Interview

Alexandra Bracken has been interviewed multiple times about Lore.

## Quills and Stardust

AB: As a writer, I keep a running list of “wishlist” ideas, and the Agon was really the result of two of those wishlist items colliding with one another!

I’d been longing to write a story that used Greek mythology for so, so long, but none of my ideas ever felt fresh enough to me, and there wasn’t an obvious and natural way to set them in our modern world, which is what I *really* wanted to do. At the same time, I’d been hoping to challenge myself to write a story that used the framework of some kind of competition or even a race. I’m not sure why it took me so long to see how those two could connect—hunts and athletic competitions played important roles in Ancient Greek cultures and featured strongly in the myths. Given that both are still *very* much a part of our world, I knew it would be really interesting to explore how such an ancient version of a hunt would fit into an incredibly modern city.

The other main inspiration for it was how perfectly cruel so many godly punishments were in the myths. One good (AKA horrifying) example of this is the story of Actaeon, who was a hunter who kept a large pack of hunting dogs. One version of the story goes that he came upon Artemis bathing, and she warned him that if he spoke again, she would turn him into a stag. Well, he spoke, was transformed into a stag, and was then torn apart by his own dogs (ouch!)—the hunter became the hunted. Similarly, the gods of the Agon were willing to sacrifice millions of humans in a bid to keep their power and prominence, so it felt right somehow to have Zeus then curse them to experience a taste of that powerlessness and mortality.

**QaS: Killing one of the nine gods during an Agon allows a hunter to gain their power and immortality. If you could pick the powers of one of those nine gods, which one would you like to have?**

AB: Oh, wow! You know, I haven’t really thought about this, mostly because taking one of the gods’ powers in the story comes with such terrible strings attached. I’m going to go with Apollo’s powers, though there are times Aphrodite’s power of persuasion would be reaaally useful!

**QaS: Of all the gods featured in the book, including both the original gods and the new ones, who were your favorites to write about?**

AB: Definitely Athena and Artemis. Athena was always my favorite of the gods as a kid nerding out with her book of Greek myths, but my understanding of her has evolved a lot as I’ve gotten older, and that was one of the things I wanted to explore within the story. Artemis was just fun to write in this—I wanted at least one of the original gods to have regressed to their absolute essence in the story, and Artemis, the huntress herself, has gone a bit feral in this.

**QaS: How different was your creative process for creating the new gods, such as Wrath and Heartkeeper, compared to reimagining the original gods like Athena, Artemis, etc?**

AB: It actually wasn’t too different, if only because I wanted to reinforce how corrupting power can truly be and needed to use both the old gods and the new to show it. One thing I always kept in mind as I was writing was that the new gods had at least experienced humanity in their mortal lives, which would obviously impact their choices and priorities as gods. But while the original gods experience human emotions like jealousy, anger, and pettiness, they are *not* human, and it’s a fatal mistake to forget that.

**QaS: One of the ideologies of the bloodlines is the concept of kleos, which is the idea of achieving ultimate glory through battle or by becoming a legend. It is the driving force behind the bloodlines’ society and is also what pretty much sets a young Lore on her own personal journey, with her declaring as a child that her name *“will be legend”*. How did you come about the creation of the bloodlines’ society, and what inspired you to use the concept of kleos as such a significant driving force in this society?**

AB: Most of my research for *Lore* centered on reading about the different cultures within Ancient Greece, especially the Spartans, and trying to understand how they structured their world and beliefs. It was important to keep in mind that the stories of Greek mythology were really used to explain the world and justify their rituals and ways of life.

I knew that I wanted the hunter bloodlines to feel that they stood above regular mortals and had been chosen for an extraordinary destiny the way their famous ancestors had. That’s such a seductive and powerful belief–and one they’d be incredibly reluctant to let go of even as centuries passed. And, to take it even a step further, they’d want to maintain the rituals and stories and philosophies that reinforced that. One of the biggest challenges of writing the story was finding little ways to show how they might integrate into a modern setting through, for example, technology, but still refuse to address any of the regressive and problematic aspects of their beliefs.

The concept of kleos is fascinating, isn’t it? Just the idea that glory or renown was something that could be inherited or gained or lost, and that it was something entirely based on other people’s perceptions of you. It really boils down to wanting to do something great in order to be remembered, which is its own kind of immortality. I knew it had to feature in the story because of the warrior upbringing the hunters are given *and* because kleos was traditionally transferred between fathers and sons. Meaning, of course, that there would be massive tension in Lore’s hunger for it and her society’s refusal to even give her a chance at it. It’s also no accident that Lore is named Lore, and that we used it as the title for the book!

