Some people don’t see how it can train you how to look at problems in a new light. LT: Fantasy doesn’t get it’s proper “props” in the book world. It’s some ways easier to have these conversations about hypothetical fantasy situations.

You can divorce the issue from any preconceived notions.īR: For young adults especially, I find fantasy as a great way to spark discussions-I’ve used Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta to discuss displaced peoples and refugees, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkowski to discuss slavery and rebellion. It lets the reader take them out of the realm of the familiar, look at them in a new way, whether its conquest, genocide, or race. LT: Fantasy is an excellent way to look at real world issues. As with your trilogy Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, this story is populated with gods and monsters, yet the characters reveal so much about the human condition, and the issues that they struggled with are very present in the real world. It’s a magical place.īR: And you have a particular way with magic. He definitely has the relentless curiosity that’s a prerequisite for the job. A librarian was a better fit.īR: I was particularly struck by the line “he wanted to know everything, and he wanted to help.” Those are the reasons I wanted to become a librarian. A scholar wasn’t exactly right for Lazlo’s character he needed that craving for knowledge that scholars have, but scholars are more self-centered, inward creatures. LT: Writing him was a trial and error process. It was haunted and there were scenes with Lazlo and ghosts before I worked out the mythology of ghosts in the book’s universe.īR: I’m so glad he turned out to be a librarian. He started as a scholar who lived in a crypt. I wanted to introduce Sarai through the eyes of a stranger, and needed a character who could experience Weep as an outsider.

I was delighted to meet him! How did his character come about?

interact with a community of readers, lavish gratitude on you for being so awesome, give you secret information, and maybe come up with group projects like prompt writing exercises etc.Molly Wetta for Book Riot: Let’s talk about Lazlo.

posts about writing, particularly writing difficulty (including rebuttals to jerks who claim 'writer's block doesn't exist,' how dare they?).

There are a number of things I'd like to do more of:

Well, I'd like to create something like it again, but I'm thinking that place might be a Patreon account.** It was wonderful, but something slowly happened over the years, new stresses kicked it off my to-do list, social media took over, and here we are with this stagnant place. I miss this space, or what it was once when I maintained it and was part of a community, and connected here with readers, and posted about writing and life. Yikes! What happened? Well, here's the thing. Hi! Welllllll, hahahaha I haven't been on here in so long I wasn't sure I'd remember my password.

Laini taylor author