I interviewed author A.M. Harte about her online serial Above Ground, a post apocalyptic tale where humans and the “affected” struggle for dominance and survival.
LT: Tell our readers about the world of Above Ground.
AMH: It is a world of divides, not only between those living underground (the humans) and above ground (the “monsters”), but between the different races. It is a world fraught with distrust, and governed by greed and money and hatred. At the end of the day, however, it is a world full of people struggling against these very issues, people like you and me; except they’re not entirely human.
LT: How did you first come up with the idea for this story?
AMH: I feel a little silly admitting it, but the idea came from a dream. I wrote a couple paragraphs of what is now Chapter 2, and left it at that for a few weeks. Then I re-discovered an abandoned story of mine - my first attempt at writing a novel, actually - and realized that the two ideas were meant to be combined.
LT: The Affected Parade sounds particularly ghoulish. Where did you get inspiration for this part of the story?
AMH: The Affected Parade theatre was how I thought of the story as a whole; it was where my dream was set. I dreamt that I was part of the audience in a freak show theatre, watching monsters come on stage, half-terrified, half-curious. A lot of the dream didn’t make it into the story itself, but the were act, where the stage lights go off and all the main character can hear is screaming and the snapping of bones, is lifted straight from it. Those were the first couple paragraphs I wrote of the story.
LT: Why did you chose to post the story online as opposed to another format?
AMH: There are several reasons, although perhaps the main one is that I did not start writing “Above Ground” with the intention of getting it published traditionally. Since I didn’t have to worry about keeping first print rights, posting online became a very tempting option.
Writing is generally such a solitary endeavour, but with an online serial, you can get instant, gratifying feedback from your readers. That, and I work better under pressure, so having a weekly deadline makes me write a lot more than I would otherwise.
LT: What do you do to keep your creative juices flowing?
AMH: I carry a notebook with me so I can scribble thoughts and impressions whilst commuting, and then use those scribbles as a starting point when I sit down to write.
I also do a lot of research - which basically means I waste a lot of time on Wikipedia! For example, many of the characteristics of the various races in “Above Ground” are based off of animals, including their names, like the ewtes, whose name is the Old English form of ‘newt’.
If I get stuck, writing a side story set in the same universe can help, as it gives me a different, fresh perspective. I ask my readers to vote for which story they want, meaning it’s a ’set assignment’ so-to-speak, and, I work better under pressure.
LT: What can readers expect to see in future episodes, without giving away too many secrets?
AMH: More violence and drama, my two favourite ingredients!
We’re approaching the end of Book 1 - there are two more planned in the series - so readers can expect a few more answers, and a lot more unanswered questions. The main character will come to terms with her current situation, only to be left facing an entirely new problem.
LT: What have you learned about yourself through writing?
AMH: I have realized that all of my stories deal with the same, repeated issues. The setting and time period and genre may change, but the essential questions and difficulties the characters face remain the same.
They are perhaps universal questions - that of identity, loneliness, overcoming adversity, familial difficulties, depression, and so on - but they are issues that ring true to me, and, as they say, you have to write about what you know. So I suppose my writing has shown me what really matters to me, and what really troubles me.
LT: Do your friends and family read your work?
AMH: If they do, they haven’t told me! Well, that’s not true. They all know I write an online serial, and I think a number of my friends (as well as colleagues at work) are regular readers. But for some reason, they like to lurk, and never tell me what they think unless I outright ask them, and even then, they don’t say much. It’s my online readers (and their wonderful feedback) that keeps me going, so a big thank you to all of them!
LT: What do you like to read in your spare time?
AMH: I read a lot of webfiction; I’m one of the editors on Web Fiction Guide, so I do try to read new stuff and write up reviews. Genre-wise, I read a bit of everything, although I tend to go through more sci-fi and fantasy books than anything else.
To give you a better idea, a few of my favourite books are Northern Lights by Philip Pullman, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, and the Dune series by Frank Herbert. I’m on Goodreads if anyone wants to be friends! ttp://www.goodreads.com/quillsandzebras )
AMH: Ha! This is a tricky one. I’m someone who doesn’t listen to music whilst writing, or I end up getting distracted.
If I had to link music to “Above Ground”, though, it’d be gritty, grunge-y songs, like “Blue Sky” by Gliss - that one’s a song that really stands out to me. Other than that, probably some odd, haunting music, stuff by Pretty Balanced (I think they’re called The Alphabet now), Amanda Palmer, and the like, with possibly a few Nine Inch Nails songs thrown in for good measure.
LT: Do you have other projects in the works?
AMH: I always do. I seem to be very commitment-phobic when it comes to stories; I have to be working on different things simultaneously in order to keep the creative juices flowing. There’s something thrilling about starting something new, just as there is a different, more contented excitment in continuing a WIP (work in progress).
AMH: Feel free to drop by and take a look at Above Ground. After all, without feedback, it’s impossible to move forward as an author. Thank you very much for having me as an interviewee, and if anyone has any other questions, they can leave a comment - I’m happy to answer!
To find out more about A. M. Harte and Above Ground, click the link below:
http://amharte.wordpress.com/serials
©2009 Lori Titus
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December 6th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Thanks Lori, this is fascinating. Great to read about someone pursuing different publishing (ie not traditional) methods.
December 7th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Great interview! I’ve been reading Above Ground since the beginning and I have to say it’s only been gettin better with each chapter.
December 8th, 2009 at 11:51 am
This is a cool interview. Above Ground is one of my favorite serials to read.
December 8th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Harte is a great author and Above Ground is wonderful.
I like it when Harte exposes her feelings in this interview and let’s us in