Interview with M.C. Kennedy

Today I’ll be talking to M.C. Kennedy about her debut, A Wolf’s Rose (book one of The Feyfolk Trilogy)

How did you come up with A Wolf’s Rose?

For this story, the characters came first. I stumbled across the name Roisin (pronounced ROE-sheen) one day, and when I learned it means Little Red Rose, I knew I had to use it in a Beauty and the Beast/Little Red Riding Hood retelling. The rest of the world soon sprung into being, and before I knew it, I had a whole series on my hands.

How did you decide on the title?

The title is actually a play on words. As I shared earlier, Roshien’s name (I anglicized the spelling, because the majority of my readers will have no idea how to pronounce Roisin) means Little Red Rose. Lorcan, the antagonist of the novel, is a Mactíre, which is Scots Gaelic for “wolf.” So the title combines their names and hints at their relationship.

How did you choose the names of the characters?

All the names are symbolic. Roshien’s last name is Cochall, which is Irish for “hood.” Lorcan means “mysterious.” Roshien’s brother is named Ean—“bird”—and her sister is Orla, or “gold.” (I’ll leave y’all to speculate on what those might be pointing towards.) All the names are of either Irish, Gaelic, or Welsh origin.

What is your favorite part in the story?

Hmm… That’s tricky. I’m going to say a scene near the end, where Roshien has a plan that she’s almost certain will help her escape from Lorcan. It’s an intense little scene, and it was a lot of fun to write.

Are any characters based on people you know in real life?

None of them were intentionally based on people I know, but that did end up being the case for a couple of them. Roshien’s brother Ean, in particular, keeps acting more and more like my brother.

How do you build up your characters and plot?

I always begin with the characters. I’ll come up with a couple of interesting people and then start getting to know them, figuring out who they are and what story they’re trying to tell. Once I get a decent grasp of the characters, I move on to the theme. I’ll pick a theme that fits with the characters and their story, and from there I start to build the plot. The plot flows more or less naturally from the theme.

When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer?

I was about 8 years old when I wrote my first story. I instantly fell in love with it, and from then on, that was what I wanted to be when I grew up.

When did you realize that you wanted to write YA?

I took a YA Lit class during my sophomore year of college. I was a bit shocked at what all young adults are reading these days; pretty much everything we read had something I objected to in it. I decided as a result of that class that I wanted to provide clean, quality literature to young adults.

What’s your experience with writer’s block?

I used to be plagued by writer’s block. I would excitedly write the beginning, and then I would stall at about chapter three. (It was always chapter three!) In the past couple of years, though, I’ve been studying story theory and how to properly pace events in a story. Alongside that, I’ve also learned how to write an extensive outline, where I’ll basically write the first draft in outline form. That’s helped a lot with eliminating writer’s block.

What inspires you to keep writing?

I consider writing to be a ministry. My writing isn’t just for me or even just for my readers; it’s first and foremost for God. I certainly don’t consider my books to be divinely inspired, but I do think God has given me a talent for writing so I can glorify Him through it. That’s what keeps me going during those times when I’d love nothing more than to lock up my keyboard forever.

How long does it take you to write a book?

It depends on the book. I wrote my first novella in 12 days—but it was dreadful and hardly counts as a book. Most of the time, it takes a few months to write the first draft and then another month or so to do the second. It took about eight weeks to write the first draft of AWR and about four weeks for the rewrites.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I like to wear a cloak when I’m writing, especially when writing from the perspective of the antagonist. The hood makes me feel dark and mysterious, and since I write fantasy, it really helps me get into character.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Learn the value of outlining. It may seem easier to just start writing and see where the story takes you, and that may work best for some people. But for most of us, advanced planning will make a world of difference. It’s so incredibly helpful to see where the story is going to go and how all the various pieces work together to create a harmonious whole.