Who or what is your biggest source of writing inspiration?
There really isn’t one major source of inspiration—it can and does come from absolutely anywhere! Obviously, for The Lunar Chronicles, I drew inspiration from the fairy tales that the books are based off of, as well as from science fiction epics like Star Wars and Firefly. I was frequently inspired by the technology of today, as well as news stories and magazine articles regarding where we are heading with technology, artificial intelligence, space exploration, and cybernetics. I was inspired by history – revolutions and the fall of dynasties, the civil rights movement, the bubonic plague. It goes on and on. Inspiration is everywhere. It’s the writer’s job to take all those little bits of ideas and mold them into one story.
When you get an idea, what is the first thing you do with it?
Write it down! I keep a pen and notepad in my bedside table, because ideas have a habit of showing up in the middle of the night. And I’m constantly entering ideas into the memo pad on my phone. A lot of ideas never go anywhere – what seems brilliant today might seem ridiculous tomorrow. But I’d rather decide not to act on an idea later rather than risk losing it entirely.
How did you do all the research to find out about all the futuristic technology used in The Lunar Chronicles?
When I first decided to write this science fiction series, I went to the library and checked out a stack of Scientific American magazine. I spent hours poring through those, reading any story that caught my eye, just to get a feel for where science and technology is today and where’s it’s headed. I learned so much, and the futuristic world of The Lunar Chronicles started to grow out of those articles about real-world science. I wanted the technology in my books to have a foundation in reality. To feel, not only possible, but inevitable. Like this is the direction that humanity is heading. It’s really amazing what scientists are able to accomplish, and I can’t wait to see where we are ten, twenty, fifty years from now.
Are the characters of Thorne and Cress in any way inspired by Flynn and Rapunzel from the Disney movie Tangled?
Surprisingly, no! I had actually completed the first draft of Cress before Tangled came out, and I remember going to see the movie in theaters and having a jaw-dropping moment and thinking: Hey, that’s my cocky bandit thief! There are so many examples of similar things cropping up in the same time in our culture or media, and this was definitely one of them. It’s so weird how that happens!
The Lunar Chronicles has a cast of characters from all around the world… how do they all understand each other’s languages?
There is a universal language spoken on Earth and Luna – I imagine it to be mostly a mix of English, Spanish, and Chinese (although I don’t really know what that would sound like!). However, people from different parts of the world will still have their own slang and dialects, and some pockets of the world even maintain their own individual languages, which are hinted at throughout the books, particularly when the characters arrive in Africa.
What was your favourite part about writing the Lunar Chronicles, and how do you feel now that the series is over?
I really loved developing the characters and getting to spend so much time with them, and watch each of them grow and mature over the course of the story. Some of my favourite scenes to write were when the characters were all together, crafting dangerous plots and having playful banter. After writing the series for eight years, these characters came to feel like some of my closest friends and it was really difficult to see them go! Ending the series was very bittersweet. There are still days when I miss the characters and want to go hang out on the Rampion some more, but I also have a lot of new projects in the works that I’m enjoying, so that helps.
The final book in the main series, Winter, has a black protagonist. Do you feel like diversity is an important aspect of YA fiction and your writing?
I didn’t think so much about diversity when I was first crafting the story and the characters. I created the characters back in 2008, and I wanted the world to feel authentic and real, and the idea that all these characters doing amazing things would be white seemed ridiculous to me. The world isn’t made of only white people, so fictional worlds shouldn’t be either. It felt much more natural for me to include characters with a variety of skin tones and ethnic backgrounds. Now I hear from a lot of readers thanking me for including people of colour in central roles —but I can’t help but hope that someday soon that will just be the norm.
Who is/are your favourite character/s from your books?
I really don’t have one! I love all my characters. They’ve all come to seem like close friends. That said, Iko is probably the most fun character for me to write. I never know what she’s going to say or do next, and her vivacity keeps me on my toes.
Any plans to revisit the world of the Lunar Chronicles after Stars Above? I’d love to read more, they’re amazing!
Thank you! Never say never – I have lots of projects in the works right now, but I wouldn’t be opposed to exploring the world more if the right idea came to me.
What did you love to read when you were growing up? Got any book recommendations for us now?
I read a lot of children’s classics when I was really young – Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was probably my favourite book growing up. Then when I was a little older I fell in love with fantasy fiction like The Hobbit and The Belgariad. There wasn’t really a “young adult” genre back then – it’s amazing how YA fiction has taken off! For more modern recommendations, I would say anything by Leigh Bardugo or Rosemary Clement-Moore. I also am crazy in love with the His Fair Assassin series by Robin LaFevers and The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski.
If you could live in any sci- fi or fantasy world, where would you live and why?
Hogwarts!!!! (I’m Ravenclaw.)
Marissa Meyer’s latest book Stars Above, A Lunar Chronicles Collection is available from the Guardian bookshop, as are the rest of the Lunar Chronicle series: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Fairest and Winter.
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