Samantha Shannon, author of THE SONG RISING, on the different flavours in The Bone Season series

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re pleased to have Samantha Shannon here to talk about the third book in The Bone Season series, THE SONG RISING.

Samantha, what was your inspiration for writing THE SONG RISING?

Each of the books in the Bone Season series is meant to have a slightly different flavour to it; it’s own ‘genre’, if you will, within the broader category of urban fantasy, so the reader isn’t sure quite what to expect each time. The Song Rising was conceived as the most dystopian of the series, with Paige trying to face Scion and damage its infrastructure head-on, all the while coming up against people who have played this game for much longer than she has. I envisioned it as bleak and industrial, in contrast to the darkly beautiful underworld of The Mime Order and the decaying grandeur of Oxford in The Bone Season.

What scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?

There’s one action scene in the second part of the book that was a real headache. It went through many different incarnations until I settled on the final version. I’m proud of the finale, which also required a lot of work. And I love any scene where Warden and Paige are together.

What book or books would most resonate with readers who love your book–or visa versa?

It depends which aspect of my books you enjoy! If you’re keen on dystopia, two of the biggest inspirations for The Bone Season were The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. If you liked the clairvoyance, try The Graces by Laure Eve or The Circle by Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg. For a fantasy with detailed worldbuilding, Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton is a good pick. And if it’s books set in a slightly magical London that spark your imagination, try The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley or The City’s Son by Tom Pollock.

How long did you work on THE SONG RISING?

Well over a year. It took a very long time, and many rounds of structural edits, to get this one exactly right.

How long or hard was your road to publication? How many books did you write before this one, and how many never got published?

There was one novel I wrote before The Bone Season called Aurora, which fortunately never saw the light of day. I stripped all the best parts from it, like the concept of a dreamscape, to use in The Bone Season. I was lucky enough to have a fairly easy road to publication — I was accepted by the first agent I approached, who took it to the London Book Fair, and we got an offer from Bloomsbury not long after. It still feels like a dream.

What are you working on now?

I’ve just finished the complete first draft of my new high fantasy novel, The Priory of the Orange Tree, and sent it to my agent. While he reads it, I’m getting back to work on the fourth Bone Season book.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Song Rising
by Samantha Shannon
Hardcover
Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Released 3/7/2017

The hotly anticipated third book in the bestselling Bone Season series – a ground-breaking, dystopian fantasy of extraordinary imagination.

Following a bloody battle against foes on every side, Paige Mahoney has risen to the dangerous position of Underqueen, ruling over London’s criminal population.

But, having turned her back on Jaxon Hall and with vengeful enemies still at large, the task of stabilising the fractured underworld has never seemed so challenging.

Little does Paige know that her reign may be cut short by the introduction of Senshield, a deadly technology that spells doom for the clairvoyant community and the world as they know it…

Purchase The Song Rising at Amazon
Purchase The Song Rising at IndieBound
View The Song Rising on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samantha Shannon was born in West London in 1991. She started writing in abundance when she was twelve, started her first novel when she was fifteen, and studied English Language and Literature at St Anne’s College, Oxford, from 2010 – 2013, graduating with a 2:1. She specialized in the poetry of Emily Dickinson and Principles of Film Criticism. In 2013, she published The Bone Season, the internationally bestselling first installment in a seven-book series of fantasy novels. Its first sequel, The Mime Order, was published in 2015, and the third book in the series, The Song Rising, was published in March 2017. She is also the author of On the Merits of Unnaturalness and The Pale Dreamer, and has recently sold a new high fantasy novel, The Priory of the Orange Tree, to Bloomsbury.

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Have you had a chance to read THE SONG RISING yet? Do you enjoy Samantha Shannon’s different genres for The Bone Season series? Have you used elements from books you reconsidered in your stories? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy reading,

Emily, Jocelyn, Anisaa, Sam, Martina, Erin,
Susan, Shelly, Kelly, Laura, and Lori Ann

Jocelyn Rish

Jocelyn Rish is a writer and filmmaker who loves researching weird and wonderful animals and sharing what she learns. Her debut was BATTLE OF THE BUTTS, about ten animals that do weird things with their butts. Her latest book is BATTLE OF THE BRAINS, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection about ten animals with mind-blowing brain abilities. When she’s not writing, she tutors kids to help them discover the magic of reading. Jocelyn has won numerous awards for her short stories, screenplays, films, and novels and lives in South Carolina with her adorable dog. Find out more at www.jocelynrish.com.

Post @ Jocelyn Rish and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Mar 11, 2017

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: YA Author Interviews

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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