Hey! So what’s happening here?
We’re answering questions about Fang Fiction! Thank you so much for reading—I’m so excited to tell you more about the writing process, the vampire stories that inspired me, and, obviously, how this all relates to Taylor Swift.
Amazing! But you know that we know that the questions and answers are both just you, right, Kate?
Bitch, don’t break the fourth wall.
Copy that. Okay, let’s talk about Fang Fiction! Your first novel, One to Watch, was set in the world of reality TV—was it a big leap to write about vampires this time around?
In some ways, yes—writing a story with fantasy elements was way more complicated than a straightforward contemporary romcom (although of course writing a romcom with, like, thirty love interests was complex in its own way!). But actually, I think these two books share a very similar DNA: They’re both fish-out-of-water stories with elements of wish fulfillment, interrogating the ideas of fandom and escapism and what it feels like when a pop culture fantasy (like starring on a reality show or visiting a magical world filled with vampires) actually comes true.
Did you enjoy writing a novel with fantasy elements? What challenges did you face?
I absolutely loved having the opportunity to let my imagination run wild—to make up fabulous places like Bar Between or the library in Nantale’s compound (I want to go there). The challenge was how to keep the story feeling grounded among all those fantasy elements. Part of that was keeping every element of the story rooted in the characters’ emotions—the library is a great example. I knew I wanted to write that location, but in my first draft, it just felt like a pretty place that didn’t serve any purpose. So I thought deeply about what a library would mean to Tess, especially at that point in the narrative, and that’s when I came up with the idea that she would have a dream about going to the library at Columbia with Callum. After that change, the library on the Isle wasn’t just a beautiful place, it also represented Tess’s painful yearning to get back to the life she abandoned.
Writing fantasy elements also requires a lot of technical worldbuilding, creating strict rules of how magic works in this world, who has power and how and why, and making sure the story adheres to those rules. When I was writing the Joni/Octavia chapters, it was like, okay, they want to go to Midtown. They can take the subway or call a car, easy! I know how that works! On the Isle, I had to make deliberate choices about every single element of the world, and whenever I thought I was finished, I’d come across a whole new slew of questions that needed answering. The biggest relief in the entire drafting process was when I realized Tess could have a horse. A horse!! That I didn’t have to invent and wasn’t magical, just a regular-ass horse! Oh man, I was so happy.
You’re a big-time feminist who spent many years working for women’s rights as a writer for Hillary Clinton and reproductive justice causes, among others. How did this play into your decision to write a vampire novel?
I love vampire stories and have for a long time—even though they’re incredibly problematic! Why is it always some two-hundred-year-old guy seducing a teenager? Characters like Spike from Buffy and Damon from The Vampire Diaries and Eric from True Blood/The Southern Vampires Mysteries are heinous villains, monsters who skulk in the night and commit murder as casually as ordering a cup of coffee. So why do I (and so many other women) find them so attractive? Is it our desire for a protector? The (totally fallacious) notion that we alone are special enough to reform a bad boy? Or maybe it’s just that we’re all so tired from trying to suss out which men in the real world might secretly be demons, it’s a relief to have it right out in the open.
One thing I love about horror is how different kinds of monsters externalize different human fears: Ghosts represent grief, zombies represent death, and vampires represent sex, love, and abandonment—the notion that a lover can take your very life force from you, and then they can either make you immortal or leave you to die. I knew I wanted to write a story about a sexual assault survivor, and my protagonist’s core issues would center around trust and bodily autonomy. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that a vampire novel was exactly the right vehicle for the story I wanted to tell.
What was your approach to writing about Tess’s trauma? Did you always intend to write a flashback of her experience?
This was really tricky. The flashback sequence was one of the very first things I wrote when I started working on this novel, curled up on a couch in a rental apartment in Annecy, France, as a snowstorm raged outside my window. I felt I couldn’t write Tess’s story until I knew the details of her experience; it was foundational to understanding her character. I originally had the flashback in Chapter 2, and let me tell you, that was a real bummer of a way to start a novel. At the same time, I did not want Tess’s trauma to be any kind of surprise or reveal—it was my nightmare that a survivor would be reading this book and having a fun time and suddenly get seriously triggered.
As I went through the writing process, I realized that it made sense to be clear about what happened to Tess from the beginning but also not to get into the details, because Tess is trying so hard not to think about it. Later in the story, as she opens up to Callum and feels safe enough to share her story, that’s when we get to see her memories, because she’s finally ready to think about them. And, hopefully, by that point in the narrative, so are we.
Fandom is another big element of the novel. Are you part of any fandoms?
Oh boy, am I ever! I’m a huge Swiftie (if you ever bring me a friendship bracelet at a book event, I will absolutely lose my mind). You can definitely see elements of the Swiftie fandom in the Feudies—especially our propensity to hunt for clues, do our research, and dive down potentially unhinged rabbit holes based on the thinnest scraps of “evidence” (RIP Woodvale).
