Volume 1, Issue 2 – December 1998
Sharon Green’s Pointed Views
Writing five distinctly different points of view into one book might get an author labeled schizophrenic, but not if that author is Sharon Green. Mixing a strong plot and five fascinating characters, she produced a unique “blending” like none other.
With over 30 novels under her belt, this grande dame of fantasy has plenty to say about her latest series, Roger Zelazny, and publishers. She even climbs on a soapbox or two to tell us how she feels about life, love, and cooking lasagna.
Crescent Blues: The Crystals of Mida came out in 1982. Your latest, The Blending, a four-book series for Avon, came out in 1996, with the fourth book due out in February of 1999. What has changed for you, writing and publishing-wise, in those years?
Sharon Green: To begin with, The Blending is a five-book series, and book five will also be out in 1999, in August. Writing for Don Wollheim and DAW (publisher of The Crystals of Mida and other early books) was more of a family thing, with Don being in charge and at the same time being in close communication.
These days publishing houses are ruled by a very distant “bottom line.” And a lot of good writers are being turned away because their sales figures don’t meet the bottom-line people’s standards. Of course, if those bottom-line people bothered to advertise the books a bit more the sales might increase, but these days too many people don’t believe in making money by spending money.
The world of The Blending is not your typical magic fantasy. What was your inspiration for a world where magic is the norm rather than the exception?
Well, I decided to look around for something different, something not everyone and their grandmother was already doing. Most fantasy has that “small group” who are able to do magic, so that was the starting point which had to be thought about. What’s different compared to the usual? How about everyone being able to do magic?
There are other stories in that same general category, but I don’t have the nerve to think about one of them. Doing it would make what I went through with The Blending look like child’s play, so let’s not go into it.
But I would like to mention who caused me to start thinking along these lines: the late Roger Zelazny. His work was always so far above the ordinary that it completely amazed me. I read his Madwand stuff and not only enjoyed the work for itself, it made me wonder. Zelazny found another way to look at magic, so he inspired me to try to do the same. My effort isn’t anywhere near his, but I like to consider it a step in the right direction.
The Blending feels like something of a departure from your earlier series — Diana Santee, Jalav, Terrillian, Silver Princess. Can you provide our readers with a little background on this complex series?
It suddenly came to me that it was time to do something different, and The Blending turned out to be it. I had no idea how hard it was to write that many points of view, but the book demanded it so I had no choice. You do understand that books write themselves, and those of us who put them down are nothing but glorified secretaries, don’t you? Any writer who speaks the truth will tell you the same thing.
In The Blending, readers see the story through the eyes of five people — Tamrissa Domon (Fire), Lorand Coll (Earth), Jovvi Hafford (Spirit), Clarion Mardimil (Air), and Vallant Ro (Earth). How have readers responded to having so many main characters? Were you surprised by their reactions?
It was very gratifying to hear from fans that they were able to identify with all the characters. The people in my books are very real to me, and it’s my job to make it the same for those who read the books.
In a situation like The Blending, you do have five very different individuals who have to learn to get along. What each one is like dictates what their actions will be in a given circumstance, so you have to know “where they’re coming from” in order to understand why they’re at the point they’ve reached. I find people to be endlessly marvelous, and I really did want to share some of that feeling.
If I succeeded, I couldn’t be happier — and I’m always surprised to hear that what I did worked out right. My first efforts at writing were horrible, and much of the time I still have that impression of “not even coming close” to haunt me. I consider it a very good thing to be worried about not getting it down right. It keeps me from getting lazy and doing only half the job.
How hard is it to switch from character to character?
The hardest part of switching around is remembering what happened the last time I wrote that character. I had to go back and reread what I’d written in order to remind myself, something I’d never had to do before because the narrative was very straight-line. Multiple viewpoints is harder to write, but I consider it more interesting to read. It makes a story richer if you can see certain happenings through a group of very different eyes.
Even though the main narrator of The Blending, Tamrissa Domon, is female, three of the POVs are male — Lorand Coll, Clarion Mardimil, and Valiant Ro. What are the differences in writing from a man’s point of view versus a woman’s? Is one more difficult than the other?
Since I’m female, writing from a woman’s point of view is no more than a bit difficult if the woman character is different enough from what I, myself, am like. She’s still a woman, and I can understand and identify intellectually even if I can’t manage it emotionally.
With men, though, you’ll never find me writing from a first-person point of view. I know enough men and have had enough male friends to realize a long time ago that men and women may look at the same thing, but they don’t see the same thing. Their ideas of what’s important differ, their concepts of honor, and their outlooks on things like dignity. I can never really see things through male eyes, but most of my male readers tell me that I’m getting better at showing what men are really like. That makes me feel extremely good.
Jovvi Hoford, the embodiment of Spirit in The Blending is fascinating. She is an intriguing blend of self-assurance, sensuality and compassion. What is the genesis for Jovvi? Why pick a courtesan for Spirit?
