An Interview with Anne Blankman + A Second Giveaway of Prisoner Of Night and Fog

As promised, here is a behind-the-scenes conversation with Anne Blankman, including advice to new novelists and a second chance to win the ARC of Prisoner of Night and Fog. Congratulations to Leanne Ross, who won last week's giveaway through Talking Story.

Carol: Your characters are so deep and were very real to me as I read your book. What helped you in the process of character development? 

Anne: Thanks! My process was very different from that of many fiction writers--the majority of my characters were real people, so I did a huge amount of research rather than a ton of brainstorming. I read everything I could get my hands on--biographies, memoirs, psychological profiles, you name it. I studied Hitler's autobiography, Mein Kampf, and his early speeches. Understanding his thoughts and his methods for presenting them was vital. Primary sources, such as old maps and photographs, helped me envision the setting. I also watched Nazi-era propaganda films, such as "Triumph of the Will."

Hitler was the hardest character for me to write. It would have been very easy to turn him into a caricature--a one-dimensional villain, gloating malevolently and rubbing his hands with glee. I felt a tremendous responsibility to present him as accurately as possible, not only because he was a real person but out of respect for his millions of victims.  

The more I learned about him, though, the more I realized how complicated and multi-faceted he was. In fact, the major Hitler biographers present different versions of him. According to some, he was a misguided monster who truly believed genocide was the best solution to solve the world's problems; in others' opinions, he was a fraud who didn't even hate the Jews but used anti-Semitic rhetoric as a platform to launch him into power. I knew if I wanted to flesh out Hitler into a fully realized character, I needed to draw my own conclusions about him. I read the biographies by Ian Kershaw, Alan Bullock, John Toland, Joachim Fest, and Hugh Trevor-Roper and other important works such as EXPLAINING HITLER by Ron Rosenbaum and what many consider to be the definitive book on Hitler's psychology, HITLER: DIAGNOSIS OFA DESTRUCTIVE PROPHET by Fritz Redlich.

Carol: I was impressed with how you wove your backstory in, even as the story pushed forward. I think that is a problem many new novelists have. Was that challenging to do? How did you know where to begin the book?

Anne: At first, I didn't know where to start the book! As writers, we always hear that old chestnut about starting in the middle of the action, so that's what I did--originally, the story opens when Gretchen is waiting to meet with a mysterious Jewish reporter who claims to have information about her father's death. Perfect, I thought. An exciting and intriguing opening scene--what's not to love?

The answer is, a lot! :) Happily for me, that original version snagged both my dream agent and a fabulous three-book deal. When I got my first edits, though, I realized how many problems there were in my opening scene. My editor explained, in her very sweet, tactful way, that starting the story after Gretchen has already begun questioning the Nazi Party felt like a missed opportunity. She suggested starting the story a little earlier so readers could get a sense of where Gretchen's coming from--what her beliefs are, what her daily life is like.

It's tempting to start your story with your character's major problem, but ultimately that doesn't allow your readers to connect with your protagonist--they're too busy trying to catch up with the plot! Rather than beginning with your story's big obstacle, I suggest starting with something smaller--an inciting event that leads to the big obstacle.  

Carol: I’d love to more about the process of “assembling” this book. What was the genesis of the novel as well as some of the different stages in your thought process as you wove it together? How many drafts? What changes did you make in those drafts? What input did Tracey or your editor have in shaping the book?

Anne: The idea to this story came to me a couple of years ago. I'd just had a baby and I knew I was going to be home a lot and I'd better start reading quality non-fiction so my brain didn't dissolve into sleep-deprived mush. I'd been fascinated by World War Two for years, so I picked up a book on Hitler and his beloved half-niece, Geli, by Ronald Hayman. After I finished reading it, I couldn't get Geli out of my head. What had her life been like, sharing Hitler's luxurious Munich apartment while he campaigned for the presidency? How had he treated her? What had she really believed?

The lure of writing about a girl ensconced in the Nazis' hyper-masculine, violent world was irresistible. I needed the freedom of having a fictional main character, though, so Gretchen Müller was born. But how, I wondered, can Gretchen figure out what the Nazis really stand for? How can she break free? Once I had my answers, I started writing.

