When the Moon Hatched Interview With Sarah A. Parker
To celebrate the special edition release of When the Moon Hatched on October 1, I got the chance to chat via email with author Sarah A. Parker! Check out the full interview below:
The Geeky Waffle: I know it’s so unfair to ask an author where their ideas come from, but what inspired When the Moon Hatched initially?
PARKER: I saw the world first, like it was just dropped straight into my head. I saw the world half bathed in shadow, half bathed in light. Saw those dragon moons. It was so bizarre, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to explain it. I spent almost two years from that point on living in this world in my head, fleshing it out and exploring it, before I saw a story come to life and—finally—heard the voices of my characters.
Did it change a lot between concept and execution? If so, how?
PARKER: Yes! Too many ways to note them all, but I love the magic of that. For me, an idea is always a seed, no matter how well fleshed out and considered the idea actually is. The moment you put pen to paper, more ideas EXPLODE!!! So long as I have a sturdy outline to colour within, and definite skipping stones, I allow myself a lot of freedom when I'm drafting and try not to get too attached to certain ideas, lest something else speak to me that feels more fitting/right.
One major change to note (however) is that book 1 was originally book 1 + book 2. I realised early on in the drafting process that it was going to be far too big, so I carved it into two seperate story arcs.
In the drafting process, which part — be it scene, character, emotional beat, etc — felt like the biggest challenge?
PARKER: The start. Always the start. (Not the prologue - this came to me very easily!!)
I had this HUGE world that I'd been living in (in my mind) for years, so getting the dynamics of how the society works into the minds of my readers felt like such a challenge. I certainly overthought it a bit at the start, and had to rewrite a few chapters multiple times in the effort to find the right balance.
On the flipside, which part of that process surprisingly felt the easiest?
The prologue. The final draft of that wasn't very different from my first draft, and it was the first thing I wrote. The world and the lore were both so concrete in my head that it just gushed out.
What has been the best part of how this book has been received by audiences?
PARKER: Seeing all the beautiful character art. It absolutely blows my mind seeing these characters and dragons I love so much being brought to such beautiful VISUAL life.
I love Raeve and Kaan’s love story, for all the dimensions it has — the snarky EtL vibes, her scrappiness set against his power and control, and of course THAT reveal. Can you talk about crafting that love story?
PARKER: Although I went in with an overall plan for them, once I put pen to paper, they really did have their own minds. A lot of the time I just had to sit back and enjoy the ride, occasionally nudging them to stay on the right track.
What I really loved was playing with the contrast of the two different 'times' so to speak. Seeing how they flourished prior to everything that happened, then exploring both characters in the same environment but with these extra hurdles of trauma weighing them down. They're still very much at the start of their journeys, with a lot of growth and development still set to take place, but for me, Kaan and Raeve are a diamond in the rough. I love nothing more than getting my hand on a polishing cloth and working hard to bring out that shine.
The world-building in this book is so rich. It might be hard to distill it down, but can you share a bit of your process?
PARKER: The three years that I spent living in this world in my head prior to setting pen to paper really helped. By the time I started writing the story, I knew it like the back of my hand; I had been walking the streets and riding the dragons like moving through a video game. I think what works best for me is patience. This world wasn't built in a day, but slowly, brick by brick. And even when I began writing the story, I was still constantly hunting for opportunities to help make this world feel very OTHER.
Besides romantasy, what genres do you personally feel drawn to?
PARKER: Romantic comedy, romance in general, and dark contemporary romance!
What are you watching/reading these days?
PARKER: I can't read while I'm writing, so my TBR is SO high! But I do enjoy a show in the evenings during dinner, and have been watching Queen Charlotte for the third time! I also can't wait for the second season of Arcane to drop.
What is coming up next for you?
PARKER: I'm finishing off the second book of my Moonfall series as we speak, then I'm jumping back to finishing book 4 in my Crystal Bloom series. I've also got a couple of secret projects in the works!
The special edition of When the Moon Hatched hits shelves on October 1, 2024. Special thank you to Harper Collins for the advance copy for review purposes.