It just so happened that Jovvi was a courtesan, but the matter is one of my soapbox topics. That means something I consider an important point, but one which most people disagree with me about. The point in this case is the matter of sex outside the marriage, and the existence of prostitutes in our own society.
People yell and scream if there are prostitutes walking around in their neighborhood and work hard to get rid of them, never once stopping to think that maybe their little daughters — and possibly their wives and sisters and mothers — are safer because those prostitutes happen to be there.
If a man with the wrong upbringing comes into a neighborhood and wants some sex, there’s a good chance he’ll pay a professional woman and get his jollies that way. If the lady of the night isn’t there, though, what’s to keep him from grabbing the first female he considers attractive no matter what she wants? Lack of imagination has caused more trouble in this world than all the “evil” you care to name.
Which of your characters do readers identify with most?
This question has come as a surprise. Only one or two people have mentioned a favorite character, and one of the ones mentioned was Rion. A male fan told me that he identified very strongly with Rion because he had also had a totally controlling mother, but others don’t seem to mention a favorite if they have one. I wonder why that is?
What do you think makes Rion so compelling?
I think it was the fact that Rion did make an effort to stand on his own feet and learn about the real world. Now that I think about it, Rion might be my favorite as well.
What was the genesis of Rion? Did you base him on anyone in particular?
I based him on a condition rather than on any particular person. There are people in our world who think that total control of their children is the best thing they can do for those kids, never once stopping to ask what will happen to the kids if they lose their parents abruptly. I feel it’s a parent’s duty to teach his/her child to stand on independent feet while making decisions, not to do it for the child. As a parent you have to be there to support and encourage, but if you live your child’s life for him or her you’re doing damage, not helping. (Guess what? Another soapbox topic.)
What are the qualities you look for in your heroes and heroines?
The first quality is the ability to try to do what has to be done. No one will win all the time, but if you don’t try you can’t ever win.
After that, you have to make use of whatever ability you have, even if you don’t think it will do any good. Try to come up with a way it will do some good, and you’re on the way to doing whatever it is that has to be done.
I firmly believe that everyone has something they can use. All they have to do is ignore the people who tell them they’re useless, and find that something. That “all” isn’t easy. In fact, most people can never get around it, but the ones who win are usually the ones who make the effort.
Did you take up Tai Kwan Do, archery and fencing as part of your research for your books? How has studying these physical disciplines affected your writing?
Nope, I did those things because of my own nature. I happen to enjoy them, and because I did do them myself I could make my characters efforts more believable. I may not be all that good at the various undertakings, but my characters can be great — and it gives me an insight into those people who can’t do those things. I don’t often feel helpless, but thinking about not being able to take care of myself lets me get at least a small glimpse of what life is like for those who really can’t do any of it.
You’re now offering the two newest Diana Santee books (Tanderon, Tristesse) online. How did that come about? Do you foresee more of your novels being published online?
I began publishing online because publishers in the paper world have this odd quirk: if another house started a series, unless that series is selling millions of copies, they won’t pick it up. That’s why I decided to try it online, to see if there really is a demand. A number of people are buying the books, with more adding themselves to the number as soon as they find out about it. If I could reach more people… well, that’s for the future. Meanwhile there are four new books: Tanderon; Tristesse, Book One; Tristesse, Book Two; and Esmonia. Xanthia is now in the works.
Most of your fantasy series focus on women achieving or regaining their self-respect in worlds hostile to women. What relationship does this theme have to your view of the “real world” in which we find ourselves? Or is it just it a matter of good plotting?
Thanks for the compliment, but writing with a plot is a flaw rather than a positive ability. If I could write without a plot, I’d be wealthy from doing a bunch of Harlequins.
Seriously, though, I happen to think that too many women are raised in the wrong way. They’re made to think they’re helpless, when all they really have to do is change their attitude to change that state of affairs. Well, it’s not quite that easy to do, but if you know it’s possible you sometimes try it yourself. I wanted to give some encouragement to those women who were able to try it for themselves.
And you really must understand that the “real world” is often no less hostile than any alien world you could name. The “walking wounded” in charge of most women’s lib groups tell women that men are the enemy, which isn’t true. Mothers tell their daughters that they have to “pretend” in order to “catch a husband,” and usually the pretense covers their not having a mind. Female “friends” will often tell girls that they have to be less prissy if they want to be popular, and some fathers spend their time making their daughters believe that they’ll never be as good as a man no matter how hard they try. If all that isn’t hostile, I don’t know what is.
And then there are the girls whose fathers come into their rooms for something other than goodnight kiss on the cheek. (Soapbox Time) I’ve also noticed that too many men have as terrible a childhood as many women, but you only hear about them when they turn into serial killers. It’s way past time that something was done about all this, but no one is making more than a token effort in that direction.
I know damned well I can’t change the real world all by myself, but I still hope that I can make a small difference with what I write about. And I have helped that way once or twice, I’m very proud to say. Talk about not being useless…
What writers influenced you the most? Was any one most responsible for you setting pen to paper?
