Y'allFest 2012 keynote speech with Cassie Clare & Holly Black

Cassandra Clare was present for a KeyNote Speech at a literary festival called  Y'ALLFEST this morning (Sat, November 10th '12) joined by her good friend Holly Black, author of the Curse Workers series.


During this talk, they both talked about their writing process for each of their work and what it was like learning the ropes of literature and making friends.


Cassie explains: She didn't have the internet back when she started writing books, she didn't have the interaction. Or the literature festivals as there are today. She would show her friends work. She looked for writing courses, but didn't do much. There were a lot Anti genre fiction feelings towards it by those in writers groups who wrote serious novels. And because she wasn't, she felt unsure. She decided they weren't her kind of people.

She would talk to people who write via in news groups book discussions. She got in contact with reviewers who gave a copy of Holly Black's book and that's when Cassie was interested as it was a genre "up her ally" and led her to going to a signing of Holly's, where they first met and became friends.
Cassie spoke to Holly about her book and afterwards, Holly wrote to cassie, as Holly corrects. It was not the other way around.

Then Cassie explains how she made a group of writer friends and also says Great Expectations is her favourite Dickens book.

When writing with a group of literary friends, it helps them write better and faster. They would email each other and get help if they're stuck. Constantly asking if their work is okay, or better…and getting ideas and suggestions.
Getting outside opinion is good.

She's been told off in coffee shops because they were bothering people, talking loudly. They bounce ideas off each other and more than once Cassie has based characters off her friends. Maureen was based off her friend Maureen Johnson and Eric was based on her doctor friend Eric, which she said was weird now they've cast Eric in City of Bones.

While talking about having literary friendships, Holly says they do unfortunately sometimes lead to literary breakups

Cassie gives an example of a famous literary friendship and talks about the friendship between Fitzgerald and Hemingway and how they were extremely close and certain circumstances involving differences in opinions led to a break up. She says it's important to treat literary friends with respect and to be generous. Be honest with them.

A question from audience. To Holly: If you could replace Cassie with any other historical literary friendship, who would it be?

Her answer: William Butler Yeats

(I unfortunately couldn't hear Cassie's answer.)

Second question from audience: What was the inspiration for plot lines? How did you decide to write these dark magic novels?

Holly: She didn't start with an exact image, but just the feel of an image.

Cassie: She would start with a couple of characters and then weave out the relationships, expanding characters and how they evolve as people. Adding subplots, the choices & actions and  then build the story from there.

Question: Will City of Heavenly Fire be the conclusion to The Mortal Instruments?
Answer: Yes. But there will be lots of changes for the ShadowHunters. Then there will be the Dark Artifices in 2015.  Some of the characters from TMI appear, where you find out who's still alive, who got married, but primarily the series will be about the younger generation.