The writing of faeries is a difficult matter

[rj_anderson]

I'm featured on Cynsations today (which is a really fantastic newsletter/roundup for those interested in YA lit -- if you're not subscribed to it yet, you should be), talking about the technical aspects of writing Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter.

If you'd like to know why I chose third rather than first-person point of view, or find out more about the research and the worldbuilding that went into the book, check it out!

Comments

[elvenjaneite.livejournal.com]

I actually have a question for you, which you may have answered somewhere already. Why did you choose the spelling of "faerie" that you did? I'm just curious if it was an intuitive choice or if you consciously went through the options and picked that one.

Oh, and I thought the section on research was fascinating. I know with what I'm working on right now I've had to do all sorts of research, and yet my characters (or a certain set of them) are just living what would have been a fairly normal life 500 years ago. We seem to have both gained and lost a lot of knowledge.

OT

[fpb.livejournal.com]

May I mention that I have been reading your Darkness and Light serial and enjoying it?

Re: OT

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

You may, and thank you!

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I chose "faery" because to me (and I think to many others) "fairy" conjures up an image of a sparkly, whimsical, Disney-Tinkerbell type of creature, whereas "faery" suggests something older and more folklore-rooted, and therefore something that might be worthy of more serious consideration. Similarly, I discarded "faerie" for the singular form and chose "faery" because the "ie" ending seemed to me to evoke that cuteness factor again.

[jamesbow.livejournal.com]

She's not alone. I also use "faerie" to describe the legendary faeries of old Ireland, as opposed to the sparkly things Disney is so fond of.