The writer who had the greatest influence on me was Robert Heinlein. I began to read his stuff as a teenager, after noticing that most of the people around me were liars and cheats. That was usually only on a small scale, of course, but they talked about honesty and doing the right thing, then went out and did what they wanted to. “Lip service,” it’s been called, and that’s what it was to them.
I, being incredibly superior to them, decided I’d do the same when I grew up, only I’d do it the right way. Then I ran into Heinlein’s writing, where he said, in effect, that it didn’t matter if the entire world was dishonorable. A code of honor is a personal thing, and you’re not responsible for what other people do. You are, however, responsible for what you do, so make up your mind how you want it.
People who steal are specifically saying that they can’t get what they steal any other way. People who cheat tell you that you can’t trust them under any circumstances, and people who lie don’t have the guts to voice their true beliefs or the stomach to stick to what they say.
I put together a code of honor that was mine alone, and have stuck to it all my life. I told my kids how I saw things, but never insisted that they do the same because they were entitled to make their own decision the way I did. For some reason they now do things the way I do them, but the choice was theirs alone. Personally, I sometimes wonder how great a criminal mastermind the world lost when I decided to do it the honorable way.
You’ve written in almost every genre. Now we understand that you’re working on a mystery series featuring a serial killer. Would you like to tell us about that?
Well, I can’t go into any details yet. If I ever manage to sell the proposal, you’ll find my idea about how to cure a serial killer. It might even be a workable idea, but it won’t be used, because it’s too expensive and time consuming. Great world we live in, isn’t it?
If you could have any of your books filmed, which one would you choose? Who would you like to see produce it? Star in it?
This is a tough question to answer. One of my fans is dying to do the Jalav books as a movie, but I think that The Far Side of Forever would be the best one to start with because the special effects would be spectacular. For casting the film, I’d have to voice a few negatives rather than a bunch of positives.
For instance, I’d start a war if they ever cast one of the “quivering lip” brigade as my heroine. There are so many actresses out there these days who seem to be popular only because they project helplessness so well. As for the hero, since Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes don’t fit, I don’t care who they get as long as it isn’t Tom Cruise or one of his clones. “Cute little boy” doesn’t fit the description of any of my male characters.
How does being a “Brooklyn chick” figure into your writing? Do you find that your years growing up in one of the toughest parts of New York City flavors your writing?
Explaining to people that I’m from Brooklyn has saved a lot of time and trouble for me, but only because most people know about the stereotype. It so happens I know girls from Brooklyn who are just as bland and helpless as girls from anywhere else, but those of us who aren’t do make more noise and get more attention.
I usually put at least some of my own attitudes into my characters, but my attitudes actually stem from my inborn nature than from where I grew up. There are two kinds of people in this world (as the joke goes, those who generalize and those who don’t), I believe, and they’re fighters and non-fighters. I happen to be a fighter, but most non-fighters don’t understand about us.
The loudmouth who starts up with them or beats them up isn’t a fighter, he’s an abused non-fighter trying to get his own back the only way he can. A real fighter won’t ever start up with a non-fighter. After all, beating up on someone who can’t fight back isn’t proving anything except the fact that you can’t fight either. You may have noticed that this is another soapbox topic, and it’s really too involved to go into more deeply right now.
It says in your bio that you used to sell steel. How did you make the transition from that to writing?
There was no transition involved. All writers start out doing something else, and I discovered that I enjoyed selling steel. It was imported bar steel, and I was pretty good at making my customers feel that I was the one they wanted to buy from. This was telephone sales so I never got to meet most of them face to face, and in many instances that was a lucky thing. At times I got kind of crazy, a trait the guys seemed to really enjoy.
What’s on the horizon for Sharon Green? What new marvels can we expect to see?
The one marvel I’m personally hoping for is that some publisher gets off the dime and offers me contracts. At the moment I have nothing going with any of them, but hopefully that will change.
And it came to me not long ago that the story of The Blending has a definite direction to continue in. The first five books tell the original story, but there’s a second behind that and I’d like to write it. If Avon decides they’d like to print it, we’ll all be happy. If not, who knows?
Also in your biography, under hobbies you put “not cooking.” What’s that about?
I’m not as bad a cook as my mother was, but I’m still totally unimaginative in the kitchen. I can follow directions and recipes without any trouble, but the really good cook improvises rather than following pre-set directions.
That’s one of the reasons all three of my sons learned to cook, and my oldest son is incredibly good. If he ever decides to stop being a police officer, he can probably get a job as a chef with very little effort. When he cooks, everyone in the neighborhood tries to eat. On Christmas Day, my son makes a giant tub of lasagna and invites all his fellow officers who happen to be on duty that day. As good as that lasagna is, we need all those armed men to make sure we’re the ones who end up eating it.
Anything you’d like to add?
I’m getting the feeling you may be a bit of a masochist. After all I’ve already babbled about, I couldn’t go on for more than another four or five hundred pages worth. Don’t forget what length my books usually end up being, so we’ll just say you’re kind to offer and let the offer go.