Creepers and crawlers and things that go bump in the night? Yes, please! Since my latest literary obsession is dark middle grade fantasy, I’m especially thrilled to welcome middle grade author Charlotte Salter to The Winged Pen. Charlotte’s second novel, WHERE THE WOODS END, comes out on August 14th.
The story follows Kestrel, a fierce huntress, as she strives to protect her village from Grabbers––shadowy creatures that stalk, kidnap, and eat their human prey. Kirkus gave WHERE THE WOODS END a starred review and called it “deliciously shivery.” The creepy sense of foreboding starts with the very first sentence, which reads, “The endless forest was as dark as the back of a wolf’s throat, and it was filled with countless horrors.”
Charlotte, thank you for joining us today!
This is your second middle grade horror novel; what is it about writing this genre that appeals to you?
I’ve always had a bit of a dark imagination (too dark? Never!), so I gravitate towards writing things that are a bit horror-y.
It’s partly because scary stories are fun, but the genre also gives you so many opportunities to explore important things. That’s why Where the Woods End – like most ‘horror’ books, really – isn’t there just to be scary or make you say ‘ew’. It’s a great genre for exploring how tough the world is, as well as showing that there can be lightness and humour in the darkest places.
I’m also making it my life’s mission to say ‘pah!’ to everyone who thinks that young people shouldn’t read things that are a bit dark. Young people can cope with a lot – and who doesn’t love a good monster or two?
I couldn’t agree more! Where did the idea for WHERE THE WOODS END come from?
I’ve always had this fictional monster lurking in the back of my mind, a horrific creature that sucks up rubbish, absorbs everything it comes across, and evolves as it interacts with people. I’ve tried using it in lots of different stories, but it never really worked. So when I was looking for a new book to write I thought ‘hey, why not build the entire story around this gruesome monster instead?’
I also wanted to write about fear itself, so I put the two together and realized they fit perfectly. I’m also a little bit obsessed with forests. It HAD to be in a forest.
Some of the darkness in the novel is balanced by a weasel named Pippit, who is Kestrel’s hilarious sidekick. Tell us more about Pippit’s role in the novel and how this aspect of the story was developed.
Kestrel is a very serious person – she has to be, considering her gruesome job! I wanted Pippit to be the thing that brings Kestrel out of that seriousness sometimes, who gives her another voice to bounce off when she’s alone in the forest. Even when something terrible is happening, I think you need to be able to see the light in the dark, and Pippit is the physical embodiment of that.
Pippit started (very briefly) as a rabbit, but I changed him again and again. When I got to ‘weasel’ something clicked – it was just perfect. He’s scrappy and scrawny and a little bit smelly. I genuinely want a pet weasel now.
Although this is a plot-driven book, contrasting relationships are an important aspect of the story. There is the tender sweetness between Kestrel and her father, the horrifying relationship between Kestrel and her mother and grandmother, a deep friendship with Finn, and the bullying Kestrel experiences at the hands of Hannah. Was this done intentionally, or did it happen organically during the writing/revision process?
I knew I wanted Kestrel to have very contrasting relationships with her family, and Finn, and the other villagers. I think it’s amazing that one person can appear in so many ways to different people, from a fearsome object of terror to someone who needs protecting. It’s something we all have in our relationships.
All the same, the ways some of the relationships developed was a complete surprise to me. I didn’t know about the twist in Kestrel’s relationship with her mother until I wrote it. I didn’t know how important Pippit would be either, until I finished the first draft and realized he and Kestrel had to make a terrible decision about their future together. It’s a weird, cliched and totally true thing – sometimes characters wander off and start doing stuff without you.
We need to wrap things up but before we go, tell us a little about your writing process. Are you a pantser or a planner? Do you write consistently every day, or in bursts? Is there a special location that nurtures your creative energy?
Oh, I’m the worst at planning! I start with good intentions, then somewhere in the middle of following a plan I get completely off-track and end up in the middle of a huge tangle of storylines. But it’s a great way to come up with unexpected ideas, so maybe that’s okay.
I usually write on the train with my laptop balanced on my knees, or wherever I can grab a few moments. But one day I’ll have a treehouse I can write in – I’m very determined about that. Preferably not one surrounded by wolves and grabbers.
Thanks for dropping by!
Thanks for having me!
Charlotte lives in the UK, where she spends her days hunting for weird things in forests, beachcombing, drinking endless cups of tea, and writing dark stories for young people. She can talk about sea monsters and fossils for a worryingly long time. Where the Woods End is out on August 14th, and her first monstrously dark book for young people, The Bone Snatcher, is available now. Charlotte’s Twitter handle is @CeSalter
WTWE direct: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/552016/where-the-woods-end-by-charlotte-salter/9780735229235/
Posted by: Jessica Vitalis
Jessica Vitalis is a middle grade author and active member of the literary community. In addition to coordinating Letters for Kids, she volunteers as a Pitch Wars mentor, with the We Need Diverse Books campaign, and contributes to The Winged Pen. When she’s not pursuing her literary interests, Jessica can be found chasing her two precocious daughters around Ontario or changing the batteries in her heated socks. Represented by Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch.