WNDMG Author Interview with Elle McNicoll

Summary

WNDMG Author Interview with Elle McNicoll on her book Like a Curse.

WNDMG Author Interview with Elle McNicoll

My reading sweet spot is MG fantasy, so give me dragons, witches, spells, and curses any day of the week. Like A Curse by Elle McNicoll delivered on them all, plus more including a new creature I haven’t read about before! 

I had the esteemed pleasure of sitting down to interview Elle. Here’s the inside scoop on both the author and her book…

About the Author

Elle McNicoll is a bestselling and award-winning novelist. Her debut, A Kind of Spark, was a Schneider Family Honor title, an overall winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and a Blackwell’s Book of the Year. She has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal and was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, the Branford Boase Award, and the Little Rebels Children’s Book Award. Her second novel, Show Us Who You Are, was a Blackwell’s Book of the Month title and one of the Bookseller’s Best Book of the year. She is an advocate for better representation of neurodiversity in publishing and currently lives in London.

Interview with Elle McNicoll

Kate: Our Mixed-Up-Files readers would love the inside scoop on book 2 in your Like a Charm series. Can you tell us a bit about neurodivergent tween Rayma and her role in becoming a witch?

Elle: Ramya is a witch in training. She’s a little too emotional when it comes to her magic and, while a lot of fantasy heroes need to be convinced that they’re the chosen one, Ramya needs people to remind her that she can’t do everything by herself.

Kate: Beyond casting spells, there are other magical abilities to read about in your book as well. I absolutely love the notion of Glamour! This one’s new to me. Is this something you created? And, if I were to go about daydreaming this was my magical power, what are the rules around using it?
Elle: I wish!! Glamour is a fae creation, and it’s popular in Scottish mythology. It’s a kind of disguise, and Ramya is lucky (or unlucky) in that she can see through it. The rules of glamour are fairly simple. It can turn you into anything to just about anyone. It’s like a magical filter. It helps you edit or reinvent yourself.

Kate: Let’s talk setting. Edinburgh has been on my bucket list for years, so I thank you for bringing it to life for me! How important was it for you to place your story inside a real world vs a created one?
Elle: So important. As a Scot, I want the kids I write for to touch the places in the book. I’ve done a few sold out walking tours in Edinburgh and the kids adore being able to take pictures in the real locations.
Kate: Rayma comes into contact with many interesting creatures such as Hidden Folk – Hulders, Blue Men, selkies, and kelpies – just to name a few. When choosing who to add to your storyline, were any of these mythological creatures based on research? Or do they stem from part of your cultural folklore?
Elle: They’re all part of my culture, in stories that have been handed down. I liked using childhood memories of Scotland to craft the world Ramya lives in.
Kate: It’s often fun to read about the baddies of a book, and Portia is certainly up there on that list! How fun is it for you to write the antagonist?
Elle: It’s fun! I like her. There’s lots about her to like. And she’s got a big wound, one that’s much more personal than her enemies realise. I love that!
Kate: Other important characters include many of Rayma’s family members. In what ways do these multiple generations impact how you developed Rayma as a character?
Elle: I love the whole wild bunch. I like the three sisters, I think that’s such a witchy number. They’re all sort of a coven, and their disapproval of Ramya’s impulsivity make the dynamics fun to write. She feels like a bad witch compared to her aunts.
Kate: You and Rayma share many things in common, I’m sure, one in particular is dyspraxia. Can you tell MUF readers about dyspraxia and how this connection to Rayma helped you in your story development?
Elle: Dyspraxia is a learning difficulty that can impact coordination, balance, processing and memory. Amongst many other things. I wanted Ramya to be dyspraxic, like me. I’m also autistic. I thought a neurodivergent witch would be fun. Also, ND kids are forced to be really resilient so we make good protagonists, I think.
Kate: Like a Curse leaves readers with such a great message. Without revealing spoilers, can you describe your writing process: in organizing your duology, did you have this ending for book two in mind when you set out to write book one? And, can you give us an example of something you cut, changed, or reworked from draft to publication?
Elle: I knew I wanted to see Ramya and Opal’s relationship develop in Like a Curse and I wanted more of Portia. Everything was planned, I didn’t need to make big cuts. It was enough stories for a tight duology and I’m glad it panned out that way.
Kate: You write for multiple age ranges. Do you set out knowing before you write a book whether it will be MG or YA? And for Like a Curse in particular, how did you nail that MG voice?
Elle: I always know which age the book is for, usually because the main character’s age dictates it. It’s important to know, I think. I remember being 12. It’s very close to my mind at all times, so it’s easy to get back in those shoes.
Kate: Thank you for taking the time to share the inside scoop on Like a Curse. Is there something beyond Rayma’s world you can hint at? Perhaps a new project in the works?
Elle: I’ll be writing witches again. Without a doubt!
Kate: Where can readers best find you if they want to reach out?
Elle: @ellemcnicollofficial on Instagram
Or ellemcnicoll.com

And of course, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Favorite place to write? At home.Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? White chocolate.

Superpower? Glamour

Rollerblades or bike? Neither, I’m dyspraxic.

Dream job when you were a kid? This.

House pet? My dog, Cheeseburger.

Favorite piece of advice? Take the work seriously, but not yourself. And if you’re different from the herd, you gotta be tough.

Kate Penndorf
Kate Penndorf has not yet lived in a museum, but a book signing at The Field Museum comes pretty close! She is from Upstate NY and currently lives just this side of Imagination Land, where Fall foliage is peaking, a cozy tea is steeping, and an adventure is formulating. Her sweet spot is middle grade fantasy. As the author of two published novels, she aims to give hope, agency, and voice to characters and readers alike. Writing is her passion, be that as a developmental editor, contributing writer for Children's Book Insider Magazine, kidlit author, or as the co-founder of MuchAdoAboutWriting.com where members hone their skills and learn from industry experts.
By on October 23, 2024   /   Author Interviews, Diversity