Answers with Phyllis Cast

Answer 1

You and your daughter, Kristin, have teamed up to write the House of Night series. What's that experience like?

It has been a wonderful experience teaming up with my daughter for the House of Night. I do all of the writing, and Kristin serves as my front line teen voice editor. It was awesome knowing that Kristin had my back, which allowed me to focus on the story.

Have you two grown closer because of it?

Kristin and I have always been close, so that hasn't changed. I have learned to appreciate her skills as an editor. I am very proud of her!

Kristin started as your sounding board even before the House of Night series. How has her participation in the writing process changed and grown over the course of the series?

At first I relied heavily on Kristin to be sure that I didn't make Z and/or the Nerd Herd sound, as Kristin once put it, "like a disgruntled 40-something year old school teacher". But after the first few books the characters were so firmly set that Kristin had very little dialogue editing to do. It was then that she and I began discussing the overreaching story arch for the entire series. Most of the time Kristin was my sounding board, and by discussing plot points with her I worked my way through potential problems. Sometimes she had a very strong voice in what I was considering. Example: Grandma Redbird was almost a casualty. Kristin was very vocal about that! "Nooooooo! Don't kill Grandma!" And I didn't!

Do you and Kristin ever disagree on the way a story should progress, the way a character should be portrayed, or the way a sentence should be punctuated? How do you resolve issues like that?

As I did all of the writing we really didn't have these kinds of disagreements. During the editing process Kristin would leave me comments about the manuscripts, but it was ultimately my decision about whether I would follow her advice or not. Mostly that advice was about cutting descriptions that were too wordy, and I usually followed it.

Answer 2

The idea for the House of Night series came from your agent, who suggested "vampire finishing school." How did you progress from that to the full concept for House of Night?

As I began world building for the HoN I made several decisions very quickly. First, I knew that I wanted to set the series in Tulsa. I knew that my vampyre society would be matriarchal and pagan, and I knew that I wanted to base my vampyres more on Biology than magic. From there I sat down with my dad, who taught biology for 40+ years, and he and I came up with the physiological foundation of being Marked and of the Change. Then I took pieces of several different pagan traditions and merged them into the HoN society and religion. At that time I decided to base my heroine, Zoey Redbird, very loosely on my daughter, and the rest followed easily from there!

Answer 3

What's next after the House of Night series is complete?

Right now I am hard at work on my new trilogy. It is reminiscent of classic McCaffrey, Tolkien, and George RR Martin, and is an epic New Earth adventure filled with fantasy, romance, and the struggle to regain humanity. I'm super excited about it and can't wait to share it with my fans!

Answer 4

What sparked your interest in magic and mythical creatures?

My father sparked it when I was nine years old by giving me The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I went from there to the fabulous Anne McCaffrey's Pern, and have been firmly hooked by magic and myth since then.

Answer 5

Why do you think vampires, werewolves, and witches are so popular among young adult readers in particular?

Well, most paranormal creatures have heightened abilities, and I think YA readers particularly identify with them because they're dealing with their own "heightened abilities" in the form of surging hormones! I also think YA readers enjoy the escape paranormal adventures provide them from reality, which is something we all need from time to time.

Answer 6

Do you see any of your series being adapted into a tv show, like Vampire Diaries, or into a movie, like Twilight?

That really isn't my decision. Davis Films has optioned the series, and right now it is their intention to create 5 motion pictures. I have worked with the awesome screenwriter they hired, and I love the script that is being created!

Answer 7

The House of Night series have been adapted into graphic novels. How did that happen?

I'm a big comic book fan, so I approached Dark Horse! They were excited to team with me to create five comics, which were then compiled into a lovely graphic novel. Kent Dalian was my adaptor. He and I had a wonderful time working on the comics together. It was especially cool to choose the artists! I loved seeing my world come alive in this medium.

Answer 8

What is the hardest thing about switching from writing regular novels to young adult?

The truth is that I didn't think about writing YA when I was writing the HoN. I just told the story and didn't worry about anything except staying true to my characters.

Answer 9

You've made it to the top of US, UK, and German bestseller lists. What do you think are the factors that have contributed to making the books a hit worldwide?

I think the HoN has been so successful because the characters act like real teenagers. I've heard from readers all over the world, and whether they're teenagers or adults, they say the same thing - that they understand Z and the gang because they can put themselves in the place of the characters.

Answer 10

How has Zoey grown as a character--and how have you grown as a writer--since Marked's release in 2007?

I've learned how to juggle a large series with several storylines and plot complications. I've also learned that even though I hate writing outlines IT IS A MUST and eventually makes my life easier. Zoey has matured enormously. I love that she consistently learns from her mistakes. I also love her sense of integrity.