Paul Michael Winters is the author of the new young adult novel Together in a Broken World. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Q: What inspired you to write Together in a Broken World, and how did you create your characters Zach and Aiden?
A: I conceived of Together in a Broken World during the doldrums of Covid in mid-2020. The story themes include the struggles of isolation, loneliness, and loss.
I’m also a big fan of the post-apocalyptic genre, as well as
YA queer romance, so mixing those heavier themes with a joyful romance was a
fun challenge.
The characters both reflect parts of me (and things I’d like to be) as well as
people I know, but put under extreme situations.
Aiden is the more outwardly strong and brave character, but
he’s dealing (poorly) with unresolved trauma, burying himself in his work. Zach
is smart and resilient but suffers from extreme anxiety about being alone. The
two characters' flaws and strengths balance each other out.
Q: How was the novel’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: The title was chosen to convey the main themes of two
people coming together to find love and the strength to survive in a
post-apocalyptic world. The original working title, “Alone Together,” sums up
the themes even more succinctly, but it was the title of a Covid movie that
came out while I was working on the project.
Q: How did you create the world in which the story takes place?
A: The post-apocalyptic world was based on several of my
favorite movies, including 28 Days Later, Children of Men, and The Last of Us.
Most of the locations are real places, many of which I know well from growing
up in the area. I also went on a road trip to visit many of the places in the
novel to get an emotional connection to the locations.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did
you make many changes along the way?
A: The main outline was created in one 24-hour period. It was complete before I did any of the writing. The main elements remained largely the same. A decent-size rewrite moved a few of the scenes, but the fundamentals remained from the start.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am currently completing a YA queer romance and cozy
horror that leans heavily into haunted house themes, mixed with coming-of-age
romance of Heartstopper. I have several other projects in various stages,
including a romantasy, an action/adventure, and a sci-fi story.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: My goal as a writer is to focus on queer joy featuring traditional stories where you may not normally see queer characters. Read Together in a Broken World if you want a post-apocalyptic romance adventure with a queer twist.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
No comments:
Post a Comment