Big 4 with Bec: Shea Berkley

Shea Berkley started out writing nonfiction (not so fun) and quickly moved into fiction (totally fun), and knew she’d found her calling. (Her family was thrilled she’d found friends to play with even if they weren’t technically real.) She’s still pleasantly surprised people are willing to pay to read her stories. Besides writing, her many diversions include kickboxing, reading awesome books and hanging out with her loud and rambunctious family. With five kids (all girls), her biggest job is to make sure the litle darlings don’t harass the neighbors and then play dumb when the cops come knocking on her door.

1. The main protagonist of your latest novel, The Marked Son, is Dylan, a 17-year-old boy who’s been plonked in the middle of Oregon to live with his grandparents. You’re originally from North Dakota, and have said that living there was conducive to creativity. How much of your childhood in Dakota is echoed in Dylan’s life in Oregon, and was it at all difficult to imagine life from the standpoint of a teenage boy?

I’d like to thank you all for allowing me to come on and talk to you today. I love gabbing about Dylan and his story.

How much of my life in North Dakota is like Dylan’s life in Oregon? North Dakota is a place that has no indigenous trees. Let me put it this way. I played in “the woods” by my house. “The woods” consisted of 8 trees, probably planted by some settlers a good 100 years ago. So yeah, not much happening besides tornados and snow blizzards in the big ND. That kind of stark upbringing forced me to be creative.

Dylan was never a carefree child, so my childhood and his have absolutely nothing in common. I had the perfect childhood while he has been horribly neglected.

It wasn’t terribly difficult to write from the standpoint of a teenage boy. I’ve worked with teens my whole adult life. Also, most of my best friends growing up were boys, and I was just one of the guys, and honestly, I was totally okay with that, so when it came time to write from a guy’s point of view, I just kept asking myself, “what would those idiots I grew up with do?” (grin) Being as how I was in their group, I can’t say I was any smarter than they were.

2. On your website, you mention the fact that you love a good fight between good & evil. Why do you think we enjoy these binaries so much, and what are some of your favourite literary battles?

Evil is just so evil. Even in its simplest form, that of bullying, it feels right to see a bully put into his or her place.

Here’s the thing. Evil wants all the attention, all the toys, all the fun for itself and when it doesn’t have anyone to curtail the greed; people suffer because evil never has enough. It’s always about more for those who are “evil” in spirit. More power, more treasure, more glory, and they cannot, will not share. It’s not that we enjoy seeing evil suffer, at least I don’t, but I find satisfaction in evil being put back into its rightful place. Justice is a beautiful thing when it’s done right. (and if you can have an epic battle with cool sword fighting, awesome weapons and epic creatures, all’s the better!)

3. Shea, you write various kinds of fantasy novels, including epic, historical, and modern.  Have you always been a fan of fantasy fiction yourself? What are your favourite aspects of the fantasy genre?

The fantasy genre is huge, and that’s what I love about it. There are so many types of fantasy stories out there. Realistic fantasies, those that delve into “what if” scenarios and can end up dystopian, are really cool. I love gentle fantasies like traditional fairy tales of the prince and princess variety. Who doesn’t want to be a royal? Really, fantasy at its core is about finding your way in a strange world. It’s about the call to adventure that’s in all of us.

I love exploring the cool things magic can do, and then watching the consequences of using it. My most favorite aspects of fantasy are the creatures. Whatever my mind can envision, I can put on the page and wreak havoc on my characters. Sooo fun!

4. Which of your fictional characters Burns Brightest in your mind and why?

In THE MARKED SON, it’s Lucinda. She’s a piece of work. She’s like a cat with a mouse, toying with it until she grows bored and then strikes it dead. She’s about the most vindictive, manipulative creature I’ve created, yet she craves love, so she’s pitiable in my eyes.

In my epic fantasy TORREIN: AGE OF FEAR (coming out in November or 2011), it’s Brasila. She’s a highly controlled fighter that strikes fear into the hearts of her enemies by just showing up for the fight. She’s hard as nails and seeks out justice even when people would rather see her dead. I love that about her. She knows right from wrong and doesn’t allow what people have done to her in the past change her morals.

Visit Shea’s blog here!