**QaS: Another theme of the story, as displayed through the rampant sexism present in the bloodlines’ patriarchal society, is the suppression of women’s rights and voices. This is further explored in the book with discussions on how the stories of women in Greek myths are often twisted to fit a more male-centric narrative, Medusa’s story being one of them. What aspects of these stories drew you to them and how did you weave these elements into the themes explored in *Lore*?**

AB: The sexual violence and treatment of women in Greek mythology have always enraged me, even as a kid discovering the stories for the first time. By an accident of fate, I was developing the book in 2017-2018, right around the time when we were finally having more extensive cultural conversations surrounding the *Me Too* movement, and it absolutely came to inform the emotional core of the story.

I started thinking more seriously about how I had both consciously and unconsciously modified my behavior and held myself back to navigate a world that’s all too quick to punish women for their ambition or anger. I poured those feelings into the story. I also wanted to explore how damaging and suppressive patriarchal societies are for those who are denied power and privilege within them and touch on what you’ve mentioned—that with history and storytelling, you constantly have to question *who* is telling it and *why*. Ancient Greece’s ideals are at the root of Western culture, and many of the issues raised in the book are still depressingly relevant today.

**QaS: The book is filled with cool nods and references to various stories in Greek mythology and lore. So for our final question, what are some of your favorite Greek myths?**

AB: I’ve always loved the tales of journeys and adventures like the Odyssey, especially since we get to see more interaction between the gods and mortals. The story of Theseus in the labyrinth (shout-out to Ariadne, the real MVP) has always been a favorite of mine–so dark and tense! And of all of the romances in Greek mythology–most of them kind of yikes or ill-fated–I’ve always loved the story of Eros and Psyche.

## Kinokuniya: 'Alexandra Bracken on Lore being a bestseller

**K: So Lore is still on the NYT bestseller list. Is that something thay really surprises you or are you at the point where like..."Oh, of course I expected it"**

AB: I never take it for granted. I think I'vd had as many hit the list as not hit the list and that's, like, a very healthy thing to have in terms of just...
**K: keeping the balance... And how do you feel about it?**

AB: It's so wonderful when it happens and I'm like, absolutely delighted that this book has worked so well for readers. I kind of had a sense that it might do well just because I knew how many people out there also loved greek mythology and there hadn't... I think because Percy Jackson was so... it just is so dominant in our... in the kid lit ya sphere that no one we've had like the occasional greek myth at... um greek myth retelling and really interesting takes on Greek mythology like the Lovely War but I feel like people are hungry for a slightly different take on Greek mythology that still feels kind of action packed and twisty but it definitely has done so much, far and away, so much better than even I had hoped for. I'm really grateful for that
**L: I mean like as a bookstore it was out of print for a bit and it just went to reprint**
AB: Oh yeah... (laughs)
**K: So sr wouldn't bave copies for a bit..."**
AB: ...So this is great to hear...
**K: I know**

AB: So we had like... wow, we had a... uh... B&N picked it as their YA book club pick for January [2021], which was huge. I was freaking out about it, and that really helps spread the word because it's also because of the pandemic and printers and delays. It's also been kind of a bummer but it's basically been out of stock for a full month. It's a good problem to have, but I'm like it should be finally... I think I heard it's gonna be in stock within the week to the warehouse so thankfully another reprint is on tbe way.

**K:And I have a copy of the book here...**

AB: Oh. I have one too...

**K: Okay, I can show it, and it's a signed one...**

AB: Ooh. Thank you guys for ordering a signed one

**K: Yes, yes, we're expecting more to come hopefully.**

## Booktopia

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**BT: To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?**

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I was born and raised in the great desert state of Arizona, where we have exactly two seasons: Mild and Roast-Your-Soul Hot. I’m not sure if it’s because I watched too many movies featuring autumnal college campuses, or I lived there in a past life or what, but I was really drawn to the idea of going to school ‘back east’ on the east coast.

Knowing 1) I couldn’t survive a Boston winter, and 2) I wanted to study early American history, I ended up going to university in Virginia at The College of William and Mary. In addition to being the second oldest school in the country, it’s located at one end of Colonial Williamsburg, a historic district (or ‘living-history museum’) that strives to depict what life was like in 18th century America, complete with re-enactors and ox carts. All you really need to know about my college life was that I voluntarily took a semester long all-day Saturday course to go on historical field trips and spent most of my free time secretly writing a book about wizards.

**BT: What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?**

I’ve wanted to write books, particularly books for kids (YA didn’t really exist then, to be fair, and adults seemed desperately dull at the time) since I was in third grade, when we had our first creative writing unit in school. I loved reading so much that I figured it would be just as fun to write the stories. It sounds wild to say it, but I just had this certainty it was what I was supposed to do, and I never really wavered from it, even after being told repeatedly it was an unrealistic goal.

I wrote a ton of terrible emo poetry and fanfiction throughout middle school and high school, but it wasn’t until I was eighteen and in my freshman year of college that I tried writing a proper novel. Knowing how hard it would be to make a career out of it, I planned to go to law school and work as a lawyer until I could write full time. Thankfully I realised that I had no business going to law school if I, you know, had zero desire to actually practise law in the long run.