I’m also a more casual member of the Buffy fandom, which feels really different because it’s so much smaller. Last fall I went to a fan event at Torrance High School, which is where they filmed Sunnydale High—it was a “Homecoming Dance,” and I went with friends who love Buffy too. We all dressed up as different characters (I went as Buffy, I’m sorry, my Venus is in Leo, I can only be who I am), and it was beyond wonderful to be surrounded by joyful vampire nerds in costume, gawking at locations and getting temporary tattoos and taking photos and dancing. That spirit of community, of people who love the weirdest and most niche parts of you unconditionally—that’s the part of fandom I really wanted to capture in this novel, especially in that climactic scene at The Georgia.
Speaking of Buffy, let’s say I loved Fang Fiction and I want to read/watch more vampire stories. What do you recommend?
OMG, I’m SO excited for your imminent journey through the wonderful world of vampires! For books, Anne Rice is the ne plus ultra of vampire writers—you can’t go wrong starting with Interview with the Vampire (the movie is also iconic; I haven’t dipped into the TV series yet but have heard great things!). Sunshine by Robin McKinley is also a fascinating exercise in worldbuilding—it may be the most vividly imagined paranormal story I’ve ever read. And these aren’t vampire stories, but I must recommend everything by my favorite fantasy writer, Leigh Bardugo. Start with the Shadow and Bone series and then read Six of Crows; I promise, you won’t regret it.
For TV, Buffy the Vampire Slayer will always be my forever favorite. Buffy uses its monsters of the week to externalize fears faced by your typical teenage girl in ways that are sometimes nothing short of genius. It’s also deep and rich and so funny, with an absolutely stacked bench of wonderful characters. (Are Callum and Octavia my spins on Spike and Cordelia? Yes, a bajillion times yes!) If you’re new to Buffy, I recommend starting with season two—you can always go back and watch season one later. Watch a few standout episodes from the first half of season two to get the lay of the land (“Halloween” and “What’s My Line” are bangers), then watch episode thirteen (“Surprise”) and buckle up for one of the best storylines in the history of television.
I’m also a huge fan of The Vampire Diaries and True Blood, both of which are based on series of novels! The Vampire Diaries is a pitch-perfect, heightened snarky teen soap (think Dawson’s Creek with vampires), and True Blood is a sexy, campy vampire melodrama, where vampires “coming out of the coffin” served as metaphors for queer people coming out of the closet. (The 2000s were wild.) Honestly, there’s so much fantastic (fang-tastic? ugh) vampire content out there, I hope you have the best time watching and reading!
Last question, and it’s an important one. Maybe the most important question anyone has ever asked.
I’m ready.
Which Taylor Swift song best represents each of the main characters in Fang Fiction?
Thank god, I’ve been thinking about this so deeply. Okay, here we go:
Tess: At the beginning of the story, the song I relate most to Tess is “Right Where You Left Me.” This is one of Taylor’s saddest songs, about a woman who can’t move past her worst memory, no matter how hard she tries. Tess thinks she’s run away and moved on from Columbia and everything that happened there, but the truth is she’s stuck. Stuck reliving her memories, stuck trying to ignore her past because she’s not ready to deal with it. Through the course of the novel, though, Tess changes her life, and she changes herself too. She realizes she’s strong enough to confront her past and move forward, brave enough to be vulnerable and fall in love. By the end of the book, I think the song that represents Tess is “Fearless.” She’ll put on her best dress and dance through a storm, because she’s weathered more than her fair share and she knows she can do it. You pull me in and I’m a little more brave. It’s the first kiss, it’s flawless, really something…it’s fearless. That’s our girl.
Callum: For a vampire who’s deeply worried people will think he’s a villain, what song could it be but “Anti-Hero”? Callum does get older but never wiser—he’s 135! He wakes up at sunset—midnights are literally his afternoons! The song is glib and pithy, just like Callum, but under the surface, these lyrics get at some heartbreaking fears: that he’s a monster unfit for human company, that his true nature is too dark to be confronted, that he deserves to be alone. Luckily, like Taylor, Callum is able to overcome his inner worries to be a global superstar (extremely here for his tortured poet era tbh).
Octavia: There’s no one more Reputation-coded than Octavia—outside she’s hard and glittery, but under that tough exterior she’s a puddle of big gay feelings. I could pick any number of Rep songs for Octavia, but I went with “I Did Something Bad,” because it embodies everything I love about her character: She’s unapologetically powerful, deliciously indulgent, and absolutely couldn’t give a shit what men think of her. Truly, an example for us all. RATATATATATA, bitches!
Joni: Joni! So pure of heart, so bright of spirit, so prepared at all times with snacks and blankets and iPads loaded with old episodes of Buffy. She’s the kind of best friend who’ll hug you tight when things go wrong, then drag you to a disco bar to dance out all your feelings. In other words, she’s the epitome of “New Romantics.” Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone (a consummate Swiftie) says this song “makes crying in the bathroom sound like a bold spiritual quest,” and that’s so Joni to me: bighearted, nonjudgmental, and explosively joyful. When the world throws bricks at you, just get a Joni by your side, and you can build a damn castle.
Flora: “August.” Duh. ;)
I’m so glad I asked.
Hard same!! And thank you for reading the novel and all this bonus content, dear reader. (See what I did there?) I appreciate you more than I can ever express.