Michaela MacColl is the author of three novels for young readers — “Prisoners in the Palace,” “Promise in the Night” and, most recently, “Nobody’s Secret.” The following is a complete transcript of her interview with Cracking the Cover.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
When I was in high school we had a series of adults come in and talk about their careers. The ONLY one that made any sense to me was the writer (ironically she also wrote historical fiction for kids). I knew I wrote well and I liked to make up stories. I dreamed in words. Unfortunately for me, I got distracted. I ended up studying history in college and graduate school. Then I got married, moved to Europe and eventually had kids. It wasn’t until I started telling my kids stories that I came back to writing.
Why write for young readers?
Writing for young adults just seems like the right fit. I wanted to write about famous women when they were younger – before they made the choices that made them famous. The length of the stories I want to tell, the level of historical detail I want to explore and the ages of the protagonist all led me to high middle grade/young adult.
Where do your ideas come from? Specifically for “Nobody’s Secret”?
Actually I have no problem coming up with ideas – I have a file with enough ideas to keep me writing for the next twenty years! I hear an interesting tidbit on NPR, I read about a biography or catch something on the history channel… and I’m off.
Nobody’s Secret is a literary mystery starring Emily Dickinson. I was thinking about doing an historical mystery and I wanted a famous protagonist. But I also wanted someone about whom people had a lot of preconceptions– and then shatter those preconceptions. Emily is known for being an eccentric recluse. But she wasn’t always like that. When she was a teen she was very social. She liked boys. She walked everywhere. She attended classes at Amherst College.
Once I had the idea, I needed a plot. Naturally I went to Emily’s poetry. One of my favorite poems is “I’m Nobody, Who are you? / Are you Nobody too? “ Although the poem is about her desire for anonymity and solitude – she’s talking to someone. That person became Mr. Nobody, a handsome young man in town on mysterious business. He not only understands Emily’s quirky personality, he likes her for it.
Why did you choose to make Emily Dickinson your protagonist?
It wasn’t hard to envision Emily as a detective. She comes from an important family so she knows everyone in town. We know from her poetry that she is a brilliant observer of the natural word and of the human condition. Her poems reflect that she knew about loss and death – she’s often mourning in her work. And finally – she’s a botanist – which lead me to the possibility of Emily solving a botanical sort of mystery.
What is it about mysteries that draw readers in?
Mysteries are all about creating order from chaos. A murder is the ultimate crime and injustice – the world isn’t right until it is solved. I find a good mystery very satisfying. As a writer, it’s a fun puzzle to construct.
What do you think Emily Dickinson would say about your book?
Alas, I think she would be horrified. She did not appreciate people taking liberties with her or her work. But there might be some historical inventions that she would appreciate – for example I had my Emily replace the whalebone of her corset with a notebook.
What are you working on now?
Nobody’s Secret is the first in a series of literary mysteries. The next one comes out in Spring, 2014. It’s tentatively titled Always Emily (yet another Emily) and it’s about the Brontes. How fun is that part of my job is to read and reread Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights?
Looking back, how has your writing evolved?
I pleased to say it keeps improving. I talk to kids in schools a lot and I tell them that at every stage – every draft – I think the book isn’t going to get any better. And I’m always wrong. The more I write, the more in command I am of my work. Hopefully this is a trajectory that will keep going in the right direction.
Is there a book from your own youth that still resonates with you today?
My favorite books (like I knew them by heart) were The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, A Wrinkle in Time and The Prydain Chronicles. I still love them!