Big 4 with Bec: Michelle Zink
Michelle Zink lives in New York and has always been fascinated with ancient myths and legends. Never satisfied with simply reading them, she usually ends up asking, “What if?” Sometimes asking only leads to more questions, but every now and then, when everything falls into place just right, a story is born. Prophecy of the Sisters is one of those stories.
1. Lia and Alice Milthorpe, the central characters of The Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy, are bitter enemies. One twin is destined for good and the other evil: which character was more interesting to write and what motivated you to depict sibling rivalry?
Alice was probably more interesting for me to write in the first book. Because the story is told from Lia’s point-of-view, I had to give the reader a sense of Alice’s capacity for evil through her sister’s eyes. At the same time, I really didn’t want a carbon-cut-out villain. I wanted a three-dimensional human being, and I wanted the reader to empathize with Lia’s conflicted feelings over her sister. All of which made Alice a very intriguing character to develop. As the series continues, Lia has become just as intriguing. In the same way that I created Alice to have glimpses of good mixed with terrible evil, Lia struggles against her inner darkness rather than being a Mary Sue. This all really comes to a head in Circle of Fire, and it was a real challenge for me to let the reader feel the danger in Lia’s descent into darkness while keeping her relatable enough that no one would despise her.
I don’t have any siblings, and I’ve always been fascinated with that connection. For me, there could be no greater conflict than to pit two people who should, by all rights, be closer than anybody, against each other in a battle with apocalyptic consequences for mankind. I guess you could say their relationship was a kind of psychological playground for me as a writer. Which probably makes me sounds really twisted!
2. The series is set in the 19th century. Why did you choose that time period and what are some of your favourite books from that era?
I chose the time period for two reasons; 1) I thought a Gothic setting would lend itself well to the darkness of the story, and 2) Lia’s search for answers is a lot more fun without the aid of Google! 😀 My all-time favorite book from that era would have to be Wuthering Heights, though I have to be honest and admit that I’m not a huge reader of
historical fiction. I was actually a little surprised when reviewers began referring to the series as historical. For me, Prophecy has always been a fantasy that happens to be set in 1890 as opposed to historical fiction.
3. The Prophecy of the Sisters is your debut work. What do you see yourself writing in the near future?
I write an average of 2-3 books a year regardless of whether or not I’m contractually able to sell them. Writing is the only thing that grounds me and keeps the demons at bay, so I do a lot of it. I thrive on challenging myself to do things I’ve never done before (though it’s often terrifying), so while I do have two more YA fantasy novels coming out in the next couple of years (one Steampunk and one contemporary), I’m also working on a MG series and an adult novel.
4. Which of you characters Burns Brightest in your mind?
I have to say Lia and Alice. I know they’re not one and the same person, but they’re two sides of the same coin. The light and dark in us all. And I think that’s why I find them so intriguing. How much light do we each have? How much darkness? And what are the things that tip us from one side to the other as we move through our lives? It’s the eternal mystery, isn’t it?
