I had the pleasure of interviewing Angel Leigh McCoy about her works of short fiction, an edgy new novel , and her contributions to Guild Wars.
LT: Tell us about the two anthologies your work is included in, and the premises behind your contributions.
ALM: 2009 has been a monumental year for me. I managed to place stories in two wonderful anthologies (so far), and I’m extremely proud to be included in them.
I wrote the short story “Pipsqueak” specifically for the RAVENS IN THE LIBRARY anthology, edited by Phil Brucato and Sandra Buskirk. It takes place in a world shared by much of my other work. This world straddles the line between fantasy and reality. Some people can see into both paradigms. Pipsqueak is one of those and a very special young woman.
“Coquettrice,” my other story, appears in VILE THINGS: EXTREME DEVIATIONS OF HORROR, edited by Cheryl Mullenax and published by Comet Press. The word “Coquettrice” is a combination of coquette, which means flirtatious in French, and cockatrice, which is an ancient mythological creature. Needless to say, this story doesn’t resemble “Pipsqueak” in the slightest.
It tells the tale of a young medical intern named William who has fallen in love. Unfortunately, things begin to go awry when he starts suspecting that she’s cheating on him. To tell you more would spoil the surprises, so I’ll leave it at that.
LT: Tell us about the charity behind the Ravens in the Library Anthology.
ALM: The RAVENS IN THE LIBRARY anthology came about in response to an issue that’s foremost in our political discussions these days. A talented musician (S.J. Tucker) fell ill. Because she was fostering a new music career, she had no insurance, and her medical bills quickly built up to five figures. Many of her friends—also creative people—began to formulate plans for how to get Sooj (as she is known to her friends) out of the gaping hole into which she’d fallen. This grassroots effort was inspiring to watch evolve, and part of it was the publication of the RAVENS IN THE LIBRARY anthology.
Many people with big names were moved by the story to submit stories, including Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Charles de Lint, and Laurell K. Hamilton. It is a testimony to editor Phil Brucato’s bravery and dedication to the cause that he managed to get so many amazing talents to submit.
I recently received notification that S.J. Tucker’s bills have been almost entirely cleared. It gives me shivers. I can’t even imagine how her life would have been changed if she had all those bills hanging over her head.
LT: How did you get involved in the gaming industry?
ALM: My initial involvement came when I opened Fun-n-Games, a game and comic shop in Blacksburg, Virginia, with partners Shane Hensley, Michelle Hensley, and Dave Wilson. This small retail establishment became my home for the next five years, and it got me deeply involved in the tabletop roleplaying game industry.
My first writing assignment in the games industry was as a book reviewer for White Wolf magazine. I was their Shadowrun reviewer. They didn’t pay me, but that’s how it works in the beginning. You have to get your name out there and get credits in your portfolio, even if you don’t get paid.
We had a little nest of future game industry professionals there, and at the time, didn’t even know it. Among those in our group of friends were Shane Hensley (CEO of Pinnacle Entertainment and President of Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment), Matt Forbeck (well-known writer and game designer), Hal Mangold (Production and Art Director/Owner at Green Ronin Publishing) and Charles Ryan (marketing manager at Esdevium Games). It has been amazing to watch these people, and so many others, go on to make careers in the games industry.
LT: How does writing for a game design differ from novel writing?
ALM: When you’re writing for a game, you’re building a modular home. The pieces fit together in multiple ways, giving the player choice about how their home looks and works. Flexibility is key.
A novel, on the other hand, is like building a stone castle. You have to carefully lay the foundation, then build upward, embellishing as you go. If you’re lucky (and good), it will never fall down.
LT: Tell us about the novel you’re working on.
ALM: I wanted to tell the story of a young woman who had a unique and magical view on the world, with the hope that she could spark the same wonder in our readers. The main character has been persecuted all her life, treated like she’s crazy. She hears voices and sees things no one else does. As a result, she has put together a list of strategies that help her to function in “normal” society.
While I take a lighter approach to schizophrenia in my book, there are more than 50 million people worldwide who suffer from the disease, and it is no laughing matter. The main character in my novel is one of the few who has the ability to blend with the rest of society (most of the time).
LT: What inspired you to write about Pipsqueak?
ALM: Pip evolved from a long history of character building. She had been bouncing around in my head for months, maybe years, and I didn’t even know it. I wanted to create a realistic character who was living an unrealistic life. Pip lives on the streets, but she also has a job. She’s practical, even when she’s talking to her supernatural friends. I think many women today get that. We all have to be down to earth when the cards are on the table, but we also understand that there are things out there that no amount of common sense can explain.
LT: Did you do research on mental illness?
ALM: Absolutely. I was a psychology minor in college, but I also did a lot of targeted research for the world I’m creating. I wanted to show my mental ill characters as realistically as possible, before I slathered them with a healthy dose of danger, hope and wonder.
LT: How do you manage to juggle your game design writing with your fiction writing? Do you ever get ideas for one from the other?
ALM: I keep them separate, and it’s not as difficult as you might imagine. The game design I do takes place in a purely fantasy world, whereas my fiction is firmly rooted in reality with fantasy growing out from there. The characters in my fiction speak, behave, and think differently than they do in the game’s fantasy world. I’ve had to train myself to flip that switch.
My fiction writing takes a back-seat to my game design writing. My employer prefers it that way, hehe, and so do I. I am dedicated to my fiction, but it happens in the cracks between my day job.
LT: Other than your novel, do you have other projects planned?
I’m always working on short stories as well, and I’ve been kicking around an idea for a script. You have to keep your writing muscles flexible and strong. If you only did one thing all the time, you’d be lopsided.
Also, I have a short story coming out in Revenant Magazine this month. It’s called “The Last Zombie.” It’s about a scientist who sees the zombie invasion through to the end, when all the humans are dead except her.
LT: Can you give us some links to Guild Wars and the two anthologies?
Guild Wars: http://www.guildwars.com/Guild Wars 2 (one I’m working on): http://www.guildwars2.com (amazing trailer!)
Ravens:http://sjtucker.com/ravens.html
Vile Things: http://cometpress.us/books/vilethings.html
LT: Where can our readers go to keep up with you?
http://www.angelleigh.com
http://www.facebook.com/angel.mccoy
http://angelmcc.livejournal.com/
http://twitter.com/AngelMcCoy
http://www.guildwars.com
©2009 Lori Titus