After selling my first book during senior year, I ended up working on the other side of the publishing industry in editorial and marketing. I wrote the entire **Darkest Minds** series on the weekends, keeping what can only be described as Gollum Hours: staying up until 4 or so in the morning, and never venturing out into the sunlight until it was time to go to work on Monday. After about five years, I was able to leave my day job to write full time—something I’m grateful for every day.

**BT: What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you don’t have now?**

It honestly breaks my heart to say it, but my self worth was so tied to the idea that I had to be perfect to be liked—that I had to dress right, get the best grades, and so on. I created a lot of really impossible standards to live up to, and, looking back, I can see that it was the kind of perfectionism that’s just pure self-sabotage and born out of an intense fear of failure. I wish I had cut myself a lot more slack and opened myself up to making more mistakes.

**BT: What are three works of art – this could be a book, painting, piece of music, film, etc. – that influenced your development as a writer?**

My dad was a Star Wars collector, so I’ve seen the original trilogy more than any other film out there. The movies are such a perfect distillation of the traditional Hero’s Journey that I really credit my early exposure to them with helping me internalise the basics of plotting and using character types.

A book that had a significant impact on me as a writer is ***The Things They Carried*** by Tim O’Brien. It’s a collection of short stories centred on a platoon of American soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War. Reading it in high school was one of the first times I understood that writing could be emotional and achingly human. I still think about ‘The Lives of the Dead’ all the time, and the way stories serve as a kind of immortality.

The piece of music that never fails to move me is **‘Nimrod’** from Edward Elgar’s *Enigma Variations*. Each variation on the theme was inspired by someone in Elgar’s life, and ‘Nimrod’ is a nod to Augustus Jaeger. He encouraged Elgar throughout moments of doubt in his career, including one more significant moment, which the variation apparently tells the story of. It’s frequently used in memorial services, but I find it very uplifting in my own low moments and play it when I need to get into the right headspace to write certain scenes.

**BT: Considering the many artistic forms out there, what appeals to you about writing a young adult novel?**

What I love most about writing young adult novels is that they capture such a remarkable moment in all of our lives. It’s one that’s filled with so many different types of firsts—first loves, first brushes with independence, the first time we genuinely considering who we want to be outside of our families, and so on. I find it endlessly compelling to explore that coming-of-age moment for a character.

**BT: Please tell us about your latest book!**

*Lore* is a contemporary fantasy centred on seventeen-year-old Lore, who has been raised in a kind of cult-like society of families, all of whom are descended from some of the greatest heroes of Ancient Greece, including Odysseus, Achilles, and in Lore’s case, Perseus. Every seven years, for seven days, these bloodlines participate in a hunt known as the Agon. During that week, some of the Greek gods are cursed to walk the earth as mortal as punishment for trying to betray Zeus. If one of these hunters can kill a god, they can take that god’s power and immortality … but the catch is that seven years later, they, as a new god, become one of the hunted themselves.

Lore wants nothing more to do with this dark and violent world after the murder of her immediate family at the end of the last hunt seven years before. But the Agon is back in New York City, and on the very first night a wounded Athena shows up on Lore’s doorstep seeking help and offering Lore the one thing Lore always thought was impossible: vengeance for her murdered family. Over the next seven days, Lore has to fight the pull she feels toward her upbringing and confront the dark memories of her past.

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**BT: What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work?**

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No matter what genre my books fall in, they all centre on the idea of a young person—especially young women—discovering they have the power to change the world around them. Sometimes that’s represented with a literal magic power, and sometimes it’s just the character(s) going on a journey to discover the courage that’s always been inside of them. *Lore* is no exception.

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**BT: Who do you most admire in the writing world and why?**

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I really admire Dhonielle Clayton not only for her wonderful books but also for the work she’s done with We Need Diverse Books and the genuine change she’s brought to both bookshelves and the children’s publishing industry. I also respect my friend Susan Dennard so much—as a writer, her story worlds are just incredible, and she’s helped so many aspiring authors over the years. She’s incredibly generous with her time and energy and has this unique ability to articulate her writing process.

**BT: Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?**

My goal is ambitious but very simple: to improve my storytelling craft with every book I write. This is the biggest challenge of all because my brain seems to love nothing more than to act like it’s never written a word before when I sit down to start a new project. I’m also hoping to write short stories more regularly and to teach myself screenwriting.

**BT: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?**

My advice is very obvious, but I think it’s worth repeating because I know so many writers who get discouraged when they find their early stories don’t quite match up to what they had in their heads. So much of strengthening your writing—especially developing your own writing style—comes down to the mileage you put into practising it. There’s no way around it. Write as much and as often as you can, even if it’s just scenes or chapters of a novel you never intend to finish. Even if it’s just a journal entry describing your day! All of it helps build those writing muscles and, even better, gets you in the habit of writing regularly.