Which of the characters you’ve created would you A. most like to be stuck on an island and B. least like to be stuck with with?
A. I’d like to be stranded with Magnus Bane. He could conjure us up all kinds of entertainment as well as the necessities. Also, with him around I wouldn’t be stuck for long.
B. I would not like to be stranded with Nate Gray. Not only would he be useless, he’d also throw a temper tantrum.
Since you have written so many books, is there anything you wish you had written differently in your earlier ones?
Since I believe my writing is improving over time, I can look back to my early books and think, I could write that better now. But since time travel is (thankfully) not an option, that’s neither here nor there. As far as plot goes, I can’t think of any thing I’d want to change.
What would you do in a zombie apocalypse?
Hide in Holly Black’s secret library.
What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
This question makes me wish I had something truly interesting to share, such as “I give myself a bouffant hairstyle every day before I work” or “I have my best ideas while hanging upside down in gravity boots.” But I don’t. I go about writing in a fairly straightforward manner. The most interesting quirk I can think of is that I like to write with lots of things going on around me. Coffee and tea shops work well for me, which isn’t true of everyone.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned from writing your books?
Never assume that you know who your readers will be. They’ll surprise you.
Were there any especially challenging moments while you were writing Lady Midnight?
Yes. Lady Midnight is a murder mystery, and it turns out that creating a mystery plot is a challenge. There are all sorts of clues to plant, and going from revision to revision I had to keep straight who knew what and when they found out.
Thanks so much to thefaultinourfandoms, Pansybee, Wanderer378 and Sapienta for these great questions
Cassandra Clare’s new book Lady Midnight, book one in her The Dark Artifices series, is out on March 8 2016, yes that’s tomorrow! Don’t forget to enter our competition to win tickets to meet Cassie Clare at her Shadowhunters fan event in London on 16 April 2016. Good luck!
