Ask the Author: Meredith Russo
Answered Questions (39)
Meredith Russo
Contemporary's not very friendly to sequels, sadly, but isn't that what fanfiction's for? And, hey, that's where I got started!
Meredith Russo
Hmm! Well I come from a big Appalachian family on my mom's side, so my dad wasn't necessarily the only Adult Male Figure who imprinted on my brain when I was growing up. There was my Papaw, all sorts of uncles, and even a few male cousins ten or more years older than me! I would say Amanda and Morgan's dads are a mish-mash of the qualities I find most vexing/confusing/interesting/lovable about the men I grew up around though, definitely.
My dad is a Dad in what I guess you would call some traditional ways--not very emotionally expressive or demonstrative, is the main thing that comes to mind. He's less like either of the dads in my books and more like if Brock Sampson from the Venture Brothers was a better human being, worked out like 1/4 as much, and played SICK guitar solos. (My dad is a very good guitar player.)
My dad is a Dad in what I guess you would call some traditional ways--not very emotionally expressive or demonstrative, is the main thing that comes to mind. He's less like either of the dads in my books and more like if Brock Sampson from the Venture Brothers was a better human being, worked out like 1/4 as much, and played SICK guitar solos. (My dad is a very good guitar player.)
Meredith Russo
This is a tricky question, I could write thousands of words about it, others already have, so all I'll say is this: it is not wrong, necessarily, to make a character's queerness prominent or central to a story, but you have to think clearly about two things. The first consideration is your story's themes--if the story is about identity, romance, bullying, oppression, etc, yeah you should probably foreground these aspects of a character's identity, but if a story's about accounting or punching dragons or solving mysteries, it's probably best to have a character go, "Oh here's a photo of me from before I transitioned please ignore that" and otherwise not dwell on it. The second consideration is your own experience with the identity you're depicting. I am a trans woman and a lesbian, and while I'm not the authority on how to be trans or a lesbian, when I'm writing characters who share my identities I feel a lot safer cutting loose and really digging into the experience. But if I were to write an ace character, or a nonbinary character, I would make sure to step back and maybe not assume I'm equipped to really speak to what it's like to be them, or at least not centering that in the story.
Meredith Russo
Aw, back at you!
Meredith Russo
Sooner than later, hopefully! Writer's block's been a real problem for me the last year and a half, but I'm on kind of a hot streak. Keep an eye out!
Meredith Russo
It's been a bit since I wrote that essay, so I had to check my email archives, but I think Kelly Jensen (who is great!) reached out to me because I'd overshared about mental health on Twitter or maybe there was something about me being a loon in the If I Was Your Girl author's note--long story short, she learned I Live With Mental Illness, reached out to see if I wanted to participate, and I did!
My experience with anthologies has been that you really only talk to the editor, and once all is said and done unless you live nearby or end up at the same promotional events, you probably won't meet the other authors outside email and social media. I can't imagine the work of editing one of these things, honestly!
My experience with anthologies has been that you really only talk to the editor, and once all is said and done unless you live nearby or end up at the same promotional events, you probably won't meet the other authors outside email and social media. I can't imagine the work of editing one of these things, honestly!
Meredith Russo
The real answer is that I'm not much good at anything besides this, drawing, and music, and I abandoned the latter two immediately after high school. I hope you liked the book! And yes, I've got lots of work coming out. :)
Meredith Russo
I've got a story in Meet Cute about a cis girl from a hateful conservative family and the trans girl that family is trying to get kicked out of school meeting because of a production of Little Shop of Horrors and falling in love, and I've also got a novel called Birthday coming out about a nonbinary kid and a cis boy born on the same day told over the course of each of their birthdays from 13 through 18. I hope you like them!
Meredith Russo
Yes! I contributed to Radical Hope and Meet Cute, and my sophomore novel, Birthday, comes out late next year!
Meredith Russo
I gave most of my books away to charity/schools within the first year. A combination of the post office making me upset (I have a weird thing about bureaucracy) and being a relentless do-gooder struck before I really got a chance to do any giveaways. I'm sorry! D:
Meredith Russo
It's tempting, and I've considered it, but at this point in my life there are issues besides money keeping me here. I probably won't be able to leave until I'm at least 45.
Meredith Russo
Besides very small cameos in future books, no, probably not. The good news is that, so long as you aren't making fat stacks off it (and I wouldn't consider something like a Patreon or paypal tipping to be unreasonable so long as I'm also credited) I'm on record as giving my blessing for people to write however much supplementary material they feel is necessary to be satisfied with the story. I ended it where I thought worked, but your version of the story matters too and you're allowed to carry it forward wherever you want.
Meredith Russo
Growing up queer I tended to only see myself in villains, and I still mostly make my villains reflections of a part of my personality I don't like or about which I have troubled feelings. Which is to say Bee is based almost entirely on me, as a way of sort of rebuking older, more dysfunctional ways I had of relating to other people, and especially other women.
Meredith Russo
Kira Conley! She's a professional model so I'm sure she already knows, but if I ever meet her I'll be sure to pass it along. Thank you so much!
Meredith Russo
"Amanda and Grant end up together and he loves her so much, and they get married and have children." That sounds like a touching story. You should write it and post it somewhere so I can read it. <3
Meredith Russo
When people start writing fanfiction I'll send you the AO3 link so we can find out what happens at the same time. ;)
Meredith Russo
It does. Honestly the process of being transgender is no more alarming in a vacuum than puberty itself (which is incredibly alarming). So long as we're provided the care, support, and guidance we need when we're young, and so long as our culture accepts us (believe it or not, there have been places and times in human history where being what we would recognize as trans was seen as benign or even tolerated - look up the gallae of ancient Rome sometime!) we generally turn out pretty happy and well adjusted. Which is why Amanda's mom is so good and why parental support is the most important deciding factor in a trans child's development.
Meredith Russo
No specific event in the book is autobiographical, but the patches of characterization, background, and plot of the world around me make up a lot of the quilt in it, because how could it not? And, yes, without going into too much detail, I am a survivor of physical bullying, mental illness (two suicide attempts), domestic violence, and sexual assault. Believe it or not, though, I'm happier than I've ever been.
Meredith Russo
Well, the boring answer is that it's fiction and I made it all up, so not much of any consequence is happening to them. A more wishy-washy answer is that depending on my mood and inclination at any moment I might picture their lives going any old way. My standard answer, and the one which I believe the most, is that readers have as much stake in their versions of the stories they read as the writers who put words to the page. What do characters look like to you? What do they do when they're off screen? What are the blank spaces of their futures and pasts like? That's entirely up to you. :)
Meredith Russo
I fully intend to provide cameos in future works for people with sharp eyes, but other than that I want to leave my writing where it stands and let people who like it write their own fanfiction or create fan art, which was what got me into writing in middle school. The cycle must perpetuate itself, and I think if I overload the worlds I build there won't be much space left for readers' imaginations.
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