Interview: Vivian French

Vivian French is the UK author of over 50 books. Her newest US release is The Robe of Skulls, a quirky, crazy fantasy about Lady Lamorna, a woman with a disturbing desire for a robe made of skulls.
I recently had the honor to interview Vivian...I hope you enjoy it!

Where did you get the idea for The Robe of Skulls?

I was getting a bit desperate, actually. I couldn't think of any ideas at all, but one evening I was in my kitchen, and I heard a voice on the TV talking about EVIL. I couldn't see who it was, but I recognised the voice, and remembered I'd seen her in a play years and YEARS before. When I saw her in the play she was wearing a long black velvet dress, and sweeping to and fro in front of a castle. (Isn't it weird how a voice can send a memory popping into your head?) And I thought, YES!!! I'll write a story about someone evil who really REALLY wants a new black velvet gown ....

When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer?

It all happened rather unexpectedly. I never thought of being a writer when I was young; I wanted to be an actor or a long distance lorry driver. And I did get to be an actor, which was good fun (I mostly worked in schools) and gradually that developed into story telling. It was after I'd moved to Bristol, England, that I met a children's author quite by chance, and she suggested I try writing stories. I think I was more surprised than anyone when my first story was accepted by Walker Books!

You acted in a children's theater for 10 years. How did your experiences as an actor affect your writing? And what did playwriting help you out with once you started writing novels?

The trouble with being an actor is that you don't get to put in descriptions, or the 'he saids' and 'she saids' at all. It took me quite a while to feel comfortable doing that, and I hardly ever describe my characters. I'm much more likely to try and give them their individuality by the way they talk, or move. On the other hand I absolutely love dialogue; one of my books has been made into a play, and it hardly needed any changes at all.

How did you get started as a storyteller and what kind of stories do you tell? Do you make up your own or retell tales you've heard/read before?

I started as a storyteller when the other actors failed to turn up, and I was faced with a whole school to entertain. I used to tell traditional tales, but put my own spin on them; these days I don't do much telling. Only to very small children.

You've written in just about every genre out there. Do you have a favorite? One that is easier or hardest to write?

I have to confess that I never think in terms of genre; sometimes I get asked this in schools, and I always look horribly blank. (And the teachers look very disappointed.) For me the important thing is the story. If you asked me to group my books into different genres I'd go wobbly at the knees and run away. I find the story dictates what kind of style I use; sometimes I have to play around with all kinds of different voices before I find the right one for the tale I want to tell.

What are you writing at the moment?

I'm writing The Heart of Glass, which is the third book in the Tales of the Five Kingdoms series. The Robe of Skulls in the first. Oh, and I'm also writing a book about earth worms. Did you know they have five pairs of hearts?

What's your favorite thing about being a writer?

Erm .... learning new things? Sometimes I'll write something, and surprise myself when I read it back later. And I love the idea of making people laugh, and maybe think of stories in a different kind of way. And it means I can daydream without feeling guilty ...

Thank you so very much, Vivian!