An Interview with M. G. Fantasy Author Andrea Rand

In honor of Independence Day, I wanted to do something special for this post to celebrate. I had an opportunity to interview award-winning author Andrea Rand, whose fantasy series The Chronicles of Kibblestan weaves themes of freedom and liberty throughout. I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did!

Me: Your writing works so well on multiple layers. You have vibrant characters with clear motivation, engaging and fast-moving plot, and fascinating parallels between the fictional world of Kibblestan and real-world issues. Did you start writing the books with a goal to create those parallels, or did it happen naturally as part of your creative process?

AR: You have heard the saying that writers are either “plotters” (outlining a novel with plot points before writing their first draft) or “pantsers” (writing by the seat of their pants) and I fall into the latter category. I always start out with a premise and know how it’s going to end but getting from point A to point B is highly dependent on my characters and their motivations. So no, I didn’t start out writing my series with the goal of having things parallel our world today, however I think it is inevitable that experiences in an author’s life and values that they hold dear will shape their stories.

The idea for the fantasy world of Kibblestan came to me years ago, shortly after the September 11th attacks, when my daughter was just a baby and I wanted to write a story for her. September 11th affected many people in different ways, and for me, it was a huge wake-up call when I learned about the Taliban and how women were treated in Afghanistan. This may sound naïve, but I had never really contemplated what life might be like in other countries, how people suffer under oppression, and what made America the country that’s seen as a bastion of liberty to so many around the world.

I started paying more attention to current events and reading more history and memoirs of people living in other parts of the world which are not as free, and the concern for preserving liberty that swelled within me is reflected in my writing. I call The Chronicles of Kibblestan a fantastical adventure with a patriotic twist, and though it has themes of liberty versus tyranny with nuggets about America’s Constitution and founding principles sprinkled in, it is very character driven and many of the plot points are influenced by my characters’ motivations.

Me: How have middle grade readers responded to your stories? 

AR: Being an author can sometimes feel a bit lonely, like you’re typing into a void as you have no idea who is reading your work or what they think, and so it is always encouraging when I do get a message or an Amazon review that gives me positive feedback. Lately, I have been receiving messages asking when my next book will be out, which is a huge motivator to keep going.

I am the first to admit that I am a kid at heart, and much of what I write is inspired by my vivid memories of what it was like to be a kid. I can remember what I liked to read and what made me laugh, which influences my stories. As part of my beta-reading process I always recruit several young readers of various ages and who I don’t know very well, to read the book and answer two questions: Did you get bored and did you understand everything. More than anything, I want to write a book that is purely fun to read. I have received comments from parents saying that their child is telling them all about my book as they read it, or that they’ve read it very quickly and are ready for the next in the series. Receiving comments like these truly make my day and are what make me want to keep going.

Me: What guidance would you offer new writers who want to write series? 

AR: Being a “pantser,” I didn’t realize my first Kibblestan book was going to become a series until after I had written it, and I realized there was more story to tell. However, whether you start out with the intention of writing a series or not, it is imperative that each book can stand on its own and has a complete story arc.

I publish independently, so I can control what I publish and when, however if you are looking to publish traditionally, the rule I have always heard is to make sure that the first story that you pitch can stand on its own, because many times the publisher will not want to publish subsequent books until they are confident of the sales potential, which is based upon the revenue of that first book.

Depending on the kind of series you are writing, I would also advise ending each book with a hook for reading future books, but at the same time make sure that your ending is satisfying to the story at hand. The way I approached this for The Chronicles of Kibblestan was to add an epilogue to each book that acts as a teaser for the next story.

The other challenge of writing a series is to avoid the temptation of huge information dumps at the beginning of each book, in case the reader hasn’t read or has forgotten things from the previous book. I found this to be extremely challenging for my latest book that will be coming out, The Chronicles of Kibblestan: The Web, as it is the story of a land losing its freedom from within, and I needed to catch the reader up on the characters and political landscape. To avoid a big information dump, you can use conversations and internal thoughts that cover this information, but make sure they are concise and sprinkled throughout the current book’s storyline over several chapters as opposed to trying to fit everything into chapter one.

If you haven’t read this series, it’s well worth your time to check it out. Find out more about Andrea and the Kibblestan books at andrearand.com or purchase your copy through Amazon.

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Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.