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Your next favorite book
is waiting.
Kirsten Miller explains the inspiration behind Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City, the first in a series of adventures for young teens.
What are your favorite children’s books?
The Westing Game, His Dark Materials, 21 Balloons, Half Magic, The Shining, The Hound of the Baskervilles
I don’t believe there’s any such thing as a “children’s book.” A good story is a good story. It’s that simple. I find The Westing Game just as entertaining now as I did when I was 10 years old. I’ve even been known to thumb through Dr. Seuss when I’m at the bookstore.
Who are your favorite children’s authors?
Phillip Pullman, Stephen King, Jonathan Stroud, Lemony Snicket
I’ve always liked my fiction dark and disturbing. By the time I
turned twelve, I’d read every Stephen King book I could get my hands
on. I’m afraid it didn’t do much for my mental health. I still check
behind the clothes in my closet before I go to sleep every night, and
I’m convinced that one of my bathrooms is haunted.
Who or what was your biggest influence in deciding to become a writer?
I started writing stories in the third grade, but my subject matter
tended to be a little bizarre. My teachers were rarely amused to read
my accounts of man-eating shrubs or haunted broom closets, and most of
them thought I was very odd. (And badly behaved, but that’s another
story.) Then, I landed in a class taught by a woman named Patricia
Berne. At first, my classmates and I were convinced she was insane.
Though Mrs. Berne appeared quite pretty, prim, and proper, she would
routinely jump up on her desk when she wanted to make a point, and on
occasion, she snorted like a pig for emphasis.
Aside from certain members of my family who share my sick sense of
humor, Mrs. Berne was the first person to enjoy my stories, and she
always encouraged me to write more. But most importantly, she taught me
that it’s good to be a little strange. Nothing could be more boring
than being “normal.”
What inspired you to write your latest book?
A few months before I began writing Kiki Strike, I read in the
morning newspaper that a huge hole had been discovered on the Lower
East Side in Manhattan. Of course, I immediately ran outside to take a
look. It seemed that in the middle of the night, the front lawn of a
nursing home had collapsed, revealing a hidden room deep beneath the
ground. From what I gathered, the room was more than a hundred years
old and still furnished with chairs and tables.
After seeing the hole for myself, I grew fascinated by underground
New York. I read everything I could find on the subject and learned
there were secret rooms beneath many of the buildings in Chinatown,
some of them linked by old tunnels. I wondered what it would be like to
explore the world beneath the streets of Manhattan, and since my day
job prevented me from doing it myself, I invented the Irregulars to do
it for me.
What’s the best thing you’ve ever written?
I’m still quite fond of the first story I ever wrote, which was titled “The Alien Mine.”
If
I recall correctly, it was the first in a series of stories that I
wrote about finding strange things hidden deep in the forest that
surrounded the house in the mountains of North Carolina where I grew up.
Is there any particular ritual involved in your creative process?
I don’t have a lucky pen or a charmed coffee cup, if that’s what
you’re asking. I’m proud to say that I owe my first book to something I
call “butt power.” Butt power is the ability to sit on your butt for
hours at a time, staring at a computer screen. Lots of writing teachers
will blather on an on about talent and technique. But there are plenty
of talented people who have never managed to finish a single paragraph.
That’s because the real secret to writing a book is butt power. It
doesn’t matter how talented you are, if you sit still long enough,
you’re bound to have a few good ideas.
What is your favorite color?
Black, of course.
What are your least and favorite foods?
When you grow up in the rural South, you can’t be a picky eater.
I’ve been served squirrel, bear, snake, and alligator—and I’ve enjoyed
them all. In fact, I’ll eat almost anything, and I’ve had numerous
bouts of food poisoning to prove it. The only food I refuse to touch is
eggs. (Which are really quite foul when you think about it, no pun
intended.)
When I was younger, I had a rather sadistic nanny who had a freakish
fondness for egg salad sandwiches. She served them for lunch almost
every single day. Rather than starve, I swallowed chunks without
chewing, then ran to the bathroom to gargle with mouthwash. I survived,
but to this day, I can’t bear to be in the same room as an egg salad
sandwich.
Do you have a pet?
I don’t have a pet at the moment, but I had plenty growing up,
including three goats, a ferret, several dogs, two hamsters, and about
a dozen cats. All of them met tragic ends that are still too painful to
discuss.
What subject did you most enjoy at school . . . and least?
Until I reached high school, English was my favorite subject. But
once I took my first chemistry lesson, I never looked back. I
absolutely loved the experiments. For me, there was no greater thrill
than strapping on a pair of goggles and playing with toxic chemicals.
It’s not surprising when you consider that chemistry is somewhat of a
family obsession. I have several uncles who spent their youth inventing
ways to blow things up. They even taught me a trick or two.
On the other hand, I’ve always loathed spelling. I still can’t
spell, but neither could Thomas Jefferson, so I figure I’m in pretty
good company.
What is your favorite film?
I’m a big fan of Tim Burton, and I love all of his movies, particularly Peewee’s Big Adventure, which I consider an unparalleled classic. However, if I had to choose just one film as my favorite, I would probably pick Rushmore. I think Max and Ananka, the main character in Kiki Strike, share a great deal in common and would probably get along splendidly.
If you hadn’t been an author, what would you have been?
Over the years, I’ve had plenty of terrible jobs. I’ve been a
cleaning lady, a corporate executive, and the assistant to a rather
cranky Polish dentist. But I’ve always wanted to be an archaeologist.
My father loved archaeology, and when I was a kid, he would take the
family to visit the ruins of ancient cities around the world. At some
point during each vacation, my younger brother and I would disappear
and attempt to break into the tombs and temples that tourists weren’t
allowed to enter. Luckily, we were both small enough to wiggle our way
past a surprising number of gates. We saw things so amazing that I
still dream about them at night—things you’ll never see on any TV show
or in any book.
How long does it take you to write a book?
About two years.
How long have you been writing books?
About two years.
Where do you get your ideas from?
Everywhere. Newspapers, magazines, books, PBS, snippets of
conversation I overhear on the street. There’s some pretty fascinating
stuff going on if you’re willing look for it. Most of the fantastic
things in Kiki Strike are actually based (sometimes loosely) on fact.
There was a giant hole in the middle of Manhattan. There is a castle in
the Hudson River. There are tunnels underneath New York. Rats will eat
almost anything.
I love books about witches and demons as much as the next person,
but sometimes the real world is far stranger than fantasy. As far as
I’m concerned, no one’s invented a magical realm that’s any more
fascinating than New York City.
Unless otherwise stated, this interview was conducted at the time the book was first published, and is reproduced with permission of the publisher. This interview may not be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the copyright holder.
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