I have no idea how many drafts I've written in total--they've blurred together, partly because I was a walking zombie new mom! I do remember that the first draft was 200 pages long. Seriously. All I did was get the story--the basic mechanics of the plot--on paper.

Tracey Adams (who I met at at the mid-Atlantic SCBWI conference) loved the manuscript--I think she suggested one word change and then sent it on sub about three days after I signed with her--but my editor, Kristin Daly Rens, had lots of ideas. She's one of those wonderful editors who asks you questions that help you think about your story in new ways. She's a careful reader and constantly pushes me to dig deeper into the story and the characters. I'm incredibly fortunate to get to work with her.

Carol: I can picture this as a movie. Is there any talk of this, or is that too soon? 

Anne: I'd love to see PRISONER made into a movie. Fingers crossed!

Carol: What's next?

Anne: I'm working on the sequel. Gretchen and Daniel are the main characters again, and it takes place right after Hitler's appointment to the chancellorship. Once again, it's full of murder, intrigue, romance and danger. I'm not allowed to tell more, not even the title! :) Ooh, I can give one hint though--readers should pay close attention to everything Hitler says to Gretchen in the first book. His advice becomes vitally important to her survival. 

***********

Thank you Anne for sharing all of this backstory with my readers. Prisoner of Night and Fog  (Harper Collins) will be available in April but it can be pre-ordered here. For a chance to win the ARC, just follow these rules:

1. Leave me a comment by January 25, with your email address if you are new to this blog. 

2. For an additional chance to win a copy, share this blog post on your favorite social media site. Let me know what you did.

3. If you are a new follower of my blog, I'll enter your name twice. 
4. If you are a new follower and post to social media, your name goes in THREE times!

How are You Celebrating the National Day on Writing?

October 20th is National Day on Writing. I'm celebrating the day by sharing a book that I have just begun to read as I research my young adult historical novel.

Notes of a White Black Woman (Pennsylvania State University Press: 1995) was written by lawyer Judy Scales-Trent. it is a collection of autobiographical essays about her experience as a light-skinned African American woman. It not only gives me insight into the issues she struggled with growing up, it also causes me to evaluate my own preconceived notions about race and color.

This segment is from her observations of generations of photographs in a family album:

"When you look at the photograph of my mother and her sisters, you see that two of the women have white skin. So did my uncle, Big Buddy. But then, when you turn the page to look at the photograph of the grandchildren, it almost takes your breath away, for these are all brown-skinned children. Their skin color ranges from light brown to dark brown, but it is clear that these are not white children....

I am just now realizing that I was so anxious about how they [the dark-skinned men Scales-Trent dated] viewed my color that I did not consider the value I attached to theirs. For it is very likely that without any instruction, without conscious plan, without even thinking about it, I--and perhaps others in my family--thought seriously about skin color when I thought about who would be the father of my children. For this is a country where it is dangerous to be too dark, and where it is wrong to be too light." (p. 48-9)

As a writer, I am indebted to other writers, such as Scales-Trent, who have shared their research and/or life experiences. My work will be richer as a result of their work and honest self-exploration. And that is definitely a reason to celebrate good writers and the writing craft.

Technorati Tags:Judy Scales-Trent, Notes of a White Black Woman, historical fiction, Writers on writing, National day on Writing, light-skinned African Americans
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Advice from the Archives of Writer's Digest

In the October issue of Writer's Digest, Phil Sexton, offered some nuggets from old Writer's Digest issues which he uncovered and has included in his forthcoming book, Legends of Literature. I thought these were amusing and worth passing along to all of you:

In September 1961, the following authors answered the question: "What advice would you offer a person who aspires to a writing career?"

"Sorry if I had any advice to give I'd take it myself." John Steinbeck

"The new writer should observe, listen, look...and then write. Nothing begets better writing than the simple process of writing." Rod Sterling.

"The beginning writers need talent, application and asprin. If he wants to write just to make money, he is not a writer." James Thurber

"Beware of advice--even this." Carl Sandburg