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‘Red Queen’ author Victoria Aveyard: I’m definitely a feminist
Big-name international pop stars and rock bands aren’t the only ones stopping by the Philippines in recent months. Popular writers and authors are also making their way over here, and many of them are novelists in the young adult genre. Book signings have become the literary equivalent of a meet-and-greet with rock stars.
The latest author to visit is Victoria Aveyard, whose debut novel "Red Queen" has been described as Hunger Games-meets-X-Men. Its sequel, "Glass Sword", is already out, and a third book is planned to be released next year.
Only 25 years old, Aveyard is already a New York Times bestseller, after her debut novel made it to the top of the Young Adult list the first week it was released. Reports say the book is being turned into a movie soon.
I chatted with Aveyard during her brief visit to Manila. Despite a grueling schedule that included a visit to the International School, numerous press interviews and book signings and fan meets in Manila and Cebu, she was upbeat and fun, expressing genuine thrill at being here. Excerpts:
PJ: How do you feel about this part of being an author: doing interviews and book tours?
VA: It’s pretty crazy. It’s not anything I thought was part of the job. Especially writers, we’re not, ‘Look at me! Look at me!’ It’s not a thing that we naturally like. But it’s cool. Everything that has happened to me for the most part has been completely unexpected. And I’m just kind of along for the ride.
Was there any other career you considered pursuing besides being a writer?
For the most part, I’ve always wanted to write, but there was a brief blip in high school, where I was like, oh my god, I don’t know how I can turn writing into a job. I thought about fashion design. I very seriously considered that, and even took some classes in New York City. But that was not a safe career choice either, so I don’t know what I was thinking.
The year that you spent after college to write "Red Queen", was there ever a point when you were consumed by self-doubt?
Every day!
How did you get past that?
Part of it was, I had made this choice that I really needed to stick with now because I had moved back home to write the book. So if it didn’t work out, then what did I go to school for? I was just going to toss it all away.
And there were definitely moments when I didn’t know how to write a book, I didn’t know if it was good or bad, and I thought, what if it’s terrible, what if it’s garbage?
Luckily, my best friend and my dad were reading the book, as I was writing it. They would take chapters and when I started slowing down because I didn’t want to keep doing it, and thought it wasn’t worth it, they would both start bothering me and ask, what’s the next chapter? What happens next? So it was like, fine, I’ll keep writing. Thank god they made me keep writing.
Do you have any writing rituals? Like, do you have to have a drink? Or does the room have to be a certain temperature?
(Laughs) It can’t be like lava. I have to be comfortable. The only thing that I really need when I’m writing, besides, a computer, is time. If I know I have to be somewhere in like an hour or two, it would be hard for me to get into writing. I like to have the full day, and really just go for it. So when I’m traveling a lot, it can be really hard to work. Cause you’re tired, your brain is totally somewhere else, you’re scrambled.
You mentioned in a previous interview that music is a very important part of your writing. What sort of music do you like to listen to?
When I write I have different playlists that I’ve made for each project. On Spotify. For the Red Queen books, I listened to a lot of Florence and the Machine, Sia, and Ellie Goulding. I really like to listen to movie soundtracks too. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with Hamilton on Broadway.
Wow. So lucky! Everybody wants to watch that.
I know. I was in New York for my book tour a couple of weeks ago, and I managed to get tickets for me and my agent and we sat in the very back row, of the back balcony, and it was till amazing. I loved it so much that a couple of days later my friend texted me, and she goes, ‘I’m buying Hamilton tickets for October. Do you want to come?’ I have no plans to be in New York for October, but yes, I will be there! I will make time to go!
The books obviously have a very strong female character. Would you consider yourself an advocate? A feminist?
Oh yeah. I’m definitely a feminist. For sure. A lot of people have a problem with that term, but I think the people who do are the ones who don’t understand the definition. It just means equality of the genders, and that women should be treated equally as men are, and vice versa. So I’m definitely an advocate of that.
You’re 25. And you’re a NYT bestselling author. Has that sunk in yet?
Nope! It’ll be on my grave I’d still be like, I don’t get it!
What does that mean for you? And how does it make you feel?
Well for now it means that I’ve paid off my college loans, which I’m very happy about. And it means that I am employed till 2019, because I have book contracts till then. I’m very happy about that. But I’m in an industry where you can’t bank on anything. So just because these books have been so successful, I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next ones, so I just have to keep working. There’s no breather, there’s no safe space that you’ve reached, unless you’re J.K. Rowling, and even she keeps working, because, you know, we write because we love it, not because of the money.
Mind if I throw a few lightning round questions?
Sure. Those are fun.
What’s your favorite sandwich?
I love grilled cheese! With bacon and avocado. I live in California part of the time, and avocado’s on everything.
Favorite city on earth?
I’m gonna do an American city and one outside. Favorite American city is Boston. I’m from Massachusetts. And my favorite world city is Edinburgh. My mom is from there, so luckily I get to go a lot.
Can you do the accent?
Ooh. I can. But I don’t want to! (Laughs)
What’s one movie you can watch over and over again?
Lord Of the Rings! And also Star Wars. Also Indiana Jones. I’m a movie person!
One item in your purse that you’re never without, anywhere?
Nowadays...my cellphone. (Points to it beside her)
Three living authors you’d invite to a dinner party.
George RR Martin, but I would make sure that the food wasn’t poisoned. (Laughs). J.K. Rowling, definitely. She is a huge role model of mine. And oh god, another author, because I was going to say Tolkien. (Thinks). There are so many, and it’s crazy because now that I’m in this industry, I’ve made friends with a lot of authors that I really love. I’m gonna say Suzanne Collins, probably.
That looks like a fun dinner party.
Yeah! But someone’s definitely not leaving the table. (Laughs)
I’ve to ask about the upcoming movie. Obviously people have been talking about it. But when you were first writing the book, you must have imagined somebody in the role of main character Mare Barrow?
I actually did not, which is very weird. I had character motifs and shades of other characters, but I did not have actors in mind. I can’t really write like that, cause I come from a screenwriting background, and in screenwriting, you’re not actually supposed to describe your characters physically too much because you don’t want to exclude actors. So when I moved over to writing the book, I remember the first round of edits for the first manuscript, I had a couple of times where my agent was like, ‘I don’t know what this character looks like. Can you explain?’ And I thought to myself, ‘Oh, I gotta do that in books as opposed to screenplays.’ So I didn’t really have anyone in mind but I am a really visual writer and I do see it in my head, and that’s how I write.
But right now? Are you thinking of anyone? At least for Mare?
Honestly, I’m not. I’m not a casting director. And because she’s 17, I have no idea who the very young 17-year-old actresses are. And it’s hard because you look at all the teen shows and stuff, and those people are actually like 30 years old, so I’m very glad that that’s not my job and that I don’t have any control over it.
What’s one thing that you wish somebody had told you when you were first starting out writing?
Well, something I’ve learned is eyes on your own paper is really important. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else because everybody's journey is different. Don't get caught up in what another person is doing versus what you're doing. Focus on your own journey and your own work. And be a cheerleader for everybody else.
What do you want to say to your Filipino fans? There are a lot of them.
Oh gosh. I know, and I hear you guys. I see it on social media all the time, how many of them are so friendly and so excited that I’m here. I’m just as excited as you guys are. Thank you so much for liking me enough that I was able to come here, because under normal circumstances, this totally would not have been possible for me. — BM, GMA News
Paul John Caña is a magazine writer and live music geek. He is also co-founder of libreto.org, an online collective of writers and artists. Email him at pjcana@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram @pauljohncana.
