Jackie Morse Kessler Interview

Jackie Morse Kessler, author of HUNGER and RAGE*

I’m very happy to share a wonderful interview I’ve had the pleasure of receiving from Jackie Morse Kessler, author of HUNGER (which I’ve reviewed here) and RAGE (which I need to read asap). Her answers are fantastically insightful (two parts honest, open answers; one part yummy food references) and I’m sure you’ll enjoy them just as much as I did!

What do you think makes a good story?

JK: A good story makes the reader eager to turn the pages. It makes the reader think about the characters long after the book is done. It hopefully makes the reader forget about the real world for that period of time while he or she is reading.

You must have interesting characters, and a plot that draws the reader in. Something has to happen, to or about characters the readers are invested in.

And then there’s the gravy — the dialogue, the writing style, the humor…things that don’t make the story but bring out the flavor of what’s already there.

So… Let’s say it’s two-parts characters, two-parts plot, and one-part gravy. :)

What’s your most interesting writing quirk?

JK: I don’t know if it’s interesting, but I absolutely can’t start a new piece until I have a first sentence. Can’t do it. Nope. Sorry. (I wish my writing quirks were more along the lines of, I can’t write without eating chocolate, because let’s face it, chocolate should be its own food group. But sadly, my quirk is not as delicious.)

Is there a certain thing that always inspires you (i.e., a setting, type of music, time of day), no matter what is going on?

JK: A paycheck is very inspiring! :)

Other than that…the story itself is its own inspiration. There are times when I have to walk away for a little bit, get my bearings, that sort of thing. But then I get the itch, and I absolutely have to write, even if it’s just tinkering or researching or playing around with an idea.

I read in another interview that Death from HUNGER came to you fully formed, Kurt Cobain appearance and all. Is that how most of your characters come to you, or are they typically ideas that you later craft into people? Or perhaps some other method altogether? More specifically, how did Lisa come about? She’s  such a real person that I could have and in a way, have known her before.

JK: Yep, Death pulled an Athena and sprang fully formed. Just one of those things, I guess. It’s the first time that’s happened, to that degree. I had to figure out who the protagonist of HUNGER really was before I created Lisa. Ditto Missy in RAGE. I had the idea for War before she showed up. And Pestilence I discovered along the way. But Death? He was right there, exactly when I needed him, as if he were always there.

Originally, I tried a few different approaches to the protagonist of HUNGER — a woman in her twenties, a teen in the hospital, etc. But it wasn’t until I decided to very, very loosely base the character on someone from my past that the character Lisabeth really took form. The Lisa in HUNGER is not the person I had known. But she is inspired by that person. :)

I’ve seen HUNGER as a way to speak out about eating disorders–as a way to reach out. I think the focus on the topic is commendable and handled beautifully. Have you had people reach out to you after reading the book? How does your audience typically react?

JK: Thank you. :) Reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, and extremely thoughtful. A number of readers have told me of their past or current struggles with eating disorders, and even more have told me that they know people who are suffering from eating disorders. One of the reasons I included the information about the National Eating Disorders Association in the Author’s Note is for people to have a resource on hand. No one has to go through it alone.

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Thank you again, Jackie! For the great book and the great interview! To learn more about what’s going with Ms. Kessler, check her website or follow her Twitter!

*Picture borrowed from jackiemorsekessler.com