Good morning, friends! I have a fun surprise for you today. Author Kara Swanson stopped by for a visit.
I meet Kara a few years back at a writing conference in Southern California. She’s a young writer with a lovely soul and a compelling life story. In this interview, we talk about it all. Writing, publishing, and DUST, her YA debut. To thank you all for reading, she’s offering up an advance reader copy of this beautiful Peter Pan inspired tale. Read on for more details:
KARA! Thank you for joining us! I want to talk to you about your debut novel, DUST, and we’ll get there, but this isn’t the first story you’ve had published. Tell us a little about your journey.
Hello, Shan! Thank you so much for having me. So thrilled to be here and talking a bit about my journey.
I was first published as a teen, at seventeen, with a co-authored mermaid fantasy story. I don’t talk about that one much as it was published through a very small vanity press and certainly wasn’t my best work. However, that opportunity to be published so young was what allowed me to dip my toe in the publishing world and realize that I could do this. I could write a novel, finish a story, publish it, market it, and everything in between.
That initial project was published while I was still living overseas in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, as the daughter of missionaries. So, when I transitioned back to the US when I was eighteen, I realized I still had so much to learn. About the time that I graduated and would have been looking into college here in the US, I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, a Chronic Illness that is quite crippling and does not have a clear treatment or cure. That basically swept my feet out from under me. I was very sick for about a two year period, bed ridden for much of that time. (I still battle Lyme daily, but have finally been able to treat and manage the majority of my symptoms enough to function pretty normally.)
At the time, between having a passion for publishing and fighting a chronic illness, I decided that college wasn’t the best option for me, and instead I pursued learning as much as I possibly could about the publishing process. I attended writers’ conferences, reached out to authors I respected (Shannon and Jill, being two of them!), and was able to be mentored by a published author friend.
When I was twenty-one, I decided to independently publish a novella called The Girl Who Could See. This novella was a big turning point for me in many ways—going indie meant that I had the opportunity to learn all the ins and outs of publishing. My goal was to learn as much as I possibly could in this very practical way. I was able to work with editors, understand the behind the scenes of how online distributors worked, teach myself ebook and paperback formatting, work with Amazon, learn meta data and marketing and find a cover designer and so much more. I was able to hands on teach myself so, so much.
That novella was also really good for my soul. I wrote TGWCS as a way to process what it looked like to transition from sixteen years living overseas in the jungles of a third world country, to being back in America. I felt like I had this unique perspective on two worlds, but didn’t quite belong in either. So I wrote a story about a girl who has an imaginary friend who has never left, and she can literally see into another world that no one else can. I also was able to weave in some of the challenges I faced as a chronic illness warrior, writing a character who was unable to drive because of her “hallucinations” that had her life effected in many other ways.
The Girl Who Could See opened doors for me that I would never have expected. I signed with an agent a few months after the novella released, partly because this agent had seen the effort and professionalism that I had poured into marketing and releasing that novella. It went on to final and win several awards, and I hear nearly every month from readers who are enjoying it.
Being able to release that little story and see the ways God has moved in it has been such a humbling, beautiful experience and I am so grateful that in some of the seasons where I felt the weakest, He was able to allow me to use my gifts and have a voice in that way.
My agent and I spent a few years with various projects out on submission, and Dust actually caught several publishers’ eyes before the novel was even finished, just from the concept. So I quickly wrote the draft, worked through polishing it up, and eventually was able to find a home for Dust with Enclave Publishing.
You have such a fascinating story, Kara, and it gives you such a unique perspective as you write a book. I’ve mentioned this to you before, but Peter Pan is my absolute favorite childhood story. I’ve had an attachment to it for years, but it’s much darker than my younger self realized. What captured you about JM Barrie’s original tale and had you itching to write a follow-up?
Yes! I love that you loved Peter Pan. I enjoyed it too. But, yes, the original story is certainly much darker than most people realize. (As an example, Peter actually kills off a bunch of Lost Boys in the original story because he becomes bored with them. #yikes)
Dust actually came about because a friend and I were discussing Peter Pan one day (she was visiting the statue in London at the time) and we were talking about how there really aren’t very many Peter Pan retellings, and even fewer we really loved. I was telling her how for me what is tricky with Peter Pan retellings is that they often times change Peter himself so much, by making him the villain, making Hook the main character, etc that he stops feeling like our Peter. The character that we love and the reason the original story carries so much impact. And when you change that fundamental Peter, the overall story becomes something very different.
