Kat Falls grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and now teaches at NU, where she is continually inspired by her students’ creativity. She started writing Dark Life as a writing exercise. Knowing that her 12-year-old son loved reading about the ocean, Wild West pioneers and, of course, the X-Men, she combined his interests and created the premise for a story that kept her up nights plotting and world-building. Kat lives in Evanston, Illinois with her husband, theatre director Robert Falls, their three lively children, two cats, two guinea pigs and a snake named Poncho.

We have to ask – are you a bookgeek?

Doesn’t every fiction writer begin as a bookgeek? I think you have to love stories, love thinking about them, dissecting them, wax poetic over a perfect word choice in order to be able to write one.

Do you have an audience in mind when writing?

Yes, I always do. It helps me focus a story. For Dark Life, the reader I aimed to please was my oldest son, Declan. I came up with the premise by combining three things that he loved to read about into one story – the ocean, Old West pioneers, and the X-men. But beyond subject matter, I knew that a book had to grab him by page 2 or he’d toss it aside. Also, if he was reading during his computer time and ignoring the Instant Message ping’s, that was high praise for the author. Now that he’s older, I know a book has hooked him if he ignores his cell phone when it vibrates, meaning a new text message has come in. So when I started writing Dark Life, I knew I wanted to spin a story so engaging that a tween would not be able to put the book down when his computer pinged or cell phone buzzed. That was where I set my bar.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given (and do you follow it?)

I have an entire journal filled with writing advice. Whenever I read or hear something useful or inspiring I add it. But to choose one nugget… Okay, it comes from Heather Sellers’ book Page After Page, which I cannot recommend highly enough. It’s about how to cultivate a writing life. Here’s one quote:

Develop your subjects. You have to learn new stuff. Learn interesting things. Learn for the sake of learning – even if you don’t know when you’ll use it. It will sift into your work. The less intentional you are, the better. Read like a kid – for the pure pleasure of learning.

This quote lets me to forgive myself for spending way too much time reading interesting articles that have nothing to do with what I’m working on.

Now I have to share another favorite quote from her book:

Artists are vagabond outlaws – we lie, we hide out, we don’t cooperate. We must do this more.

She goes on to explain that when inspiration hits, you must run with it, even if it means backing out of plans or obligations. Because writing is not like other occupations. It doesn’t always fit neatly into schedules and you must honor that if you want to get at your best material.

Where do you write?

Usually at a desk in a spare bedroom that I’ve turned into a home office. Though lately I’ve been escaping to a friend’s house because with three kids and pets galore, my house gets really loud.

What are you working on at the moment?

A sequel to Dark Life.

Which authors do you find most inspiring as a writer?

So many. But to name a few… Ira Levin, Ray Bradbury, Nancy Farmer, Jack Finney, Suzanne Collins, and Kenneth Oppel.

Having Ty as a guide through this new world is fantastic fun for your readers. Did you have something (or someone) to draw from to create Ty’s voice?

Ty’s character was inspired by the protagonist in Old Yeller, a fifteen-year-old pioneer boy named Travis – a character I’ve always loved.

Did you do any research to create your setting?

So much so, I have to cut myself off on a regular basis. I’ll pull out a book on marine life or get on the internet to find the answer to one small question and an hour will zip by without my noticing. There is just so much to learn about the ocean and it all fascinates me.

Was there something specific that inspired you to set your story in a world where at least part of humanity had moved underwater?

Just that I’ve always thought it would be cool to live underwater.

Do you have a favourite sea animal?

I love whales, always have, but after all my research I’ve fallen hard for sea slugs. They are unbelievably beautiful little creatures. And so varied. Type “nudibranch” into your web browser – you’ll see.

Did you set out to write a YA novel?

I didn’t think about publishing categories as I was writing, though I was consciously keeping my prose lean and my pacing fast to appeal to tweens. However, I hoped the world-building and story would interest older readers as well. I test marketed my manuscript on my father who is a scientist and avid science-fiction reader. When he gave it a thumbs up, I felt good to go.

Additional questions by Jennie Blake.

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