A Moment With…Michelle Scott

The author of the Lilith Straight series, talks about writing urban fantasy.

I’ve always liked books that take me away from the humdrum of everyday life and into a world of monsters and heroes, demons and angels. My first introduction to these books came in the form of my mother’s old copy of Grimm’s Fairytales. Mind you, these weren’t the sanitized, Disney versions, but the raw, scary tales. There was a murder in nearly every story. Fingers were cut off. Eyes gouged out. People were eaten…

Fun times.

Yes, I was drawn to the scariness of the stories as much as I was the incredible world of fairies and giants and talking animals. I liked to think that one day I might run across something as rare and wonderful as a magic horse or a house made of sweets. I guess, in some ways, I’m still waiting for that day.

As I matured, so did my tastes. As a teenager, I fell in love with Anne Rice’s vampire novels. Instead of dreaming about knights and princes, I started dreaming about the vampire Lestat and his friend Louis. After those books, it was Sunshine by Robin McKinley. And then Mercy Thompson and Sookie Stackhouse.

Years have passed since then, but I’m still as into the supernatural now as I ever was. Of course, I’ve upgraded to werewolves and vampires and demons, but still. The same principles apply. Scary is good and the fantastic is awesome.

When I write, I try to recapture that childish fascination with good and evil, scary and ordinary. I like writing about how regular, everyday people react when they meet with the supernatural. My Lilith Straight series revolves around a single mom who’s struggling to make ends meet while at the same time serving the Devil as a succubus. (It’s all due to a long-time family curse. Apparently, her great-great-great-great-great grandmother made a deal with the Devil in order to escape being hanged as a witch.)

Writing these kinds of stories can be a bit of a challenge, though. I mean, if I run into questions about how to best tame a demon or what Hell really looks like, there aren’t many places I can turn to for information. And I don’t want to borrow from other authors because I want my stories and my worlds to be entirely my own. So imagination is key.

Luckily, I have a lot of inspiration. Living in Detroit has put me eye-to-eye with creepy, industrial landscapes full of abandoned buildings and burned-out cars sitting alongside the road. It’s possible to believe that a vampire lurks around every corner. They’d certainly have plenty of places to hide.

Not that Detroit is all bad! There are plenty of beautiful places as well. I love writing about these familiar jewels. For the first book in my recent vampire series – Stage Fright– I used one of my favorite playhouses as the backdrop. I also ‘borrowed’ a friend’s lovely, historic house for my main character. And for the vampire hunter’s home, I chose a grand, old church with a spire and a set of truly amazing stained-glass windows.

I love writing and will always continue to do it. It gives me a new perspective on the ordinary. When I’m at the store, I can imagine a vampire stalking me. Or when I sit in traffic, I swear I can see a demon in the backseat of the car next to me. It’s all a matter of perspective.

Michelle Scott received her MFA from Wayne State University. Her stories have appeared in such places as “Tales of the Unanticipated”, “All Possible Worlds” and “Realms”. Straight to Hell, the first book in her Lilith Straight urban fantasy series, was released from Carina UK. Michelle lives in southeast Michigan with her husband and three children. To keep up with Lilith and the other members of the Straight to Hell cast, visit Michelle’s blog, Urban Fae. Straight to Hell, the first book in the Lilith Straight series, is available at Amazon and Amazon UK.

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.