I told my friend that if I ever wrote a Peter Pan retelling, I’d want to capture that same Peter as much as possible—but age him up a bit. Take him out of his comfort zone, maybe set the story in London, and push Peter to take responsibility for some of his choices. In the original story, Peter constantly has memory loss because Neverland basically suppresses any bad thing that happens. So he never faces consequences for pretty much anything he does. He never has to grieve loss, because when Tink or anyone else dies, he just forgets them.
So what if he had to face the fact that he had killed Lost Boys in the past? What if he had to deal with the repercussions of some of his own selfishness? What if Peter had to actually grieve the losses he used to just ignore? Who would he be then, if he couldn’t hide from himself anymore—but remind himself again who Peter Pan truly is, even without Neverland or his pixie dust.
I also said that I would want to introduce another character, one of my own. That is why I created Claire in Dust—a young woman whose brother has gone missing, and she thinks Peter kidnapped him, so she despises everything about Pan. However, while Claire has seen far too much of life’s shadows to really believe in magic, she actually has pale flakes of pixie dust that drip from her fingertips, but she doesn’t know what it is. And when her emotions get out of control or her fears and insecurities leak out—her dust starts to burn. She is desperately afraid of her own magic hurting people, so she locks it away, unable to fully accept its existence.
I wanted Claire to represent us—those of us who were never whisked away, out of a window, to a magical world. Whose childhoods may have not been altogether rosy, and those of us who sometimes struggle to see the spark of stars in the night sky. But, as Peter collides with Claire and slowly starts to help her learn how to fly and to see the light even in the shadows—I hoped those themes of hope and redemption would also lift my readers’ hearts a bit, too.
So fun! I had a chance to read an early copy of DUST and I was so lucky to get to do that. Probably my favorite thing about the story is how you’ve captured Peter’s voice. What was it like to conjure up such a classic and beloved character? Did you find it challenging?
Awww, thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Writing Peter’s voice was definitely one of the hardest aspects of this story, but also one of the most rewarding. I did a lot of research, read the original J. M. Barrie novel several times, and spent a lot of time just getting to know Peter. I dug into his backstory and really learned what made him tick. I rewrote his opening chapter probably six times, and then continued to adapt and adjust his voice and POV as I wrote the book until it really settled in well. I found that a big part of writing his voice well was being able to harness both Peter’s courage and wild, snarky mischief—but also tapping into those deeper threads behind who he truly is and why Peter is so afraid of growing up. When I’m able to convey both of those well, he kind of takes on a life of his own and carries the story.
You’re not new to Go Teen Writers by any stretch, but for some of our readers this may be the first they’ve heard of DUST. If you had to pitch them the story, what would you say?
I feel like I’ve already talked quite a bit about Dust, and the blurb explains this pretty well, but here’s my snarky attempt:
Peter Pan’s only chance of getting back to Neverland lies in a girl desperately afraid of her own pixie dust—and hates Peter Pan because she believes he kidnapped her twin brother. They’ll have to form an unsteady trust if they hope to survive long enough to reach Neverland.
That’s a perfect snarky attempt, friend. Tell me this, we have so many young writers here and some of them are hoping to be published one day, while others write only for themselves. As they work to refine their craft, what advice would you offer them?
I’m cheering for each of you, friends! So proud of all the young writers aiming for their dreams and working hard.
My advice would be: Learn to build endurance, while also clinging to passion. Write what you love, what you are passionate about and motivated. But also realize that so often the writing process can feel tedious and the words may not always flow well. That is why building endurance is so important, and having that thread of steel in your soul can help to give you the motivation to keep moving forward and can be the difference between finishing a project, and giving up.
Thank you so much for having me, sweet friend! Love everything you all are doing here at GoTeenWriters and honored to have been on.
THANK YOU, KARA! I’ve learned so much about you and your stories in this short time and I’m grateful you agreed to visit us here.
If you’d to connect with Kara on social media, here’s where you can find her:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
!!! GIVEAWAY !!!
We have such a treat for you! Kara is offering up an advance reader copy of DUST to one Go Teen Writers reader. Isn’t she so kind!?
To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment for Kara. Next week, we’ll pick a random winner, and I’ll post the winner in next Friday’s blog post.
If you’re not sure what to say in your comment, perhaps answer this question:
What is your favorite fairy tale and have you found a retelling that you love?
Shannon Dittemore is an author and speaker. Her books include the Angel Eyes trilogy, a supernatural foray into the realm of angels and demons, as well as the fantastical adventure novel Winter, White and Wicked. Its sequel, Rebel, Brave and Brutal is due out January 10, 2023.
