N.D. Stevenson is the author of the new middle grade novel Scarlet Morning. His other work includes the graphic novel Nimona.
Q: What inspired you to write Scarlet Morning, and how did you create your characters Viola and Wilmur?
A: I finished the first draft of Scarlet Morning when I was 15 years old. I was homeschooled, religious, and sheltered, and so reading and making up stories in my head became my escape.
That means that Chase, Viola, and Wilmur have been living in my head for more than half my life! They all have roots to my childhood and draw a lot of inspiration from people I knew then.
Q: How did you create the world in which the story is set?
A: The original draft is set in a much more traditional Age of Sail setting (though still weird and magical), and when I revisited it in 2020 I wanted to create a world that was unique.
I love reading nonfiction books about mountaineering disasters and lost Arctic expeditions, so I was really compelled by the beauty and austerity of these icy, remote landscapes, and I had the vision of two barefoot kids walking across ice floes like it was nothing.
That’s how I came up with the idea of the ocean having been turned into a desert of salt, and it also meant that my characters can get out of the ship and walk when necessary, which was very useful for the story!
Q: The Kirkus Review of the novel says, “With its pirates, magic, adventure, friendship, and found family, this middle-grade gem comes very close to achieving the impossible—having something for everyone.” What do you think of that description?
A: I’m very honored and I hope they’re right! I hope it does have something for everyone!
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: I want this book to be an escape, but I also want it to give readers a few good tools to tackle what’s hard and scary and heavy about their real lives at the same time. I hope it instills a little hope in the middle of changing world. That’s what it’s been for me in writing it.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m currently writing the sequel to Scarlet Morning, called Evening Gray! Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I’m writing as fast as I can!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Scarlet Morning has been a long time coming, and I’m so excited (and nervous) for everyone to get to read it. It’s a story that’s so, so close to my heart.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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