By the Book Reviews was lucky enough to have a chance to talk with author L.J. Smith. L.J. Smith’s books fit perfectly into the current vampire craze but they have been around for a while! Her series, Vampire Diaries, has been made into a show on the CW network and new books are still to come! Here is what L.J.Smith had to say about her series, the show, and her writing!
BTB: Why do you think readers are so drawn to the ideas of vampires?
Smith: I have many theories about this. One is that reading a vampire book—at least a book in which you have a romantic vampire—is like taking a rollercoaster ride. You may be scared as you climb up to the top of the ride; you may scream as you plunge downward, twisting and whirling unexpectedly, but all the time you know deep down that it won’t kill you.
Vampires also have a strange glamour about them. They often are portrayed as being inhumanly beautiful. Since some of them are very old, they have had time to settle into their bodies, and never make a movement that is not graceful or precise. And since the entire purpose of these vampires’ existence is to get their hands on you, they may have learned to be as appealing to humans as possible.
Too, I believe in the theory of redemption. I think a lot of us want to believe that all any of these gloriously-beautiful, inherently-chilling creatures of the darkness can get a little closer to the light through the love of a nice human girl.
BTB: What inspired you to first start writing about vampires?
Smith: I wasn’t inspired; I was hired! A publishing company asked me to do a trilogy of vampire books. That’s when the inspiration came! I quickly read up on classical vampires, and soon realized that I wanted The Vampire Diaries to be unlike any book that had been written before it—to have a reluctant vampire—one who didn’t want to be a creature of darkness, but couldn’t help his nature. So Stefan was born. When I added Elena and Damon to the mix I found I’d fallen in love with all three characters.
BTB: Are your characters inspired by people you know?
Smith: Some are; some aren’t. I like to watch people’s mannerisms and use them for my characters—like Matt Honeycutt jingling change when he wanted to say something important. That came from a true life guy I knew—but although he read the book he never made the connection! Most of my vampires, witches, and other supernatural characters, of course, are not based on humans. They usually come to me as I’m writing, and I can see them more and more clearly the more I write and think about them.
BTB: What was your reaction when first approached to make Vampire Diaries into a TV Show?
Smith: To be honest, at first I was very cautious about getting my hopes up. I’ve been through this kind of thing before and it has never resulted in a TV show or movie. But it quickly became clear that this was different—and then I still tried to keep my hopes in check. I wasn’t sure how America would like The Vampire Diaries. But gradually I became elated—and thank heavens nothing went wrong.
BTB: What do you think of the changes the TV show has made to the book?
Smith: I love everything the producers of the show have done, and think the show is wonderful. I’ve gotten over the Elena blonde or brunette question—after all, Elena is just Elena. Just as Kevin Williamson has said, there is a big difference between five books and a full season TV show, and the spirit of the book is honored throughout. The books and the TV show are just two different ways to tell a tale.
BTB: What is the most valuable piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Smith: I know that you’ve heard it before, but writing something every single day truly is the way to expand your ability and to inspire you. You don’t have to have a subject in mind when you put your pen to the paper. All you need to do is to force yourself to write some words—about what happened to you that day, about how you’re feeling . . . anything. If you keep writing you may suddenly find yourself telling a funny story or remembering an idea you had earlier in the day. Scribble down your ideas for a novel or a description of how much you enjoyed your Saturday. Try it—it works!
BTB: What authors have inspired you?
Smith: Too many to name! These days I read mostly classics and a lot of nonfiction (sometimes for research, sometimes for pleasure). Until I began to write Vampire Diaries I had never read a book about vampires. But when I was hired to do the trilogy, of course, I read Dracula, and anything I could find on the Internet about “real” vampires. But I can tell you about a modern author who has inspired me: Terry Pratchett. I love his books! Each one of them stretches my imagination further and further. To me, he is the funniest and most gifted author of our time.
BTB: Are you currently working on any new projects?
Smith: Oh, yes! I’ve just begun the third book in the new Vampire Diaries Trilogy, titled Midnight. The second book in this trilogy, Shadow Souls, will be out in March, 2010. And then I am working on the last book in the Night World series, titled Strange Fate, which doesn’t have a firm publication date yet. In addition I have on the back burner a book called Brionwy’s Lullabies, which is set in a world that is ruled by dragons. And of course I hope to write some more Vampire Diaries books as well!
*Interview Questions written by Meagan Anderson