Shannon’s stories feature strong female leads grappling with fear and faith as they venture into the wilds of the unknown. She’s often wondered if she’s writing her own quest for bravery again and again.
It’s a choice she values highly. Bravery. And she’s never more inspired than when young people ball up their fist and punch fear in the face.
To that end, Shannon takes great joy in working with young writers, both in person and online at Go Teen Writers, an instructional blog recognized by Writer’s Digest four years running as a “101 Best Websites for Writers” selection.
For more about Shannon and her books, please visit her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Thank you so much for this post, Kara! Your words about endurance are a great reminder to me. I’m setting up a storyworld for one book and in the beginning of editing another, and sometimes I really struggle with actually getting to work, especially on editing, because it feels so tedious and long. I
have a question for you about characters–how do you develop them? I guess what I mean is, how do you decide on their say, inner goals, and let those shine through in your books? Thanks!
Kara! Yours is an inspiring story for all young writers. Thank you from one such writer who is still hoping to be published. I have always been drawn to The Little Mermaid, in all its renditions, because it makes me wonder if I will ever find someone so worth loving that I would sacrifice everything. I hope to one day rewrite the tale with my own original twist and elaborate on that theme.
Wow, the fact that you made a point of trying to capture Peter’s original character voice is amazing! I should definitely check Dust out. Thanks so much for sharing! Did you wind up using any of the material from The White Bird/Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, or did you just stick with the book Peter Pan itself?
My personal favorite fairy tale is a lesser known, so I’ve never seen a retelling. But it’s definitely Godfather Death by the Brothers Grimm, cause the Grim Reaper judgmentally glaring at his doctor godson is something I will always need more of in my life.
Hello there! Thank you for all your kind comments!
I did take a little bit of inspiration and influence from Barrie’s other Peter-centric stories! I sort of expanded on Peter’s backstory, especially. 🙂
I’m so glad my story is encouraging to all of you! I love the idea of doing The Little Mermaid or Godfather Death as retellings ^_^ I loved Coral, Sara Ella’s Little Mermaid reimagining!
This novel Dust sounds really interesting!
My favorite retelling would have to be The Goose Girl. Super interesting novel.
Ok, I’ve been hearing good things about Dust, but I was on the fence (because Peter Pan was never really my big thing, y’know?), but this interview gave me just enough extra information that now I really want to read the book.
Also, yes to the endurance thing. That’s important and I’m trying to build it back up after losing a ton of it. 😛
Thanks for sharing!
Awwww, thank you! So glad it was encouraging to hear this! 😀
I don’t have a favorite, per say. But one of my favorites is Peter Pan. About 8 yrs ago I found Ridley Pearson’s “Peter and the Starcatchers.” I just fell in love with that series. Everything about it was amazing. Pearson is such a fanominal writer. Then I read his Kingdom Keepers series and loved that too.
Kara, as soon as libraries open back up, I will be checking out “The Girl Who Could See.” Can’t wait to read that and “Dust.”
Yes! I enjoyed Peter and the Starcatchers too ^_^
Awwww yes! I hope you enjoy them and I’d love if you had the library order them!
I really enjoyed this sneak peak into the behind the scenes of how Dust came to be. I’ve heard so much about Dust and have seen it all over Instagram. It sounds so good!
Awww thank you! And that makes my heart happy that you have seen it all over ^_^
This was a lovely insight into an author’s journey! I just might check out Dust 🙂
My favorite fairy tale has always been sleeping beauty. Fairies and curses and thorns, it has always fascinated me. I’ve always wondered about the repercussions of a castle sleeping for so long!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! Thank you! And yes, Sleeping Beauty is fun!
So excited for “Dust”! ?
Thank you so much! ^_^
Dust sounds sound so intriguing, Kara! I found it very inspiring that you were published young. I’m working on my endurance now with a first draft. As far as favorite fairy tale…I grew up on Disney cartoons so I love them, but don’t really know the originals. I guess those are retellings in themselves. 😉
Awww, thank you! So glad that you found my story encouraging 🙂
Oh my gosh I need to read Dust RIGHT NOW! It sounds amazing!!
My favorite fairytale has always been Cinderella but although I’ve found some that I have enjoyed (Geekerella, Cinder, Rogue Princess, Ella Enchanted), I haven’t found a favorite yet… I may just have to write it xD
OOh, yes! I enjoyed a lot of those Cinderella retellings too 🙂
Hi Kara! I absolutely LOVE The Girl Who Could See, so when I saw you on the blog I was thrilled! Thank you so much for sharing your story with us all. It’s truly inspiring. I look forward to reading Dust as soon as possible!
