Interview with Ally Russell, author of MYSTERY JAMES RETURNS FROM THE GRAVE!

It was a thrill to interview Ally Russell, author of thrilling books, including IT CAME FROM THE TREES; MYSTERY JAMES DIGS HER OWN GRAVE; and now its follow-up, MYSTERY JAMES RETURNS FROM THE GRAVE.

Readers will love Mystery’s – and Ally’s – return to the chills of the Olde Ellis Town Cemetery and the mysteries contained within. Here, Ally discusses writing the second part of a duology, crafting sharp dialogue, and coming up with perfect names – and what thrills await!

This is the second book in the Mystery James duology, after the tremendous success of Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave. Did you have this part of the story mapped out when you started working on the first book, or did this come later? What was the experience of writing this book vs the first?

I had a general synopsis of book two ready to go by the time I finished writing book one. The synopsis changed and became more detailed as I actually wrote the book. The experience was fun, because I was returning to a developed world with characters that I have fallen in love with; however, I have to acknowledge the challenge of trying to maintain a consistent tone and mood across two books. It was tough! I did my best to capture the spirit of book one, so that readers wouldn’t feel detached from Mystery and Ellis Town.

I love your dialogue in both the first book and now in …Returns from the Grave – it crackles off the page and defines your characters so wonderfully. Do you have any specific techniques for writing dialogue from character to character?

That’s so kind of you to say! I love writing dialogue. I don’t have any specific techniques other than reading the dialogue aloud. This is important because it helps me determine if the dialogue is too clunky, too adult, too much, or not enough. Dialogue should sound natural. Some dialogue sounds better when written on the page, but it doesn’t translate well when it leaps from the page to the screen or other mediums, so I’m always thinking about that when I write. Humans communicate with body language too, so sometimes dialogue isn’t necessary. 

You have a way with names, from the brilliant Mystery James, of course, to Coffin the harvestmen spider and “Hellish” Hazel, and beyond. How do you come up with such great names? Is there a character name out there you wish could be used in one of your books?

Would it surprise you to know that I struggle with names? Town, landmarks, characters, and book titles—naming things is one of the most difficult parts of my writing process. Sometimes, I drop in placeholders so that I can focus on getting the story down on the page, and then I go back and add names. I keep a notebook of names that I like, and I cross them off whenever I use them in a project. One time I forgot to do this, and I had a minor side character with the same name in two completely different books. Oops. I guess I really liked that name.

I wanted Mystery to have an unconventional name, so I tried to think about what Tía Lucy might call her. I imagined Tía Lucy playing peek-a-boo and other games with Mystery and saying something like, “Where did you come from? It’s a mystery!” I worried that her name was too odd, but once she had a name, her personality leapt off the page, so I stuck with it. 

I do have a character name that I absolutely adore, but I don’t want to share it publicly. It begins with “C,” and the name is also used by a villain in a spooky children’s movie.

In your acknowledgments, you write that it was vital for you to “….conclude this duology in a way that would leave [readers] happy and clutching the book to [their] chest.” What were some of the books that left you doing the same? Were there any second-books in a series that you looked to as you told this part of Mystery’s story?

Alexandra Bracken’s Prosper Redding duology comes to mind. I flew through The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding and couldn’t wait for The Last Life of Prince Alastor to be released. I remember clutching the book to my chest as I teared up while reading about the malefactor and Prosper Redding. I’m not sure that I looked to any particular sequel for guidance as I wrote Mystery 2. I just tried to tell a complete story that tied things up in a way that lets Mystery live on in the minds of readers.  

Speaking of endings, yours comes together in such a fulfilling way, trying together the storyline and especially highlighting Mystery’s relationships with Garrett, Eliza, and Tia Lucy. What were the any challenges pulling those threads together, and how did you resolve them?

I think the challenge came in trying to show readers, especially young readers, that most relationships change over time—for better or worse. I’m 39 years old, and my relationships with friends and family are constantly changing and evolving. This is a normal part of growing up (and we never really stop growing up). I wanted to show that even though the dynamics of Mystery and Garrett’s friendship change, they are true companions who will always fight for each other. 

You write that, although these characters will always live beyond the pages of the books, this is the end of Mystery’s journey. What can we look forward to reading from you next (after going back to binge your incredible, frightful debut, It Came from the Trees)?

I’m trying my hand at YA horror (yikes!), but I’m not sure the tone is right. The story feels like it wants to be upper middle grade/young YA. I’m going to keep writing and follow the story wherever it needs to go. I’m also thinking of another middle-grade book (a heist book), but I tend to think about stories for years before I actually write them, so I’m not sure when that will make it on to the page. I have a few other projects that I’m not allowed to talk about yet, but keep your fingers crossed that they get announced soon so that I can shout about them. 

Ally Russell is the USA TODAY bestselling author of It Came from the Trees and the Mystery James series. She grew up on a steady diet of Halloween parties, horror films, Unsolved Mysteries, and Goosebumps books. She has always loved scary stories, and got her MFA from Simmons University and, eventually, a job working in children’s publishing. She hails from Pittsburgh—ground zero for the zombie apocalypse. Ally lives with her husband and her two black cats, Nox and Fury. She’s afraid of the woods, the dark, and heights.

Jason Peterson

Jason Peterson is the author of the upcoming picture book BLUES WITH A BUTTER KNIFE (Astra/Calkins Creek) and is a middle grade writer and musician. His writing has appeared in Performer Magazine, American Songwriter, Living Blues, and The Onion News Network. When not writing, Jason can be found building a to-be-read pile of books that will hopefully not topple over and bury him - and also playing bass guitar. He was born and raised in Chicago and now lives with his wife, two kids, and a scruffy dog in south Louisiana, where he’s still getting used to trading in snow for swamps.