Deborah Schaumberg is the author of the young adult novel The Tombs. She lives in Maryland.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for The Tombs, and for
your character Avery?
A: The idea for Avery came to me first. I was trekking in
Nepal, reading a book about the energy surrounding living things, when I
imagined how cool it would be to actually see this life force. Before I knew
it, I created a girl, who not only had this magical ability, but could also
affect another person’s energy. Then, I tried to imagine what terrible things
would happen to a girl like that, and pretty soon the plot began to emerge.
Q: What kind of research did you do to write the novel, and
did you learn anything especially surprising?
A: I have to say, I do love research! Sometimes if I get
stuck I go back to researching, and I have found some
pretty weird things. I learned everything I could about the 1800s,
the industrial revolution, and old New York - clothing, food, politics, speech.
I learned how to throw a knife and how a dirigible flies. I researched
falconing (in person with a real falconer), and the effects
of scopolamine on the body.
The most surprising fact was that the real Tombs prison was
built over a pond used by tanneries and slaughterhouses to dump blood and guts!
It started to sink into the mire the moment it was completed. What creepier
place to set a story?
Q: What did you see as the right blend between the
historical New York in 1882 and the fictional world you created?
A: I included as many real places and events as possible to
lend authenticity to the story. Some of the strangest aspects of the novel are
true! I added an author note at the end to point some of them out.
Combining the history with a little magic and a dash of
steampunk gave me the right blend of history and fantasy. Early drafts
also incorporated automatons (human-like machines), but my editor thought that
was too much so I agreed to take them out.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started
writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: I did have a rough idea of the ending but I did not do a
detailed outline. I let the story unfold as I went along. Which, by the way,
might be why it took me three years to write!
When I went through final edits with my editor at
HarperTeen, she felt I had ended it too early. She asked me to close some of
the open-ended plot points. So what I had originally thought was the ending
actually wasn’t! I added two more chapters and loved the new ending even
more.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: One day I will write the sequel to The Tombs, but right
now I am working on a story set during World War II. It’s about a girl longing
for a sense of home in a world turned upside down.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I went to architecture school and practiced for many
years. I had no idea I would change careers but I love writing so much I will
never go back. The great part is my architecture background helps me
tremendously with my world-building!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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