I don’t know what my favorite fairy tale us, but I do love the Jessica Day George retellings!
AWWW! YAY! I’m so glad you enjoyed TGWCS! Thank you ^_^
That sounds like such an interesting story! Thanks for sharing a bit about your writing journey 🙂
Thank you for reading! 🙂
Kara! Congratulations about the release! What a gorgeous book cover!
Thank you so much! ^_^
Ooh, I’m so intrigued! I’ve never read the original Peter Pan, but the Disney adaptation was on quite a bit when I was younger. 🙂
The Disney version is pretty similar! 😀
My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast. I haven’t found a retelling that I enjoy of that story, though.
I cannot wait to get my hands on a hard copy of Dust, though!
Thank you! Yes, we need a really powerful Beauty and the Beast retelling. 🙂
Both The Girl Who Could See and Dust sound fascinating. Can’t wait to check them out! I also want to take a look at the original Peter Pan novel now too. I haven’t read it yet.
Thanks for sharing your writing journey here. It’s always so cool to see the process that went into a creative effort and how it became what it is. Your tips about maintaining both passion and endurance were also very helpful.
I’m so glad you enjoyed hearing a bit about my story 🙂
Wow. Thank you so much for sharing Kara! I’ve always been kind of nervous about pursuing publishing someday but your story has encouraged me to entertain the idea some more. And your tip about endurance is exactly what I needed to hear right now. I’ve been struggling to complete projects and have lost my passion for some of them but you’ve encouraged me to keep plugging away.
I will definitely be picking up Dust. Peter Pan never really piqued my interest but now I’m so excited for your novel to release so I can read it! Congratulations!
I’m so glad my story was an encouragement to you! It may not be easy, but pursuing publication is certainly possible. 🙂
I’m not sure which fairy tale is my favorite, but I really like “The White Cat.” Gail Carson Levine did a hilarious series of fairy tale telling, and Anne Elisabeth Stengl’s beautiful Tales of Goldstone Wood mixes fairy tale elements into an amazing series.
Both those authors always write amazing retellings!
Thank you for the post Kara. Congratulations on your book! I can’t wait to read it!
Thank you, Angeline!! ^_^
Aaahhhh! Kara is such a precious soul! I was so excited to see this interview. And it was a DELIGHT.
Peter Pan is one of my favorite, favorite, FAVORITE stories of ever and, I agree, there is a sad lack of GOOD retellings that really respect Peter’s character. I SO appreciate your care and love toward the original tale, Kara. I am counting down the days to Dust’s release!
Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. This was lovely!
(Also, I’ve already preordered myself a copy, so you guys can exclude me from the giveaway. 🙂 )
Awwww Christine, you are so sweet! Thank you for your kind words and all your support!
Since I was little, one of my favorites has been Aladdin. I’m not sure if there are any retellings of it (besides Disney which is where I’ve seen it), but the movie was based off of an old Arabic text called The Book of One Thousand and One Nights.
I also love the musical/movie Into the Woods, which combines a ton of the Grimm Brother’s fairy-tales into one world.
OOOOh yes! We need more Aladdin retellings! I’d love that 🙂
Kara, your story is amazing! I can’t wait to find a copy of The Girl Who Could See. And Dust sounds really good too. Peter Pan is a character I hope to never outgrow.
You said you were an MK in PNG? Do you mind if I ask what mission your family is/was with? I’m an mk too, so I’m always curious to hear from others like me.
Hello, there! Thank you for your kind words. I’m so glad my story was an encouragement!
We were in PNG with New Tribes Mission, now Ethnos360 🙂
Kara, your journey is so inspiring. The way God worked in your life is so beautiful and amazing. ❤️ I absolutely loved The Girl Who Could See, and I am INSANELY excited for Dust!! Thanks for sharing your story.
Awwww, thank you so much! You’re so sweet. I’m honored that my journey has encouraged you!
Kara!!!!! I know we don’t really talk anymore, but you’re in my thoughts and prayers and I deeply hope Dust is able to impact readers around the world. You’ve got this, friend!!!!
Hi, Kiki! Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement! Miss you! (And my inbox is always open if you want to chat 😉 )
This book sounds SO GOOD! I think this is the first time I’ve actually stopped and read what it’s about, and I can’t wait to read it!
