A Zombie Girl Shambling Interview with Sarah Beth Durst Author of Drink, Slay, Love

Let's Welcome the Amazing Sarah Beth Durst!

1. How did the idea for DSL come to you?

I was thinking about unicorns one day...  You know, your typical Saturday afternoon: eat tortilla chips, ignore the laundry, and think about unicorns...  And it suddenly occurred to me: unicorns are natural vampire hunters!  Look at them!  Built-in stake!  And the whole story grew from there.

2. What is a favorite Halloween memory?

At age six, I was adamant that I wanted to be a pink monkey for Halloween.   I don't remember why.  But I remember the certainty.  And I also remember the joy when my mother made me a pink monkey costume, complete with pink ears, a pink tail, and a pink belly.  To date, I think it's the coolest costume I've ever worn.

3. What authors have influenced your work?

I love Tamora Pierce, Diana Wynne Jones, Charles de Lint...  My favorite authors are the ones that make you think as you read, "Ooh, that's the coolest thing that could have possibly happened next!"  I really try hard to emulate that feel.

4. Are you a monster movie fan? What is your favorite?

I am an utter coward when it comes to monster movies.  But I can do funny monsters.  I love Monsters, Inc.  And Men in Black (if aliens can count as monsters).  Also, The Mummy and the Mummy Returns (so long as I shut my eyes for certain scenes).

5. Do you have a playlist for DSL?

Drink, Slay, Love is the first novel I ever wrote that has a true playlist.  Several songs are mentioned in the novel, and I also had a whole vampirish playlist to put me in the right writing mood.  Both lists are here: http://sarahbethdurst.blogspot.com/2011/10/drink-slay-love-playlists.html

And "vampirish" is a perfectly cromulent word.

6. What is your writing day like?

Wake up.  Deal with life.  Write.  Eat breakfast.  Deal with life.  Write.  Eat lunch.  Deal with life.  Write.  Eat dinner.  Deal with life.  Write, write, write.  Eat midnight snack.  Sleep.  Repeat.

7. What is Pearl's most quirky personality trait?

Not sure if "mostly evil" counts as a quirk, but Pearl is funny, fearless, and mostly evil.  She made writing Drink, Slay, Love such a joy.  Seriously the best writing experience I've ever had.  Pearl is pretty much made of snark, and she does not suffer fools.

8. Do you outline your books or are you a pantster?

I outline.  I like to see the barebones structure of the story before I begin.  Plus I think an outline makes the whole endeavor feel more manageable because it subdivides the project into chunks.  If you say, "Today, I shall write my novel," it can paralyze you.  But if you say, "Today, I'll write this bit"... you can do that.  Do it enough, and you'll eventually have a full novel.

9. What are you working on now?

I am working on revisions to Vessel, a standalone YA fantasy novel that will be out from Simon & Schuster in fall 2012.  I'm really, really excited about it!

10. What is one thing you want people to get from your books ?

I want to give people a couple hours away from whatever is bothering them in the real world.  I think books can be magic.  They can cast a spell that transports you out of your life and into another.  I want my books to cast that spell, to offer an escape, to make you laugh or make you feel or take you on a ride to places you've never been.

Thanks so much for interviewing me!


Now for the giveaway!