that a good story is universal. Love, kindness, belonging, good vs. evil … there are themes that we, as humans, inherently grasp and are drawn to over and over again, and those are themes that I want to showcase in my work as well.
5. Considering the many artistic forms out there, what appeals to you about writing a young adult novel?
I love the optimism within this genre. Even when the stakes are huge – war or revolution or the hero facing off against a power so much stronger than themselves – there is hope. I think teenagers carry that hope intrinsically. At that age, there is a strength that comes with believing that we can all make a difference. We can be a part of solving the world’s problems. We can be heroic. That tends to go away as we get older and are faced with tedious things like jobs and bills, so I get a lot of energy writing for and meeting today’s courageous young readers.
‘I’ve dreamed of seeing my name on a book cover since I was a little girl, in love with books. I grew up with a big imagination and was always writing stories, poems, plays, fanfiction … I knew this is what I wanted to be.’
6. Please tell us about your latest book!
I would love to! Gilded is a retelling of “Rumpelstiltskin,” in which a miller’s daughter named Serilda has been cursed by the god of lies, which has resulted in her being something of a grand storyteller. This gets her in trouble one night when she crosses paths with the Wild Hunt and their leader, the wicked Erlking. She tells him that she is capable of spinning straw into gold, and not long after that, Serilda is stolen away to the Erlking’s castle and told to do just that, or she’ll be killed for telling falsehoods. Luckily, there is a ghost in the castle – a handsome and mischievous poltergeist – who offers to help her with her task … but for a price. (Dun dun dun!)
7. What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work?
Mostly I just hope people are entertained and enjoy spending a few hours escaping into my worlds and going on these adventures! But if there were a message, I suppose I would hope that people would feel that no matter who they are—from the poorest miller’s daughter to the lowliest cyborg to just your average high school student—they are capable of doing good in this world. We are all able to make in the world, or in our communities, or even to just one other person.
8. Who do you most admire in the writing world and why?
Yikes, it’s so hard to choose just one person! But definitely at the top of the list is Leigh Bardugo. Not only because she’s just an amazing human being, but also because her writing makes me want to weep tears of envy. (Only sort of joking!) Her worldbuilding is gritty and tangible, her characters so interesting and charismatic, her stories complex and brave and powerful. Her work gives me more to strive for.
9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
I’m trying to wrap up this year with two completed manuscripts and my next two projects fully researched and outlined, while also homeschooling my kids, training for my first half-marathon, and hosting a weekly podcast. But to be honest—most days I feel like I’m barely staying afloat! If anything, I try to remind myself that it’s okay to be less ambitious sometimes. To take a deep breath and enjoy the journey. When I start to pile too much on, it takes away a lot of the joy that I get from being a writer, so I’m constantly trying to find that healthy life balance.
10. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
The same thing I just told myself! Take a breath. Enjoy the journey. Writing is fun and most of us get into this career or hobby because we have stories inside of us that are yearning to be told. Don’t get too caught up in the idea of publishing or deadlines, just stay focused on writing stories that excite you and speak to your heart.
Thank you for playing!
—Gilded by Marissa Meyer (Text Publishing) is out now.
Gilded
What if Rumpelstiltskin isn't the villain of the story?
By the following winter solstice, the miller would become the father of a baby girl. She was indeed healthy and strong, and in that, the god of stories had granted the wish precisely as requested. But what the miller had not considered is that the god of stories is also the god of lies. The trickster god. For every story has two sides to it. The hero and the villain. The dark and the light. The blessing and the curse...
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