Also, I HAVE read Peter Pan before… but I definitely didn’t remember him killing Lost Boys. o_o SO many stories are darker than the Disney movies we’re familiar with portray them, though! I’m going to have to give it another read!
theonesthatreallymatter.blogspot.com
Awww, thank you! I’m glad that you enjoyed my post ^_^
Wow!!!! Dust sounds like such an interesting story!!! I’ll definitely have to check it out! And I’ll have to check out The Girl Who Could See as well. I don’t really know what my favorite fairytale is… I like Cinderella, (not the Disney version, though…) and I also like Rumplestiltskin. I really like the Muppets retelling of Rumplestiltskin, and I really enjoy the book series Whatever After by Sarah Mlynowski. I’m excited to check out both of your books, Kara! Keep writing! ?
Thank you for your excitement and support! 😀
Awesome interview! I’m looking forward to reading Dust someday. <3
Thank you muchly!
Kara, I’m going to be honest. I’m always a bit skeptical about retellings. But Dust sounds like something I would actually enjoy a lot! Reading about your journey and getting to know you a little bit through this interview makes me want to read it even more. 🙂
Hmm, I’m going to risk sounding cliche; My favorite fairy tale is probably Cinderella. XD Though, I have yet to find a retelling that I love.
Hello, there! I tend to be a bit skeptical of retellings as well, so I respect that 😉 So glad this sounds like something you’d enjoy!
When I was little, I was obsessed with Disney’s Peter Pan – it wasn’t until much later that I found out how dark the original tale really is! But I definitely still have a soft spot for Peter, and I love what you said about your approach to figuring him out and still representing him as, well, Peter. Another Peter Pan retelling I did like pretty well was the Peter and the Starcatchers series; though in many ways those books were quite different from the original tale, I loved the way they offered an explanation for how Peter Pan (and Neverland) came to be.
I didn’t know about The Girl Who Could See, but I’m very curious about it now. Thank you for visiting Go Teen Writers!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed the Q&A and I appreciate all your support 🙂
That sounds like such a super interesting story. I never was big into fairy tales, but fairy tale retellings are some of my favorite stories.
Kara, “Dust” sounds soooooo good! I can’t wait to read it sometime soon! I’ve always loved Peter Pan, like since I was a tiny, tiny child. I read the original book when I was about eight or nine, and it was a bit of a culture shock to realize how much darker it was compared to the Disney movie, but I still loved it! Thank you for doing the Q&A, I really liked it!
Hello Kara! Thank you so much for sharing; your books sound amazing! I’ll definitely be putting both on my TBR. I love the whole guilt theme that it sounds like Peter’s going to be going on 😉 And Claire sounds so compelling already! It’s going to be great, I just know it.
As to my favorite fairy tale– I’m not sure I have one, to be honest. I like almost all of them, and almost all of their retellings (the Lunar Chronicles, for one. Thorne x Cress forever). I’ve even written a short Pied Piper of Hamelin retelling. Nearly all fairy/folk tales are interesting to me, and I love reading them all.
Thanks again for sharing! I’m so excited to read your books 🙂
I have always loved the story of Peter Pan, and I always enjoy a good retelling! I wholeheartedly agree about a lot of Peter Pan retellings making Peter the villain, which can be quite disappointing. When I first heard about your book, I immediately knew that it was a must read. Thanks so much for sharing!
I cannot tell you how quickly I clicked on this when I saw that it was about Dust! I’ve had my eye on this book since the cover released, and it just sounds SO INCREDIBLY GOOD! I honestly don’t know that much about Peter Pan; probably the version I’m most familiar with is the Hook movie… which isn’t exactly the original fairytale, haha. But I do think that this idea is so intriguing, and I especially love the idea of it being for those people who never quite had a chance to experience that magic as a kid.
Lovely advice and a great post!
Alexa
thessalexa.blogspot.com
verbosityreviews.com
Your journey to publication is so inspiring, Kara! I think it’s awesome that you worked so hard to develop the skills you needed to publish traditionally through self-publishing first. You showed a lot of professionalism and respect for your readers, which is the most important thing in publication, whether it’s indie or trad. Dust sounds so amazing, too! I went through a phase in my childhood in which I was fascinated with Peter Pan, and although it’s been quite a few years, the seeds of that don’t disappear. Congratulations on this book! I can’t wait to read it!
Congratulations on being published as a teen. I think a lot of people on here aspire to that! I’ve never really looked into the original versions of fairy tales, but two of my favorite Disney adaptations are Tangled and The Little Mermaid (I do know that the original Little Mermaid does not end happily). I’ve never read a fairy tale retelling but Dust looks amazing!
The pre-order giveaway also looks awesome!